Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22

sank slowly ha-k upon the breast oi breasts
felt lhe beat Of the hear, of hearts. saw
the Little col Of my childhood and her site
ting beside 6. smiled. and-and-ibat is
an I recall
How long ! may have slept I do not
know, but some time 10 the afternoon ] was
reused by a scratch at my tent Wondering
what new form Of persecution might be al
hand I said, Come in" To my surprise
il was the captain who parted the flaps and
in seemingly friendly tone asked me how
felt. answered that felt quite well, aud
again bade him cogse in. Mumbling
something about not wanting to disturb me
he finally did step inside As turned my
vaA-e on end to make him a comfort
able seat, noticed that tlie naue and mum
ber had been completely cat out He OBJ
served il the same instant, and our eyes
met For a moment nothing was said
Then, doubling up his fist, he broke silence
with 'if | knew the scoundrel who done
that I'd tie him up BY the thumbs "a
favorite mode Of punishment in the reg-
meut, as I afterward found.
The incident was godseud to the man.
for it afforded a cloak to his embarrassment
and opened the way for what it was soon
evident he had come to say
Fact is, Lootinaut," said he I'm
rough man, but mean to be square, and
come to tell ye that made a great fool Of
myself day before yesterday, and ak your
pardon I was mad wneh We come here
fer had calc'lated on your place fer the
first sergeant, and allowed ye was the son
Of some rich man vino had got ye in BY in
Auence. I didn't SUPPOSE that We had been
in the army or knowed anything about sol
diering; but / see yesterday at guard
mounting that ye wasn't no slOuch aud hat
We knowed more'u we did Dye remem
Der when somebody laughed"
81 do, captain. Tell me what was the
mistake / made?"
That's the joke of IT, You didn't make
no mistake il was us. We always dressed
the new guard two PAGES in the rear Of the
old guard and when you dressed en- on
line, I says to myself He's done all the
rest right and maybe he's right In this
SO I went aud looked at the tactics. and I'u
be dashed If you WASH { right Then says
to the other officers I guess we better
study our Regulations instead of laughing
at this ere young feller, for he's got us
where the hair is short. I watched ye all
day, and I seed ye knowed yer biz: aud
when the meu come back this morning and
said We had been in the army loneer'n we
had I wuz ashamed Of myself and I
couldn't wait no longer till come to ak We
TO take my hand aud tell ye that was proud
TO have such a lootinaut.
He extended long, bouy hand aud the
tears filled my eyes as I grasped it with
both mine
Excuse me, captain, " said but am
SO unstrung that I cannot control myself"
DON'T say a word, Lootinaut, for If We
amt made of iron to stand what ye have.
I'll swallow my blanket. The game was to
make it too hot fer ye: but if any one
troubles ye now, they've got me to deal
with I don't think ven have no more
trouble, though And I'm doggone sorry
about that valise, but the meu hate the
volunteer number-they want to keep the
old sd Militia, and that's the reason they
cut the number out. Don t think too much
of that; but if kuowed the blackguard who
done it, I'd buck and gag him, would %
We talked long and freely after that, the
captain and he telling Of his service and
/ Of mine Finally, at my request Ser.
geant Allen. the man whose nose I had
broken was sent for. When he presented
himself told him that, although my com
mission interfered with his advancement,
did not see how / could do otherwise than
hold It. that was very sorry. but felt sure
that in like circumstances he would do as
had done aud concluded by promising him
my best efforts to make his position pleas.
ant aud secure for him a speedy commits
sion. He left in excellent humor and
there was no more friction between us In a
short time, through my recommendation
and others, he was deservedly promoted
From that day all went smoothly in the
regiment, and with the exception of few
officers who were ashamed to admit that they
had been in the wrong, the greatest cordi-
ality existed among US The men had not
been paid off for months, aud / won the
hearts of my own company by providing
them with tobacco
I could govern them all pretty we'll.
either drunk or sober, excepting my FIRST
and stauchest friend, the tall corporal
who, by the way. when he got drunk.
which am sorry to say was often the case,
would always reiterate his favorite threat
Of killing me. He was the only man in
the army whom / ever had to order into
irons; but, in every instance, after SOLDERING
up, he would thank me for having punished
him and abuse himself for having offended
My reconciliation with the colonel was
to engage me in friendly conversation. bat
beyond official matters I would not go He
even showed me preferment in duty, but /
was so thoroughly disguised with him, so
indignant at the way in which he had
treated me, that always avoided him. He
often came into tents where I was, simply,
as / believed, to make friends with me,
and as often I made some excuse to go out.
Through the captain and other officers he
tried to win me over with compliments,
but my wrongs had burned 50 into my
heart that he made no headway
On the evening OF the battle of West
Point, a lieutenant Of the regiment was
mortally wounded, aud later the colonel
aud I met beside his cot ia the hospital,
while I was takiug down the young fell
low last messages aud requests AT such
a time could not but speak civilly to the
man. He departed shortly. but / stayed
with the dying lieutenant until the end. AS
I came out Of the hospital tent perceived
the colonel standing under a tree
touched my cap and would have hurried
past, but he stopped me with Davis. /