The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1898-12-01
CHAPTER III.

Two days after the receipt of the an
nouncement of Fanny Hayward's en-
gagement to Mr.. McLane and few
weeks before the marriage, Randolph
Merriam had left Fort Sedgwick in COM
mand of a detachment of cavalry es-
corting a government survey to the
Mescalero range. 1t was not his tour.
The detail belonged to Harrison,
Younger officer, who had been saving up
all winter for a two-months' leave and
I chance to spend his savings at the
great exposition at Chicago. A relent-
less colonel would allow him no leave,
because it was his turn for field duty,
and because so many officers wished to
go to the fair that it was out Of the
question as to expect anyone to offer to
take the detail for him. The detach-
ment would be in the field at leas, three
months, possibly four. Harrison, con-
sequently, was the bluest man at Sedg-
wick, and said more hard things about
government surveys, and more improper
things, than could well be recorded here.
Everybody had been congratulating
Merriam on the final receipt OF what the
lawyers didn't scoop" of his little leg
acy, and for two weeks he had been as
happy as Harrison was miserable.
Then, to the utter amaze of everybody,
just the day before it was time for the
command to start it was announced
that Hnrrison's application for leave
had gone forward approved, and that
Merriam had asked for and been grant
ed the luxury of threeor four months
jog through the toughest AID most for
bidding Of mountain ranges. He had
even got the coloners permission to &C
ahead and wait for the detachment al
the old mission on the Santa Clara, nnt
had started late at night, accompanied
only by an orderly. People couldn't be
lieve their ears, and the post commander
rejoiced in the possession of q secret
even his wife couldn't coax out of hin
the constituencies, Grabbed ole
crank! as one of his garrison, not sub
ject to court-martial, described him
The adjutant had to admit that Mer
Ram had been closeted with the X. o
nearly half an hour, and had looket
black and blue both, but no blacker, NJ
bluer, when he came out than when b.
went in. No, he did not think that any
body else had complained of Merriam'
owing him money. He did not think any
body had had n word to say against him
The old man had simply sent for the ad
jutant right after the interview and re
marked: "Mr. Blossom, you can tel
Mr.. Harrison he may submit that nppli
cation for leave and I'll forward it ap
proved Mr.. Merriam has my consen
to take that escort in his stead" Blu
hadn't he told anybody? Didn't any
body know? were the very natural ques
tions asked. No. Merriam's one init
mate and chum in his regiment was Bill
Whitaker, and Bill was away up n
Santa Fe at the time, a witness befor
general court-martial. Merriam was
frequent visitor at the Haynes quar-
ters, and everybody knew that in hi
own regiment he had no warmer friend
than Capt. and Mrs. Lawrence Hayne
OF the Riflers, and Merriam had had
long talk with Hayne before calling Of
| the colonel. But no one who kne,
either lIayne or his charming wife eve
| thought of trying to extract from tiher
information as to other peoples person
al affairs. Old Buxton. the dragoon-o1
the-oldarmy sort of "A lieutenant colo
mel, did try to pump the captain
but was most coolly and civilly snubbe
for his pains. Buxton was n man Hayn
never spoke to except in the mos
formal way. There had been som
trouble between them ever so long age
| when Hayne was young second lieu
tenant and "Bux" the senior captain O
the -th cavalry. The softening touc
of time had etfaced much of the bitter
ness of that old, old story. Hnyne ha
twice been stationed at the same garri
son with Buxton, and found it awkwar
| to preserve the rule of nonintercours
with a field officer who was frequent
in command, so he spoke respectful
and courteously to his senior wheneve
they met, but the courtesy was as col
and the meetings as rare as he coul
make them. Bux. however, "bore II
malice" as he said, and was quite read
to be magnanirnous and forgive uayn
for what had TRANSFERRED in he past, bu
| then Buxton, not Hayne, had been tn
offender. Indeed, Buxton was pachy
| derm on whom snubs had little effec
| He believed Hague knew why MerriaI
had asked for his most undesirable de
tall and so iInportuned him with cage
| inquiry-all to no purpose. Harriso
blissfully went on to Chicago and Mel
riam out to the Mescalero, and was n
| more heard of or from for several weeks
| Then the news came that he was Sc
| riously i'll with mountain fever at tn
cantonment on Catamount creek, an
Bill Whitaker was hurried thither I
take over the command.
In a week there came letter fror
him to Capt. Hayne, and this was wha
| it said:
81 found the dear old boy conva
escing, but woefully limp and veal