The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-07

". Ds iis
of its members, in the 'sfour mile"
road wagon belonging at Cooke, were
speeding southwark, hoping to catch
the stage to take them to their posts ly-
ing far to the east. BY midnight the
record was we'll nigh complete, and
Loring, locking up the papers, stepped
softly out into the starlight.
Over across the contracted parade
lamp was burning dimly at the guard
tents, and several others fared at tho
brush and canvas shack of the sutler
Everywhere else about Camp Cooke
there wero silence and slGmber The
muttered word of command as the 1880
relief formed at the guard tent, the
olink of glasses and murmur of voices,
sometimes accentuated by laughter,
came drifting on the night from the
open oluhroom. Beyond the guard tents
the dim walls of the corral doomed
darkly against the dry, cloudless, star
dotted SKY that bordered the eastern
horizon.
The sentry, slowly pacing his beaten
path along the acequia that conducted
the cool waters of the Yavapai from the
northward hills to the troughs in the
corral, moved noiseless, dim and ghost
ly, and Loring, listening for moment
to the faint sounds Of reyelry at the
shack, turned away to the north, passed
| the rus.a shelters which had been built
by tho labor Of troops for the accommo-
dalton of the officers and the few fam
| lilies there abiding aud found himself
presently Oh the open plain full 100
, yards oat from the buildings and be-
You'd the post of the sentry on that
| flank, who, far over at the west end of
bis long beat, at the moment was dream
ing of the revels he'd have when his
| discharge came, and neither heard nor
saw the solitary officer whose one desire
was to get away by himself to some
point where ho could calmly think. He
needed to be alone. Even Blake, whom
he had grown to like and whom he be-
lieved to be still at the camp, would
| have been i'll the way
A strange fellow was Loring, a man
grown, so FAR as Judgment and expe-
| rience were concerned, when at the age
OF 20 he entered West Point, and from
the very start became one of the leaders
Of his class in scholarship and later one
of the prominent officers of the battalion
of cadets. In scientific and mathemat-
ical studies indeed he had no superior
among his comrades but languages and
| drawing, as taught III those days at the
academy, threw him out of the head of
the class, but could not prevent his
landing close second to the leader in
general standing.
Neter a popular man in the corps, he
commanded nevertheless the respect and
esteem OF the entire battalion, and lit
tie by little won deeper regard from
his immediate associates. He was a
man of marked gravity of demeanor.
He rarely laughed. His smile was only
a trifle more frequent. He was tacitur-
nifty personified and for two years at
least was held to be morose OF his an
tecedents little was known, for he never
spoke of them and seldom of himself.
He was methodical in the last degree,
exercising justso long in the gymnasium
every morning during the barrack days
and putting on the gloves for l5 min
"
weight in the corps.
There were times in his early cadet
days when he was suspected of having
an ugly temper, and perhaps with rea-
son. ESasperated at some prank played
at his expense Sy little "yearling''
toward the close of his first - the
"plebe -encampment, Loring actual
" he off ~ 1,
The boy was no match for the older.
heavier man, but flew at him like
wildcat then and there, and Loring sud
denly found himself in a fierce and
spirited battle The little fellow had
pluck, science and training, and Lor-
ing 8 eyes and nose were objects to be-
hold IN less than minute For that
moment, shame stricken he fought on
the defensive, then stung by the taunts
of the swift gathering third class men
he rushed like bull, and two heavy
blows sent the yearling to grass, and
that fight was ended But challenges
rained on him from ''men of his siZe''
and weight, and the very next evening
he went out to Fort Clinton with one of
the champions of the upper class, and
in 10 minutes was carried away to hos
pital. total wreck 1t was ten days
before no was reported fit for duty.
Then camp was over and barrack life
began. Not word would he or did he
say about his severe defeat, but system
atlcally he went towork to master the
noble art of self defense. and two years
from that time the corps was treated to
a sensation. Loring, back from cadet
furloUgh had been made first sergeant
of Company d. in which as private
and first class man was the very cadet
who had SO soundly thrashed him. Lor.
ing proved strict. Certain ..tirst class
privates' undertook to rebel against his
authority. his former antagonist being
the rlngleader Matters came to a crisis
when Loriug entered the names of three
OF the seniors on the delinquency book
for "slow taking place in ranks at for
nation for dinner -
1t was declared on affront J;, ia