The National tribune., 1902-12-18

lue idltcf WdA~ SudTu Outy Ou the night
of which we write, but had obtained per-
mission to visit his tent about midnight
for the purposesof eating late supper.
AN UNFORTUNATE INTERFERENCE.
As I was exploring with my patrol.
guided by Marigildo, the ravine running
below the eastern edge of the camp, and
we were approaching the location of the
infantry company above us, there rang
ont through The silence of the night a
fearful cry ofeFHelpr' emanating from a
woman's throat. l was carrying re-
volver in my left hand, while with my
sword in the right one l was examining
and probing INTO the brush for possible
Apaches. Addressing the men with a
hasty Follow me-" ran M the incline
with q few jumps that brought me to the
tent-fap of the Sndrley family's wall-tent,
through which l saw the woman standing
in partial undress in front of her bed.
while her husband, with fury in his eyes.
held his bayonet poised over her naked
throat and bosom, apparently ready to
strike, clutching at the same time with
his left hand her hair and bending her
head backward. There are moments in
this life where all hesitation is out of
place and may prove fatal Without any
reflection upon possible consequences, l
struck the miscreant violent blow upon
the top of his head with the hilt of my
sword; he fell like an OK struck by the
butchers poleax. lifted him up, placed
him on the bed and. dispatching one of
my men for 4 doctor. began to apply cold
water TO the wounded man.
Upon an adobe hearth built into the
1 rear wall of the tent there siZzled some
meat III frying pan full of greasy gravy.
and near it stood coffee pot. As soon
as the woman had recovered from the first
effects of the sudden catastrophe. she cast
look upon her would-be murderer.
When she saw him lying there ghas.ly
pale, or rather gray, speeches. and
bloody, she was seized by sudden fury,
made grab for the frying pan and howl
ing at me: You have murdered my
AIRY" struck me over the head with the
red-hot cooking utensil, having apparently
selected the exact spot where l had struck
her AIRY. The blow was administered
with all the force she was capable of in
her frenzied condition. The frying pan
having just come from over the fire, was
hot, l should say extremely hot. and its
contents were boiling. The sizzling grease
had spread over my face, nearly binding
me, and then descended in small rivulets
down my front, rendering me a most pitia-
BILE thing to look at, none-such. as it
We're. Ii was said afterwards that look
ed very ''comical." l believe it, for
know l felt very "comical.' The doctor
arriving about that time left the wound
ed man i'll his care. and HE'D me home
wards, having placed the patrol under
charge of the Corporal of the Guard
while .ae Hospital Steward kindly attend
ed to my hurts.
| Such was my Fourth of July in the
year 1866. He who has lived any length
of time among soldiers at an isolated spot
where few occurrences of an unusual na-
ture come to divert the minds of the men
from the usual every day life, will readily
understand that my miscarlied ride on
strawberry formed for some time to come
the daily theme of conversation not only,
but also, that / was constantly subjected
TO covert remarks, nsnuations and innu-
endoes referring to that unfortunate cir
cumsiance. especially by our cavalry con-
tingent. When / came to reflect unpas-
siOnately upon the matter l readily ar
rived at the conclusion that Grew was in
no way TO blame; that from the point of
view of q cavalryman Strawberry was an
excellent and gentle horse, and that the
untoward outcome of my ride on him was
entirely due TO my prevarication and awk-
wardness, or rather inexperience in the
saddle, as Grew would never, drunk or
sober, have offered me his horse if | had
stated my total ignorance of horseInan-
ship. had therefore sought Crews
presence and we had renewed our friend
I sup III VI tiPDft "a DOuT-
bon. On this occasion he helped me to
concoct scheme by which all further
mention Of the Strawberry ride should be
stopped, the plan being to provide the cav
airy company "a good feed or extra fine
/ dinner, to be given them in the near fu-
ture.
BLIND TOMS TREAT"
! On the morning following this interview
with Grew | attended the stable call
where, us a rule, no commissioned officer
WAS present With Crews consent then
and there offered to his assembled men
that would give them the finest dinner
then obtainable in Arizona on the follow
I ing Sunday, having ascertained that the
commanding officer would be absent on
that day on a visit to Tucson. / prom
ised them the best that the Subsistence
Department could furnish in barrels, bot
! ties, or cans, together with the meat from
/ two fat sheep, etc, all of which would be
prepared under the personal supervision
of Romanoff, the French .'chef de cuisine
OF the officers mess; all this, provided
| that they would promise then and there
| that hereafter no more mention Of the
/ Strawberry ride should be made, either
openly OF covertly. They promised tn
one and all. The dinner was bowling
success, and ever after was mentioned
when the occasion was referred to as
to ride like a cowboy, after which l en-
joyed to the full the fine points of our
darling Strawberry, whom Grew never re-
fused to lend me.
| In the Fall of the year Mai. Kinney,
who had resigned his commission in order
to enter civil life as man of leisure, was
relieved by Second Lieut. jeremiah Har-
rington, whom shall introduce by an an
ecdote, knowing from experience that one
becomes often better acquainted with the
characteristics of person by seeing him
introduced in action, as it were, than by
q long and too often tedious description
The incident related is somewhat out of
the chronological order of this narrative.
but treats of man with whom we were
long and pleasantly associated and whom
! it is therefore necessary to become ac-
Quainted with.
LIEUT.. JEREMIAH HARRINGTON.
| Lieut.. Harrington was quite young,
lively and sociable, and, although he was
commissioned officer and the writer only
q nOn-commissioned one under his direct
orders-being, in fact, his Quartermaster
and Commissary Sergeant-there sprung
up between us an intimate friendship born
Of similarity Of character, temper, rearing
and tendencies manifested only of course
in private intercourse, while in the line of
duty the decorum of military discipline
was always strictly observed.
If Lieut.. Harrington knew how to do
one thing better than any other, it was
to play the fiddle; excuse me, must say
the violin, for the music which he pro-