Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-12-29

guard" said that jewel Of a non-com-
missioned officer. "Yet the colonel will
be savage II these papers amt ready.
1t will take us all night a. things are
going"
Gray shook his curly head. Go ask,
il you like, but-Morton's in no shape
to help you" Z
HAS he been drinking, sir ?" said the
sergeant major, in surprise. Il never
knew him"
"Oh, it isn't that" said Gray. hastily,
"only he's-he's got-other matters on
his mind! Bring me his overcoat. He
said it was in his tent" and the young
officer jerked his head at the patch of
little "A" tents lined up in the real of
those Of the officers.
Get MortoH's overcoat and take it
to him at the guardhouse," snappedthe
staff sergeant to the clerk. BE spry
now, and no stopping on the way
back" he added, well aware how much
in need his assistant stood of creature
comfort of some surreptitious and for
hidden kind. The man was back in
a moment, the coat rolled on his arm.
"Ill take it," said Gray, simply.
"You needn't come"
go on with it," ordered the SER
geant as the soldier hesitated. "D'ye
the service has gone to the devil and
officers are runnin' errands for enlist
ed men? An get back inside two min
utes, too," he added, with portent in
his tone. The subaltern of hardly two
months service felt the implied rebuke
of the soldier Of over 20 years and
meekly accepted the amendment, but
"a thought occurred to him: He had
promised Morton paper, envelopes and
stamps and the days newspapers-the
lad seemed strangely eager to get all
the latter, and vaguely Billy remem-
cred giving papers to prisoners as
equivalent to aid and comfort to the
enemy.
'Take it by way of my tent" said he
as they started, and, nee there it took
time to find things. go back t. the
sergeant major and tell him / sent
you," said Gray, after another search.
He needs you OF those papers,"
And when the officer of the guard
returned to the guardhouse and went
in to the prisoner, the sergeant saw-
and others saw-that, rolled in the
soldiers ovcrcoat he carried On his
arm, was = bundle doae. up in news
paper. Moreover, . scrap Of CONVEX
sstion vas overheard
There's no one ct the generate"
said the officer. y soc NO way of-ax-
ing tt before morning"
MY Coo, lieutenantA There-must
b soms way out Of I'll The moraing
will be too late"
Then I'll do Whist I can for you TO-
night" said Mr.. Gray, az he turned
and hursiediy left the guardroom-a
dozen men standing stifay about the
walla ana doorway and staring with
impressive faces strsight to the front.
Again, the young officer had loft the
posi- Il the guard and gone up f1ts
camp. while far and ear through the
dim. fos-swept aislss ct a score >f
camps the eugles and trumpets wore
wailinC the signal for s'1ishts s1ss" end
shadowy formss With coat oollars
turned up about tho In er oapes mu1-
He'd around the neck. scurriod about
The company streets ordering laughter
and talk: to cease. A covered carriage
wss standing at tho oura eussade tie
officers sate-and tho gentry thGc
posted remembered that tho Officer s6
the gesrd came hurryiae ant aea
asked the driver it he WA engaged.
I'm waiting for the maisr," was the
answer.
we'll. where. can ono order q car
riage tonight without going clear to
town. inquired Gray. II want-one;
that is-I wish to order ono at once"
And the driver. who knew very well
there were several places where car
riages could be had, preferred loyalty
to his own particular stable away in
town, and so declared there was none
"Yo" can telephone there. it you
wish. SIR" he added.
"And wait till morning for it to get
here? No! I'll get it-somehow."
And that he did get it somehow wa
current rumor On the following day,
for the sentries on the guardhouse side
of camp swore that q closed carriage
drove down from McAllister street for
all the world as though it had just
come out of the park and rolled on past
the back of the guardhouse, the driver
loudly whistling Killarney" so that
it could be heard above the crunching
OF the wheels through the rough. loose
rock. that covered tho road, and that
carriage drew up lot q hundred yards
away, while the lieutenant was out Wis
iting sentries and presently they saw
him coming back along tho walk,
stopping to question each sentry as to
his oaders. Then he returned and in
quired if all was quiet among the pris-
oners, and then went and put out his
light in the tent reserved for tho Of
fcer Of the guard, and once more left
his post, briefly informing the sergeant
of the guard he was going to the officer
of the day. Then it was ascertained
that he had visited half a dozen places
in search of that veteran captain and
--. kl~ $500 =