The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-09

professional topics that Lawrence had
never seemed to mention. Barclay had
evidently been taking counsel with pro.
gressive soldiers before joining his new
regiment, had been reading books Of
their choosing and, among others. was
valuable treatise on the proper method
Of biting horses, and he found that here
was 4 matter that Lawrence and Bray.
ton had never thought Of and that Bray
ton said was never taught them at the
Point, which was strictly true
To the amaze and nnspeakable indig-
nation Of Denny Sullivan, who was
soon to be overhauled on graver points,
the doughboy bad taken bis lieutenant
from horse to horse in the troop as they
stood at rest during drill and shown
him at least 20 bits out Of the 45 in
line that were no fit at all. He showed
him some that were too broad from bar
to bar and that slid to and fro in the
tortured creatures mouth; others that
hung too low, almost fell through"
others whose curb chain or strap, in
stead Of fitting in the groove. bore saw.
agely on the delicate bones above it and
torlnented the luckless charger every
time his rider drew rein. Barclay gave
the boy his own carefully studied hand.
book. Not another cavalry officer then
at Worth had read it, though several
had heard Of it. The youagster was SGT
to work fitting new bits by measure.
ment to the mouth Of every horse in the
troop.
Then Barclay drew him into the dis
'cussion Of the cavalry system Of sad
ding as then preseribed-the heavy
tree set away forward close to the
withers-and Brayton could only say
that THAT was tactics and the way
they'd always done it." But Galahad
pointed ont that the tactics then in use
were written Of foreign dragon sad
die with long fiat bearing surface. 1t
was all very well for that to be set as
far forward as it would 70, because
even then the center of gravity of the
rider would be well back Oh tie horse.
"But," said he, lyon take this short
Mcclellan tree, place that away for
ward, and then set man in it, His
center Of gravity will rest in front Of
the center Of motion of the horse-will
throw the weight OIL the forehead and
use up his knees and shoulders in 10
time" This, too, set Brayton to study.
ing and thinking, while Mullane and
Fellows declared Sir Galahad crank,
and even Brooks and Blythe, welded
to tradition, thought him visionary.
Then when the books came Galahad
unpaoked, and just where the poker ia
BILE used to stand it stood now, but it
was covered with beautiful maps Of
Alsace and Lorraine, and Galahad's
desk with pamphlets sent him from
abroad, the earliest histories Of the
memorable campaign about Metz and
Sedan.
The next thing Brayton knew be was
as deeply interested as his captain, and,
10, other men came to look and wonder
and go off shaking their heads-those
Of them who were Of the Mullane per-
suasion sneering at those "book gen.
erals" while others, like Blythe, pulled
up chair as invited and followed the
junior captain through his modest ex-
PLANTATION with appreciative eyes. Those
were days when there was all too little
time for study and improvement, thanks
to the almost incessant Indian scouting
required, but here was Worth, big
post, and here was four troop battal-
ion with gentleman and not bad
soldier ct its head, and it had not &C.
Cured to him to teach them anything
or to require Of them anything beyond
the usual attention to stables troop
drill, and an occasional parade. II his
men were reasonably ready to take the
field in pursuit of Kiowa, Comanche or
horse thief, and to furnish escort for
ambulance aud train when the disburs
ing officers went to and fro, that was
all that could be expected of him or
them in those halcyon days. And now
"this blasted doughboy substitute" had
come down here and was proposing to
stir them all up make them all out so
many ignoramuses said Mulane.
" Bedad, the thing is revolutionary"
And that was enough to damn it, for
revolution is a thing no Irishman will
tolerate, when he doesn't happen to be
in it himself.
Still another thing had occurred to
make Barclay something apart from the
-
bachelors. No sooner bad his modest kit
Of household goods arrived than the I'M
used kitchen of Brayton's quarters was
fitted up; Hannibal was ensoonced
therein. A neat little dining room was
made Of what had been designed for
small bedchamber on the ground floor,
and Barclay amazed the mess by setting
forth champagne the last evening he !
lined there as a member, and then re.
tired to the privacy of his own estab-
Iishment. as he had at Sanders.
The Wins housemaid had of course
dropped in to see how Hannibal was
getting along and dropped out to tell
ner discoveries, which were few. Then
Brayton found the mess saying things
about Barclay he could not agree with,
md he, too, resigned and became q
Of his captain-a change for
he better that speedily manifested it.
,elf in the healthy white Of his clear
,yes and complexion that bore no trace
# fiery stimulants such as were INDUCED
n elsewhere. Then there was talk of
,thers leaving tho "Follansbee family"
md asking to join at Brayton's, and
his gave umbrage to Erin as represent
I'd in the bachelors mess, and SO an
mt Barclay feeling had sprung up ut
he post, among the unlettered at least.
md these were days in which the un-
Uttered were numerous. "Sorry for
'ou, Brayton, me lsy." grinned the
enior sub of Fellows troop 1T must
10 tough to come down to this after
lawrence. And no was amazed at
3rayton's reply.
though? Yes, for it shows me how
much time I've wasted"
"Wait till we get Galahad out on the
rail wild his newfangled bits an
eats" sneered Mullane but day or
wo before. "That'll take the id
onsense out Of himl Faith, whin he
oes hope I may 60 along, too. to sec
he funi''
And, sooner than he thought for. the