The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-02
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A5TROOPER
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II CAPTAIN
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CHAPTER VIII.
[Copyright. 1893 by J. 3. L:ppircott Conlpany.l


And SO Ned Lawrence got back to
Worth to find it far Hvelier than when
he left it. The stage with its joyous es-
cort had come trundling in just before
tattoo, and first and foremost the re-
turning wanderer was driven to his
own doorway and left for half an hour
with Ada and Jimmy-the one sobbiDg
with Joy, the other laughing with de-
light-on the father knees. Then Mrs.
Blythe stole in to bid them to the wait
ing supper, and, pending Lawrence's
temperance somewhere along the line,
the officers gathered in low voiced
groups discussing the startling event If
the evening. Bralligan, raging for the
blood Of the double dashed, triple ad-
jectived hound who had assaulted him,
had been lugged home by two or three
of his kind, consoled by Captain Null
lane With the assurance that he'd see
that the preacher gave him full salts
faction in the morning, for, with ma
tive love of a ruction, Mullane stood
ready to bear the subaltern's challenge,
even though his better nature told him
the ducking was richly deserved; with
Irish honor in question, Mullane was
for fight. Frazier and Brooks, OF course,
said the seniors present, must not be al
lowed official knowledge of what had
taken place, though in those benighted
days of magnificent distances from the
center Of civilization and the exploring
grounds of reporters Of the press, many
a stirring row was settled without its
ever being heard of beyond the limits
of the garrison in which it occurred.
Captain Barclay, contenting himself
with the one blow, despite an un-Chris-
tian impulse to follow it up with kick
at the sprawling figure, had stood calm
ly by when Bralligan's IS associates lifted
him, half stunned, to his feet, then,
addressing himself to MUllane, with
just the least tremor in his voice and
twitching to his muscles, remarked:
"Of course you know What led to this,
sir. If your lieutenant desires 10 follow
it up, you can find NE at my quarters "
Then, looking very deliberately around
upon the little circle Of flushed CT pallid
faces-there were only five officers pres
ent-he slowly turned, walked away
and shut himself III his room.
A light was still burning there whe.f
Brayton tiptoed jh at half past 10. He,
with several other cavalrymen, had
been sitting in the majors parlor, lis
tening to Lawrence's tale of his expert
ences in Washington. Winn had rejoin-
ed the party late, and one glance at his
face was enough to tell Brayton that
somewhere he had heard of the fracas
at the clubroom. Brayton' boyish heart
was bubbling over with pride and de-
light in this new and unlocked for side
to his captain. Every day of his service
with that officer only served to strength
en- the regard and admiration Brayton
felt for him. Barclay had made no
pretense Of being a cavalryman on the
strength Of his assignment to that arm.
He started with the assertion that he
had everything to lIarn, and then sur
prised his subaltern by an extensive
knowledge of what we then called "the
tactics" He was certainly not as much
at home in saddle as ON foot and did
not pretend to be, but he was by no
means poor or ungraceful rider He
had light, gentle hand, at least--a
thing much harder for most men to ac-
quire than a good seat He was very
cool, just and level headed with the
members of the troop, not a few of
whom thought to run it" on the
"doughboy' captain, but all such prof
ects had fiattened out within the fort
night after his coming. Barclay might
not know horses, but he did know men,
and the first sergeant was the first to
find it out-the new captain calmly and
almost confdentially pointing out to
him, after ten days of apparently casual