Middletown transcript., 1899-08-05

. IJs OQb Of tx
O'Clock a fres
! breeze blew in from the bay, and Sand
McDuff barred bis forehead to it with
sigh Of relief. Sandy was sitting
front of the headquarters of one Of II
J infantry regiments, talking with II
colonel, two captains and subalterI
The camp was set up in a grove I
Florida pines. McDuff listened atter
lively 10 everything that the Golont
and the captains had to say for thes
men had smelled powder, felt steel All
heard The Indian war-wholp. But h
closed his eyes to the sub. (whr talke
a great deal), and put him down as
Windbag. Perhaps the reason for thi
was that Sandy was a scribbler, an
| felt that there was good copy in wha
the older men had to say.
He lit a Cuban cigarette, and men
toned the recent victory of the Ameri
can fleet over the Spanish. The sub
slapped his knee and turned to th'
colonel.
by thunder, SIR" he exclaimed,
''thcse fellows deserve all they get, 1t
would give me keen pleasure to meet
one face to face and shoot him down
like dog"
The colonel looked at him for few
seconds without speaking. Then be
said: "Mr. Brown, you may hate q
man, and think nothing is too bad for
him; but when you have had to kill one
you will not consider it such keen
pleasure"
Brown did not reply to this, and the
colonel seemed lost in sombre thought.
Sandy was rather pleased with what
he Considered the "sitling upon" of the
young lieutenant. Que his dearest
clauses of his phIios lphy was that the
men hn ;alk least abuu fighting are
the ones Who d . ht best.
0 eof the captains, who had served
in he cavalry against the Indians, told
story OF 4 major of Irish extraction.
We were out on rather a rough
campaign, with this major in COM
mand," }" be began. Twenty Eve friend.
ly BIackfeet, hired as trailers and
scouts, were put in my charge. One
night the major sent a note over to me
which read something like this: Send
over six Of your crazy Indians to do
guard duty
II resented this term when applied
to my own men, so the first thing In
the morning | went over with them
myself. saluted, reported the men
ready for duty, and then told the major
that, first of all, my command was not
crazy, and second, that they were here
to act as scouts and trailers, and knew
nothing of regular military aork. The
major reques ed me to remember that
we were long way from the post and
that he was ny superior officer.
bowed, and returned to my own tent.
Half an hour later those six Indians
were back in their quarters. return
ed with them Immediately and tried to
make excuses for them, saying again
that they were unfit for sentry duty.
The major was in woeful rage.
"'You say they are trailers, he cried;
then bring them over here double
quick
''IIe called to one of his men and
ordered him to drive two stakes into
the ground at distance of ablut two
hundred yards from one another. Then |
the N j'r gave carbine TO one of the |
redskins and told him to shoulder it.
Now, you red IDIOT he said. do you |
see this stake here and that stake over
there p
''TGe man looked and grunted.
"'All right; spend the next two
hours trailing from this one to that
one. Seet'"
They tried to laugl, at the captains
story, and then McDuff said "Geod.
night" and started back for the town.
: At the hotel one of the regimental
bands was playing, and the grounds
and the rotunda were gay with sum.
mer dresses ard dapper uniforms.
Sandy seated himself In quiet corner
and talked "war" with Billings, Of the
Exchange.
1--WE will start for the island within
seven days." said Billings.
"That's been the time ever since
came down here. Why don't you make
It ten for changer replied McDuff.
At that moment thu band struck into
'sThe Star Spangled Banner" and
svery one arose. While standing thus
McDuff noticed "a familiar head and
shoulders at the other side Of the room,
surrounded by attentive uniforms. He
4
eft Billings and hurried across, and
.he uniforms made way for him.
The band played its last selection
Ind retired. The newspaper men drift
ID off to make copy for next days pa
oers. The girl in white and blue sat
IN, and McDuff waved her fan. They
I
talked like old friends, which means
hat sometimes they did not talk at all.
Yet they had known each other only
week. McDuff talked about the North
and she about the East. They discuss
ID books and horses-the press and the
army.
Il saw young Brown OF the Tenth
.o.night. What lot he has to say
about things be knows not off, said
McDuff. As The girl did not answer
,e continued, telling OF the s.call-
ioWnn delivered BY the colonel.
She laughed "a little sadly.
II