Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-09-22

dc still lay in q room at the Inter Ocean.
the men of the entire command. Only
those black sheep of the fold, the IT.
reconcilable toughs, who are to be found
to the number of two or three in almost
every garrison, could find it in their
hearts to say aught against him. AS
luck would have it the two deserters
still at large were characters of this
type-blackguards incarnate, who had
served doubtless under other names in
more than one company until the loose
recruiting methods of that day had
landed them in Buxton's troop. Here
so long as the burly captain was on
duty they had no bad time. Buxton had
peculiar utilization for the tough ele-
ment of the rank and file, possibly be-
cause he had spent some years before
the war as one of them. But Buxton,
had gone on leave, and his first ieuten.
ant was giving the troop needed
Strengthening out, process that in
volved Privates Yell and Culligan in
disciplinary methods hitherto untried
and led to their determination to sever,
for the third or fourth time probably,
the bonds that welded them to Uncle
Sam. No vestige of doubt remained
that these ruffians, or one of them at
least, had dealt Maynard the we'll nigh
fatal blow, and had the garrison had its
say all Fort Russell would have Joined
IN the search and pursuit, and short
shrift and sudden cord would have been
the lot Of BOTH
And 80 1t happened that Nathalie
Baird found herself sorely missing the
sight Of that dashing rider and the
sound of his CHEEKY, ringing voice as
she took her afternoon exercise on the
prairie and could not help thinking a
great deal about him and feeling very,
very full Of interest and pity and not
little desire to be Of some use to him in
his critical state. She could not help
wishing it was the proper, the obvious,
thing for young girls like herself to be-
come the nurses and caretakers of war
riors wounded in the line of duty. They
did such things III romance and fiction,
but Nathalie had never read "Ivanhoe"
and the host Of stories that blessed their
hero with such sweet companionship
and care. She found herself wondering
very much what Mr.. Maynard's sister
would be like and wishing she knew her
and could go to see her, and Illuminating
over all these things Nathalie's step
was slower. her eyes downcast and her
round, soft cheek lost the lively flush
that buoyant health and exercise had
given it. There were still some young
fellows left in the garrison, though both
Dana and Hunter had gone with the
! field column, the latter in Maynard's
place in Wayne's troop, but something
told them the tall girl at the Barrys'
would rather be alone just now, and
noting her pallor and the wistful, anx-
ious look with which the blue eyes re-
garded everybody who had just come
out from town garrison gossips began
to talk, especially Mrs. Turner.
Then Mayns1d's sister reached Chey-
enne, was met at the train by Major
and Mrs. Stannard and the adjutant and
escorted at once to her brothers. bedside
at the hotel, where communicating
room had been made ready for her. She
proved to be older than the sufferer by
several years, and a woman whom grief,
anxiety and care had told upon before
her thirtieth year. She was trife cold
and undemonstrative, too, thought the
trio who met and welcomed her, but ev-
cry allowance was made.
"Some of us will be in every day I'M
til Mr.. Maynard is we'll enough to be
moved" said Mrs. Stannard, $50 you
must be sure to let us know of any
thing that you or he may need, and
when you do come to Russell we have
spare rooms in our big quarters, and
YOU to come right there, both of you. !"
Miss Maynard had no idea how kind
this was of Mrs Stannard. She did not
realize that her brother had only sin.
gle room under roof that could barely
cover an ordinary parlor, yet that had
to shelter the abodes Of three bachelor
subalterns-two besides himself But
Miss Maynard was very, very glad to
go to the STANDARDS when, five days
later, the doctors and nurses lifted her
soldier boy into the yellow ambulance,