Warren sheaf., 1903-07-09
CHAPTER I.

The major commanding looked up
from the morning report and sur
veyed the post adjutant with some
thing of perturbation, if not annoy
ance, in his grim, gray eyes. For the
fourth time that week had Lieuten-
ant Field requested permission to be
absent for several hours. The major
knew just why the junior wished to
60 and where. The major knew just
why he wished him not to go, but
saw fit to name almost any other
than the real reason, when, with q
certain awkward hesitancy, he be-
gan:
swell, is the post return ready?"
ct will be, sir, in abundant time,"
was the prompt reply.
"You know they sent it back for
correction last month";" hazarded the
commander.
And you know, sir, the error was
so quick, sharp and positive as to
carry it at a bound to the verge of
disrespect, and the keen, blue eyes
of the young soldier gazed, frank
and fearless, into the heavily am
bushed gray eyes of the veteran in
the chair. It made the latter vince
and stir uneasily.
IF there's anything l hate, Field,
it is to have my papers sent back by
some whipsnapper of a clerk, inviting
attention to this or that error, and I
expect my adjutant to see to it that
they DON'T
''Your adjutant does see to it, sir.
I'm willing to bet months pay
fewer errors have been found in the
papers of Fort Frayne than any post
in the Department of the Platte.
Gen. Williams told you as much when
you were in Omaha"
The major fairly wriggled in his
cane-bottomed whirligig. What young
Field said was true, and the major
knew it. He knew, moreover, there
wasn't more painstaking post ad-
jutant from the Missouri to the
mountains. He knew their monthly
reports returns" as the regulations
called them-were referred to by
model adjutant general as model
papers. He knew that it was due
to young Fields care and attention,
and he knew he thought all the world
of that young gentleman. 1t was
just because he thought so much of
him he was beginning to feel that it
was high time to put stop to some
thing that was going on. But, it was
a delicate matter; a woman was the
matter; and he hadn't the moral
courage to go at it the straightfor-
ward way. He whip sawed'' again.
Thrumming on the desk with his lean,
bony fingers, he began:
If let my adjutant out so much,
what's to prevent other youngsters
asking similar indu]genoe?"
The answer came like the crack of
. whip:
Nothing, sir; and far better would
1t be for everybody concerned if they
spent more hours in the saddle and
fewer at the store"
This was too much for one listener
in the room. With something like
the sound of a suppressed sneeze,
tall, long-legged captain of cavalry
started up from his chair, an out
spread newspaper still full-stretched
between him and the desk of the
commander, and, thus hidden as to
his face, sidled staggering off to the
nearest window. Young Field had
fearlessly, if not almost impudent-
ly, hit the nail on the head, and
metaphorically raped the thrum-
ming fingers of his superior officer.
Some commanders would have ragged
and sent the daring youngster right
about in arrest. Major Webb knew
just what Field referred to-knew
that the destinations of pool, ''pitch"
and poker held just about half his
commissioned force at all 'off duty"
hours of the day or night hanging
post traders; knew, moreover, that
while the adjutant never wasted
moment over cards or billiards, he,
the post commander, had many time
taken a hand or a cue and wagered
his dollars against those of his de-
voted associates. They all loved him.
There wasn't "mean streak in his
whole SYSTEM" said every soldier at
Fort Frayne. He had capital rec
ord as a volunteer-a colonel and,
later, brigade commander in the
great war. He had the brevet of
brigadier general Of volunteers, but
repudiated any title beyond that Of
his actual rank in the regulars. He
was that rara avis-a bachelor field
officer, and bird to be brought
down if feminine witchery could do
it. He was truthful, generous, high
minded, brave-a man who preferred
to be of and with his subordinates
rather than above them-to rule
through affection and regard rather
than the stern standard Of command.
He was gentle and courteous alike to
officers and the rank and file, though
he feared no man on the face Of the
globe. He was awkward, bungling
and overwhelmingly, lavishly, kind