Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-10-01

pleading for the very men against
whom the other employees claimed to
have warned her-theSe two half
breeds who had defied his sentries-
and Flnt's anNieties materially in
creased. 1t taxed all his stock of per-
sOnal picty, and strengthened the be-
lief he was beginning to harbor, that
Mrs. Hay had some use for the horses
at night-some soiourners in the
neighborhood with whom she must
communicate, and who could they be
but Sioux?
Then Mistress McGann, sound sleep
er that she used to be- declared to the
temporary post commander, as he
was, and temporary lodger as she
considered him, that things 'was
goin' on about the post she'd never
heard the likes of before, and that
the meeior would never put up with
q minute" When Mrs. McGann said
''the meejor' she meant not Flint.
but his predecessor. There was but
one major in her world-the one she
treated like minor. Being a soldiers
wife, however, she knew the Difference
due to the commanding officer, even
though she did not choose to show it,
and when hidden to say her say, and
tell what things was goin' on" Mis-
tress McGann aSSerYated, with the
asperity of a woman who has had to
put her husband to bed two nights
running, that the time had never been
before that he was SO drunk that he
didn't know his way home, and got
into the back of the bachelor quar-
ters instead of his own. "And to
think ov his bein' propped up at his
own gate by a lousy, frog-eatin' hals
Frinchman, haf salyage!" Yet, when
investigated, this proved to be the
case, and the further question arose,
where did McGann get his whisky?
a faithful, loyal, devoted old servitor
was McGann, yet Webb, as we have
seen, had ever to watch his whisky
carefully, lest the Irishman should
see it, and seeing taste, and tasting
fall. The store had orders from Mrs.
McGann, cOuntersigned by Webb, to
the effect that her husband was never
to have a drop. Flint was a teetotaler
ilhlStIl, anu llottt N1lnOuJ al SIlutlOW
OF disapprobation that the decanters
on the sideboard were both empty the
very day he took possession, also that
the cupboard was securely locked
Mrs. McGann was sure her liege got
no liquor there nor at the store, and
his confused statement that it was
given him by 'fellers at the stables" ;"
Ns-ith nEn |,
was still under martial surveillance
and official displeasure the day after
Mrs McGann's revela tions, with un-
explained iniquities to answer for
when his head had cleared and his
legs resumed their functions. But by
that time other matters were brought
to light that laid still further accusa-
tion at his door. With the consent
of DR.. Waller, Lieut.. Field had been
allowed to send an attendant for his
desk. There were letters, he said, he
greatly wished to see and answer,
and Mrs Ray had been so kind as to
offer to act as his amanuensis. The
attendant went with the key and
came back with a scared face. Some
body, he said, had been there before
him.
They did not tell Field this at the
time. The doctor went at once with
the messenger, and in five minutes
had taken in the situation. Fields
rooms had been entered and probably
robbed. There was only one other
occupant of the deSolate set that So
recently had rung to the music of
so many glad young voices. OF the
garrison proper at Frayne all the
cavalry officers except wilkins were
away at the front; all the infantry
officers, five in number, were also up
along the Big Horn. The four who
had come with Flint were strangers
to the post, but Heron, who had
been a classmate of Ross at the Point,
moved into his room and took the
responsibility of introducing the con
tract doctor, who had come with
them, into the quarters at the front
Of the house on the second floor.
These rooms had been left open and
unlocked. There was nothing. said
the lawful occupant, worth stealing,
which was probably true; but Field
had bolted, inside, the door of his
sleeping room; locked the hall door
of his living room and taken the key
with him when he rode with Ray.
The doctor looked over the rooms Il
moment: then sent for wilkins, the
post quarterInaster, who came in
huff at being disturbed at lunch
Field had been rather peculiar about
his belongings. His uniforms always
hung on certain pegs in the plain
wooden wardrobe. The drawers of
his bureau were generally arranged
like the clothes press of cadet days,
as though for inspection, but now
coats, blouses, dressingsack and
smoking jacket hung with pockets
turned inside out or flung about the
bed and floor. Trousers had been
treated with like contempt. The bu-
rcau looked like what sailors used to
call "hurrah's nest" and a writing
desk, brass-bound and of solid make,
that stood on table by a front win
dow, had been forcibly wrenched open
and its contents were tossed about
the floor. a larger desk-a wooden