The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-30
y. CHAPTER I.

i A4o - 1uIA OI ups ana GOWNS,
unused the colonel as he laid ON the liz
tered desk before him an official com
munication just received from depart
ment headquarters. especially arm,
life, and more especially army life ii
Texas"
Now, what are you philosophizine
about2" asked his second in command, 8
burly major. glanoing over the top o.
the lstsss home paper, three weeks old
that day.
"Dye remember Pigott, that little
cad that was court martialed at San
Antonio in 1868 for quintuplicating bis
pay accounts? He married the widow Of
old Alamo Hendrix that Winter. ->Eis's
worth half q million today, is running
for congress and will probably be on the
military committee next year, while
here's Lawrence, who was Judge advo.
cate Of the court that tried him, gone
all to srnash." And the veteran officer
commanding the ---th infantry and the
big post at Fort Worth glanced warily
along into the adjoining Office, where a
clerk was asserting the papers on the
adiutant's desk.
tits the saddest case I ever heard
Of" said Major Brooks, tossing aside
the Toledo Blade and tripping up over
his own, which be had thoughtfully
propped between his legs as he took his
seat and thoughtleasly ignored is he left
it. Damn that saber-and the service
generally" be growIed as he recovered
his balance and tramped to the window.
IT'D almost be willing to quit it as
Pigett didif I could see my way to a
moderate competence anywhere out Of
it. Lawrence was as good a soldier as
we had in the Twelfth, and yet what
can you do or say?. The mischief's
DONE" And, beating the DEVILS tattoo
on the window, the major stood gloom
lily gazing out over the parade.
1T isn't Lawrence himself I'm So
Orderly, shut that door," cried the
chief, whirling around in his chair,
land tell those clerks want it kept
shut until the adjutant comes, and you
stay out on the porch. It isn't Law.
renee I'm co sorely troubled about,
Brooks. He has ability and could pick
up and do we'll eventually, but he's ut.
terly discouraged and swamped. What's
to become, though, of that poor child
Ada and his little boy?''
God knows" said Brooks sadly.
"I'yo got five of my own to look after,
and you We got four. No use talking Of
adopting them, even if Lawrence would |
listen, and no never would listen to
anything or anybody-they tell me-"
he added after a minute s reflection. II
don't know it myself. It's what Bux.
ton and Canker and some of those fell
lows told me on the Republican last
summer. ! hadn't seen him since Get.
tysburg until we met here" &,
Buxton and Canker be-exterminat.
ed, /" said the colonel hotly. II never
met Buxton, and never want to. As for
Canker, by CAD, there's another absurd.
ity. They put him in the cavalry be-
cause consolidation left no room for
him with us. What do you suppose
they'll do with him in the -th?"
1.-THE Lord knows, as I said before.
He never rode anything but hobby in
MS life. l don't wonder Lawrence
couldn't tolerate preaching from him.
But what ! don't understand is who
made the allegation. What's his Of
'ense? Every one knows that he's in
lebt and trouble and that he's had hard
ines and nothing else ever since the
var, but the court acquitted him of all
blame in that money business
And now to make room for fellows
With friends at court" burst in the
olonel wrathfully. "He and other poor
evils with nothing but fighting rec.
I'D and q family to provide for are
urned loose on q years pay, which
hey're to have after things straighten
ut as to their accounts with the gov
Now just look at Lawrence.
ordnance and quartermaster' stores
opelessly boggled"-
"Hush!" interrupted Brooks, starting
ack from tho window. Here he il
ow."
Assembly Of the guard details had
few moments before, and all
YER the sunshiny parade on its west
ard side, in front of the various bar
lcks, little squads Of soldiers armed c
nd in full uniform were standing Il
waiting the next signal, while the I
orches of the low wooden buildings '
eyond were dotted with groups Of COM L
ldes, lazily looking on. Out on the '
broad and level, crisscross. 8
with gravel walks, the band had d
ken its station, marshaled by the tall b
rum major in his huge bearskin shake. b
rom the lofty flagstaff in the center Of c.
10 parade the national colors were fut- 81
ring in the mountain breeze that stole a
'wn from the snowy peaks hemming a
lie view to the northwest and stirred u
e leaves Of the cottonwoods and the d.
coping branches of the willows in the
I'd of the rushing stream sweeping by fc
70 southern limits of the garrison. b.
'ithin the Enclosure, sacred to military ct
10, it was all the same old familiar "
cture, the stereotyped fashion of the Of
ontier fort of tho earliest seventies &c
Ill hued barracks OH one side or on m
70, dull hued, broad porched cottages pr
the officers quarters-on another, Sc
Ill hued offices, storehouses corral or
ais, scattered about the outskirts, a m
III hued, somber earth on every side; fic
mber sweeping prairie beyond, span W
d by pallid sky or snow tipped noun W
ms; a twisting winding road or two, ut
tering the post on one front. issuing Sc
the other, and tapering off in sinunus pa
rves until lost in the distance; a few ed
Uttered ranches in the stream valley; Ca
election of sheds, shanties and novels tn
q bustling establishment
own as the store, down by the ford rel
} center Of civilization, apparently, tic
thither trended every roadway, bu
III, track or trail visible to the naked me
J. sit
Here in front of the office solitary at
'alry horse was tethered. Yonder at aW
} suffers, early as it was in the day, ella
lozen quadrupeds, mules, mustangs, OF
Indian ponies, were blinking in the ON
lshine. Dogs innumerable sprawled MOI
the sand Bipeds lolled lazily about ace
squatted on the steps OH the edge of AM
wooden porch, some in broad som. ser
ros some in scalp lock and blanket ant
lone in the Darh If civil l;fo no coon hOl