Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-16
CHARTER VIII.

~Ses.--. PS~.-ISS
the prnseedinss, and. with the charao-
teristio expression which seemed to say,
"Donst you dare lie to mo now" pop
ped the following question:
Blake. what's the name Of the Three
Guardsmen:" ~,
Aid Blake, never laying down his
paper or changing muscle of his long,
salfcw oountenence, placidly and
promptly responded, "Clotho. Lachssis
and. Atropos.
Captain Gregg, sitting at the right Of
tho presiding officer, after rejecting
preferably moment, slowly nodded,
as though to say, Fright, though I
didn't think you knew. Captain Trus-
cots, sitting opposite Gregg and busily
occupied with letter, glanced quickly
from under his heavy lashes and COM
pressed his lips. Some of the youngsters
farther down the long table looked bit
mystified, but Blake's balance wheel,
Captain Ray, was not member of the
court and probably would have accepted
the reply as authoritative had he been
there. for Ray was no reader. 1t was
the questioner who looked dissatisfied,
and the questioner. as usual, was Main
waring.
For moment he pondered, scowling
at Blake the while, then outspoke:
We'll. that's all right, probably, but
what want to get at is tho name of
that otker fellow with 'em-Dee-some
thing-how do yon pronounce it?'
Depends on whether you're in
salon or saloon, major" answered
: Blake. "Dartanyan in one case and Dee
Artagnan in t'other. What have you
stumbled on now?'
NOTHING much. Reading about
fellow that named bis horse that and
thinks he's going to sweep the race
( tracks from Jerome park to Jerusalem.
Dee-what d yon call him? wouldn't
ride one Of ehsir ateeplechases on an,
English saddle if you'd givssme 81,
OoO."
81 wouldn't care to ride one on any
other kind-oertainly not on one of our
service saddles, said Blake, whose long
legs could wrap around any horse in
the regiment. Those high, sharp POM
mels are the worst kind of thing to use
cross country
mot if you know how to ride, (" said
the major, who loyalty stood by every.
thing that was regulation. "I'll bet
you any real oavalryman will tell you
that he'd rather use a Mcclellan for
any kind of riding than any other kind
OF aaddle''
dome. I" said Blake, and leave it to
Stannard OF Ray" And here he kicked
across under the table to rouse his oppo.
site fellow member to full rejoicing in
the colloqay. for Mainwaring couldn't
bear to hear Stannard quoted as authori-
~ on any subject and was sure that Ray
was vastly oyerrated officer.
"Whst does Stannard know about it
anyhow" bristled Mainwaring. "He
never rode anything but a Mcclellan.
And as for Ray, I know dozen better
riders and cavalrymen who agree with
me-"
"A1l right. You come out to the hur-
dies after court adjeurns, major, and
we'll give you chance to see the differ
enoe. That pretty mare Of Mrs. Rays
is to have jumping lesson this after
noon, and you Gsn try both saddles and
systems il you like
But the re-eatYarce OF the judge ad-
vooaee with the prisoner put stop to
the chat, aud Mainwaring called the
court to order.
A week had rolled by since the night
of the assault on Sergeant Merriweather
and the stabbing Of Sheriff Conway.
The first episode seemed to have died
out Of the interest Of even the few who
knew Of it, for Merriweather lips
were sealed, but the second was still the
topic Of excited talk.
And we'll 1T might DO. Armed with a
warrant, SO he claimed, for the arrest Of
certain soldiess Of the garrison, Conway
had come to the post about tattoo that
evening. had stopped at the guardhouse
and asked to sec Prisoner Healy, q SOL
der under charges of assault and rob-
berry Of fellow trooper only few
I wesks before. Heaiy aud corapanion
X confined as an aocomplice he'd sawed
Z their way out and escaped, as has been
told, but the former was reoaptured and
brought back. He was merry little
lrlShman, an almost universal favOrlte
before the trouble occurred. The garri-
son declared to a man he couldn't have
had hand in the robbery, though it
was probable he couldn't have kept out
Of the assault. But evidence Of a serious
character was piled up against him
when he made the suspicious attempt to
get away. Conway was possessed with
the idea that Healy knew something
about the train robbery. No one could
surely identify any Of the seven Ian
gushing in Butte's stronghold, and the
sheriff was at his wits end. The officer
Of the guard had gone over to get his
heavy coat and to change into rough rig
for the night when Conway appeared,
and an overconfident sergeant, detailing
q sentry to stand oloas by, permitted
I