Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-05-23

tives to whom he would like her to
write, and he murmured that he
couldn't think Of any just then, but
might il she'd come again to ask him
on the morrow. She came, and on the
next and the naxt day, too, marveling
not a little at the voice, the intelligence,
the language Of this particular patient.
She strove to study his features, but
without success, for when the doctor
thought to remove the bandages the pa
tient declared the morning light was
altogether too much for his weakened
eyes. He would be bandaged in the
morning, though the afternoon sunshine
was really more brilliant, and he didn't
seem to mind it then. Miss Leroy took
to sitting by Hunters bedside as much
as 10 minutes at first; then the 10 be-
gan to lengthen TO 10 and even 90, and
other patients wayed inpatient and said
things about Hunter and thought things
about her that.proved how jealous is the
human heart, even when it beats be-l
meath flannel shirt. The surgeon said
Hunter could soon return to his troop,
as far as his health was concerned, but
there were reasons to fear his health
| might suffer after he got there. for Ma
1or Mainwaring, now in temporary
command of the post, was making FREE
quent and impetuous inquiries. Colonel
and Mrs. Atherton had gone east on two
months leave; Major and Mrs STAN
nard had gone to Russell for a fortnight
to visit old friends in another regiment,
and here, to his huge delight, was Main
warning in command of an eight COM
pany post THEN the surgeon asked why
Mainwaring was SO anxious to have the
patient out. and learned something that
proved painful shock.
We'll, major, said he after q SOL
emn silence, ''of course yoa're COM
manding officer, hut find it mighty
hard to believe that story, and protest
against its being made known to him
until he is strong enough to bear it,
which he ism now.
| There had been much talk at the hos
pItal among the stewards and attendants
and patients who could talk at all as to
the result Of the board of survey prompts
~ convened at Colonel Anterior s re-
guest to ascertain the cause of the mys-
FERROUS explosion which had wrecked
che magazine and ruined its contents,
and it did not take long for such keen
scouts and trailers as Ray, Blake and
Old Wilkins to make up their minds.
Coupled with what had occurred at the
south gate that night, just little while {
before the explosion, there was no doubt
that an extensive robbery had taken
place and chat the object of the destruc-
ton of the magazine was the oblitera-
ton with it Of evidences of the crime.
1t seemed that shortly before l 80
that night two veteran sergeants ee
Iruscott's troop returning from Butte
on pass became aware of i, wagon driv-
ing ahead of them as they left town and
soon disappearing out on the prairie
east OF the road. Now, there was not /.
ranch or house to which it could have
gone. Everything of that kind lay far
thar down the stream, where it swept
IN bold curve, first to the south, then
eastward again. Rumors of forage steal
ing they had heard and therefore de-
oided to find where the wagon went, but
after searching awhile in the gale and
the darkness they gave it up, yet warn
ed the sergeant Of the guard as they
alighted at the south gate, and their
hack driver returned with his rig to
town.
Captain Blake was notified, and a
patrol was ordered out to scour the
right bank of the little stream that
flowed back OF the stables. They hadn't
gone 90 yards before they stirred up
squad of troopers that scattered at their
approach, but one was captured-Ray
rapscalllon OF a trImpeter, the Kid.
and the Kid refused fatty and charac-
terlatically to say who the others were.
A privileged character was the Kid. He
mad been ten years CT more in the regi-
ment and ten dozen times in scrapes.
A better little soldier ON campaign or a
worse one in garrison couldn't be found
IN all the -th, and as the regiment
mad spent more of those ten years in the
field than in the fort the Kid had still
small balance to his credit. He had q
medal OF honor from congress Cor hero
Ism IN fierce, savage battle and record
Tor devlltry OF every conceivable kind.
Ray was the only man, except Ather-
ton, he either feared or loved. Grinning
from ear to ear, he told Blake that there
wasn't any officer in the regiment smart
enough to scare him into giving away a
fellow soldier, and Blake sent for Ray.
bomething told him there was mischief
afoot, and Ray and the explosion came
almost together.
ITO be Continued