The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-10

raj where they had left their horse
with their single guardian, he wa
treated to sensation. Confident Of til,
applause Of their fellow citizens ant
reckless Of law or order, gang Of tn,
choicest spirits had dashed upon the in
closure, instantly overpowering the be
wildered sentry, and while some stoot
guard over his PROSTATE form, the 9th
ers unlinked the excited horses, threw
themselves into saddle and. laughing
and cheering, came Gathering out into
the street.
This changed the whole situation in
the twinaing Of an eye. Taught to re-
spect the rights and protect the proper.
ty Of other men, Maynard had very
positive convictions for a youngster as
to the sacred nature of the claims OF
Uncle Sam. So long as only chaff and
ridicule were the weapons Of the popu.
lace his equanimity had not been dis
turbed, but now he blazed with wrath
A yell of delight went up from some of
the throng at sight Of the motley troop
ranging into line 100 yards away, but
even then aud there were men who real
lied at once how wild and how serious
q prank was this and how widespread
might be the havoc of its CONSEQUENCES
Instantly two or three men started for
the young officer, shouting: "Don't no.
tice it, lieutenant. Don't do ANYTHING.
Well get the horses. " =
Very possibly if Maynard had halted
his party then and there or turned back
and marched it into the adjoining
street the wiser among the citizens
could have persuaded the offenders of
the magnitude Of their sin and the
horses would have been restored with
rough but profuse frontier apologies.
But the blood Of the patrol was up. Here
at least was something it had right
to resent, and all in an instant Maynard
and his little party started on tho jump
for the despoilers. 1t wasa bitter cold
day, as has been said. Tho troopers
were in heavy overcoats and shoes, fur
caps and gloves, and they could not
make sprint despite their best efforts.
1t would have been easy enough for the
riders to dash away, but all the devil Of
frontier fun, recklessness and whisky
was at work, and clinging, as some Of
them had to do, to their plunging and
excited steeds, down they came, follow
ing the lead of jovial tough who had
mounted Maynard's own horse. Lucki.
ly the leader had no spurs. Luckily the
horse seemed to recognize his master as
the foremost of the familiar blueooats,
for despite the furious urging and kick
ing Of the tall townsman on his back
Rienzi came snorting and plunging
straight to Maynard's side, and the
lieutenant, never laying hand upon the
rein, was at the joker's stirrup in a sec.
ond. Another second and both his sim
envy hands had grasped the riders boot
and had toppled-hurled him headfore-
most out of saddle to the icy ground 1t
was all done 30 quickly that no one
realized what had happened until, as
the other horses seemed instinctively to
halt and cluster about their leader and
the other troopers to seize their mounts,
and the momentary riders to tumble or
throw themselves from their seats, it
was seen that the ringleader Of the gang
lay PROSTATE as he had plunged, his
head turned to one side and dark
stream of blood oozing from underneath.
Some one had set up sympathetic
cheer at Maynard's exploit. So long as
all remained on the same footing the
crowd was unit in its desire to have
fun at the expense Of the soldiers but
when its holder spirits appeared in sad.
die they forfeited the full measure of
the sympathy of tickle populace, and
Maynard's delft and skillful and mar
velously quick settlement of the ques.
tion won their admiration. All the
same, there was prompt rush to aid
and lift the PROSTATE man, task none
too easy, for he proved to be tall, very
built and utterly dead
weight on the hands of those who bore
him. The blood was streaming from !
jagged cash on the right side of the fore
head, and it was evident at a glance
that the confusion and shock had been
severe. The rollicking mood of the |
crowd had suddenly changed, and as
one man they focked densely about the
central figure. Maynard, who, turning
mis- horse over to the care of one of the
troopers and directing the sergeant to
cad the patrol a little distance away,
was now busy in the effort to revive his
ate tornentor.
"Does anybody know where he lives
who he is?' he inquired as he knelt
md began bathing away the blood with
! sponge handed him by some sympa-
hattie SOUL
"He's only been here few days,
lieutenant" answered one Of the throng,
stalwart fellow in a buffalo overcoat
md wolfskin cap. Hes been playing
It the Empire, where you were few
minutes ago, since Monday. First off
10 quit winner two or three times and
reated liberal, but luck turned Oh him.
reckon he's about cleaned out Didn't
how up at the table last night at ALL"
Maynard looked up into the speakers
ace. "Would you mind calling doc
orr" he said. "I'll pay his bill. OF
curse I'm sorry the man is so badly
urf, butt
sob, you're all right, lieutenant!
|obody's going to blame you in the
latter We were all ripe for a little
III, but had no idea these fellows
,ould be such id fools as to try to
zeal your horses." And here the fur
lad giant cast disdainful glance at
ne Or two Of the would be cavaliers,
10 only ones of that luckless party to
emain and hang shamefacedly about
leir late leader. "You fellows were
ager enough to follow this man," said
e, triumphing over the comments and
lestions hazarded by others in the
'owd. Don't you know his name?"
"Nuthin more'n what he told me-"
leepishly answered one of the two,
18th copious libation of tobacco juice
I'd shrug of his broad shoulders.
Said he'd been in the San Juan coun-
y-had made stake mimi and had
ZEN robbed of most of it in Denver by
lows who had run up here. There was