Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-09


vapor The of early August shone hot |
and strong upon the sandy wastes between |
the westward limits 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 odd Squeers on edge, as he |
gazed grimly from under the hrim of his !
uusightly felt hat and called for his one
faithful henchman, the orderly, Even his
adjutant could not condone the regimental
commanders objectionable traits. for a
crustier old villain % u veteran 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,
transpIanted from foot regiment at the
time of the reorganization. so called. of
the army in IL but few years of mount |
eI duty in Arizona and later in the Sioux
country had sckenel him of cavalry life, |
and he gladly accepted d chance to transfer
back to the infantry. Now, twenty years
after risen by degrees to the grade of
lieutenant colonel. he found himself in
command of a famous old regiment of reg
ulars, whose colonel had donned the stars
of a general officer of volunteers, and the
pet name-saVe the mark-of cavalry days
had given place to the untlatterluS sObrl-
quet derived from that horror OF boyIsh
rcuders-the iI-favored schoolmaster OF
-teenth with a halo of condemnation
from the regiment in which he had served
major and won his haleful name, and
1.-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 privi-
lege or pleasure he would not do the boys
out of if he possibly could. Gordon had
promptly rendered his resignation as resi- |
mental adjutant when his beloved colonel
left the post to report for duty in the |
army destined for Cuba. but Lieutenant |
Colonel Canker declined to accept ii and |
fairly told Gordon that. as he hadn't |
friend among the subalterns, there was no |
one else to take it. Then, too, the colonel |
himself wrote word or TWO and settled |
the matter.
A big review had been ordered for the |
morning An entire brigade of sturdy vol |
unteers was already forming and marching !
out by battaliVns to the regimental pa
rades the men Showing in their easy stride |
and elastic carriage the effects of two
months hard drill and gradually increasing
discipline. The regulars We're still out in
the park. hidden by the dense foliage and
busy with tkeir company drills. The ad-
jUtant and 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 pac-
Ell the pathway in front Of the CooneIs
tent. after having scrupulously saluted him
on his appearance, NO wan fur the Ould
nan to whack at barrin' it's me" but
even Ctnker could find nothing to "whack
at in this veteran soldier who had served
III the ranks since the days of the great
War and had borne the messages of such
men Sheridan. Thomas ana Mcpherson
when Canker himself was sweating under
his knapsack and muslset. Like most men,
even most Objectionable men, Cauker had
some rede ming features. and that was one
OF them-hc had been private soldier, and
brave one. too, and was prou of il.
But life had little sunshine in il for one
of his warped. il-cUniiiiDnrd nature. There
a profound conviction In the minds Of
tht company officers that tine mere sight
of happiness or content in the face of a
subordinate was more than enough /" set
Canker's wits to work To wipe il out. There
was no doubt whatever in the minds of the
subalterns that the main reason why
SGueers maniIestly down on
Billy Gray was the almost ndeStruCtibie
expression of good nature, joify and en-
thusiasm that had shown in the little fell
low face ever since he Joined The regi-
msnt. IF call the old man Squeers,
should dub Billy Mark Tapeley." said Cor
don one day, when the lad had laughed off
the effect of an unusually acrimonious
rasping over trivial error in the Guard
Report book. Hes no end kind when
fellows in a fix. said Gray, in cXplana-
tion. and all the time he was soaking me
I was thinking of how he stood by Jimmy
Carson in his scrape'-a serious scrape it
was, too. for young Carson, detailed TO es
cort certain prisoners to Alcatraz and in
trusted with certain funds to be turned
over the chief quartermaster of the de-
partment, mad Unacccuntably fallen into
deep sleep aboard the train ana awo!le to
find both funds and prisoners gene.
En-
ing general would listen to no excuse; a
court-martial was ordered. and II very
worthy young officers military career
Seemed about to close under cloud when
"Old Canker threw himself into the
breach. He had long suspected the ser
geant who had accompanied the party in
immediate command of the little guard
He hated the commanding general with all
his soul and how il came about no
could thoroughly explain but day
Canker turned up with indubitable proof
thtet-that 10
bribed to bring about the escape of
the prisoners, and that he had drugged the
fresh spring water he brought in to the
young officer after the burning heat of the
desert was left behind in the dead of the
summer night. Canker even recovered
most Of the stolen money, for there Il
woman in the case, and she had safely
slowed 1t away. Carson was cleared and
Canker triumphant. See what the man
can do when his sense of Justice is strous-
ed. said the optimsts Of the army. Jus
ttce be bowed answered the cynics. HE
never would have raised his finger to help
Carson but for the joy of proving the gen
eral unjust. and a regimentai pet, the
geant-a thief
Yet Gray reverted to this episode as ex-
PLANTATION of his tolerance of Canker's
harshness and thereby gave rise to a re-
jonder from the lips of d veteran COM
pany commander that many fellow was
destined to recall before the regiment was
two months older:
in order to settle it. somebody's got to
find his life or his commission in ieopa rdv
Maybe it'll be you. Billy and I'm betting
you won't find Squeers a guardian angel
Yet this sunshiny summer morning,
with hope and sunshine and confidence in
his handsome. boyish face, Lieut.. Gray
came bounding up TO the presence of the
regimental commander as though that sour
yisaged soldier indulgent uncle
who could not say him nay. stylish open
carriage in which Were seated two re-
markedly pretty girls and a gray-halred
slender gentleman, had refined up in the
street opposite the entrance to the row of
officers tents and Canker had ripped out
his watch, with ugly frown on his fore
head. for three of his companies had just
marched in from drill, and three of their
young leutenants on the instant Of dis
missal, had made straight for the vehicle
and he half hoped to find they had Topped
OFF minute of the allotted hour.
The sound of merry laughter seemed TO
CRATE on his ears. The sight of Gray 5
beaming face seemed to deepen the gloom
in his own Instinctively he knew the
youngster had come to ask favor and he
stood ready to refuse.
Colonel, I'd like nightly to go over and
the review this morning. sir: and Mr..