Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-12-06
CHAPTER III.

A day had dawned on the Preside
Heights as brilliant as its predecessor
had been dismal. A soft south wind
had kept the fogs of the Pacific far out
to sea and cleared the summer sky of
every wisp of vapor. The sun of early
August shone hot and strong upon the
sandy wastes between the western linn
it's of the division camps and the foamy
strand beneath the low bluffs, and beat
upon the canvas homes of the rejoicing
soldiery, Stacking cloth and cordage SO
that the trim tent lines had become
broken and jagged, thereby setting the
teeth of "Old Squeers" on edge as he
gazed grimly from under the brim ofhis
unsightly felt hat and called for his one
faithful henchman, the orderly. Even
his adjutant could not condone the regi-
mental commanders Objectionable
traits, for crustier old villain of vet
eran lived not in the line of the army.
"Ould Canker" the troopers had dubbed
him during the few years he had served
in the cavalry, transplanted from foot
regiment at the time of the reorganiza-
ton, so-called, of the army in III; but
a few years of mounted duty in Arizona
and later in the Sioux country had sick
ened him of cavalry life and he gladly
accepted chance to transfer back to
the infantry. Now, 90 years after
risen by degrees to the grade of lieuten-
anr-colonel, he found himself in COM
mand of famous old regiment of regu.
lars, whose colonel had donned the stars
OF general officer of volunteers, and
the pet name-save the mark-of cav
airy days had given place to the unflat-
tering sobriquet derived from that hor-
ror of boyish readers-the ill-favored
schoolmaster of Dotheboys hall. He
had come to the tenth with halo
of condemnation from the regiment in
which he had served as major and won
his baleful name, and "the boys" of his
command soon learned to like him even
less than those who had dubbed him
"Squeers," because, as they explained,
there wasn't any privilege or pleasure
he would not do the boys" out of if he
possibly could. Gordon had promptly
rendered his resignation as regimental
adjutant when his beloved colonel left
the post to report for duty in the army
destined for Cuba, but Lieut.-Col. Can
ker declined to accept it, and fairly told
Gordon that, as he hadn't a friend
among the subalterns, there was no one
else to take it. Then, too, the colonel
himself added word or two and settled
the matter.
A big review had been ordered for
the morning. An entire brigade of
sturdy volunteers was already forming
and marching out by battalions to their
regimental parades, the men showing
in their easy stride and elastic carriage
the effects of two months hard drill and
gradually increasing discipline. The
regulars were still out in the park, hid
den by the dense foliage and busy with
their company drills. The adjutantand
clerk were at their papers in the big
office tent, and only the sentries, the
sick and the special duty men remained
about the body of camp. There was no
one, said Private Noonan to himself, as
he paced the pathway in front of the
colonels tent, after having scrupulous-
ly saluted him on his appearance: mo
wan fur the ould man to whack at, bar
rim it's me-" but even Canker could
find nothing to "whack att in this vet
eran soldier who had served in the
ranks since the days of the great war
and had borne the messages of such
men as Sheridan, Thomas and McPher-
son when Canker himself was sweating
under his knapsack and musket. Like
most men, even most Objectionable
men, Canker had some redeeming fea-
lures, and that was one of them-he
had been private soldier, and brave
one, too, and was proud of it.
But life had little sunshine in it for
one of his warped, ill-conditioned ma
ture. There was profound conviction
in the minds of the company officers
that the mere sight of happiness or con-
tent in the face of a subordinate was
more than enough to set Canker's wits
to work to wipe it out. There was no
doubt whatever in the minds of the
subalterns that the main reason why
Squeers was SO manifestly down on"
Billy Gray was the almost indestruct-
ible expression of good nature, jollity
and enthusiasm that had shown in the
little fellows face ever since he joined
the regiment. "If we call the old man
squeers we should dub Billy Mark Tap
ley," said Gordon one day, when the
lad had laughed off the effect of an un-
usually acrimonious rasping over
trivial error in the guard report book.
Hes no end kind when fellows in
fix" said Gray, in explanation, land all
the time he was soaking me was think
ing how he stood by Jimmy Carson in
his scrape"-a serious scrape it was,
too, for young Carson, detailed to escort
certain prisoners to Alcatraz and in