Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-12-29
Copyright. 1899. ~ F. rennyson N.e,y.l
CHAPTER VII.
A stirring story OF
Arnf Life IN The nhhPP'n&s

CHAPTER VII.
Billy Gray was indeed in close ar
rest and the grim prophecy was full
filled-Col. Canker was proving ANY
thing but a guardian angel to him."The
whole regiment, officers and men, bar
ring only the commander, vas practi-
eally in mourning with sorrow for him
and chagrin over it's own discontinue.
Not only one important prisoner was
gone, but two; not only two, but four.
No man in authority was able to say
just when or how it happened, for it
was Canker's own order that the pris-.
oners should not be paraded when the
guard fell in at night. They were here
at tattoo and at taps all right. The Of
fcer of the guard, said several soldiers,
had quite a long talk with one of the
prisoners-young Morton-just after
tattoo, at which time the entire guard
had been inspected by the commanding
officer. But at ~reveille four most i'm
portant prisoners were gone, and such
was Cankcr's wrath that not only was
Gray in arrest, but the sergeant of the
guard also, while the three luckless
men who were successfully posted as
sentries during the night at the back of
the wooden shell that served as a guard
house-were now in close confinement
in the place of the escaped quartette.
Yet those three were men who had
hitherto been above suspicion, and
there were few soldiers in the regiment
who would accept the theory that any
one of the three had connived at the es-
cape. As for the sergeant - he had
served four enlistments in the -tcenth,
and without a flaw in his record beyond
an occasional alteration in the now
distant past, due to the potency of the
poteen distilled by certain Hibernian
experts not far from an old-time plains
fort, where the regiment had rested ON
its march cross continent. Ar for the
omcers-but who would suppope an
officer guilty of anything of the kind
= fragrant military crime? And yet
men got to asking each other if it were
so that Bugier Curran had carried a
note from the prisoner, Morton, to Mr..
Gray about $50 that afternoon? And
what was this about Gray's having
urged Brooke to swap tours with him
an hour later, and what was that story
The headquarters clerks were telling
about Mr.. Gray's coming to the adju-
tant and begging to he allowed to
s.march on" that evening instead Of
8rooke7 It wasn't long before these
rnmors, somehow, got to Canker's eacs,
Isnd Oanlker seemed to grow a. Zig
again; he fairly swelied with indigna-
~ion at thought Of such turpitude On
Part Of an officer. Then he sent for Gray
I'D was the afternoon following the
aAiiflg Of the ships with tho big brigade
and with pain and bswtderment and
Mdignation in his brave blue eyes the
ypungster came and stood before his
sierra superior. Gordon, who sent the
nessEages and who had heard Canker's
@enuncaatory remarks, had foand time
to scrfbbie q word or tive: admit
aothing; esq nothing; do nothing but
hold your tongue and temper. IF G..
insists On answers say you decline ek-
eept in presence of your legal adviser"
10 there was . scene in the command
er's tent that afternoon. The morning
had not been without its joys. Along
about ten o'clock as Gray sat writing
to his father in his little canvas home,
he heard a voice that sent the blood
aeaping through his veins and filled his
eyes with light. Springing from his
sampstool and capsizing it as he did
go, he poked his curly head from
ahe entrance Of the tent and
there she was only a dozen feet
away = Maj. Lane in courteous at
tendance, Mr.. Prime sadly following,
and Miss Prime quite content with the
devotions of Capt. Schuyler. Only a
dozen feet away and coming straight to
him, with frank smiles and sympathy
IN her kind and winsome face-with
hand outstretched the moment she
caught sight of him. "We wanted to
come when we heard of it yesterday.
Mr.. Gray" said Amy Lawrence, but
it was dark when " got back from see
ang the fleet off, and uncle was too tired
IN the evening. Indeed, we are all very,
very sorry!" And poor Billy never
heard or cared what the others said, 80
absorbed was he in drinking in her gen.
tie words and gazing into her soft, dark
aGes. No wonder he found it difficult
to release her hand. That brief visit,
alled with sweetness and sunshine,
ought to have been a blessing to him
all day long, but Canker caught sight
Of the damsels as they walked away
On the arms Of the attendant cavaliers
Miss Lawrence more than once smiling
back at the incarcerated Billy-and
Ganker demanded to be informed who
they were and where they had been, and
Gordon answered they were Miss Law
renoe, of Santa Anita, and Miss Prime,
Of New York-and he "reckoned" they
must have been in to condole with Mr..
Qray-whereat Canker snarled that
people ought to know better than to
visit officers in arrest-it was tanta-
mount to disrespect to the commander.
It was marvellous how many things in
Eanker's eyes were disrespectful.
30 he heard these stories with eager
sars and sent for Gray, andthought to
Al L.