The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-08-16


Identity without pitchfork and
cioYen hoof To such as these the
knlght-errantry OF Drayton and Bart
lett may seem problematical; but a
knight-errant is one who succors beau
ty In distress. and who rides abroad
redressing human wrongs. Whether
he employs an obnoxious insect rath
er than a sword, as Drayton did
or[whether he rides q S. G. govern
ment mule, as Bartlett was wont to do,
Is neither here nor there.
Bartlett was riding the aforesaid
mule shortly after the time my story
begins He rode it up the line, it's long
gray ears waggling evenly and rest
fully, and came to a halt in front Of
the set OF quarters where Drayton and
he roomed. Drayton was sitting on
the porch, his feet on the railing, his
char tipped back, and the visor of his
cap lpulled down on his nose. He
pushed the cap to the hack of his
head as Bartlett came slowly up the
steps.
Il wish you would get horse" he
complained If you could just realize
the figure you cut on that old ele-
phant!"
That's a mule" corrected Bartlett,
his arm around a pillar and letting
his heels bangle as he perched on the
railing. TITS also very nice mule.
1t r. no longer a shave-tall, but has
reached years of discretion. The mo-
ment man or animal does that. his ap-
preciative country straightway has
him inspected and condemned Horses
may do for some, but not for one who
has the duties of post quartermaster
to perform. And, besides, | believe in
the infantry and scorn a horse"
"The scorn," observed Drayton,
of the fox for the grapes"
mt rub it in" said Bartlett, de-
$50 u; I'm miserable enough as it
Thought you looked rather tTists.
I'm all sympathy. Go on"
Bartlett released his hold upon the
pillar and folded his arms on his breast
in an attitI e combining stern endur-
ance and precarious balance. "The
Collinses are going to rout the Law
rences out"
Now, the Collinses were the family
Of 3ptain Collins-wife mother-in-
law ~ both sides, and three small
children. They had that morning ar
rived in the post. Collins was in COM
mand of Troop l., which had been
moved on some weeks before. If he
nj been well-disposed his entry
saould not have put the whole garri-
son, below his rank in the throes Of
fear of a progressive turning out"
For Ehere were empty quarters into
which he might have moved exactly
as well as not, and no one have been
any the worse off.
But Collins won't see it that way"
Bartlett went on. HE ranks Law
renee, and his wife ranks him, you
bet land it's the wife and the mother
ln.laiw who are going to have the Law
rences' set or bust
Throw them a few buckets of paint
and calcimine, by way Of sop" Dray-
ton ventured to suggest.
did" said Bartlett, briefly. "Of-
fered them half thu quartermaster' s
de~aTtment, and a carpenter, and Il
biz ninth, and a farrier, too, if they
hapbu{ne to need one. Told them they
could have any or all of lae colors of
paint in the rainbow, if they'd just
be good-but those three Graces are
going to have the Lawrences' house.
Drayton opined, with a little of the
placidity, nevertheless, with which we
all bear one another's burdens, that ii
was very great and very pTofane
shameA There's that poor little wom-
an with those little bits Of kids, and
Just moved into those quarters, and
got them all fixed up so prettily, and
her garden started, too. Then, those
Collinses; They're mean lot of cat
tie. anyway" He made a gesture OF
disgust. which turned the visor around
over his left ear, and was silent for q
minute through sheer wrath.
Il told Mrs. Lawrence they would be
serpents on the wood cutters
hearth"
"Sefbents, now?" asked Bartlett;
they were cattle before; and you
called that he pointed over his
shoulder-"an elephant, whereas, in
point of fact, it's mule"
Il told her" continued Drayton,
lnmoved, that it wouldn't pay.
znow all about the served
with them in Texas. was sitting OF
Mrs. LaSvrence's steps, know tina