Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-06

tT1umpeter remarked to the gunner
when they were going out to stir the
echoes with their reveille; only these a t
Sedgwick, and one stalwart old captain
with his devoted half-hundred. Ire
maine, still doing duty at the canton
ment-fond, lonely old father, whose
heart was wrapped up in that one child.
yet could not deny her to the man she
loved so well. Sedgwick was begin
ming to yawn and stir. The night owls
in the canyons were hooting back to
their nests, dismayed by the howlings
of the human night owls lacking home
to duty, already half regretful of the
whisky wasted, while before them was
that remorseless wrath to come. The
cooks were astir in the barracks, and
filmy smoke-veils were sailing straight
aloft from the chimneys of half dozen
company kitchens. Already, too, the
household servants along the row of
cavalry officers quarters. that which
backed to the south, were lighting their
little morning bIazes, for Sedg'wick lay
beyond range and anthracite. In the
good old days of 20 years before, the
cocktail, not coffee, was the necessary
prelude to reveille and morning stables.
Now, with the wisdom that comes long
after war, only case-hardened, handy
legged old dragons ever dreamed of
drink at that hour of leap from sleep
to life; the inner cavalryman Graves the
juice of Mocha and mocks a rye. From
every "set" of cavalry quarters then the
kitchen chimney sent aloft its feathery
plume, with one eXceptiou-a SUBJ
altern's house we'll over toward the
western end of the row; and toward
the gate thereof, edging away from the
ribald AFOREMENTIONED of the main
road and shutting stolidly across the
mesa. Hop Ling was making his rapid
way. Fan-tan had gone against him.
and but for his hands his pockets were
empty. Hop bore with him an air of
depression, and was followed by faint
fragrance as of ma ndragora. His bleary
little eyes were searching furtively
along that line of fence and stables for
the CLEAN of the sentry's carbine and
cap ornaments. He must place that
Waterman of the night and know his
ground before he entered post. 'Spose
the officer of the guard had happened
to meet him during the night. 'Spose
somebody sick. "'Spose Mise Mel
Iium she wanttee chow-chow?" Bang!
the morning gun roared its lusty sum-
mons to be up and doing. and slu1king
coyotes sqsatted lower as they sneaked
away from the outlying quarters. no
chicken the richer, and the guard
turned out with 20 additions to com
pany Q and more still a-coming and the
telegraph instrument in the clerks of
flee began to call Lalarrup-Lalarrup
-Lalarrup," and the soldier operator
washing his face in a tin basin outside,
glanced up and said: 1.-THE deuce with
you. You always call when I'm wash
ing. What's up now?" and had to drop
additions, and. wringing his hands as
The ran. to answer the sharp, insistent
summons; and as he listened his face
grew keen and excited. and, checking
the rapid clicking of the key one in
slant. he yelled to the drowsy clerk in
the adjoining office: "Billy-quick.
Tumble up and see if Lieut.. Merriam's
back. I've a message for him. and
then clicked and listened and noted
again; but the reveille was chirruping
its merry music. and the sweet. cool.
morning air rang with the melody, and
the troopers were tumbling out from
the barracks and ever across the parade
officers came stalking forth from their
doorways, for the til were sticlllers
about morning stables and roll call;
and, most prominent figure of all.
streaking across the mesa with pig
tails and pajamas a-fying, with his felt
bottomed boots fairly flashing, with
flaring eyes, distended for once at least
with mad appeal and dread in every
feature and shrill distress in his chat
tering tones. came Hop Ling. straight
for the ar.6h h,.;oI 20
! "Mellium."
new officer of the guard, a scowling
and unresponsive man, turned from his
survey of the array Of grinning prison
crs, forgetting their own troubles in
the contemplation of Hops grotesque
misery, and this new official, Whitaker
by name, sternly shouted: stop your
internal noise, you clapper-jawed
heather. What the devils the mat
ter?"
Medium! Mellium!' was all poor
Hop could pant.
Mr.. Merriam isn't here,' said Whit
taker. majestically.
'Oh-wha he gone?-Misse Mellium
gone! She gone-Minion-al gone!"
''Whewi" said Whitaker. Sergeant,
take charge of the guard. I've got to go
up to Capt. Grafton's and report this
Come on with me, you heathen," and,
forgetful of the officer of the day, and
only too ready to visit Grafton's and
bask under that window, the lieutenant
fastened away, Hop obediently and
hopefully following. Matters weren't
so bad perhaps. then, after all, thought
he. Odd though the freak might be,
his master and mistress might possibly
have trotted away together for very
early morning ride and would soon be
back demanding breakfast.
Ruf Grafton was out in an instant