The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-26

tfty Ukt dtUWOUQS, tIuS StOTtu uuQU.
ternoon for the Gila. so as to meet the
eastward stage at Sancho's two days la
ter
"Give mean hour sir. / cannot go on
sooner"
Out under the canvas shelter at the ad-
jutants office stood the two prisoners
with their guards. For an hour or more
they had been waiting their turn
shade OF disappointment stole over one
or two faces, but the presidents answer
was prompt.
Certainly. Mr.. Loring. The court owes
IL 10 YOU" and the recess was declared
accordingly. The post quartermaster was
one of the Junior members, and Loring
detained him. Billing the orderly re-
main in charge of the premises, he turn
ed to this official.
You have safe at your office. Will
YOU permit me 10 place these In it--and
come with me until / do so?"
Certainly. Come right along. It's but
a step"
Wrapped I'm a silken handkerchief
Nevins' watch. with the envelope con-
tainlng ,ihe diamonds. was stored in a
little drawer within the safe and secure
ly locked. You need a drink" said the
duartermaster 10 the engineer, noting
again his palid face.
'None, / thank you said Loring
briefly. and without another word took
himself straightway to Major Starke's.
At 1890 when court reconvened. the
Judge advocate went swiftly and method
ically through his work. read the orders.
propounded the usual questions, swore
the court, took his own oath. read the
charges and recorded the pleas without
loss OF a second of time or use of SUI
perfluous word. At 1:15 the court stood
adjourned sine die, leaving the president
and judge advocate to finish and sign
the record. BY p. m FIVE of its members,
I'm the -four mile" road wagon belonging
at Cooke, were speeding southwark. hop
ing to catch the stage to take them TO
their posts lying far to the east. BY mid
night the record was well nigh complete,
and Loring, locking up the papers, step
ped softly out into the starlight,
over across the contracted parade
lamp was burning dmly at the guard
tents. and several others flared at the
brush and canvas shack of the sutler.
Everywhere else about Camp Cooke there
were silence and slumber The muttered
word OF command as the 1880 relief
formed at the guard tent. the clink OF
glasses and murmur OF voices. sometimes
accentuated by laughter. came drifting
on the night from the open clubroom. Be
yond the guard tents the dim walls OF the
corral loomed darkly against the dry.
Cloudless. star dotted sky that bordered
the eastern horizon.
The sentry, slowly pacing his beaten
path along the acequa that conducted the
cool waters of the Yavapa from the
northward hills to the troughs in the
corral. moved noiseless. dim and ghost
ly. and Loring. listening for moment
to the faint sounds of revelry at the
shack, turned away 10 the north, passed
the rude shelters which had been built
by the labor OF troops for the accommO-
dation Of the officers and the few fam
lilies there abiding and found himself
presently on the open plain full 100
yards out from the buildings and be-
yond the post OF the sentry on that flank
who, far over at the west end Of his
long beat at the moment was deaming
Of the revels he'd have when his dis
charge came. and neither heard nor
saw the solitary officer whose one desire
was TO get away by himself TO some
| point where he could calmly think He
needed to be alone. Even Blake, whom
he had grown to like and whom he be-
| lieved to he still at the camp, would have
been In the way.
A strange fellow was Loring. n man
| grown. so far as Judgment and expe-
| rience was concerned. when at the age Of
| 20 he entered West Point and from the
very start became one of the leaders or
| his class In scholarship and later one
| of the prominent officers OF the battalion
| q. cadets In scientific and mathematical
| studies indeed he had no superior among
| his comrades. but languages and drawing,
| as taught I'm those days AT the academy.
| threw him out OF the head Of the class.
| but could not prevent his landing a close
second To the leader I'm general standing.
Never n popular man in the corps. he
| commanded nevertheless the respect ana
| esteem OF the entire battalion. and lIt-
| tie by little won n deeper regard from
| his immediate associates. He was n
| man OF marked gravity OF demeanor. lie
! rarely laughed. His smile was only n tri-
/ fle more frequent. lie was taciturnity
| personihed and for two years at least
| was held TO be morose. OF his antece-
dents little was known. for he never
/ spoke Of them and seldom Of himself.
| lie was methodical IN the last degree.
\ exercising Just 80 long In the gymnasium
| every morning during the barrack days
| and putting on the gloves for ~ min
| utes every evening with the best middle
weight In the corps.
| There were times In his, early cadet
| DAYS when he was suspected OF having
| an ugly temper. and perhaps with rea-
| son Exasperated at some prank played
/ az his expense by n little "yeafling' to-