Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-10-10
AN OLD STORY.
BY Jean Wright.

Some years ago. Is or 20 maybe. at
one of the posts in the far west. there
was colonel in command whose fame
as an Indian fighter was undeniable
and even passed muster IN the States
His courage and sagacity had been
proved a hundred times. He was big
and strong and gentle. The red men
called him the Great Chief" and were
MORALLY afraid of him. His own men
only called him 1.-THE Chief.2 and they
adored him. But he couldn't play cards.
which was a pity. as there Is nothing
else to do when the Indians are quiet
All the other officers could play very
well. and, as it was their only amuse-
ment, they naturally preferred that he
should not spoil the game. Particularly
the captain objected. for he played ex-
ceedingly well and with an enthusiasm
| that was almost too pronounced. unless
one took into consideration the total
absence of other forms of entertain
ment \ man who couldn't play cards
was a very poor sort of man in his
eyes. and man who was superbly
fearless and yet entirely modest was
one to be jealousy admired and Sc
cretly, but none the less intensely,
hated.
There was also a nice young lieuten-
ant of two and twenty who played
poker very well. not So well as the cap
tain perhaps but he had gay, boyish
and rather provoking way Of being
willfully lucky that made him a very
fair adversary.
One night when the captain and the
lieutenant We're deep in the game the
colonel entered.
| At the first pause in the game he in
vited himself to join in. The captain
rather grufily invited him not to, for.
as l said before. cards were not his
strong point, but when the young lieu
tenant incautiously suggested that the
stakes were rather high he laughed his
mellow laugh and said he had a few
dollars to lose. So since even when off
duty and playing poker a soldier can
not shake off a certain obedience to his
superior officer he got his way. But the
captains brow grew black and his
/ hand stopped shaking.
/ The game went on for half an hour
or so with no unusual incident. The
/ colonel bungled his cards and lost his
money. but he was accustomed to that.
/ He never could be made to understand
! that poker was anything more than a
/ pastime. and so he laughed his low
laugh and played on. After awhile the
captain threw the cards under the ta-
bic and took a new pack for luck. 4"
Half a dozen officers had dropped in
and were looking on. but nobody OBJ
jected. 1t was the custom. 1t came the
colonel's turn to deal With his usual
gentle. smiling awkwardness he FUN
bled the cards, dealt them and when it
came TO his own hand dropped one of
them on the floor. Without looking he
stopped and gathered a card from I'M
der the table. His frightened The
captain sent quicA .ook at him, and
his face was whittier than ever. The
hand was played out. and the colonel
won. With an almost childlike laugh
of pleasure he put out his hand to
draw in his winnings. when the cap
tain sprang to his feet and brought his
own hand down on the cards Gentle
men, l denounce this man as a cheat"
He lifted his hand, and there was one
blue back among the red ones scattered
over the table
In the turmoil that followed the
colonel was almost dragged out of the
room by his friends and got away. OF
course there was nothing for it but to
fight. His friends. and they were
many, waited for his orders. but after
the first burst of rage he seemed stupe-
fed. He sat perfectly silent staring
straight in front of him. Finally his
fellow officers spoke. He must do
something \ challenge was written,
sent and declined. There was an up
roar of Indignation. Not only the
coloneFs honor. but the honor of the
army was ut stake. He must horse
whip the man. since he would not fight
There was nothing else for it, So they
talked and argued excitedly, sternly.
and the colonel listened duly and said
yes, he must horsewhip him. He staid
/ indoors that night, and the post talked
of the morning.
At 10 O'Clock the next day the troops
were drawn up in line ready for parade.
The captain stood in front of his com
pany. Every man and woman at the
post was there to see 1.-THE Chief horse
whip the seoundrel who had dared to
insult him. The excitement was in
tense There was a deathlike stiffness,
and every eye was strained as the col
onel walked slowly across the parade
ground. His face was white and stern
and his step firm and deliberate. In
his hand was a twisted leather whip
such as teamsters use driving mules.
The captain saw him coming and
stood like q rock. with his arms folded
and a cold smile of unutterable con
tempt and malignant hatred on his
face. When his adversary stepped ia
front of him. he raised his head and.
without changing his position looked
him straight in the eyes. his black and
g. .s.F.