The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-10
FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES.
ny BRIG .-GEN. CHARLES KING.
Copyright. 1899. bV p. TennVson Neeiv.
CHAPTER Ill

brilliant as It's pfcueCfSSh nhu Dctn ulSmal.
A soft south wind had swept the fogs Of the Pacific
far out 10 sea and cleared the summer sky Of every
wisp Of vapor. The sun of carly August shone
hot and strong upon the sandy wastes between
the westward limits Of the division camps and the
foamy strand beneath the low bluffs, and beat
upon the canvas homes of the rejoicing soidiery.
stacking cloth and cordage that the trim tent
lines had become broken and Jagged thereby
setting the teeth Of "Old Squeers" on edge. as he
eaycd grimly from under the brim Of his unsightly
felt hat and called for his one faithful henchman.
the orderly Even his adjutant could not condone
the reginentai commanders objcctona bic
traits. for crusticr old villain Of veteran
lived not in the line of the army. "Ould Can
kcr" the troopers had dubbed him during tn
few years he had served in the cavalry, trans
planted from a foot regiment at the time of the
y ,corganization so called of the army in II; but
a few years of mounted duty in Arizona and later
in the Sioux country had sickened him of cavalry
life and he gladly accepted a chance to transfer
back To the infantry Now, twenty years after,
risen by degrees TO the grade of lieutenant colonel
he found himself in command OF famous old
regiment OF regulars whose colonel had donned
the stars Of general officer OF volunteers and
the pet name-save the mark-of cavalry days
had given place to the unfattering sobriquet de-
rived from that horror of boyish readers-the
III favored schoolmaster OF Dothcboys Hall. He
had come tn the tenth with halo OF cOndem-
nation from the regiment in which he had served
az major and won his baleful name, and the boys
Of his new command soon learned to like him even
less than those who had dubbed him "Squeers"
because. as they explained, there wasn't a
privilege or pleasure he would not do the boys"
out of IL no possibly could Gordon had promptly
rendered his resignation as regimental adutant
when his beloved colonel left the post to report
for duty in the army destined for Cuba but Lieut.
tenant Colonel Canker declined to accept il. and
fairly told Gordon that, as he hadn't a friend
among the subalterns there was else to
take IT. Then. too the colonel himself wrote a
word or two and settled the matter.
4 big review had been ordered for the morning
An entire brigade of sturdy volunteers was ready
forming and marching out by battalions 10 their
regimental parades, the men showing in their
easy stride and elastic carriage the effects Of two
months hard drill and gradually increasing dis
cipne The regulars were still out in the park,
hidden by tho dense foliage and busy with their
company drills The adjutant and clerk were at
their papers in the big Office tent and only the
sentries the sick and the special duty men remain
ed about the body OF camp There was no one
said Private Noonan to himself, as he passed the
pathway in front Of the coonels tent after having
sctupulously saluted him on his appearance,
$40 wan fur the ould man to whacli at, barrin'
it's me-" but even Canker could find nothing TO
"whack at in this veteran soldier who had served
in the ranks since the day Of the great and had
borne the messages of such men Sheridan,
Thomas and Mcpherson when Canker himself
was sweating under his knapsack and musket
Like most men, most Objectionable men,
Canker had some redeeming features and that
was one of them-he had been q private soldier.
and brave one too. and was proud of
But life had little sunshine in II fyI OF his
warped, ill-conditioned nature There
profound conviction in the minds Of the company
officers that the mere sight Of happiness con-
tent in the face OF a subordinate was moro than
enough to set Cankers wits to work TO wipe II out
There was doubt whatever in the minds of the
subalterns that the main reason why Squeers
So manifestly down OF" Billy Gray was the almost
indestructible expression OF good nature. iollity
and enthusiasm that had shown in the fellows
face since he joined the regiment IF We
call the old man Squeers should dub Billy
Mark Tapley," said Gordon one day, when the
lad had laughed off the the effect Of an unusually
acrimonious rasping over a trivial error in the
Guard Report book He's no end kind when a
fellows in a FIX" said Gray, in explanation, and
all the time he was soaking me l was thinking
how he stood by Jimmy Carson in his scrape"-
serious scrape 1t was. too, for young Carson.
detailed 10 escort certain prisoners to AlcatraZ
and intrusted with certain funds to be turned
To the chief quartermaster OF the department, had
unaccountably fallen into a deep sleep aboard the
train and awoke to find both funds and prisoners
gone Explanations were useless The
handing general would listen TO excuse; a
court martial was ordered, and very worthy
young officers military career seemed about to
\ to close under a cloud when "Old Canker" threw
; himself into the breach. He had long suspected
the sergeant who had accompanied the party in
immediate command OF the little guard He
hata al he audi al xv,th .lI
and, how it came about no one could thoroughly
explain, but one day Canker turned up with in
dubitabe proof that the sergeant the thief
that he was bribed to bring about the escape Of
the prisoners, and that he had drugged the fresh
spring water he brought in to the young officer
after the burning heat Of the desert left behind
in the dead OF the summer night Canker even
recovered most of the stolen money. for there was
woman in the case and she had safely slowed
away. Carson cleared and Canker tri-
umphant.
See what the man can do when his sense Of
Justice Is aroused" said the optimists of the army
Justice be blowed," answered the cynics. HE
never would have raised his finger to help Carson
but for the Joy Of proving the general unjust and
aregimental pet the sergeant-a thHf."
Yet Gray reverted to this episode explana
ton Of his tolerance of Cankers harshness and
thereby gave rise to a reioinder from the lips
M a veteran commander tndt many Q
fellow was destined TO recall before the reg
ment was two months older:
IN order to settle it, somebody's got to And
his life or his commission in jeopardy Maybe
it'll be you Billy, and I'm betting you won
find Squeers guardian angel"
Yet this sunshiny summer morning. with
hope and sunshine and confidence in his hand
some, boyish face, Lieutenant Gray came bound
ing up to the presence Of the regimental com
mander though that -visaged soldier
were an ndulgent uncle who could not say hin
nay A stylish open carriage In which wer'
seated two remarkably pretty girls and a gray
haired, slender gentleman. had refined up in thu
street opposite the entrance to the of Off
GERS tents and Canker had ripped out his watch
with an ugly frown on his forehead, for three o
his companies had Just marched in from drill anC
three Of their young lieuenants on the instant o
dismissal, had made straight for the vehicle, anC
he half hoped to find they had Topped off mnut
or so Of the allotted hour. The sound of merr!
laughter seemed to crate on his The sigh
pfE -