Mower County transcript., 1898-09-21

alighted at the south gate, and their.
hack driver returned with his Fig TO-
town. 53 s35|s 8*,5
Captain. Blake was notified, and 3
patrol was ordered ont 10, scour the
right hank Of the little stream that
flowed back of-the stables They hadn't
gone 30 yards before they stirred up
squad of troopers that scattered at their
approach, but one was captured Ray q
rapscallion Of trumpeter, the Kid
and the Kid refused fatty and oharao-
teristioally to say who the others were.
"A privileged character was the Kid. He
had been ten years or more In the regi-
ment and ten dozen times in scrapes.
A better little soldier on campaign or q
worse one in garrison couldn't be found
In all the -th, and as the regiment
had spent more Of those ten years in the
field than in the fort the Kid had still
q small balance to his credit. He had a
medal Of honor from congress for hero,
ism In fierce, savage battle and record
for deviltry of every conceivable kind.
Ray was the only man, except Ather.
ton, he either feared orloved. Grinning
from ear to ear, he told Blake that there
wasn't any officer in the regiment smart
enough to scare him into giving away a
fellow soldier, and Blake sent for Ray
Something told him there was mischief
afoot, and Ray and the explosion came
almost together. I
Only two men in all Fort Ransom,
however, were found to have anything
to explain as to their whereabouts that
night. First, Sergeant Merriwea ther,
whom the sergeant of the guard had in
quired for just after visiting sentries,
and solely because a. light was burning
SO late in his window. The second was
the new trooper, Hunter, found nearly
800 yards away from his proper post,
blinded, senseless, bleeding and half
drowned. The Kid had told the plausi-
BILE tale that "him and three other fel-
lers was sneaking off to town for a
lark when detected. Merriweather de.
clared that he had heard horses stamp.
ing and snorting in the stables and had
considered it his duty, though no longer
stable sergeant, to go and Investigate,
and that he saw no sentry on No. 6,
but hunted up and down for him, Won
dering where he could be, and was so
occupied when the explosion occurred.
But Hunter had not yet been approach
ed. There were reasons why it was
deemed best to let him suppose no sus.
picion attached to him.
For, no sooner was it light enough to
see, the morning after the explosion.
than Atherton had some of his best Off
GERS securing the prairie for traces.
They found bricks, bullets and unexplod-
ed boxes of cartridges all over the neigh
borhood, but not one Of the 40 revolvers
and only 30 Of the 80 boxes of carbine,
rifle and revolver cartridges that should
have been there. Of the barrel of rife
powder and half barrel of cannon car
tridges not vestige, of course, remain
ed. All this was brought out by the
board, and, the boards findings having
been sent to department headquarters.
Atherton, as has been said, had gone off
on leave; so had Stannard, and this left
Mainwaring in command.
'Not word, not a hint to that fellow
until I tell you," said Mainwaring to
the post surgeon, who, an older man
and a major senior. in rank by several
years, was nevertheless his inferior in
the eyes of military law and regulation,
he being debarred from assuming COM
mand. And SO, as Hunter grew stronger
every day and watched with eagerness
for the coming each morning of the
young devotee, there dawned upon him
no ray of suspicion of the tolls that
were surrounding him, for Miss Leroy,
who used to talk at home of her pupil
patients, had become silent as to one al
least and uncommunicative as to all,
for Mrs. Mainwaring Of late had ex
pressed her disapprobation in no meas
ured terms, and there was no longe,
that sweet accord which should obtain
between aunt and niece.
One bright morning the doctor badt
Hunt ter lay aside the shrouding bandage.
entirely and wear only green shade
over the eyes, Orders were orders, bu,
when. Miss Leroy entered and, as usual
spoke to him dainty handkerchief wa
pressed to his face. The light, he said
was still too dazzling.
"But you are much better" /" said sh,
in her clear tones. 1.-THE doctor says yor
can soon return to light duty, probably
before Christmas.
| Then rs she took her seat to read, hel
side face toward him, he slipped the ker
chief little to one side that he nigh
gaze undisturbed.
The men had asked that she shoult
give Is minutes at least TO the leading
events of the day, and g Chicago paper
was selected for their edifioation. From
this she chose such items asshe though