Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-06-19

quartermaster or squeezing cent a
bushel from the hay or grain contract.
he had never before served with
mounted artillery, but unhesitatingly
assumed supreme control of the affairs
of the batteries, criticising and forbid
ding the expenditure of paint for the
carriages and caissons, cutting down
the number of horseshoes, condemning
the amount of grain and hay fed out in
the daily allowance and putting stop
to shell and shrapnel practice as being
viciously extravagant. ut will all be
Strengthened out when Melville comes"
said the gunners, but 1t wasn't. The
colonel had never met Melville before,
but had had him dinned into his ears
every time he talked with an enthusiasts
tic artilleryman, and, to use his own
expression, at made him tired" "Mel-
Vile is a sort of demigod according
to these artillery fellows" said he,
'but propose to run my own post, and
no man shall run me-"
So when Melville arrived and report
ed for duty the colonel met him with
much solemnity and state. Ordinarily
offhand and impulsive In speech and
manner, he now assumed an imposing
dignity of mien that filled his adjutant
with merrlment and did not deceive
Melville In the least. That clear sight
ed, grave hammered soldier listened
with every appearance of courteous in
terest to the coloners exposition Of
what he considered the needs of the
batteries and the batteries discipline
and instruction, but as his own views
were neither asked nor desired gave
no expression Of them. The colonel
called upon the new arrival ut the
quarters of Captain Cannon that even
ing and found dozen red striped fell
lows there, all clustered about their
demigod, and the colonel's manner was
If anything more awfully impressive
than in the morning. He remained
but ten minutes, and the gunners drew
long breath and looked at each other
as he left the room and burst into ire
prcssible laughter as he stalked away
from the gate. But Melville came back
to their midst with Captain Cannon,
they having seen the colonel safely
down the steps, and not a line in Mel
ville's face betrayed the fact that he
saw anything comical in the situation.
Within the week he was partially set
tied In his new quarters and fully en-
crossed in his new duties. He found
the post commander pottering about
the battery stables and gun sheds day
after day, giving orders direct to stable
sergeants, farriers and blacksmiths,
but not line of his face or tone of
his voice betrayed the faintest irrita-
ton or disapproyal. Irate captains
came to him to protest, and he said,
Patience" and nothing the impetuous
post commander could say or do ever
seemed to throw him off his mental
balance for moment. He was ever
grave, exquisitely courteous and en-
tirely subordinate. For month the
colonel had things all his own way.
Then one day, all unannounced, there
dropped in an inspector, who gave two
days to the batteries and two hours to
the rest of the command. The colonel
insisted on being with him everywhere.
The inspector found fault with the
condition of the horses feet and declar-
ed them insuficiently shod. He was
referred to the order of the post COM
mander. He said all of the horses look
ed too finely drawn, as though they
had come in from hard campaign,
and was shown the post commanders
order cutting off two pounds of grain
per diem. He said the gun carriages
looked dingy and was informed of the
post commanders prohibition of fur
ther use of paint. He criticised their
neglect of gun practice with service
ammunition. and again the post com.
mander had to shoulder the blame.
He dined with that dignitary, us did
Melville and Nathan and two or three
cavalrymen that evening, and the colo