The San Francisco call., 1899-11-26
IContinuedl

p ift".iscn ana sIsI e"ted lf being Win MortoR
IContinued.l
"k by. that young fellas a bawn gem
teu4n.' drawled Gordon, as he offered
Size colonel a chair and cigar. "Hes swaa
u,-.-tIn Lp top. steady as you please
luul about a month ago. He's only been
with us since the first of May-came with
"a u.- batch OF recruits-a regular athlete
gol know. Then. after he'd drilled
swhle. ] nailed him for headquarters
clerk. 4 never knew him 10 be Of an hour
l.tL about -FOUR weeks ago. The men
sar another young lgla came out here
UIe rlLI.. LlG "a talk with Morton, and
tlty went olt together. He got regular
permission. Nobody has set eyes on his
fieIe Out here since that time. but Nor
ton got three passes 10 town in ten days,
AND SQueers happened 10 want him. and
gave orders that be should have 10 be
consulted hereafter. Bout a fortnight
since. by Jose. Morton lit out suddenly
ana was gone forty eight hours, and was
brought back 10y patrol, perfectly
straight. and said he had TO 90 or ac-
count az "a friend who had been taken
very sd and was a stranger here. Squeers
.et l.m OK with warning. and inside OF
three days le begged Tor d twenty-four-
L..r pass. and SQueers wouldn't give II.
Ile went without d.. by George! IL was
5-et about the time the Prime family ar
-rc-, looking up the boy they heard was
D. loUr regiment This time there was
llg Uoabie. The patrol sent Tor him
Went o.tteiA 30 the lodgings OF mis- sick
friend, ana lEtre they fOuuu him, ana he
lal4 o.t tU0 oi our best men Tor forcing a
ha. l.in ilt room lhcA tOlu me your
tatlla-s nearly ran over MIN the day OF
tle t,t.eW. 4leu came that fool
charge an0ut hls beng mixed up In this
iDlI. rlt ihtu hls escape from under Billy
Cray e. nose. oy George! and that's tho
la-' oi hlil. tauker sent a party in TO
lu"A llm 4p a. ile usual place, and DO b
nlf.r Aal unNu-t1tn, Dy George Inc
slCr Mau Was well enough 10 be driven
oI .L ,8rrage. and there's nothing fur
tAei to iell a7 yer
'l nlsl a had known about him earlier
before thr Primes came. SAID Armstrong.
f.... -lLIa.ll. huDcKug the ashes on has
C.eaf. "ol course YOU divine my theory
mat Morton lie missing SON and
lelI. Dt course. NON lnaL I've seen
All-a Prime tne family resemblance Is
strong But 81 Dee wanted TO soldier,
what to prevent. Those tents yawnduh
are tlll nt youngsters better educated
tla. a all. and Gordon arose. tangnng
.Ul- lean lvg ln the nearest camp
stou Wlirn Le promptly kicked through
rre doorway into The sailing fog outside.
d. VAS barely ID clock, but already the
1an. Nct wind was whistllng In over tho
tausI. sandy slopes and dunes and the
moisture trpped ln blg drops from tns
r.1Ie4 rifles Ot the men marching sturd-
i1 ll tr0m drill.
Iln. Ut George continued the adJutant,
~ .a lmped TO the entrance. "Oie man
seems aI broke mp, don't hep Arm
STRONG had pr9mpuy risen and came
etr.llug 10 his comrade side.
Naturally. was the answer. He had
hoped much from this visit The boy
"aH iLet under "a when he enlisted, ana,
a. lis fathers consent was lacking, a
discharge could have been ordered IL
may have been fear Of ulat that drove
tl- yollgster of. Where Is the carriage
and }olr glass continued The colonel,
looking about until he found a binocular.
Comm right Gown the road back of
the officers tents. Reckon it's another
visit ~ coincidence to Gray. You know
] shouldn't wonduh IL this arrest Of his
proved blessin' in disguise for that
81 reply coming TO this observation.
Gordon glanced over his shoulder. Arm
strong ltas replacing the glasses. Again
the altufant hazarded.
after an. the biggest kind Of blessing in
disguise for that lucky Billy. Yes. by
Joye. They. re- comm, 70 his tent. That's
o. splendid girl, ole man
ais Prime, you mean? calmly
Queried Armstrong. striking match after
match n The effort 10 light a fresh cigar,
'Ml-s PRIME j don't mean" answered
Gordon. glalcing curiOusly At the senior
Office. Not byt that sfe's a most charm
ing youne lady and all that, he hur-
rledly iuterp0iated. Southern chivalry AS
sertinr itself Then with a twitch about
the lD. "sv the way. ole man. those
Take fresh one"
Arm trolg quickly withdrew the Ill
a. I'd naed from between his strong white
'oath. gave it one glance. and toss into
tle waste basket.
"No. IRe smoked enough. But how
.ar tte. see him. How about that sen
"Hua, Chief made him take it of di-
I.llg Doe heard OF ~. grnncd Gordon.
"-ICser' Eut didn't SQueers blaspheme''
Aia f.e adiutant threw his head back
alQ laughed jovously over the retrospect
"Aes. there's that curly pate Of Billy's at
tte tom dolr now. Reckon he was cx-
Iectil' fm. There they arc. ole Prime,
TOO. DON'T De- in a hurry, colonel"
lAt} had known each other years.
lEese lNoi ano u had been Armstrong
nnc Gordon whom they addressed each
other, or "Ole man. when Gordon lapscd
into fhc semi-aifectionate. To the adju-
tunt s southern sense OF military propri-
cty 'olc man was stiN possible. Arm
stronE would be "a soldierly solecism.
an ip sec the general before noon.'
.. sele -A4IhI gro"s .r6,,;y,,y, ana lis time l
httrte4. IT you should hear Of your run
away JET me know. II YOU shouldn't.
Keep our flcws % yourself There's no
use ir rouslnE false hopes" with that
ArmstrOug turned up the collar OF his
ovcrcoat and lunged out into the mist.
Gordon watched him as he strobe away
re orccIll l,olloNlns az The conventional
Distance. The shortest way 10 general
lCadguarters was Up the row OF COM
pany officers tents in front Of the stlll in
carcerafed Billy. the longest was around
back ~ the mess tent and kitchen Arm
strong took The latter
That escape of prisoners was still the
talk OF camp. Men had come by hat
talious TO see the tunnel. observing which
C7nkcr promptly ordered IL closed up.
Opinion was universal that Canker should
have released the officers and men he had
placed under arrest AZ once. but he didn't
% his bottled wrath he hung on TO them
Entl The brigade commander took hand
and ordered H. Canker grumblinglv
0hcycd So FAR as the sergeant and sentries
were concerned, but entered stout protest
ae 20 Gray.
II stin hold that officer as having
knowledge u the scheme and aiding and
f0r that carriage" he said.
AT least there's nothing TO warrant the
posting ~ thar sentry at Mr.. Gray's tent.
Colonel Canker." said the brigadier, with
some asperity. "Order him or at once.
That an for to-day, sir" and the man
with the starred shoulders held over
him with the silver leaves. The latter
could only obey-and objugate
But Canker's knuclles came In for an