The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-01-12
THE srLEEr TROOPER


ihins. Th., sceount' for bic being len u
hlmseli more ib.n /, con- nou or isdieion'
ior one Of uecls 5sms borssmtn 10 held
or poet.
A troop /. family Of bis boys soms
q them are bif bed boys, and sn odd
tbius shsu, II /. ihsl lbess are not slssys
be unpopair ones Troopers DO 20,
l.lI 90 tbe 4eet Of Dew man, They
lresi him ~iib pins scled disbi,y like old
cavalry horses treat additions TO the picks,
liue II The nes msh 10 . Reasonable peri
"a. develops 30 OF iaclisusbls trait, be
sill aBd hiaself member ol The family
shieh are other vor for good iellos
Bat hf caut be 3 silent msn er srssk;
aeiiher can be manipulate q soluninoas
correspondence. Iaese bings are ts'sl
L,pder vas silent man.
Uswss AIso ny ''baokie. which means
ths, could pot out my baud aimo't so'
u4e 10 the hight snd toach him. h.tsr
.uy und,r sueh conditions my very prop
81 pts sladice egsinst hIm on sceoupt oi
his inletusl rtssfse would tar efos iuto
40 uncomfoltsbIe suspicion. II not worse.
or .lse sou d learn to look hey I'd lhi'
serious msDi.l arrangement OF bis. Az u
sas began to iesl for bin TIA. strong.
shoiesome rep, OF which ono always hiss
for pbysicsl cspsbiliiy, when it is not SO
companied by mental slnggishEess.
Then liked Lsnders fscs. he vu
handsome fellow fellow = handsomea trije
his horse, and at hi mess aud at groom
log handsome when silent Yet have
seen bis eyelils droop over wicked pair
u sbiBiug eyes, and sem an iy blood
less look about bis low'r lip.
Isax this on q hot day when Lieut..
Grim kicked tim iu the back becsosc-l
sish ed knew myself, | will tell You
what saw.
A couple OF troops Of the regiment we're
ont on target range. We were csmpsd
10 bunch OF uosspirIug foJthills whioh,
late In the aftff oon, rested 10 the huge
conicaI shadow Of Old Baby. The Tip OF
Old Bildy's ICY cone punctures the sk' at
one OF The hipbes, points 10 Aroma We
we're in that sand stricken land where
wsyfsrers have TO climb for water and dig
for fuel wood. We were 10 that hest rid
Den land where the lesp, long coyste
scents desth and trots cautiously thithsr
where the vulture cranes bis bsrs Grim
son neck from behind q cloud, and peers
esrthwsrd for dying things.
Lieut. Mat Grim vas little wasp
wsisted chap, who bad dirty trick OF
getting mad. His West Point days we're
too fresh 10 bic mind for him to be good
officer, He never allowed bimseli to lose
sieb BIT Of the fact that be was . com mission
ed officer and that mighty stretch OF su
periority lay b,tween him and common
sr listed man. Grim had Just been trans
ierred to our troop. Lander had come
from another regiment two months be
fore. The two men met that hot after
noon j1st before grooming time.
Lander saluteG. Grim Stopped short, :
and began to relieve himself, OF q lot OF
livid English. Lauder stood 'at attsn
ton, said something 10 low voice and
walked away.
Lieut.. Grim was ungovernsble. He
sprsug after Llnder. kicked him 10 the :.
back and said:
I'll make life miserable fsr you, Charlie
Howard which l Judge must have been l.
Lander's civilian name.
Lander laughed low and melodiously ),
| was thinkiug how wicked lander looked
when be laughed that way. Then the r
bugle sounded "stsbles
Every msn in the troop d,tested the !.
leutensn', snd oil admired Lander for
keeping bis nerve One OF the most IN ).
profitable things q soldier can do is to
strike his Superior officer. The Nme
kind Of finish awaits him as il be had been ),
found sleeping at bis poet.
1 watched Lander and Lander watched
Lieut.. Grim during the sever.l following
weeks. And they we're not pretty eyes. =,
those strange eyes OF Lsndtr's % they !,
tr.iled The movements OF his superior
officer
To slI, be preserved bis self bound ipten
sily. Glad. indeed, would ! have been to T
come very close to the heart OF this sieLt h,
man, becsute learned 10 have deep feel
inss icr hin. He possessed the cold m
nerve which makes heroes. and the Rrea' N
warm heart which mskes friends uaB h,
sure Of this. Bet bis nature was brosd =,
enough TO cover his iroublet, 90 be did
not eorfie 10 men, Heroes can hate -
we'll Il
Why my eyes wandered 10 the opposite h;
,Ide OF ope OF Lander's lutn while be o.
-. holding II, and there fingered for r,
single dissrsceiul second, IL more than ! nj
,ap explain. Al any rate ! ssw these Y,
words. -
Oh. C5srlie. do lei me come to !oi'
A lsdy killer 10 my silent irisod. q,
housht |, bat did not mesn to read A,
part OF bis letter -reslly diint II,
Al.sr fise veoke the troops were ordered =,
o the barracks. No cne vas sorry, Tor 90
life op target range 10 Arszona Is tedious,
putting ii With studied Didness And al
hen they have nof9uito netting 10 the A,
Dsrrscks.
A ussedy ~ss tnscitd on hose moonli, ID
'oo,Lills Il Oh B,idy's bsse the lssi night II
70 r.uee. sn rot handy man st trsei IN
lice. Ii vas this way; Al