The Washington weekly post., 1900-05-08
THE GENTLEMAN CORPORAL.
BY " QUAD

BY N QUAD.
They were going 10 make n ride 10 the
4 foothills and back-Capt. Cline and the
coloners daughter That meant a gallop
of thirty miles. II was straight away
down the stage road for ten miles. then
across scrub and plain for I'VE more 20
hit the natural curiosity called the Dew
IFS Basin. The coloneVs daughter had az
rived at the frontier post two weeks be
fore. and ever since her coming the sun
r lain so warm on the distant hill sides
Srt she had heard sgch tale, - G--i
canyons. mighty Caves. and mysterious
waterfalls, that she had been longing FOR
a closer view.
Not an Indian has been seen this side
OF the range for four months" said the
captain, as he talked over the proposed
ride with the colonel, and the trip is
perfectly safe. will 5etan an escort rom
my own compa ". but il will be oN,- for
/ appearance sake"
Yes, 1t will be safe. and May will en-
JOY the gallOp,' said the colonel. and 10
more was said about It.
AT sunrise all We're ready to set forth
As the gl-I stood on the Veranda waiting
Tor her horse six OF the men OF A Troop
I came riding up under command OF Corp.
Haynes. They halted thirty feet away,
and as she looked them over she gave a
start OF surprise. and q flush overspTead
her face. Next moment her cheeks went
white. and she gssped as IL Choked for
oIealh. The corporaFs hand slowly lifted,
ana his head was uncovered for an in
slant, and Private Harkins whispered TO
Private OBrien:
Ana dld We see that, Jim? BY smoke.
but II our corporal and the coIoueIs
daughter haven't met before then don't
know Jack rabbit from a long drink Of
whisky"
But how can 1t be-" asked O'Brfen.
How can the grass grow. We thick
I head? Don't We call Haynes the Cen
tleman COrporal?' Isn't il agreed in
| Troop A that he has the education and
manners of any officer from West Point,
and that he's seen the day when he train
ed with the tip-toppers?"
And they may haze lOved?" unused
O'Brien.
That's II: but it's all over now, me
boy. If me own sister was married to the
second lootenant. I'd not dare TO as much
. as wink me eye at her It's a big gulf
! 'twiXt officer and man. and If the man
/ tries to bridge it he gets dropped to the
bottom. See the girl walking to and fro?
She's doing some thinking, and don't ye
forget It."
And the corporal isn't bit easy in his
mind" added the other
1t all took place in a minute, and then
Capt. Cline rode up, followed by the girls
horse. She called out a good morning.
and announced that she was ready. and
when the captain rallied her on being a
bit nervous she forced a laugh and
charged him with being four long minutes
behind the hour agreed. As she was lift
ed into the saddle she caught one more
glance of the corporal and the watchful
Private Harkins again whispered 10 his
ChUm:
Jim. we've got a mystery here or I'm
an old woman. The girl is flushing 0g in.
Who knows but " hat We may have a mar
Tiage between our Gentleman Corporal
and the COlOners Gaugnter?"
Remember the gulf" Growled OBrien.
I'D fiId a way TO fly over it il l was IL
love"
The two riders went calOping away, fol-
lowed at a distance of 100 yards by the
escort. 1t was beautiful morning in sum-
! mer, with the blue haze lying thick over
/ the distant mountains and eXhilaratiOn in
| the air to make the blood of both horse
! and man tingle. Now and then the pace
was slackened down a bit TO breathe the
| horses. but no halt was made until the
| Devils Basin was reached. Close up
| against the base of Fire Mountain was
| natural dip, and in this dip or basin were
half a dozen spouting hot water springs.
/ Thay of cfr lar lalY sUh fah
! steamed ard bubbled. and now and then
| from the CreviCes Of the rocks at the west
end of the basin steam was forced out
with the notes of a fog horn. The escort
/ halted forty yards from the riders. and
/ the me1 sat about on the rocks and ate
/ the breakfast they had brought with them
/ and smoked their pipes and gO5siped.
/ Meanwhile, Corporal Haynes climbed 10
! the top OF a great bowldcr and surveyed
/ the country about with his keen eyes. It
was three-quartcrs of an hour before he
/ suddenly started and looked fixedy into
! the north beyond the basin. and after
/ three or four minutes came sliding down
/ the rock aid said to the Iounging troop
| ers:
| "Mer. see to your arms and lie close
/ I'm going up 10 report to the captain"
/ Capt. Cline and the coloneIs daughter
! we're breakfasting on a flat-tOpped rock
/ overlooking the basin, while their horses
( were fastened to q tree near by. They
/ saw Corp. Haynes approaching. and the
! captain likewise noticed that the girl
| flushed and became nervous. He was a
! single man, anG, though not exactly in
/ love with her, spark Of jealousy bIaZed
/ Up in his heart. The cOrDorars past was
! a sealed book TO his troop commander, as
( well rs TO his comrades. He had been
made a corporal because Of mis- attention
| tC duty, his soldierly carriage, and the
moral influence an educated man always
| cxerts, and the captain had been rather
proud Of his "GentIemanly Corporal" la
/ Z fash il came TO him that this soldier
| and ahe cOl0nel's daughter might have
! been something TO each other in the past,
/ and the thought angercd him.
! Did | call yOu?' ne harshly asked as
/ the corporal came to a halt and salutcd.
| NO, sir" was the rely, out 1 though
/ II best 10 tell y0u that / have made out
/ Indians beyond the basin 10 the north
! IT'S al nonsense. Not an Indian has
| been seen hereaJOuts for months"
But there are Indians skulking about,
sir" persisted the corporal. Il made sure
/ Of ii before / came 10 vJu."
/ Go back 10 your men.' was the sulieG
reply.
! The corporal had looked straight at his
/ officer and seemed unaware Of the pres
| ence OF the girl. She was flushing and
paling alternately. and as ne stood there
/ tEirilng the cap he had dofed IN silent
recognition, she protested:
But. captain, II there are Indians. there
/ e danger. il this-IhIs soldier saw In
dians-'
Didn't you hear me% shouted the cap
I tain al the lingering corporal
The corporal saIuted, turned on his
/ heel and returned 10 MS men. The gulf
+ between officer and man did not permit
him 10 explain in The face Of Jnat blunt
/ command, but when he had reached the
/ troopers he quietly said.
Men, / have been up 10 the captain IN
repo-t that there IS q band OF al least
atty Indians skuiking down this way
from Red Bid Pass. They have seen us
and are after US. The captain doesn't BE-