Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-02-04

Hau iooheu ior MIN, Out OUT among the
sand ridges, where his only living COM
panions We're serpents and lizards. He
had been driven there by the persecution
Of the officer who stood before him. The
officer kneY 1t as well as he, and he drew
his pistol to defend himself from attack.
1t was two or three minutes before anoth-
er word passed. Then the captain said:
"Green, this is bad business. We ran
into an ambush, and the company must
have been badly cut up. 1t has been
driven back on the fort, and | am alone, as
ycu see. am going to try to make my
way in"
"Yuu cannot do it." was the reply.
"Within N hour the Indians will be look
ing for you. They would be upon you be-
fore you were clear Of the desert"
but what shall l doi"
"Come with me-"
Private Green strobe away to the west
and the captain followed him. 1t seemed
strange that he should do so, but the sud.
den surprise of the ambush, the mad run
such all unexpected place all combined to
COW his spirit and bring a feeling of help
lessness. For two miles and more he fol-
lowed in the others footsteps, neither
speaking a word. Then they crossed q
sand ridge which was higher than the
average and descended to q natural sink
of about half al acre in extent. In the
center of this sink was a puddle Of water
such water as a thirsty horse would hardly
have touched with his nose a second time.
In the breast Of the sand ridge was q shall
low cave, the home of the deserter.
is this-this where you have been hid
ing?" asked the officer as he looked about
him,
"For the last ten ~days-yes." answered
Private Green. make yourself at home.
You will have to wait here until the In
dams clear out"
That was the water the soldier had used
to quench his thirst-the shallow cave his
shelter from tho sun and the night. There
was no fire-no food. He must have had
food to live, but he must have been COM
PEELED to eat it raw. No wonder he looked
pinched and haggard and wolfish. He
flung himself down on tho sands and
turned away from the officer. Had tho
deserter been armed the officer would have
feared an attack. While he did not fear
that, the mans singular demeanOr bred
apprehension. He had been driven to de-
sert-to become a wanderer ON the face Of
the desert-to hunger and thirst and feel
that his life was In peril every hour. Cap
tain Bowers thoughts were anything but
pleasant as he sat in the shelter and looked
out npon the recruit who had the out
spoken sympathy of four-fffths of the gar
rison. An hour passed away. Then the
officer said:
"Green, I've been thinking we were too
hard on you, and I am free to say i am
sorry for it. II you'll go back to the fort
with me, things will be different.
The nan stretched OF the sands made
no reply. He know enough of military
discipline to know that a court martial
awaited him for striking his superior Off
Ger and deserving. They must find him
guilty and pass sentence no matter how
we'll disposed. He had stood all he could,
and on the night of his desertion he had
sworn a solemn oath to have revenge upon
his captain before he died. Chance had
thrown the officer into his hands. As he
lay there he was planning murder. He
meant to get up by and by and spring
upon the captain; no matter about the
pistol. Reduced In strength as he was for
the want Of proper food, the thought of
his wrongs neryed him up and he felt
himself more than a match for the man
at his back. After awhile, however, the
thought Of bloodshed left him and he
smiled grimly as he got a new plan. The
sun was almost down as he reused and
said:
"We must be moving. Follow me-"
(Which way2" asked the officer.
The recruit headed for the west, out up.
on the open desert, without a reply, and
the captain followed him in a dazed and
wondering way. The sun went down and
they toiled on. Darkness came, and yet
they walked. At first the captain knew
that they were going west. When dark
soldier had planned he should. BY and
by the two were walking around in a DIR
Gle, each plodding along with his head
down and neither asking nor answering
questions. Of a sudden the recruit disap-
peared. The officer peered through the
darkness, but could catch no sight Of hui
man form. He stopped and listened, but
no football reached his ear. He had been
nervous and apprehensive before; now he
was suddenly almost terror stricken. He
wa miles and miles from the fort-miles
and miles out upon the lonely desert. A
dozen times he tried to brace up and fight
away the feeling of helplessness, but 1t
was too strong to be shaken off. He should
have sat down to wait for daylight, but
his fears kept him moving. He called for
Private Green. He shouted and shrieked
his name a hundred times. But there war
no answer. When he had grown SO hoarse
that his voice could no longer be heard, he
began running, and he grew yet more
fearful. He was not afraid of the soldier
mot afraid Of the serpents and lizards.
He did not fear the darkness. He wa
afraid Of himself. Until midnight he ran
and walked by turns, always hoping that
every darker shadow was the form Of the
man he had driven to desertion, but ever
disappointed. At length he fell down
from exhaustion, and daylight found him
groveling in the sand and o human figure
seated beside him. When the sun came
up, Private Green reached out his hand
and quietly said:
"Come, captain, we are going to the
fort.
The officer looked up and smiled vacant
ly and talked to himself in whispers.
Next day at noon he entered the post
alone, but the sentinel at the gate caught
sight Of another figure down in the bushes
and knew that officer and deserter had
met.
"Hero Ia Captain Bowersi'' was shouted
by q score Of p~rivates and officers as the
man stood at the gate and stared stupidity
around him.
They pressed forward to shake the off,
Ger by the hand and question him about
his adventures, but he drew away and
cast his eyes down and -lnuttered and
smiled. He no longer had q mind, and
Private Green was rcvenged. Months aft
erward tho captain got about again, but
he was SO "queer" that his resignation
,,oo hardod n and aonantad and ha driftod