The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-01-19

turned away. Far off to the southeast
there was the sound of cheering, and the
band had struck up some rol,icking
quickstep, whereat old Bux gritted his
teeth and swore anew. Damn those in
fernal idiotsl Do you know what'll be
the result of this? The regiment will
get away on the train, and then that
band instead of coming back will go to
Miguel's saloon, and there they'll start
a bale and have that whole greaser
population in there drinking mescal
and 'guardiente, and ripping and fight
ing until eyerybody's beastly drunk. I
won't have it, sir!" and he glared ut the
officer of the guard as though he con-
sidered that silent official a coconspira-
tor. 81 won't have it, l say. l wish Mr..
Whitaker to start at once and round
up the whole gang"
And with that he strobe portentously
away in the direction of headquarters,
the orderly following with grin. Cor
poral Mahoney came in from his round,
reporting three and four all right and
everything secure.
but there's one thing, sir: No. 2
can't begin to see the length of his post,
and with so many private horsesin the lit
tie stables back Of the row what's to pre-
vent them beggars from town running
off half dozen head? Once across the
mesa and into the Santa Clara country
there'd be no catching them"
"We must take the chances" said
Merriam, briefly. 1.-THE commanding
officer will not permit any increase Of
sentries."
Yet the corporars warning made him
think of his own favorite saddle horse
and Floy's pretty bay. She rode so
well, so fearlessly. tirelessly, that one of
his very first gifts to her had been this
dainty little mare, swift and sure-foot-
ed as a greyhound, and about as won
derful jumper, and Florence gloried in
her and in the dashing rides they used
to take. They didn't mind the lack of
shaded bride paths. They secured the
plain full gallop, riding recklessly after
the bounding jack-rabbits, and coming
home all athriil and aglow with the
glorious exercise. But of late the rides
had become more sedate and slow and
less frequent, and then when Mrs Nc
ence discovered Mignon to be suddenly
lame, and had a shoe removed and a
hoof poulticed, and Randy smiled but
said nothing. Mignon was surprised.
perhaps, but not Mr.. Merriam. He y-as
thinking of the unprotected condition
Of those stables back of officers row.
where those gentlemen who owned pri-
vate stock were required TO keep theirs,
instead of, ms had been customary I'M
Ter previous administration, al the
'avalry or Quartcrmaster's corrals. The
colonel of the Riilers had once been
handicapped for allowing public
forage to be fed to private mounts" of
some garrison ladies, and now he had
his eyes open. The Freemans. Haynes
Graftons and Merrams, as well as the
doctor, all had private horses for ladies'
use; so did certain others; and, al
though every mounted officer could
draw forage for two horses, not a peck
of oats could he get beyond that, and
when il came to forage for ladies'
horses-animals never ridden or driven
except by ladies, and too light for gov
eminent service, the colonel drew the
line at that entirely, and was sustained
by virtuous congress.
So Randy had to buy forage for
Mignon, and luckily forage was cheap.
with all those ranches of Santa Clara
close at hand He had often thought
how easy it would be for greasers-
natural horse thieves-to sneak in on
that southern front of n dark night and
make Off with four or five favorite horses,
and the colonel used to keep three SEN
tries along there. Now they had only
one. "All the more reason for NV
keeping personal watch on that 'front.'"
thought Randy, land that will give me
an occasional chance to look in on
Florence"
One o'clock came, and the call had
gone from sentry to sentry. thanks to
the breathless stiffness of the air, and
the moon was climbing high. and Bux
was still up and swearing. A wire
came out from the Junction that the
special" would not be there for two
hours, so the Riflers had stacked arms.
unslung packs. and were snoozing or
skylarking as suited their humor. The
colonel had given permission for n
dance at Miguel's. The band was play
ing, and there was jollity in the wind
Bux said he wouldn't have the cavalry
mixed up in any such tomfoolery, how.
ever, and the patrol was saddled and
ready to start. Grafton, coming back
from his stable, where he had gone to
personally see to the selection of the
mounts required. stopped and drew
Merriam TO one side.
I'm sorry for the needless trouble
you took this evening. Merriam. | had
hoped that Mrs. McI.ane would see Won
and have done with it. Another dis.
patch came for her three hours apo. and
1t seems to have reused her to action.
She was up and dressed in time to see
the regiment off. and now. presume.
she's flirting with Whitaker. There
are lights in the parlor. At all events
the orderly hasn't found him, and Bnx
may send you after the stragglers in
town."
Then | reckon I'll start aro make
the rounds and get out of the way"
said Randy. "By the way, cantain, |
hope your private stable is well secured.
We have only one sentry on that whole
front now, and that matched team of
yours is powerful temptation "a Bravo
horse faneiers. I mean to make two or
three trims around tho ron. - ,,s.,.. y,