The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-15

q point of going everywhere with him
In order to made him feel more COM
Portable. He tool my overtures In
good part and seemed 90 enjoy my
company. About the fourth day IL sud-
denly dawned on me that my bashful
little 'bunkie' knew all about me. my
name. my station in life and all the
other things that a friend IL supposed
to know. while all I knew about him
was that his name was Redmond. So
I just tackled him one day and told
him that as we might be together for
months. I'd like to know who he was
and where he came from and whether
he had a family. You see. Redmond.
I said. our homes may be all well
have to talk about before this war Is
over. so we might as well know one
another
He gave me a queer look. mumbled
something o seeing me later. and
left the tent. I made up my mind
right there hat there vas some sad
secret In his life that he couldn't talk
about to so new an acquaintance as
myself. and I didn't bother him again.
I was so blue myself about being
away from my friends and relatives
that a great wave Of pity for this poor
fellow. who seemed so much less able
to stand trouble than I. swept over
me. The second night after this Red
mond put on his coat and said he was
going out for a walk. Hold on a min
ute.' ] said. N I'll go with you
"'Oh. I'm not going far he said.
you'd better stay. I'll be back in an
hour
"'But I want to CO. I aid I'm
sick of hanging around the tent
He said no more and we went out
together. There were no guards but
the provost guards and the men could
wander around at will. We went into
the town and stopped at a saloon.
where Redmond made me gasp by
drinking nearly half tumbler of whis-
key without wincing. We went to
several other places and had drinks.
and finally. at my suggestion, started
back for camp. We were passing
through a very dark street when Red
mond suddenly came TO a standstill.
and. hauling out his big cavalry re-
volver, examined II carefully and then
turning to me said: You'd better step
in that doorway a moment. I'll be
right back
Il looked up and then noticed. about
a hundred yards away, a man coming
towards us. He was a well-dressed
prosperous looking man, n as / saw
Redmond take a step in his direction
1t came over me all of a sudden what
he intended to do.
"'See here, Redmond I called. walk
INK OTWdTu ana cdtcnlnk NH Dy III
shoulder. what are you going to de-?
Hold him up he said in his soft
voice. Go in a doorway; it won't take
a moment
mot a bit of IT, I said. You'll do
no such work as that while I'm
around
IAN expression which betrayed the
mans real character came over his
face. and for a second 7 thought he
mos Onino ~ shoot mo Before no cot
a chance ] continued:
Redmond. IL you need some money
I'll help you out. I've got a little. 1
won't stand for any such game as this.
though
~ can get along until we get a pay
day on s.. Can you let me have that
much?'
Certainly I said, and I gave him
a bill in a hurry. for the stranger was
getting dangerously rear us. He put
up his revolver and the stranger pass
ed us. little knowing what a narrow
escape he had had.
Redmond never made the slightest
reference to the affair on our way back
to camp. but when we got in our tent
I told him very plainly hat I was GO
ing to quit him. and l made an ex-
change with another man the next
day. He wasn't the least bit disturb
ed by my leaving him.. and always
greeted me pleasantly when he met
me. A week later he came around
and gave back my s.. We hadn't had
a pay day. and don't know to this
day where he got the money.
From this incident / guessed that
Redmond was an INSCRIPTIONS fellow,
but I never had the faintest concep-
ton of what a scoundrel he was. IT
wasn't until I got to Camp Wikoff
that ! learned all about Redmond. |
came up to that camp from Cuba. He
came from Tampa and got there ahead
of me. When i got there he was I'M
der guard, although he wasn't sup
posed to know IL. He was wanted
in Kansas for numbering two m
and the Kansas officer who brought
on the warrant told a tale of Red
mond's career that was bloodcurdling.
In addition TO being a murderer he was
notorious as a train robber and all
around de~sperado. A sergeant was put
on guard over him so that he couldn't
get away but one night while the
sergeant was peacefully sleeping Red
mond cut out the whole back of the
tent and escaped. The next day the
detective came or to arrest Redmond.
having procured the right from the
war department. but the bird had
flown, and I have never heard that
he was captured. That was all there
was to II. but IL you could meet Red
mond-by the way. a was merely
an alias-you would never believe tina
he was anything but a mothers dar-
ling."-New York Sun.