Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-06

N U MBER "A
Kid still pluekliy swearing In his arms.
And SO, an hour later, when the In
dams swoopcd in force upon the camp,
they found it thoroughly prepared, sur
rounded by hastily constructed rifle pits
or breastworks, around which, 800
yards away, they dashed and yelled and
kept up their wild fusillade, but both
times they strove to charge three or four
saddles were emptied by the cool aim
Of the defense, and then, to cap the
climax of their discontinue, cut from
ance, the sorrel troop, Laughing Light
ming, as once the Cheyennes had nam
ed Ray, cheering in the lead. And the
warriors broke for cover and kept in
cover at respectful distance until Main
waring himself, whole day later, with
his three comrade troops, came trotting,
up the valley, and then they disappear
ed entirely.
But meantime there had been meet
ing and recognition little looked for.
-Four happier Englishmen were never
him, for no other reason than that for
time their lives had been in mortal
peril and they had enjoyed the unlocked
for luxury of a square fight. That exul-
tation over, they had had time to thank
the American "Tommies'' to whose
daring they owed it that they were not
massacred in their beds. Both troopers
were wounded, the little fellow profane-
ly voluble, the tall one strangely ST.
lent. Over this latter bent the younger
of the first two Englishmen.
"You are not much hurt, hope, my
good fellow? You re Good God! You
Gray? VOW heard you were deadw
A faint smile fitted about the beard
ed face, and the prostrate soldier WINGED
as he answered, "And you, Rokeby,
heard you were married."
Even when Mainwaring came it was
useless to resume trooper relations, for
he found Hunter installed in the best
cot the tourists owned, the Kid, too in
clover despite the pain Of his wound.
The doctor said Hunters hurt would
not soon heal, and Lord Lunemouth
vowed that both were his guests until
they could be safely moved and rather
plainly intimated to the major that he
considered one particular private at
least of more account than the battalion
commander, which was subversive of
good order and military discipline.
Then of course Mainwaring had to hear
the truth, already known to Ray and
rumored throughout the sorrels, that
their swell oomrade was even an older
friend of these swells from abroad.
"Then where in thunder was it met
you before?'' growled Mainwaring in
distinct sense of personal injury as he
looked down into the placidly smiling
face of the wounded trooper, and Blake
nearly exploded with delight over the
| cool response:
SAT the armory of my old regiment,
{ when the major was on recruiting sery-
{ ice in New York city. had the honor
, of being on the reception committee the
= night of our ball"
{ GOOD G6d e said Matchmaking, .'anf
, yet you look just like fellow that de-
5 serted from the dragoons!''
s
No, Hunter didn't rise to a commits
sion. There was talk about it, but he
had acquired other views. He is said to
have remarked that the IN. G. N. Y.
/ would suffice in the future. Hig
0 wounds proved painful. An honorable
discharge was asked for and granted,
i and there was big time at the agency
9 when he and the Kid babe goodby to
4 their comrades and were taken back to
n Ransom in an ambulance, the Kid Hricls
r beyond the dreams of avarice" with the
largesse of Lancaster, and Gray parted
Q with only after his promise to spend a
r month at the ancestral seat that very
o year.
Later Hunter went east. The Blakes
y and lays heard from him frequently
IL for several weeks. He was once more
!, under his uncle's roof, once more il
). daily company with the bereaved wild
!, over, now restored to partial health
!, and unexpected fortune since the tragic
", death of his wife, but when the hope O.
- the house of Lancaster went back tt
a England, Lunemouth' lung in surpris
ing working order, Gray, who nigh
g have gone, declined. The Langdon
le were still abroad somewhere, and Am.
" wore no coronet. 1t had somehow dawn
r. ed on Rokeby that that ooronet was al
M indispensable adjunct to the engage
,e ment, and the glorious climate of Cali
ID fornia had played havoc with Amy's ex
q peotations There was some society tall
ID of Gray's going in search of thas Lowell,
s. but disappointed damsel, and en-
or doubt said he to serious faced, beau
g, tiful eyed young woman with whom b
IS. was found limping along the sands on
ne August evening at the seashSre, "n
i'd doubt 1 should have gone and been re
lis fused again but for just one thing. y
ag "And what was that, pray?" aske
in Miss Leroy, culver about her lips de
spite her nonchalance of manner, for II
~ had been her shadow since he came.
g, "This, said he, taking from an il
to ner pocket worn little glove of III
in dressed kid. sit was dropped by n
gh bedside when lay in hospital at Rar