Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-07-20

because it was his.turn for field duty,
and because SO many officers wished to
go to the fair that it was out of the
question as to expect anyone to offer ia
take the detail for him. The detach-
ment would be in the field at least three
months, possibly four. Harrison, con-
sequently, was the bluest man at Sedg-
wick, and said more hard things about
government surveys, and moreimproper
things, than could we'll be recorded here.
Everybody had been congratulating
Merriam on the final receipt of what the
lawyers didn't SCOOP" of his little leg
acy, and for two weeks he had been as
happy as Harrison was miserable.
Then, to the utter amaze of everybody,
just the day before it was time for the
command to start it was announced
that Harrison's application for leave
had gone forward approved, and that
Merriam had asked for and been grant
cd the luxury of three or four months
jog through the toughest and most for
bidding Of mountain ranges. He had
even got the colonel's permission to 60
ahead and wait for the detachment at
the old mission on the Santa Clara, and
had started late at night, accompanied
only by an orderly. People couldn't be-
lievetheir ears, and the post commander
rejoiced in the possession of secret
even his wife couldn't coax out of him
the constituencies, Grabbed old
crank! as one of his garrison, not SUBJ
ject to court-martial, described him.
The adjutant had to admit that Mer-
RAM had been closeted with the K. 0.
nearly half an hour, and had looked
black and blue both, but no blacker, no
bluer, when he came out than when he
went in. No, he did not think that any
body else had complained of Merriam's
owing him money. He did not think any,
body had had a word to say against him.
The old man had simply sent for the adj
jutant right after the interview and re-
marked: Mr.. Blossom, you can tell
Mr.. Harrison he may submit that appli-
cation for leave and I'll forward it APP
proved. Mr.. Merriam has my consent
to take that escort in his stead" But
hadn't he told anybody? Didn't any,
body know? were the very natural ques-
tons asked. No. Merriam's one init.
mate and chum in his regiment was Bill
Whitaker, and Bill was away up at
Santa Fe at the time, a witness before
general court-martial. Merriam was
frequent visitor at the Haynes quar-
tiers, and everybody knew taht in his
own regiment he had no warmer friends
than Capt. and Mrs. Lawrence Hayne,
of the Riflers, and Merriam had had
long talk with Hayne before calling on
the colonel. But no one who knew
either Hayne or his charming wife ever
thought of trying to extract from them
information as to other peoples person
al affairs. Old Buxton, the dragoon-of-
the-old-army-sort of a lieutenant colo
mel, did try to pump the captain,
but was most coolly and civilly snubbed
for his pains. Buxton was man Hayne
never spoke to except in the most
trouble between them ever so long ago,
when Hayne was a young second lieu
tenant and "Bux" the senior captain of
the til cavalry. The softening touch
of time had effaced much of the bitter
ness of that old, old story. Hayne had
twice been stationed at the same garri-
son with Buxton, and found it awkward
with field officer who was frequently
in command, so he spoke respectfully
and courteously to his senior whenever
they met, but the courtesy was as cold
and the meetings as rare as he could
make them. Bux, however, "bore no
malice" as he said, and was quite ready
to be magnanimous and forgive Hayne
for what had transpired in the past, but
then Buxton, not Hayne, had been the
offender. Indeed, Buxton was pachy-
derm on whom snubs had little effect.
He believed Hayne knew why Merriam
had asked for his most undesirable de-
tail, and so importuned him with eager
inquiry-all to no purpose. Harrison
blissfully went on to Chicago and Mer-
RAM out to the Mescalero, and was no
more heard of or from for several weeks.
Then the news came that he was Sc
riously i'll with mountain fever at the
cantonment on Catamount creek, and
Bill Whitaker was hurried thither to
take over the command.
In week there came letter from
him to Capt. Hayne, and this was what
it said:
II found the dear old boy conval-
escing, but woefully limp and weak.
Tremaine says he was wild as loon
when the men brought him in. They
saw that he was burning with fever for
days, and begged him to go to the-can-
Torment for medical attention, but he
babe them mind their own business
and obstinately stuck to the work. The
gentlemen of the survey soon saw that
he was going flighty and, later, deliri-
Gus, and they took the responsibility of
telling the sergeant he must be sent
thither. They made fore-and-aft lit
terby lashings aplings together, hitched
on couple OF. pack-muses, roped Ran
dy inside the thing, and made four
day march of it. Luckily, Tremaine
had capital medical officer and Randy
a splendid constitution. The fever had
big start, but DR.. Wells and Ire
maine's people were utterly devoted
b. I,