Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-11
clump of cottonwoods with its outlying
stragglers farther down stream, was in

stragglers farther down stream. was in
deed a grateful one. 1t told Of the pres.
ence of living water, and the regiment,
said Trooper Kelly, twas as dhry as
the chaplains temperance sermon the
night before Patrick's day in the morn
ing"
Mainwarings four troops, being first |
on the ground, pre-empted what grass
there was before breaking for the spring. |
Trooper law reserved to the horses OF
the owner all space within lariat length
of the firmly driven picket pin, and WOO
to the man that Jumped the claim. - In
like manner had the majors striker"
pre-empted the biggest cottonwood for
his master sroof tree, and there, busted,
shaken and smoothly spread, were the
majors blankets when, fresh from his
dip in the stream, that sturdy, keen
eyed, compactly built soldier came back
for his rest
And there he lay, the picture of
trooper content, beguiling the moments
until dinner should be ready and try
ing hard not to go to sleep meantime,
with copy of ''Les Miserables, !" haul
ed from the depth of his capaoious sad
dlebags. Having had little schooling to
speak Of Mainwaring was an assiduous
reader of fiction, and prided himself on
the fact
Presently, without lifting his eye
from the page or glanoing toward the
party interrogated, who was sprawling
in similar fashion under an adjacent
tree, the major popped the following
question:
"Blake, what's savvy Ike pew?'
And Blake, without lifting his eyes
from the written pages of the missive IN
his lean brown hand, responded, after
, the manner of soldier folk, "Dan,tino. !"
The majors brows contracted in a
scowl. Suspiciously he glanced at his
long legged comrade. Thought you
spoke French, !" said he.
To which Blake blandly responded,
with modest and not inexcusable hest
, fancy:
, "Well-er-not always. Isn't it
possibly sauve qui peut?'
"Well, sove Ike pub, then" responded
Mainwaring, with disdainful emphasis
y on the convenient monosyllable.
!, whats that?"
p "That," said Blake. sis what the
I girls say when Brady tries to dance
Il jump for your lives and-Brady take the
a hindmost It's polite French for the
# jig is up.
II Captain Ray, stretched at ease upor
costly Navajo blanket of which h'
n was Unfortunately proud, reached on
: with his moccasined foot and indentet
IA the canvas enforcement of his com
II rade's field riding breeches. "Quit it
4 Blake he muttered.
"a But the major needed no man to pre-
Al tect his interests. lie might not know
al French, but he knew Blake and like
I'd extraordinarily
IA 81 more than half thought you didn
10 know, Legs he said, with yawr
q. "Legs' was regimental pet name fo
n. the longest and lankiest of the commits
I'd stoned list. "You West Pointers hav
a nearly all had two years schooling
that tongue, and another year in Spar
- ish, and I'm blessed if ever one Of 20
=. could speak either. I'd have hea
re more respect for you if you'd come OF
like man and say you didn't know
like Ray for instance. There's no MOI
sense about him.
Here Blake kicked backward, in d
lighted return of his comrades broa
hint. "Well, major" he hastened
say, "my translation was trifie FRI
perhaps, but the phrase is clumsy OF
to turn into English. Ray will agr'
with me as to the translation. III
main trouble with his French is the a
cent. It's combination of blue gra
/, and Apache. -
"Well, he has the good sense to ke
it to himself then, y answered Mainwa
ing, still trifle sulky. "Id pate
after him if were you"
"Faith and so would major min
did not my innocent associates SO oft
take me for a lexicon. But now y
ought to speak French like natiy
Mrs Mainwaring does. You couldi
have a better teacher, and STAMINA
,se. says all a man needs to learn anythi
in this world are brains and tin
vas You've got lots of--time"
acl, "What's that about Stannard?"
far terrupted the major sharply. and Blak
hat diversion had told, as he meant that
i've should. LII there was one man IN
ing army of whom Mainwaring was jealo,
list it was Stannard. He, like Stannal
ter. had been capital troop commander
DIV. years. He had attained at last the IA
ako OF major, vice Barry, promoted, only
Who year or so after Stannard; had serN
,ble Just as well as had Stannard; had
fine war record, and an honored i
ior. honorable name; had charming wi
ar health and competence, yet mourned
ler- secret-even at times made audi
ave moan-over the fact that among the @
of GERS and men of the regiment w
and Stannard said, thought, did, was ne
ear to be questioned Stannard was auth
+ as ity on all points of soldering; st
bout nard was the expert engineer, builo
ap- craftsman, topographer and all ROT
nese military "sharp;" while he, Mainw
ing, whose troop had been mot
,uac whose battalion was now really i'll ii
hem shape than STANDARDS S, and who