Willmar tribune., 1900-02-21
CHAPTER I.

division headquarters and the men in
the nearest regimental camps, regular
and volunteer, were "lined up" along
the sentry posts and silently, eagerly
watching and waiting. For week
rumor had been rife that orders for a
move were coming, and the brigades
hailed it with light. For month
shivering at night in dripping, drench-
ing fogs drifting in from the Pacific, or
drilling for hours each day on the bleak
slopes of the Preside heights, they had
been praying for something to break
the monotony of the routine. They
were envious of the comrades who had
been shipped to Manila, emulous of
those who had stormed Santiago, and
would have welcomed with unreason-
ing enthusiasm any mandate that bore
The afternoon was raw and chilly; the
wet wind blew salt and strong from the
westward sea, and the mist rolled in,
thick and feecy, hiding from view the
familiar landmarks of the neighborhood
and forcing display of lamplights in
the row of gaudy saloons across the
street that bounded the camp ground
toward the setting sun, though that in
visible luminary was still an hour high
and afternoon drill only just over.
Company after company in their cam
paign hats and flannel shirts, in worn
blue trousers and brown canvas leg
gings, the men had come swinging in
from the broad driveways of the beau
tiful park to the south and, as they
passed the tents of the commanding
general, even though they kept their
heads erect and noses to the front, their
wary eyes glanced quickly at the un-
usual array Of saddled horses, of car
riages and Concord wagons halted along
the curbstone, and noted the number
of officers grouped about the gate.
Ponchos and overcoat capes were much
in evidence on every side as the men
broke ranks, scattered to their tents
to stow away their dripping arms and
belts, and then came streaming out to
stare, unrebuked, at headquarters. It
was still early in the war days, and,
among the volunteers and, indeed,
among regiments Of the regulars whose
ranks were sprinkled with college men
who had rubbed shoulders but few
months earlier with certain subalterns,
the military line of demarcation was a
dead letter when ''the boys" were out
of sight and hearing of their seniors,
and so it happened that when young
officer came hurrying down the path
way that led from the tents of the gen.
eral to those of the field officers of the
Tenth California, he was hailed by more
than one group of regulars along whose
lines he passed, and, as rule, the query
took the terse, soldierly form of ''What's
up, Billy?"
The lieutenant nodded affably to'sev-
eral of his fellows of the football field,
but his hand crept out from underneath
the shrouding cape, palm down, sig
mailing caution. "Orders-some kind,''
he answered in tones just loud enough
to be heard by those nearest him. "Seen
the old man anywhere? The general
wants him. and, never halting for re-
ply, the youngster hurried on.
He was a bright, CHEEKY, brave-eyed
lad of 20 who six months earlier was
stumbling through the sciences at the
great university on the heights beyond
the glorious bay, never dreaming of
deadlier battle than that in which his
pet eleven grappled with the striped
team of a rival college. All on sud-
den, to the amaze of the elders of the
great republic, the tenets and tradi-
tions of the past were thrown to the
winds and the Hermit Nation leaped
the seas and flew at the strongholds of
theSpanish colonies. Volunteers sprang
up by the hundred thousand and re-
luctant congress accorded meager
addition to the regular army. Many a
college athlete joined the ranks, while
a limited few, gifted with relatives who
had both push and 'pull,'' were per-
mitted to pass not very exacting ex-
animation and join the permanent es-
tablishment as second lieutenants forth
with. Counting those commissioned
in the regular artillery and infantry.
there must have been dozen in the
thronging camps back of the great city,
and of these dozen, Billy Gray-"Bellig-
erent Billy" as a tutor dubbed him
when the war and Billy broke out to-
gether, the latter to the extent of a
four-days' absence from all collegiate
duty-was easily the gem of the lot.
One of the ''brightest minds" in his
class, he was one of the LATEST; one of
the quickest and most agile when
aroused, he was one of the torpids as
rule. One of the kind who should
have ''gone in for honors," as the fac
ulty said, he came nearer going out for
devilment. The only son of retired
colonel of the army who had made Cali
fornia his home, Billy had spent years
in camp and field and saddle and knew
the west as he could never hope to know
Haswell. The only natural soldier of
his class when, sorely against the will
of most, they entered the student bat
talon, he promptly won the highest
chevrons that could be given in the
sophomore year, and, almost as prompt
", lost them for ''lates' and absences.
When the varsity was challenged by a
neighboring institute to competitive
drill the 'scouts" of the former report
ed that the crack company of the San
Pedros had the snappiest captain they
ever saw, and that, with far better ma
terial to choose from, and more of it.
the varsity wouldn't stand a ghost of a
show in the eyes of the professional
judges unless Billy would ''brace up"
and stake hold" Billy was willing as
Barkis, but the faculty said it would
put premium on laxity to make Billy
. varsity captain, even though the pres