Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-20

| men and strikers who had remained
behind began to croak story sup.
posed to have filtered from the coloners
tent through several Intermediates
that the colonel had been in a rage
about the explosions of my relics in
our old camp, that had made him sup
pose the enemy We're Smelling us as
| we evacuated the post, and that he was
going to make an example of the guilty
party. Sure enough, we had not been
in camp more than two hours when
the orderly sergeant of our company
came to our tent and said:
1.-THE colonel wants to see you two
at once"
We looked Mt each other and tried to
smile, but failed.
ut seems to me-" said I, that our
share of the fight at the fence ought to
mitigate our punishment-I mean my
own punishment, for you did nothing
in that shell affair but tell about it,
like fool. I suppose that even now
you'll try to make the colonel believe
that you had some share in it, so as to
| shield me-"
II wish could" replied Brainard
meekly. II wish hadn't told of it
when the colonel was SO mystified
about the shots, but really it did seem
for the good of the service"
you're too good to live" said l..
"Come along. hope you'll come in
for some share of the punishment, you
unspeakable lunatic."
Nevertheless for corporal to be
summoned by his colonel has sober
ing effect, so 1 fought down my feel
ings and tried to assume bold front
as I dragged Brainard across the
parade ground.
pass them in, sentry" said the colo
mel from the open front of his tent as
we drew near. We stopped at the tent
flaps, saluted and stood at attention"
Come in, gentlemen" said the colo
mel, with an odd smile which never
theless seemed not ugly. "Sit down."
Both Of us dropped nervelessly ON the
colonels camp bed, the only seat WIS.,
ible. The colonel was handling some
papers which promptly assumed were
court martial charges against us.
Il was greatly surprised and also
pleased" continued the colonel, still
handling the papers, "at receiving to-
day commissions for both of you-com-
missions as first lieutenants."
looked at Brainard. and Brainard
looked at me, and 1 don't understand
why both Of us did not drop dead with
establishment. The colonel went on:
UT hOI IN, 10 hot 80
In the course Of time, after you had
reached sergeant's grade-Bralnard,
because of your rescuing your party
from the enemy after capture and for
getting that dispatch through to the
left few nights ago, and, Frost, be-
cause I've learned that you spent n lot
Of money i'll trying to get recruits for
the regiment ut the time you entered
1t. I'm not the only influence with the
appointing power. Political and other
strings are being pulled for scores of
my noncommissioned officers, and some
of this sort of work seems to have been
done for you boys"
mot for me, sir, that know off,
said Brainard quickly.
''Eh? Well, SO much the more to
your credit. Nevertheless tits true.
You're both commissioned to the Forty
third. 1t seems from letter accompa-
nying your commissions that the Forty
third is in bad way-good men, bad
ofticers-so bad that the command can't
be trusted to take the field. A lot OF
the officers have been weeded out, and
the governor wished to replace them
with men from regiments that are in
good shape and have seen hard service.
The senator from your district strongly
recommended you, Frost, and called
your father up to Albany, and it seems
that your father took with him hand.
some young woman who told an ex.
traordinary story Of your bravery and
produced letter in evidence. I can't
understand how I, your colonel, failed
to have learned the facts, butt
Your cousin Mayw exclaimed Brain.
ard. Then he sprang to his feet and
NIT me between the shoulders with a
force which could not have believed
was In his tiny frame. The colonel
looked surprised, and Brainard muir.
INJURED II beg pardon, and collapsed In
confusion.
1T seems, further,n continued the
colonel, "that the governor said he
wished he knew of some other trooper
OF equal courage and ability. upon
which thaAvo,rno Il 1od1, sota ~, -,