Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
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and visit his children i'll Illinois. Hell
eFROr1'TAE RANKS ."ETc.

and visit his children i'll Illinois. He'll
re-enlist at once"
and your man, Ray?"
"ls Sergeant Merriweather, sir. He
says his wife's at Ransom quite sick,
and he's anxious and troubled about
her. !"
"Isn't he the man that we had to
reprimand for letting certain horses
stray up on the Belle Fourche?"
"The very man, sir. He is careless at
times and not altogether reliable. but
he's one of the smartest, nattiest men
I've got, and"-
Didn't he marry that pretty maid
servant of the Freemans' after we got
back from the Ute campaign"
eyes, sir, and Freeman hasn't for
given me yet, answered Captain Ray,
his white teeth cleaning 'I'm very
sure / should be glad to have him take
her back. She's turned the heads of
some of my best men and is running
Merriweather heels over head in debt. !"
The colonel pondered a moment. II
greatly dislike to refuse you anything"
he said, "but every time we come in
from scout or campaign, since l Joined
the regiment, no sooner are we within
a days march or SO of the home station
or any station, for that matter-than
several men ask to ride in ahead. At
first even the officers did, and there
were as many as dozen men. Now
we've reduced it to two. When did
Merriweather hear from his wife?"
The mail rider, sir, going up to the
Sioux agency, met us this morning early
and gavs him letter. He brought it
to me to read. 1t was written by the
post traders wife She says Mrs. Mer-
riweatker is really seriously i'll. -
Every good. Then he can go by the
ambulance. So can your man, major.
Tell them both to report here at 8
o'clock. Isn't Merriweather's time
nearly out, Ray?:"
"On1y two months to serve, sir, and
he says he's going into business with a
brother in Chicago. l. lose three nom
commissioned officers this fall in that
way, and one of them couldn't take
on again. He's all broken down with
wounda and rheumatism. You'll have
to favor me bit in the matter Of re-
cruits, colonel. need six, or shall be-
fore ye're a month older"
You shall have the first good man
that snlists at Ransom, Ray. I'm told
we may pick up some first rate material
there, the mines have broken SO many. I"
"All right, colonel, and I'll remind
you if see any likely civilian hanging
around headquarters. Good day, sir,
and thank you very much" So saying
Captain Ray wheeled about and trudged
away down stream to make report to
his battalion commander.
Ibid he say Merriweather could go?''
asked the major, glancing up at Ray 4
sunshiny face. 81 wouldn't, if were
in his place. "
'He wash overwilling at first, - wai
the answer. However, my fellows
will all be wishing themselves back il
the field before they've been home 6
fcrtnight-small blame to them.
whats the reason you're SO dowr
on garrison life, Ray?"
"I'm not down on it exactly, major
but if it weren It for the wife and boy
I'd be glad if we were forever in tn,
field" answered Ray. MEN get killed
in this Indian business, but they keel
out Of trouble. There's Merriweather
now. He was tiptop sergeant in tn,
Sioux campaign. He was one of thu
best all round troopers and noncommis
stoned officers in the regiment al
through the campaigns that followed il
the next three years, and he's been run
ming down steadily ever since he fell il
love with that flibbertigibbet of Free
mans. Garrison life and girls spoi
many good cavalryman, he conclud
ed oracularly.
"Don't dare me to tell that to Mrs
Ray as your sentiments, grinned tn
major.
"Oh, everything depends on the girls
of course, said Ray, growing instantl
grave. "Blakey and I-well, I, a
least, owe verything to my wife, T" b
finished almost reverently. Then pres
emily he spoke again. But what chanc
has the average trooper? What name
. of woman has he to mate with, if b
S mate at all? Next batch OF recruits I &c
| oAiouAa 10 ohShOlAtC6, oo htsh GO WoluO
: are concerned.
"Sailors are just as bad as soldiers,
l said Mainwaring sagely, whe-eat Blak
a ducked his head under his blanket i
9 commissions Of delight
II know, SIR" said Ray, glancin
y vengefully at the contortions of til
k worn gray slumber robe and biting hi
i own lip hard to repress the bubblin
q fun. "What mean is that I'd like I
: get the troop full of fellows th,
$ couldn't be twisted around a woman
4 finger.
h "You never will, Ray" said Mail
waring, thereby proving that he kne
9 human nature. if not books. "You ca
take your pick of this gang that Raw
/. sons bringing out with him or of al
n Of the men that offer themselves at Raj
som, and I'm willing to bet that ii
next man you enlist will be woma
!. driven from the word CO."
n CHAPTER II.
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