The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-29

TO a new aoods a tent pitched lust out
siue' not within. the corral, and there he
was left 10 swear at will vita the sen
try on NO warned TO call the corporal
OF The guard IL the gentleman for one
moment quit the seclusion OF his solitary
And this was the status of anlirs
Mnen me sun went down at the close or
the third day after adjournment
When IL rose upon the fourth all was
quiet about the impetuOus captains can
vas home-too quiet, thoughc the officer
OF the day after his visit 10 the guard
at reveille. ana therefore did he unite the
cords that fastened the flaps in front
and peer within. Five minutes later two
the guard. or which they had been mem
pers during the night-PriVates PoagD Q
ana Pritzaff OF the first and second re-
ilefs respectively. But the aggregate gain
In The column OF I'm arrest or copiine-
had disappeared.
OF course there was a rush to the out
lying ranch whose few remaining )ccu-
pants grinned exasperatingly and shrlg-
Bed their shoulders, but gave no infor-
nation. or course "A courier was sent
scurrying away on the trail Of the cav
airy, but he came back sore footed at
night relieved OF his horse, arms ana
equipments and thanking God for nls
life. OF course another courier was
started by night to make the perilous
ride 10 the SaIado and order the Instant
return of at least a platoon, but nothng
more was heard OF him for a week, and
IL was nearly five days before these de-
sert bound exiles of Camp Cooke got an
other atom OF reliable news from Sancho's
and meantime wondrous other things nau
happened
II did not take long to determine the
means by which Nevins had succeeded In
getting away. There was little indeed
TO prevent his doing so IL he saw NJ 10
go, for unless sentries were posted on
al four sides OF his tent he might crawl
off in the darkness unobserved. The
sentry on No. had received orders mere
~ 10 summon the corporal and report TO
him II the officer ventured TO leave his
tent, and as No 4 was a post over a
hundred yards in length and the sentry
responsible for all OF IL there was no right
should give his undivided attention to
what might be going on close TO the cor
In fact by removing Nevins from the
ing him outside the walls Major Starke
had made IL all the easier for him 10
skip a second time II he saw fit TO do so,
but Starke reasoned that Nevins stili
had some hope that congressional infiu-
ence would save him from dismissal,
chances by a second flight. starke did
not know that Nevins was honest at
least in one statement-that he expect
ed dismissal. His fate was sealed; his
pay was conhscated to square shortages.
There was actually nothing TO be gain
ed by staying at Cooke In virtual con-
inement perhaps eight or ten weeks un-
til mis- case could be decided In Washing
ton and the orders received back In
Arizona. IT actually simplitied matters
I'm many ways for Nevins TO go.
Somebody, for instance would have to
pay the cost OF his subsistence all that
time at Cooke. Thrice a day his meals
were sent TO him from the little bache-
lors mess. already sorely taxed for the
entertainment OF the members OF the
court. and the four poor fellows who con-
stituted that frontier club had been only
mi
stations insisted that they should pay
their share OF the long three weeks bur-
den on the culinary department. But
Nevins now was penniless, SO he said,
and why should impecunious infantry
subalterns support in idleness a disgraced
and virtually dismissed officer? Yet that
is precisely what that government COM
PEELED them to door starve him.
Thinking IL all over during the day.
Major Starke concluded that at least
Camp Cooke had something to be thank
full for, and sending for Privates Poague
end Pritzlaff he sternly rebuked them
for their probable negligence for dis
cipline must be maintained'D, and with
dire threats of what they might expect in
the way of punishment IL they trans
gressed In the slightest way for six
months TO come he bade them go back
TO duty, released which they did, each
with his tongue in his cheek and a wink
OF the inner eye, as they strobe OH to-
gether and went grinning to the guard
tents for their blankets.
At the same, Starke wished to know
whittier Nevins had gone and whittier
anything new had started him. This
time no horse or mule had disappeared,
but the tracks of two quadrupeds were
found on the mesa coming from RAT
He'll" as Captain Post, who had done
time in Libby, named the gambling ranch
A. tIna TO, otYaf In
100 yards OF the corral, and thence bore
away southwark straight as the flight
OF the crow. Two reprobates I'm the cap
tain's company declared that the black
bearded clerk arrested with Nevins, but
released because he was a civilian over
whom the military had no jurisdiction.
had been over at the rance all the previ-
Gus day. Sentry Poague frankly admit
ted that he had heard horses hoofs out
on the mesa and voices in the captains
tent, but saw nobody crossing his post
and couldn't be expected 20 in the pitchy
darkness. Whittier Nevins went was
therefore n matter that could only be
conjectured in the light OF later events.
ment. IL was good riddance 10 bad rub
bish. said Starke. until at last the next
mail came from Sancho's For nearly
five days the major declared himself
content II he never saw Nevins again.
Then he turned to and prayed with all
his soul that he might catch him-if only
for five minutes.
CTo be continued.