Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-12-10

impersonal reward foJ: services rem
dered, had foisted his henchmen into
the army, then being enlarged and re-
organized, and Nevins was one of the
results of the Ubiquitous system.
Commissioned first lieutenant of a
regiment that had had proud record
in the regular division of the Army of
the Potomac and had been hurried at
the close of the war to the Pacific coast,
Nevins had joined at Fort Yuma and
served a few weeks apprenticeship as a
file closer, just long enough to demon
strate that he knew nothing whatever
about soldering and too much about
poker. All his seniors in grade, except
the West Pointers graduated in 1865,
had brevets for war service, and Nevins
sponsor was appealed to to rectify the
omission in the lieutenant's case. New
ms had held a commission in volunteer
regiment in the defenses of Washington
the last few months of the war, and
that was found amply sufficient, when
a prominent member of the committee
On military affairs demanded it, to war
can't the bestowal of brevet for ''gal-
liant and meritorious service;" hence
Cdlu0 Gu0 G1L46 VI Cd pGdlu.
Then, as company duty proved irk-
some and Nevins' company and post
commander both began to stir him up
for his manifold negligences and igno-
RANGES, the aid of his patron in congress
was again invoked. A crippled veteran
who could do no field service was in
charge of a supply camp for scouting
parties, escorts, detachments, etc., and,
to the wrath of the regimental officers,
this veteran was relieved and Lieutenant
and Brevet Captain Nevins, by depart
ment orders, was detailed in his place.
This made him independent of almost
everybody, besides placing in his hands
large quantities of commissary and
quartermaster stores, which were worth
far more to the miner, prospector and
teamster than their invoice price. The
stories that began to come into Ynma
and Drum barracks and other old time
stations of the 'high jinks' going on
day and night at Nevins' camp, the or
ders for liquors, cigars and supplies re-
ceived at San Francisco and filled by
every stage or steamer, the lavish en-
tertainment accorded to officers of any
grade and to wayfarers with any sign
of money, the complaints of victims
who had been feeced, the gloomy silence
of certain fedgeling subalterns after
brief visits at Camp Ochre," as Blake
had dubbed it, all pointed significantly
to but one conclusion-that, so far from
living on his pay, Nevins was gormand-
izing on that of every body else and
doubtless ''raising the wind'' in other
Of no IF
Even in Arizona in the days of the
empire it couldn't last forever. Easy
come, easy go. Nevins had lavishly
spent what was SO lightly won. Tucson
and Yuma City were within easy stage
ride; even San Francisco had twice been
found accessible. Dashing associates of
both sexes were ever at hand. The sud-
den turn of the tide came with the or
der tnat broke up the supply camp, re-
quired him to turn over his funds and
stores to the quartermaster at Camp
Cooke and report for duty in person at
that post
Then came the expected discovery of
grievous shortages in 9th funds and
property, the order for the arrest of the
delinquent officer and his trial by court
martial. Colonel Turnbull, inspector
general of the department., was hurried
out from the shores of the Pacific to sit
as one of senior mem bers of the court
Lieutenant Loring, vainly striving along
the ella to find some resemblance be-
tween its tracing on a government map
and its meanderings through the desert,
was selected to perform the duties of
judge advocate.
The court was authorized to sit with
out regard to hours and to sift the Off
cial career Of the protege of the house
committee Of military affairs without
regard to consequences, when that voIa-
tile and accused person took matters
into his own hands and between the
setting and rising of the sun disap-
peared from the brush, canvas and
adobe shelters of old Camp Cooke and
left for parts unknown, taking with
him the best horse in the commanding
officers stable and, as genius has ever
it's followers, the admiration if not the
regard of much of the garrison.
But other followers were needed at
once. "That man must be caught at
any cost, Loring." said abe colonel.
ono one begins to know the extent of
his rascalities, and you and Blake must
catch him. -
For answer the engineer took out his
watch-it was just 2:45-stepped out
into the glare of the sunshine and gazed
to the far horizon. The plain to the
east was fiat asa board for many mile
and we'll nigh as barren. Then he
turned abruptly to Sancho. DINNER
ready?' he asked.
sin one, two minutes, senior capt.
tan, responded the ranohman gravy,
comforting on the officer the brevet of
courtesy.
Out in front Of the ranch the old red