The Advocate and news., 1898-12-28

ly as MIS- SUBORDINATE seemed on the
point Of refining aside TO wait for his
men. II want you two TO know each
other" And the new and the old cap
tain Of D troop who had courteous
ly shaken hands with each other when
presented in the dim light Of the declin-
ing moon at O'Clock, now trotted side
by side, Lawrence eying his successor
with keen yet pleasant interest. He had
been hearing all manner Of good Of him
during the wakeful watches Of the
night, and was manfully fighting
against the faint yet irrepressible feel
ing Of jealous dislike with which broad
er and better men than he have had to
struggle ON being supplanted. Do what
he might to battle against it, Lawrence
had been conscious Of it hour after hour.
and felt that he WINGED time and again
when some Of the callers spoke even
guardedly Of the changes Barclay was
making in the old troop, changes all
men except the ultra conservative rank.
er element Gas the ranker was so often
constituted at that peculiar time, be IL
understood) could sec were for the bet.
ter.
"You and Barclay lead on will you,
NedF said the major, in his genial
way. II wish to speak with Mullane q
moment" Whereat he reined out to
the right and waited for the big Irish
man to come lunging up Mullane was
already spurring close at his heels,
gloomily eying the combination in
front. "There are Oirish and Oirish
as one Of their most appreciative and
broad minded exponents, Private Ter.
ence Mulvaney, has told us, and it gall
ed the veteran dragoon to see his junior
in rank bidden to ride even for the mo-
ment at the head Of the swiftly moving
column. So, reckless of the fact chat
his individual squirt would call for q
certain forcing Of the pace along his en-
tire troop, now moving in long column
Of twos, Mullane had spurred his horse
to close the l9 yard gap between him
self and the major s orderly, determined
that there should be no conference Of
the powers in which he was not repre-.
sented.
Captain Mullane," said Brooks, II
see it is getting dusty. You might di.
vide into sections, as D troop has done
and keep 80 wards apart, so that the
dust can blow aside and not choke your
men"
''This Is L troop, SORT, an my men
are not babes in arrums," was Mul-
lanes magnificent reply. At any other
time he might have felt the pOrtinenoe
Of the suggestion, but here was case
where q doughboy captain, bedad, had
instigated the measure for the comfort
of his men. That was enough to damn
it in the eyes Of the old dragon. The
answer was shouted, too, with double
intent. Mullane desired Barclay to hear
what he thought Of such oversoliCi-
tude, but Barclay, riding onward stur-
dily If not quite SO easily as was Law
renee, gave no sign. He was listening
with head inclined to the words Of the
keen campaigner ON his right.
Brooks was quick to note the inten.
tion of the Irish officer, and equally
quick to note the flushed and indamed
of his face, the thickness Of
his tongue. $50 no, my Celtic friend"
said he, as he saw that two Canteens
were swung ON the off side Of Mullane's
saddle, one at the cantle under the
rolled blanket, the other half shaded
by the bulging folds Of the overcoat at
the pommel. II thought there was
more whisky than wit in your eager.
ness at the start Now know it. {"
But even to Mullane the major would
not speak discourteously. 1--WE all
know L troop 10 ready for anything,
he smilingly answered, "but
/ have to call for unusual exertion to-
day, and the fresher they are tonight