The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-09


wing hills TO the casa The dust soon
rose IN dense clouds from beneath the
crushing .hoofs. and, leaving Brayton
with the troop, Barclay cut across the
chord OF long arc in the trail and
refined up alongside the major. The
command mt the moment was moving
at q sharp trot through long, low de-
preston in tho prairielike surface.
Brooks returned the captains punctil-
ious salute with CHEEKY nod and cor
dial word Of greeting.
with your permission, sir, will
fall back 100 yards or SO, divide the
troop into sections and GO avoid the
dust"
Brooks glanced back over his shoul-
der. "Why, certainly, captain. said
he. 81 ought to have known the dust
would be rising by this time. It's 8
O'Clock" he continued, glancing at his
watch. Barclay turned in saddle and
signaled with his gauntlet, whereat
Brayton slackened speed to the walk,
and gap began to grow between the
rearmost horses Of Mullane's troop and
the head Of DIS already dusty column.
"Ride with us moment, won't you,
Barclay?'' called the major significant
lv as his subordinate seemed on the
point of refining aside to wait for his
men. "I 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 tho 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
constituted at that peculiar time, be it
understood) could sec were for the bet
ter.
"You and Barclay lead on, will you,
Ned?" said the major, in lis genial
way. 81 wish to speak with Mullane a
moment" Whereat he reined out to
the right and waited for the big Irish
man to come lunging up. Mullane was
already squirting close at his heels,
gloomily eying the combination in
front. "There are Oirish and Oirish, I"
as one of their most appreciative and
broad minded opponents, Private Ter
ence Mulvaney, has told us, and it gall
ed the veteran dragon to see his junior
in rank hidden to ride even for the mo-
ment at the head of the swiftly moving
column. So, reckless of the fact that
his individual squirt would call for a
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 ~ yard gap between him
self and the major orderly, determined
that there should be- no conference OF
the powers in which he was not repre-
sented.
Captain Mullane,'' said Brooks, "I
see it is getting dusty. You might di.
vide into sections, as d troop has done,
and keep 90 wards apart, so that the
dust can blow aside and not choke your
men,"
"This is l. troop, SOFT, an my men
are not babes in arrums," was Mul-
lanes magnificent reply. At any Other
time he might have felt the pertinenot
of the suggestion, but here was a cast
where doughboy captain, bedad, haG
instigated the measure for the comfort
of his men. That was enough to damn
it in the eyes of the old dragon. Tht
answer was shouted, too, with double
intent. Mullane desired Barclay to heal
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 tn,
keen campaigner on his right.
Brooks was quick to note the inten
tion of the Irish officer, and equal,
| quick to note the flushed and inhame1
condition Of his face, the thickness o
his tongue. 80 no, my Celtic friend.
said he, as he saw that two canteen
were swung on the of side Of Mullane'
saddle, one at the cantle under tn
rolled blanket, the other half shade
by the bulging folds Of the overcoat a
the pommel II thought there wa
more whisky than wit in your eager
ness at the start Now know it. +"
But even to Mullane the major woul
not speak discourteously. 1--WE a
know L troop is ready for anything
captain" he smilingly answered. "bu
have to call fog unusual exertion tc
day, and the fresher they are tonigt
the better. Let them open out. as
say" he continued, and Mullane se'
it was useless to put on further airs
"Ye 'tind to it, sergeant" he grun'
| o0 Ovor his Sh0T,Idow 10 hio 10vaI hos, -