Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-20
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
A general court martial had convened
at Ransom for the trial Of such enlisted
men as should be brought before it, and
the president thereof looked ont from
behind his newspaper during luil in
the proceedings, and, with the charac-
tcriStic expression which seemed to say,
Don IT You dare lie to lac now, pop
ped the following question:
Blake, what the name of the Three
Guardsmer:'
And Blake, never laying down his
paper or changing II muscle Of his long,
sallOw counter nee, placidly and
promptly respon led, "Clotho, Lacheais
and Atropos. -
Captain Gregg, sitting at the right cf
the presiding officer, after rejecting
profoundly moment, slowly nodded,
as though to say, Right, though
dihn t think you knew. - Captain Trus-
colt, sitting opp Jsite Gregg and buSly
occupied with IA letter, glanced quickly
from under his heavy la,hes and con-
pressed his lips. Some of the youngsters
farther down the long table looked Il bit
mystitied, but Blake's balance wheel,
Captain Ray, was not u member of the
court and probab Y would have accepted
the reply as auth ritative hal he been
there, for Ray W . no reader. 1t was
the questioner W % looked dissatisfied,
and the question +, as usual, was Main
warning
For "A moment ne pondered, Sowing
AZ Blake the VIII t., then outspoke:
We'll, that's III right, probably, bIt
what | want to s at Is the name o.
chat ether leI!.,. With Dee-sOme-
thing-how do you pronounce it:'
"Dopends on whether you re in
salon or q ealOOn, major" answered
Blake. "Dartanyan in one case and Dee
Artapnan in t'other. What have you
stumbled on now
Nothing much. Reading about a
fellow that named his horse that and
thinks he's going to sweep the race
tracks from Jerome park to Jerusalem.
Deo-what you call him: | wouldn't
ride one of their steeplechases on an
English saddle if you'd give me 81,
800. "
81 wouldn't care TO ride one on any
other kind-certainly not on one Of our
service saddles, said Blake, whose long
legs could wrap around any horse in
the regiment. "Those high, sharp POM
mols are the worst kind of thing to use
cross country"
'Not if you know how to ride, " said
the major, who Loyalty stood by every.
thing that was regulation. "Ill bet
you any real cavalrymau will tell you
that he'd rather use Mcclellan Cor
any kind Of riding than any other kind
Of saddle"
Done, said Blake, land leave it to
Stannard or Ray" And here he kicked
across under the table to rouse his oppo-
/ site fellow member to full rejoicing IN
the colloquy, for Mainwaring couldn t
bear to hear Stannard quoted as authori-
ty on any subject and was sure that Il. Y
was vastly overrated officer
"Nhat does sitannard know about it
anyhow" bristled Mainwaring, "He
never rode anything but a Mcclellan.
And as for Ray, know dozen better
riders and cavalrymen who agree with
me.
"All right. You come out to the hur-
dies after court adjourns, major, and
We give you chance to see the differ
ence. That pretty mare of Mrs. Ray s
Is to have "a jumping lesson this after
noon, and you csi try both saddles and
systems il You like. "
But the re-entrance of the judge adj
vocate with the prisoner put stop 70
the chat, and MainWaring called tho
court To order
a week had rolled by since the night
of the assault on Sergeant Merriweather
and tho stahbing Of Sheriff Conway.
The first episode seemed to have died
out of the interest of even the few who
know of it, for Merriweather lips
were sealed, but the second was still the
topic of excited talk.
And well it might be. Armed with a
warrant so he claimed, for the arrest of
certain soldiers Of the garrison, Conway
had como to the post about tattoo that
evening, had stopped at the gunrdhouse
and asked to see Prisoner Healy, sol
der under charges Of assault and rob
weeks before Healy and II companion
confined rs an accomplish had sawed
their way ont and escaped, as has been
told, but the former was recaptured and
brought back. He was u merry little
lrishman, all almost universal faVorlt(