Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-27


suffering, all for tho lack of few dol
lars, no more than he, Hunter Gray
had been accustomed to throw away on
cigars or sundres in tho course of "a
month, had opened the eyes of the
world weary traveller and given him
food for thought and spur to action.
One anxiety had oppressed him since
his voluntary entrance upon the task Of
training Stella, duty which need have
occupied but few days had it not been
for that untoward mishap. She fought
shy of the bar for several lessons there
after, connecting it and the Tapping
blanket unerringly with her violent fall.
Hunters anxiety was that any after
noon when so occupied he might find
Mrs. Mainwaring and her niece among
the lockers on, and he shrank from rec
IGNITION. He had even sought to get his
capt.in to change tho hour to morning,
but there had been fine, open weather,
and Anterior lost no opportunities for
battalion drills. Hunter took to these,
despite the crowding and squeezing
when in line, like duck to the water,
but all the same he would have prefer
red giving Stella her lesson when he
knew Miss Leroy to be engaged at the
hospital for the fame Of that benevo-
throughout the barracks as we'll as the
quarters.
And it was of her and that odd intro
duction he was thinking now, as he
briskly tramped up and down, peering
among the haystacks and stables. Just
before the midnight call his post had
been visited by the sergeant of the
guard who inquired as to his orders
and babe him look out any moment for
Captain Blake or Lieutenant Brady.
The midnight call of the sentries went
round in rather slipshod fashion, thanks
to the wind, but no sooner had Hunter
shouted the prolonged All swell" than
he wished he could recall it, Not u sus.
picious sight or sound had he noted aft
er the sergeant went his way, but now,
before he could realize or dodge, some
thing came spinning through midair,
over his head, settled down Oh his shout
ders with jerk; then a blanket was
whirled about his face, and, with his
breath fairly choked out of him, with
only time for one startled, stiiled cry,
the loop of lariat was suddenly drawn
taut hurting him violently to the fro.
zen ground, and in another second two
or three men had thrown themselves
furiously upon him.
Despite mad struggles he was bound,
gagged and kicked behind the haystack.
His carbine was whisked away. He lay
there, helpless and half strangled, but
they had removed the blanket, so that
he at least could breathe and see. And
then from beyond the stable OF his troop
came two more men with cart. Into
this was swiftly loaded box after box of
some weighty substance, the boxes be-
ing dragged from underneath the very
stack that had caused the colonel's cen
sure-the stack that iuterposed between
Rays stable and the little domicile OF
Sergeant Merriweather under the low
bluff. Loaded with all it could safely
carry, the cart was swiftly trundled off
into the darkness, three burly form.
propelling, two remaining close al
hand. Not a word was spoken tina,
Hunter could hear. The cart came back
| for another load in less than five min
utes, and this time, i'll addition to heavy
/ little boxes which he could almost
swear contained ammunition and posi-
| bly, revolvers, they dragged sacks OF
oats from underneath the stack and
| loaded them, too, upon the cart. Three
trips were made in all; then every man
vanished, and he was utterly alone.
Raging at his plight powerless tC
| help himself in any way, and suffering
not little from the sharpness of his
cords and the brutal manner in which
he had been gagged, Hunter managed
to keep cool and think. At the utmost
he probably would not be left there
more than 20 minutes. When the call
was passed at ~ 80, his voice woulc
be missed. The corporal would have t
come down and, not finding him on hi
post, would institute search; then ht
would be- released and could tell hi,
story.
| Even as he lay there he could swear
he heard the sound as of hoofs anC
heavy laden wheels crashing through
the ice on the little shallow stream be
yond the stables, Presently the bitter
cold of the frozen ground seemed &c
penetrate through his heavy clothing,
and he began to suffer keenly. The
wind blew but lightly where he lay il
the lee of the stack, and, though ht
knew it was not time for the sentries t(
call off, he strained his ears to catcl
the sound of footfalls-Blake or Brady,
and the sergeant, too, might be along
again. He prayed indeed they nigh,
he, for robbery had been committed be-
fore his very eyes, He had heard
rumors of the disappearance of forage.
He had heard the men talk of the
exposed situation of the brick magazine
out there on the prairie, southeast OF
the post. Only ON bright moonlit nights
could the sentry see it from the east
gate, while from the south gate IL was
hidden entirely. He knew that most OF
the ammuu. ion-pistol, carbine and
fannon-was kept there and at one time
quite lot of small arms. The ordnance
sergeant slept in the garrison, his keys
in strong box under his bed, yet
thieves had plundered both the maya
zine and the stables, and hidden their
booty underneath the big haystack,
awaiting opportunity to run IT away &c
some reliable customer in town. Tha,
they were members of the garrison was
II. fs.D f,1l