Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-30

"Will she? exclaimed Blake. "Then
like as not she'll have all escort Raw
son coming out with "a batch OF re-
cruIts
"Bah" growled Mainwaring, who
had little use for Rawson or any other
officer who was away on leave when
his regiment was in the field. "Mrs.
Mainwarings never met him, and Il
she had would feel mighty small securi-
ty in his escort-a fellow that'll be
held up with whole carload of passen-
gers by only two robbers "
Manwaring alluded to matter that
was sore spot in the TIL and that
never yet had been fully explained.
But Mr. Rawson, three months earlier
that summer, had unquestionaNly been
, relieved Of his few valuGbles at the
point Of tho pistol on the X. p. road.
The regiment meant 60 worry the lifo
out of him when he reJOlned, but didn't
/ like it that Mainwaring, IA newcomer,
| should be tho first to crack the whip.
/ Blake almost wanted to blaze up but
! thought it best perhaps TO wait for Ray,
and so subsidized
! Ray however, had sauntcred ont to
the edge of tho soanty patch Of timber,
/ and, shading his eyes with his brown
hund, was scanning with professional
interest the long column OF dusty troop
ers, two abreast, that came filing into
/ view around a little point 800 yards
away. Well ont il their front, short,
square and stucky, rode their major,
his adjutant. trunpeter and orderly jog
/ ging along behind To him rode the
colonel $ messenger, the rCglmental adj
]utants and pointed ont line some dis
tance NJ stream Thither the head Of
column veered, moving at steady walk.
The guidOn bearer, at "a signal from the
battalion adlutant, spurred out TO the
front, and, with the old sllien swallow
tail streaming III the wind Hoped across
the level to point ten yards or 30 from
tho bank, was halted there by the young
officer III person, and then, lance at
rest, he and his horse stood motionless
Never qulckening the pace the captain
at the head of Staunard ; foremost troop
directed his march On this living guide
post. The Cuidon Of tho second troop,
followed speedily by those Of the third
anu IOui ~ III lAhC l-lhI4AtL' ht~l iva Wv
across the prairie, each III succession be-
ing halted and established at half dis
tance in rcac Of his predecessor on tbs
line of guides Each troop directed it.
self upon its own color; each in success
sion formed line TO the left as its lead
ing two came opposite the guidon; each
was aligned 70 the right; then, without
loss Of time, the Jrunpets sounded,
"Prcpnre TO dismount;' the brown car
hinos were jcrked from their sockets and
tossed over tho right shoulder as the
odd numbered troopers rode clear Of the
rank. Dismount, clamored the trum-
pet and down out OF sight sank some
fifty odd blue flannel shirts and rusty
old hats in each line. Form rank.
And out from among the chargers pop
ped tho vanished riders, each laying
hold Of the reins close To the bit as the
line reformed and the captain said hi:
brief speech Water as soon as you like
men, and Craze we'll out to the north
, until nightfall. No side lines necessary
today. Dismiss the troop, sergeant.
And the next thing a dozen men wer,
scampering like mad, ldrlats aud pickle
pins swinging, heading for the mos
promising patches of grass
Each picket pin was stamped home
the lariats unourled to their lull length