Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-03-08

of the rotund quartermaster, the less
he cared to cultivate him. A portly,
heavily built man was he, some 40
years of age. a widowef, whose chill
dren were at their mothers old home
in the far east, business man with
a keen eye for opportunities and in
yestments, a fellow who was reputed
to have stock in a dozen mines and
kindred enterprises, knowing hand
who drove fast horses and owned quite
a stable, sharp hand who played
thriving game of poker and had no
compunctions as to winning. Officers
at Emory were fighting shy of him.
He played too big game for their
small pay and pockets, and the men
with whom he took his pleasure were
big contractors or well-known sports
and gamblers, who in those days
thronged the frontier towns and most
men did them homage. But on this
trip Burleigh had no big gamblers
along and missed his evening game,
and. once arrived at camp along the
Fork, he had "roped in" some of the
infantry officers, but Brooks and the
engineer declined to play, and so had
Dean from the very start.
y
able to take hand at poker" sneered
Burleigh, at the first nights camp, for
here was a pigeon really worth the
plucking, thought he. Deans life in
the field had been SO simple and mex
pensive that he had saved much of his
slender pay; but, what Burleigh did
not know, he had sent much of it
home to mother and Jess.
II know several men who would
have been the better for leaving it
alone," responded Dean, very quietly.
They rubbed eaca other the wrong
way from the very start, and this was
bad for the boy, for in those days,
when army morals were less locked
after than they are now, men Of Bur-
leigh's stamp, with the means to en-
terrain and the station to enable them
to do it, had often the ear of officers
from headquarters, and more things
were told at such times to generals and
colonies about their young men than
the victims ever suspected. Burleigh
was man Of position and influence,
and knew it. Dean was youngster
without either, and did not realize it.
He had made an enemy of the quarter
master on the trip and could not but
know it. Yet, conscious that he had
said nothing that was wrong, he felt
no disquiet.
And now, homeward bound, he was
jogging contentedly along at the
head of the troop. Scouts and flank
ers signaled call clear" Not hostile
Indian had they seen since leaving the
Gap. The ambulances with a little
squad of troopers had hung on few
| moments at the noon camp, hitching
slowly and leisurely that their passen-
gers might longer enjoy their post
prandiale siesta in the last shade they
should see until they reached Canton
ment Reno, long days ride. Present
| ~ the lively mule teams would come
along the winding trail at spanking
trot. Then the troop would open out
to right and left and let them take the
| lead, giving the dust in exchange, and
once more the rapid march would be-
| gin. 1t was four p. m. when the shad-
| ows of the mules ears and heads came
| jerking into view beside them, and,
| guiding his horse to the right, Dean
|. loosed rein and prepared to trot by the
! open doorway of the stout, black-cov
cred wagon. The young engineer Of
| liCCI, SItIlnS OA Tic lulu scat uOduSu
cordially to the cavalryman. He had
| known and liked him at the Point. He
had sympathized with him in the
vague difference with the quartermas-
| ter. He had to listen to sneering
things Burleigh was telling the aid
Ge-camp about young linesmen in gen
| eral and Dean in particular, stocking
| the staff officer with opinions which he
! hoped and intended should reach the
| department commanders ears. The
engineer disbelieved, but was in no po-
| sition to disprove. His station was at
Omaha, far from the scene of cavalry
exploits in fort or field. Burleigh's Of
fee and depot were in this new,
crowded, busting frontier town, filed
with temptation to men so far re-
! moved from the influences of home and
| civilization, and Burleigh doubtless
saw and knew much to warrant his
| generaities. But he knew no wrong of
Dean, for that young soldier, as has
| been said, had spent all but a few mid
| winter months at hard, vigorous work
in the field, had been to Gate City and
Fort Emory only twice, and then I'M
der orders that called for prompt re-
turn to Fetterman. Any man with an
eye for human nature could see at a
glance, as Dean saw, that both the aid
and his big friend, the quartermaster,
had been exchanging comments at the
boys expense. He had shouted a
CHEEKY safutation to the engineer in
answer to his friendly nod, then turned
in saddle and looked squarely at the
two on the back seat, and the con-
straint in their manner, the almost suf-
len look in their faces, told the story
| without words.
It nettled Dean frank, outspoken.