Evening journal., 1899-05-25


horses and about the troopers them
selves on a voyage.
Where the air IS scented with sage
brush and the eyes smart with alkali; 4,
from the billiards Of Dakota and the .
sun-baked plains Of Texas--the cavalry |
memeome. They are landsmen. They
'rarch through dusi-clouds and race
icrough rainstorms. but thtA troop
when on board rolling sh-i Their
bowed legs fit equally well TO the back
OF mustang or a Wales, but they will
notadju stthcmse Ives TO a swaying hur-
ricaue deck.
Twenty feet below the surface of the
sea are the air-iight ard cold storage
compartments Other compartments
where hundreds Of hammocks are
swung in tiers are above this. When
the matches are closed this second deck
is also air-iight Here GOO cavalrymen
sleep. A sheet-iron flooring above them
forms the bottom Of the stables, and the
steel-shod hoofs Of the horses make q
din for the ears of those below like that
Of many boiler factories. Another tier
Of horses. and then one sees the day
light and feels the ocean breeze.
Ten hours in the black hole would kill
horses and some people OF olden times,
but It only gives headaches to Ameri-
can cavalrymen. II was sad, though. 10
watch the men trying TO put nerve and
strength in the horses they lovcd-the
dropping. dying troop horses. 1t was
very sad to see the animals hang their
heads out into the draeghtless passage
way, and distend wider their crimson
nostrils. Their eyes were illmy and
opaque-very unnatural and pitiful,
and their lower lips hung low and quiv-
cred on the fourth day out
Then the hoisting gear became very
busy, and men grew sick when they
heard the rattle of loosening chains and
so many loud splnshcs from The sea
below. Five days out, and there was
more room in the stables for the sur
/ locating troop horses still on their feet.
! Their limbs were swollen now and stiff.
The air in the stables was deaihly and
heavy.
Another horse down!" cries the sta
bic guard, and the hosting gear creaks
again.
a strange, ugly mood possessed Cher
ub, the bloodhound. these days. lie
refused food and was often heard
growing ominously, from dark places.
lie occasionally walked the upper deck.
but was a friend TO no one except
Shadow. Long after taps, when all save
ship lights were out. and the cavalry
men swung and sweliered in their ham.
mocks Cherub was heard growing and
slulking about in the darkness. And
his eyes shone with n baleful glitter
Then Shadow would go TO him, and for
q time Cherub would rest.
The duslSy boy was sad. The senti
ment had been torn from him and an
ugly wound was left behind. For tn,
men from the north Shadow would have
been a martyr. The others he feare,
and tried bravely TO serve.
Shadows no good on dis ship" h
said on the morning OF the fifth day
1--WE hated-can't do right-pussy'
r toms cross an Cherubs crazy sick
ought to be bacl-wiv' the niggers."
. Many sob with the preceding mad
r II almost incoherent. II was no inorbil
5 melancholy, but helpless, hopeless
e expression of grief. No man woul
2 have smiled had he been present--poo
I little heart-broken Shadow!
0 Even as was thinking Of men, blacl
and white, and souls unsullied, my ear
1 were filled with the roar of brute.
2 came from the deck below. There wa
20 he .f..fss
o about 10. / never heard such a SOUND
Z Cherub never made such a sound be
b fore. Yet I knew IL came from hi
= throat.
a The cavalrymen lounging and laugh
y ing upon deck stood erect now and fel
= for the six-shooters in their BELTS Blu
Y the weapons were all stacked below
the hammock compartment by speca
> order Again was heard the cry OF
p tortured beast Shadow moved towar
n the sound very slowly. Soldiers an
z sailors were running and shouting o
d the deck below
It "Cherub is madl Shoot the brute
D. Look out up therel" All these word
we heard. Then Cherub dashed up tn
It toAu phhlpuWb1 Ills Nhtih W hH GU ~
- hind. His fangs were horrible to see.
d A sailor in his way was thrown owe
ell and to-day there is an ugly scar on h
II throat. Others were bitten. Shade
was speaking in low voice. We eoul
lt not understand. The bloodhound an
re the boy were close together. We. WI
were watching, shuddered. Slowl
10 cautiously, a dark hand moved out an
is grasped the chain. The red, hashir
le orbs of the brute lowered from Sha
* ow's gaze. We hoped no more when Il
to bloodhound growled.
Without haste, seemingly, the dan
to hand holding the chain moved towai
ig the halyards. The fingers work'
a swiftly for a moment. but how long
" seemed TO usl
d. Then like flash Shadow was beyor
Il. the length of the chain, and laughiI
ID like one whose nerve is gone. Cheri
beat his body upon the deck and up'
I'd the halyards.
IS. We were in the tropics where there
lg TO cure for canine madness; Cher
y did not roar or suffer long, and for hi