The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-05-14

hohIlIty"
Picpon glanced at him; then with
the tact OF his nation. glided away and
busted himself teaching Flick-Flack &c
shoulder and present arms, the weapon
being n long c~hibouque stick
as this true. Rake-that you inten'
tionally commit these freaks OF mis-
conduct to escape p~romotionT' Cecil
asked OF the man when he stood alone
with him in his place of confinement.
Rake flushed a little. "Mischiefs
bred In me. sir: it must come out. Its
Just bottled up In me like ale. If
didn't take the cork out now and then,
l should fly ~a-piecesw
But many a time when you have
been close on the reward of your
splendid ~gallantry in the field you have
frustrated your own fortune and the
wishes of your superiors by wantonly
proving yourself unfit for the higher
grade they were going to raise you to.
Why do you do thatf"
Rake fidgeted restlessly and, to avoid
the awkwardness of the question. IT,
piled like a parliamentary orator by q
fow of rhetoric.
"Sir. there's a many chaps like me
They can't help nohow busting out
when the fit takes 'em. 'Tain't reasona
Bile to blame EN- for 1t. They're just
made sc, like n chestnut's made TO bust
Its pod and n chicken TO bust Its SHE'LL
But you wander from my question"
said Cecil gently. do you avoid pro
motionY'
"Yes. sir, l do" said Rake. something
sulkily. for he felt he was being driy-
en- up a corner" Il do. I amt not
che bit filter for an officer than a riot
ing pup Is fit to lead them crack packs
at home. l should be In n straitwaist-
coat II I was promoted. And as for
the cross. Lord. sir. that would get me
into a world of trouble. should pawn
1t for q toss of wine the first day out
or give it to the first girl that winked
her black eye for It."
Cecil's eyes rested on him with a
look that said far more than his an.
swer. Rake. l know you better than
you would let me do IL you had
your way. My noble fellow. you re-
ject advancement and earn yourself an
unjust reputation for mutinous con-
duct because you are too generous to
be given q step above mine in the regi-
ment."
who's been telling you that trash.
sir?' retorted Rake. with ferocity.
mo matter who. 1t Is no trash. II
Is splendid loyalty of which l am ut
terly unworthy, and 1t shall be my care
that 1t Is known at the bureaus. so
that henceforth your great merits may
he
STOW that. sir" cried Rake vehe-
mently. STOW that II you please!
Promoted | won't be-no. not II the
emperor hisself was TO order 1t and
come across here TO see 1t done, \
pretty thing surely. Ne q officer. and
you never n one: me accommodating Of
you. and You a~-saluting of me, BY the
Lord. sir. we might as well see the
camp scullions a-ridirg in state and the
marshal a-scouring out the soup pots.
Ii you don't let me have my own way
and If you do the littlest thing to get
me q step. why, sir, | swear as I'm 4 hv-
ing being that I'll draw on C~hateauroy
the first time I see him Gfterwarl a1d
slit his throat as I'd slit a jacsals,
There. my oath's Took"
And Cecil knew that 1t was hopeless
either to persuade him 10 his own adj
vantage or to convince him of his dis
obedience in speaking thus of his SUI
preme before his noncommiss!oned Of
fcer. He was himself. moreover. deep
IL moved by the mans fidelity.
lie stretched his hand out.
II wish there were moro black
guards with hearts like yours. | can
not repay yosr love. Rake. but | can
value it."
Rake put his own hands behind his
back.
God bless you. sir. you've repaid
1t ten dozen times over. But You
shan't do that. SIT. l told you long
ago I'm too much Of a scamp. Some
day. perhaps. as I said. when I've set.
tied cores with myself and wiped OF
all the bad uns with a clear sweep toll.
erably clean: not afore. sir"
And Rake was so sturdily obstinate
not TO always carry his point. Mean
while Picpon's news was correct.
The regiment was ordered out on the
march. There was fresh war In the
interior. and wherever there was the
hottest slaughter there the Black
Hawk always few down with his fall
con fock. When Cecil left his incorri-
gible comrade. the trumpets were
sounding an assembly. There were
noise. tumUlt. eagerness. excitement.
delighted zest. on every side. A gener-
al order was read to the enraptured
squadrons. They were TO leave the
town at the first streak Of dawn.
That evening at the villa Aloussa
there gathered a courtly assembly OF
much higher rank than Algiers can
commonly afford. because many of sta
ton as lofty as her WI had been
drawn thither to follow her to what
the Princess Corona called her banish-
ment.
There was a variety Of distractions
60 prevent ennui. There were half q
dozen clever Paris actors playing that