Arizona republican., 1898-03-19
fContinued From Yesterday)

auickstep, whereat old Bux gritted his teeth and swore anew. Damn those in fernaI idiots. Do you know what'll be the result of this? The regiment will get away on the train. and then that band instead of coming back will go to Aiguel's saloon, and there they'll start q haiie and have that whole greaser population in there drinking mescal and 'guardiente, and ripping and fight ing until everybody's beastly drunk. l won't have it, sir!" and he glared at the officer of the guard as though he con- sidered that silent official a coconspira- tor T won't have it, I say. wish MT. Whitaker to start at once and round up the whole gang"
 And with that he strode portentously away in the direction of headquarters, the orderly following with grin. Cor poral Mahoney came in from his round, reporting three and four all right and every thing secure.
 ''But there's one thing, sir: No. 2 can't begin to see the length of his post, and with so many private horsesin the lit tie stab bles back of the row what's to pre- vent them beggars from town running off half dozen head? Once across the mesa and into the Santa Clara country there'd be no catching them"
 "We must take the chances" said Merriam, briefly. "The commanding officer will not permit any increase of sentries"
 Yet the corporal's warning made him think of his own favorite saddle horse and Floy's pretty bay. She rode so well, so fearlessly, tirelessly, that one of his very first gifts to her had been this dainty little mare, swift and sure-foot- ed as a greyhound, and about as won 1erful jumper, and Florence gloried in her and, in the dashing rides they used to take. They didn't mind the lack of shaded bridle paths. They secured the plain full gallop, riding recklessly after the bounding jacl1-rabbits, and coming home all athri.l and aglow with the glorious exercise. But of late the rides sad become more sedate and slow and less frequent. and then when Mrs. Me Zane proposed being of the party Flor ence discovered Mignon to be suddenly lame, and had shoe removed and a aocf pculticed, and Randy smiled but said nothing. Mignon was surprised, perhaps, but not MT. Merriam. He Tas thiuking- of the unprotected condition af those stables back of officers row, Ht18 ere those gentlemen who owned pri- vafe stock were required to keep theirs, Hls3ead Of. as had been customary un- der 2. previous administra ton. at the cavalry or quartermsster'sc corra!s. The ceIonel of the" Riflers had once beer khucllle-rap pped for allowing public forage toshe fed to private mounts ot some garrison ladies. and now he had Hfs eyes open The FreernaDs. Haynes s;raftcns and Merria~s, as vel as the doctor. all had private horses for ladies use; so did certain others; and. al though every mounted officer could s5raw forage for two horses, not peek af cats could he get beyond that. and wlen it came to forage for ladies aorses-ani1nals- never ridden or driven except by ladies', and too light for gov ernment= service. the colonel drew the lire at tha [ entirely, and was sustained 1y yirtuOus congress.
 So Randy had to buy forage for Niguon, and luckily forage was cheap. xith all those ranches of Santa Clara close at hand. He had often thought how easy it would be for greasers- natural horse thieves-to sneak in on that southern front of a dark night and make off fwith four or five favorite horses. ard the colonel used to keep three sen- s.jes along there. Now they had only Q Keeping personal watch on that front thought Randy, land that will give me an occasional chance to look in on Florence"
 Che o'clock came, and the cal, had gone from sentry to sentry, thanks to the breathless stiffness of the air, and fhe moon was climbing high, and BuX Has still up and swearing. A ''wire' came out from the Junction that the ~spec ll' would not be there for two hours so the Rifers had stacked arms unsluag packs, and were snoozing or sky lar king as suited their humor. The colonel had given permission for a dane at Miguel's. The band was play ing. d tAere was iollity in the wind BUs sJid he wouldn't have the cavalry mi d up in any such tomfoolery, how eve and the patrol was saddled ant rra to start. Grafton, coming bacl Iron his stable, where he had gone tt personally see to the selection of tht noUnts required, stopped and drew Merriam to one side.
 s'I'm sorry for the needless trouble you took this evening, Merriam. I haC NToT T and have done with it. Another dis patch oame for her three hours ago, anC if St ms to have reused her to action She was up and dressed in time to se' the reriment eff. and now, I presume shes flirting with Whitaker. Ther are lights in the par,cr. At ali event the orderly hasn't found him, and Blu, may send you after the stragglers il town"
 tiFhen I reckon T0 start anQ malx