Daily camera., 1901-08-08

in her cars. h!ssCd aEd ratified, aye,
stung like the venCmous reptiles she
had learned to shun from carly ,hi.I-
hood. Making fool of herself for II
man who would leavc hcr--so coo.:-for
that tpninted-yes-that padded thing!'
They'd soon learn that an army-brcA
girl loved, indeed, with all her Erart and
soul, but could hate, hate, hate as we'll!
Wild-cycd, with beating heart, she
rushed through the little dining-room
10 the dark kitchen beyond and raped
impcriously at door. Hop Ling!"
she cried. "up, need you" No an
swer. "-Ga brute" she nurmured to
herself, as she threw herself heavily
upon the door, and it flew open ard
| plunged her in. The Chinaman's little
sanctum was deserted. She kept no
maid. One schcolcd Chiraman easily
and efficiently did all the houscwork of
a lieutenant's humble quarters and was
| generally employed in that capacity i'll
almost every garrison OF the far west.
| She flew to the rear door and locked
| that, then up TO the second story where
we're the pretty guestrooms as well as
heir own-hers and Randy's. with all
| their closets and nooks and corners
She took one rapid survey through
them, and then one fierce, wild look at
herself in the mirror of her dainty
dressing table. Are you Floy Ire
maine? Are you the little girl who was
reared in the Riflers? Are you to make
II lifelong fool for.any man? And as
she spoke she began to open the dress
she had been wearing for Randy's ben
eft. The folds of the stylish sfirt, one
of Mrs. Haynes planning when in Chi
| cugo, were tossed in reckless disorder
urGn the snowy covcrlet Of the bed, and
her precious locliet-Randy's lockct-
was rs suddenly unclasped from the
round, white throat, and in the tumult
in her soul she heard no sound Of the
sudden stir and sortie at the guard
house. She never knew that there was
no sentry faithful to his watch along
the rear of officers row, TO take up and
pass on the stirring, reassuring cry that
no army girl can hear without rejoicing
or miss without nlarm-"Iwo O'Clock
and alrs WELL
The dawn was breaking over the far
Jornada and turning the distant Gnad-
aloupe into gold when the Riflers rolled
;.way-oiiicers and men, barring the
band and company Ike 10y war de-
partment orders a few years ago com
panics Il" and *" of each regiment of
infantry were "skcletcuized' by trans
Ter of their men to other companies,
leaving those two merely paper com
mands. Just as "Co. o. has been for
years the derisive title of thcguard-
house prisoners, so does Go. Ike be-
yin to appear as n name for the be-
rcavcd and fricndlcss commands re-
ferrcd tol at Sedgwick," as the cavalry
tIumpcter remarked TO the gunner
when they were going out to stir the
echoes with their reveille; only these al
Sedgwick, and one stnlwurt old captain
with his devoted half-hundred, IRE
maine. still doing duty at the canton
mcnt-foud. lonely old father. whose
heart was wrapped up in that one child.
Yet could not deny her to the man she
loved so well. Sedgwick was begin
ming to yawn and stir. The night owls
In the canyons were hooting back to
their nests, dismayed by the hOwlings
OF the human night owls tackiug home
TO duty, already half rcgrctful of the
whisky wasted, while before them was
that rcmorselcss wrath to come. The
cooks were astir in the barracks, and
l.. splt
aloft from the chimneys Of half dozen
company kitchens. Already, too, the
household servants along the row OF
cavalry officers quarters. that which
backed to the south, were lighting their
little morning blazcs. for Sedgwick lay
beyond range and anthracite. In the
good old days of 90 years before, the
cocktail, not coffee, was the necessary
prelude to revciiie and morning stables.
Now, with the wisdom that comes long
after war, only case-hardened, handy
legged old dragons ever dreamed of a
drink at that hour OF leap from sleep
TO life; the inner cayalryman Graves the
juice of Mocha and mocks at rye. From
every "set" Of cavalry quarters then the
kitchen chimney sent alOft its feathery
plume, with one exccption-a sub
a,tern's house well over toward the
western end Of the row; and toward
the gate thereof, edging away from the
ribald homeward-bou of the main
road and shutiiing stolidly across the
mesa, Hop Ling was making his rapid
way. Fan-tan had gone against him,
ard but for his hands his pockets were
| empty. Hop bore with him an air of
depression, and was followed by n faint
fragrance as of mandragora. His bleary
little eyes were searching furtiycly
| along that line of fence and stables for
the CLEAN of the Sentry's carbine and
cap ornaments. He must place that
Waterman of the night and know his
ground before he entered post. Spose
the officer of the guard had happened
to meet him during the night 'Spose
somebody sick. "'Spose Misse Mel
ium she wanttce chow-chow?" Bang!
the morning gun roarcd its lusty sum
mons to be up and doing. and skulking
coyotes squatted lower as they sneaked
! away from the outlying quarters, no
| chicken the richer, and the guard
| turned out with 20 additions to com
pany Q and more still a-coming and the
| telegraph instrument IN the clerks Of
ice began to call LalRrrup-Lalarrup
I.-Laiarrup," and the soldier operator,
washing his face in tin basin outside,
glanced up and said: THE deuce with
you. You always call when I'm wash
ing. What's up now?" and hnd to drop
ablutions, and, wringing his hands as
he ran, to answer the sharp, insistent
summons; and as he listened his face
grew keen and excited. and, checking
the rapid clicking of the key one in
stant. he yelled to the drowsy clerk in
the adjoining office: "Biily-quick.
Tumble up and see if Lieut.. Merriam's
back. I've message for him." and
then clicked and listened and noted
agOln; but the reveilie was chirruping
its merry music, and the sweet, cool.
morning air rang with the melody, and
the troopers were tumbling ont from
| the barracks and ever across the parade