Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-03

some row Eycry at ms expense for the
truth of which they declared some reli.
able person was ready TO vouch, and as
their hearers l,td no information on
the subject the most they could do was
TO look incredulous. 1t was one even
ing late when Nathan and Torrance
had been holding forth at some length
and most of the cavalry crowd had
slipped away to the card or billiard
room that at last one of the troopers
who had long feigned not to hear any
thing that was being said emerged
from the screen of the morning paper
and drawled:
pend lots of ammunition killing a man
you declare to be dead. If he's the cad
You say he is. how does 1t happen that
Melville corresponds with him?"
"AIelville's too soft hearted to refuse
to answer his letters" answered Tor
rance impatiently. They're probably
begging letters, anyhow"
They're not said the trooper.
"cause I've seen 'em. AS to being soft
hearted, l was with Melville in that
Modoc business when Squirt Tainter
had to resign and when he cut Jimmie
Cannon dead. I'll bet you what you
like Melville would fire you, Nathan,
quick as he did fainter, or cut you,
Torrance, dead as he did Cannon il
you deserved 1t as they did. But he
stands up for Langdon."
I've said before, Captain Channing,"
replied Nathan, with pronounced en-
phasis on.the title, turning the color Of
his stripes and half way round in his
chair, Major Melville does not know
Langdon. AS for fainter, any man
who played the. coward us lie did
would have to expect court martial at
least, and Melville let him off the pub
lie disgrace he deserved. He was a
shame to the regiment. AS for Cannon,
there was a woman in that case, and
others cut him as well us Melville"
Well now, hold on, Nathan"
drawled Claiming, drawing his lean
length from the depths of an easy chair
in which he was sprawled. 81 was
stationed at Frisco about that time,
and know quite as much of the bust
ness as you do who happened to be in
Europe on leave, as l remember when
your regiment got into that cam
paign"- Il
My battery wasn't in It'll" interposed
Nathan hastily.
"And," continued Charming placidly,
"Tainter isn't the only man to find the
perils Of Indian fighting too much for
his nerve. We had case in my regi-
ment and-there are others. AS for
cutting Cannon, it's true others did 1t,
but not until after Melville set the ex-
ample. If I4angdon was half US bad rs
you make him out, Melville wouldn't
be backing him for employment ut this
minute and you wouldn't be taking
such pains to prove your side of the
case, which, by CAD, isn't NINE"
"All right" sneered Nathan, rising
uneasily and making for the door in
evident discontinue over Channing's
pointed remarks. "I'm betting you and
Melville will be wishing you had left
bad enough alone before you are many
months older, and don't envy you Il
the colonel happens to hear of your
taking up the cudgels for the man he
court martlaled. Come on, Torrancew
mo fear; he won't hear" drawIed
Cumming. "Nonconductors are scarce
In your set, Nathan. Good night to
you-both." -
That episode led to split number two
in the mess. Channing's words were
held by Nathan's few followers as "a
slur on the artillery" and he was asked
to withdraw them. He wouldn't. He
said they applied only to Nathan's i'm
mediate circle, which included, to the
best Of his belief, only three or possibly
four officers of artillery. The mess di-
vided against itself, and this was the
condition of affairs when the Chicago
papers came telling of the tremendous
events at Sheridan. 1t SO happened
that Mrs. Torrance was giving recep-
ton that afternoon, that Mrs. Melville
had regretted" some days previous,
but that Miss Ethel Grahame, the very
attractive young woman referred to as
devoted to riding" in an earlier chap
ter, had been induced, much against
her will, to go in place Of her aunt.
There were many points" to this girl,
as the most blase man in the batteries,
i b