The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-30

Slr, SAID i, turning 10 Acton, i peg
that you will let the examination proceed.
! You asked me to call on you, and I do
now"
Your ase?" cried the examining officer
loudly.
Twenty-Five
Occupation"
Lieutenant in the division of Gen. Israel
Putnam"
You are a soldier of the colonies?''
AYE, soldier of the colonies" I said.
raising my voice; for twas beyond me to
keep calm longer under this questioning,
and. 1 have already said, 1 was come 10
that frame of mind where l cared not
whit what might come of it all.
| Then fell a bombshell into that company.
II do not believe it, half muttered the
officer.
| That cooled me at once, and l replied:
THAT is the remark of a coward sir
You call me-he calls me coward. cow
ard!' roared the examiner, jumping up
and humping his desk, while dead ST
lence fell over the whole company.
IT'S further the remark of bad officer
| and weak man.
God help me, what dost say?" cried the
man again.
| Il say that l ask to be taken TO the
commander of this fort. 'Tis said must be
| examined. l say Very WELL proceed; ex-
anime! and you begin by giving me the
| lie, when, man to man, / have no
| taliation. You are, therefore, a weak man
| and coward You say this instead of put
ting TO paper my examination for your
| superior and better to read and judge. IT'S
| the method of a bad officer. You see, tbs
simple enough
THAT is a brave man." came over the
| room in the deep tones 1 had heard con-
versing but now with Lieutenant Acton.
| He speaks the truth"
"Why, you impudent scoundrelr cried
the Infatuated officer. do you know whom
you address," He was too astonished to do
more than stare at me in amazement. But
l was bent on giving vent to the hours of
pent-up misery l had just passed through.
and 1t did my soul good TO say so.
In my colony, when there comes pris-
oner and shows by his manner that he has
aught Of importance to say. he is taken to
the commanding officer. Evidently the mill
tary discipline of verplaneks is of a differ
emf sort
Sergeant roared the man. Sergeant,
/
self in his endeavor to speak Take this
man away, and put him under guard
At that, two men stepped forward, and
the unknown friend of Acton said in a cold
voice that seemed TO command immediate
attention:
Captain, with your permission, would
| speak word concerning this man."
And what business is it of yours?" de-
|
at onee!"
| The slightest trace of a frown spread
over the serious face. and the man turned
even little whittier, while his voice, calm
as before, seemed to cut the air in the room
with it's decisive tone.
This is the case of the examination of a
prisoner taken at a picket line He has the
right of witness and counsel. l act as both
with my friend, Lieutenant Acton"
1 turned to him in wonder; but he fixed
his cold eyes on the examining officer and
kept them there Every one instinctivey
drew up by the desk, with that silent, mys-
terious movement that makes no sound but
means so much at times-the movement
| that precedes some coming event
Lieutenant Curtis. you will understand
that you Go not conduct this examination
said the officer, trying to control himself.
but with his voice rising he proceeded.
II do, however; and, by God, sir, I'll con-
tinue to do SOL Do you retire at once, or I
will place you under arrest"
"Oaths have no place in an examination,
sir. Ills. therefore, in bad taste, and in con-.
tradiction to martial law"
Sergeant" cried the examining officer,
with blazing eyes and flushed cheeks
81 appear for this prisoner" interrupted
the imperturbable man, now the only one in
the room who appeared perfectly composed
and calm.
Appear for the devil in hell, if you like.
but you appear for no one here"
'And tell you that law in this army
permits you under such conditions to tell a
prisoner he is liar"
Sergeant, arrest Lieutenat Curtisr'
yelled the stupefed officer
Gentlemen" said Curtis, turning to the
silent but interested spectators. "is this a
court. is il, perchance. collection of the
benighted insane?" and a cold smile drew
back the corners of his mouth. Who or
what was this remarkable person? He was
the picture of calm, dignifed gentleman
and yet he defed military discipline, no
matter how basely applied, without the
slightest apparent concern, and all on ac-
count of a man whom he saw now for the
first time.
Sergeant. arrest that mani" sounded
through the room again. Every one waited
and at last the sergeant approached Lieut.
Curtis and saluted him apologetically.
There was the space of an instant, when
the air was charged with portentous posi-
bilties, and then orderly entered and
handed a note to the dazed examiner
which he after reading with a reddening
face. threw down on his desk; then, turn
ing to the sergeant, he cried out:
Take the prisoner to headquarters! And
mark you. Mr.. Merton Balfort, If you
should turn out to be an officer of any-any
mind ye-any army of earth, I'll have we
out sir, by God, 1 wil!' And down came
his fist, splitting the sand from the box by
his inkstand and sounding through the
room.
Something had happened, surely, for I
was herewith led away out through the
camp, musing on the extraordinary char
acter OF this military examination, but
more especially on the remarkable man
who had defed IT. Here and there, as |
walked along, stood farmhouses and barns
and any sort of building turned into off,
GERS quarters. or stabling room for horses
and rows OF huts and tents for the infantry
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