The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-02-13

NO." said the sergeant, as he cut
at the top of sage-brush with the
loose end OF the lariat hanging at his
saddle. az didn't hear it, but it
yelled, guess. Billy Murphy was
on guard down at Post No. 2, and
he didn't dare walk the length of his
beat"
Lets go there tonight and fetch
it in, said the boy.
'No-no!"
The soldier rarely spoke in so posi-
tive a manner to his younger com
panion. They had grown to be quite
good friends. So Sergeant Gore
looked at the trim figure by his side,
and admired-as cavalryman would
-Tad's posture in the saddle And
then he gazed down the long road TO
the bluff on the shiugly lodges of
which the panther they had been
speaking OF was said to prowl at night
and call to the echoes in that fearsome
voice.
Gore was well-born, well-trained
young fellow who had enlisted in the
ranks of the regular army at time
when penniless and discouraged, rs
has many another son of IA good family.
He seemed peculiarly attractive to
this boy. Tad admired Gore Lecause
he was cleverer than the others. Gore
was better shot and a better horse
man, and he was the best wrestler in
the fort. And there is nothing that
so appeals to the soul of the boy as
ability in that close struggle of
athletes, that embrace of gladiators,
out of which comes the triumph OF the
unarmed hands, the victory of the w.
aided muscles and skill.
And Tad's father, the captain, had
not discouraged an association which
gave his son pleasure and seemed to
make the lad more manly.
Couldn't we kill the panther, Ser
geant?"
eve might, and we might not
The last man i'll the troop who went out
to kill g panther came back in sling
between two pack-mules; and he
didn't get Off sick-report for three
months. Now, see here, Tad. Get
that wrinkle out of your brain. How
would it look for me to risk the cap
tain's son out there on the bluff ut
night? How would I 60 to the cap
tain's wife and explain it if"
"Wouldn't need any explanation if
we brought the panther"
cor how would / square matters
with the captain when the captains
little boy was lying in bed-and sur
geon- plaster all over him."
Pretty nice thing to kill pan
therr'
Eyes; and then"
Sergeant, are you afraid of herr"
I'm not afraid OF anything alive, -
said the sergeant, calmly.
eff you are not afraid, why don't
you go?"
I'VE don't do all the things we dare
to do"
"What, for instance?"
"Well, dare tell Higgins, when We
get to camp, that won't mount guard
tomorrow"
"Then why don't youy"
Because it is my duty to mount
guard whenever he details me. Hos
the orderly aergeadt."
81 saw you throw him one time, 81
said Tad, irrelevontly; auJ then lac
stopped to laugh at tho recollection.
Higgins was very strong man.
aud one day in spring, before Mount
ed drill was begun, the soldiers got
up a tournament on the parade ground,
where the orderly sergeant challenge
any one TO wrestlc. Tad remem bere /
Cores acceptance, and how the biz
ger man had stUuttod to the oncouu.
ter; how the two had eripped TO the
work, and how presently Gore had
caught the huge weight on his hip. and
had flung Ike other heels over head in
one great sweep, and had landed him
fairly and finally.
But that was mouths ago. Tad
looked mp at the distant 6uT while
the bugjers were blowing retreat.
but he stood in 'lhe attitude of n
soldier when the flag came down 10
the booming OF the evening gun.
That night lie made his bed on tn,
floor OF the upper porch md lay there
wondering az the stars tiil Ion, after
taps. Time and again hs caught hin.
self almost across the bgrdar-lnud Of
deans, and 10 seemed to him tine
l9ggiug midnight must have pissed
when the sound for which he waited
reached his cara And then tho sud
denness Of II, the savage strength of
that panther cry, startled the
courageous little fellow Gu his heart
was still. The haIi-hUmau quality %.
the tone added to the terror of 10.
Then bis breath came back. and
with it his daring And the nezt time
The cry was raised he knew the shiugly
shelves Of tho bluf wcrs then q prom.
enade for the panther
Next night Sergeant Gore was ON
guard, but the next after he was free
aud time and again lao wondered
where Tad Was in hiding. for be hal
not seen the boy siuos dinner-rau
Lang and Warner wers u2 tho
gulch with on eightmpls team. and
they came in a. sundown with n load
of wood. When they had uDbarnesseJ
tho mules Lang found Sergeant Gott
stretched on his bunk. trying to read
by the afterglow.
"Ob. Gore, here's a note from tbt