The Advocate and news., 1898-11-16

Worth, and Marsden was swell y
sergeant, whose airs and affluence had
made him the object Of suspicion.
Those were the days when cavalry reg
iments had Commissary, but congress
did away with the Office, and Winn,
whom an indulgent colonel had detail
cd to that supposedly "soft snap" when
regimental headquarters were stationed
at Worth, had been left there with his
bulky array Of boxes and barrels when
the colonel and staff were transferred
to a more southern post, the understand
ing being that he was to turn over ev-
erything to Frazier 3 new quartermaster
az soon al that official should arrive,
Frazier's appointee, however, was
lieutenant from a distant station.
The war department had not approved
the appointment when made. Core
spondence had been going on, and only
within the week was notification reCeiv-
ed that the choice was finally confirmed
and that Lieutenant Trott would soon
arrive. Meantime Winn remained, but
the stores were going. Somebody had
money enough to bribe the sentries
nightly posted at the storehouse at the
northern corner Of the big reotangle,
and wagon load after wagon load must
have been driven way. Outwardly, as
developed by the count made early on
the morning following Riggs coming,
all was right, but veteran cavalry SER
geant scotiingly knocked in the heads Of
Cask, box and barrel and showed how
bacon by the cord had been replaced by
rags and bowlders; sugar, coffee and
-four by bushels Of sand, molasses and
vinegar by branch water, and tea and
tobacco by trash. "Two to three thou.
sand dollars worth Of rations gone,
said Riggs at noon, land the devil tt
pay II Winn cannoGW Vain the night
ride to Fuller's ranch in search Of Mars
den. That worthy had long since feath-
cred his portable nest and on one Of the
quartermaster' best horses had left the
post within the half hour Of Riggs
coming, no man knew for what point
after once he crossed the ford. Hoof
tracks by the hundred Crisscrossed and
zigzagged over the southwark mesa.
Thick darkness had settled down. Full
ler's people swore no signs of him had
been seen, and, though patrols kept on
all night, poor Winn came back de-
spairing an hour before the dawn to
face his fate. Even at noon he had
hardly begun to realize the extent Of
his overwhelming loss
"Go home and try to sleep, " said the
colonel sadly to the dumb and stricken
man. "You can do no good here. III
send the doctor to you."
But Winn started up and shook the
old fellows kindly hand. II cannot go.
My God, must know the whole busi-
nessW he cried. 81 cannot sleep or eat
q morsel.
Whatever you do, don't drink, "
said Riggs, in not unkindly warning.
"Go and SEQ your wife, anyhow, for an
hour or so. She has sent three times.
But words were useless. Sympathetic
comrades came and strove with him
and said empty words Of hope or cheer
empty because they knew poor Winn
had not soul in the world to whom to
look for help. Kin to half dozen old
army names, it helped him not whit,
for no one of them was blessed with
means beyond the monthly pay, and
some had not even that unmortgaged.
twenty-five hundred dollars shortage
already, to say nothing Of the cash for
recent sales, and more no doubt to
come. The very thought was ruin. Re-
fusing comfort, the hapless man sat
down at his Uttered desk, stared again
at the crowded, dusty pigeonholes and