The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-21


= Ea3 thing. That ac-
AL S:s!! counts for his
s2. RSH,, being left to him
:!ssS:-Ess::*'-*"' self more than is
common or iudicious for one Of Uncle
Sans Lcrsemen in field or post.
A troop is family Of big boys.
Some Of them are big bad boys, and
a. odd thing about it is that these
are not always the unpopular ones.
Troopers 90 not fall on the neck OF
new man. They treat him with piu
nac!e5 disaity, like old cavalry horses
treat additions to the picket line. Ii
the new man, in a reasonable period.
develops no objectionable traits, he
will fad himself member OF the
family, which are other words for
good fellow.
But be cant be silent man nor
sneak; neither can he manipulate a
,voluminous correspondence. These
things are fatal. Lander was silent
man.
He was also my "bunkie," which
means that I could put out hand al
most any time in the night and touch
him. Naturally, under such condi-
lions, my very proper prejudice against
him on account OF his internal reserve
would either grow into gu uncomfort-
able suspicion, if. not worse; or else
would learn to look beyond this seri-
Gus mental arrangement of his. As it
was, l began to feel for him that
strong, wholesome respect which one
always has for physical capability,
when it is not accompanied by mental
siu"gishness.
= Then I liked Lander's face. He
q handsome fel,ow-handsome
astride his horse, and at mess and at
grooming-handsone when silent.
Yet have seen his eyelids droop over
e wicked pair OF shining eyes, and
seen an ugly, bloodless look about his
lower lip.
= T saw this on the hot day when
.tLieutenanS Mat Grim kicked him in
the back, because-I w:sh I knew my
self. will tell you what I saw.
4 couple OF troops of the regiment
were out on target range. We were
canped i'll . bunch OF unaspiring foot
hills which, late in the afternoon,
rested in the huge conical shadow of
OLD Badly. The tip Of Old Baldy's
icy cone purctures the sky at one of
the highest points in Arizona. We
were in that sand-stricken land where
wayEarcrs have to climb for water and
dig for fuel-wood. We were in that
heat-ridden land where the lean, long
coyote scents death and trots eau
tiously thither-where the vulture
cranes his bare crimson neck from be-
hind o cloud, and peers earthward for
dying things.
Lieutenant Mat Grim was little
wasp-waisted chap, who had dirty
trick Of getting mad. His West Point
days were too fresh in his mind for
him to be good officer. He never
allowed himself TO lose sight of the
fact that he was q commissioned
oficer and that mighty stretch of
superiority lay between him and a
common, enlisted man. Grim had
just been transferred to our troop.
Lander had come from another regi-
ment two months before. The two
meu met that hot afternoon-just be-
fore grooming time.
Lander saluted. Grim stopped
short, caught at his breath several
times and began to relieve himself Of
lot Of livid English, all of which
struck me as mysterious. Lander
stood cat attention. said something
in low voice and walked away.
Lieutenant Grim WAS uIgovernable.
He sprang after Lander, kicked him
in the back and said:
"I;ll make life miserable for you,
Charlie Howard" which I Judge must
have been Lander's civilian name.
Lauder laughed low and melodi-
ouslv. I was thinking how wicked
Lander looked when he laughed that
way. Then the bugle sounded
':stables."
Every man in the troop detestsd the
lieutenant, aud al admired Lander for
keeping his nerve. One of the most
unproftable things soldier can do is
to strike superior officer. The same
kind OF finish awaits him as if he had
been found sleeping at his post.
i watched Lander, and Lander
watched Lieutenant Grim during tie
several following weeks. Aud they
were not pretty eyes, those strange
eyes Of l.aGdcr's, rs they tra;!ed lie
movements oE Lis superior officer.
70 all, he preserved his seIf-bour3
intensity Glad. indeed, woa!i !.aT"
been 70 colne very close 10 tie hear,
of this silent man. because learned
to have deep feelings for him He
possessed tue cold nerve which makes
heroes, ana the great warm heart
which makes friends-I was sure o;
j; broo a