The Red Cloud chief., 1908-10-02

est man in the garrison. and II com
pany had gloried in his powers. They
boasted about him; they smiled indul.
gently when u man Of another com
pany was spoken of as a runner. They
said that Il company was the best
company In the regiment: and as there
was some foundation for their claim,
the boasts ruffled the spirits of the
men OF f company, because they also
laid claims to superiority.
One day a recruit came TO f com.
pany. He was a well.built fellow, and
It soon leaked out that he was fleet
OF foot. + company took him out on
the prairie, measured off n hundred
yards. started him with a blank car.
fridge, and timed him with the best
watch In the company. Then they
danced back TO the barracks and
laughed Il company in the face. And
Il company jeered back at them, and
sent F company q challenge-the men
to run for all the money the two COM
panies would draw on their next pay
day. This was more than + COM
pany had bargained for, but they had
confidence in their man, and the chal-
lenge was accepted.
The garrison never forgot that race.
Like unleashed hounds the two run
ners shot from the mark; not a breath
was drawn by either + company or +
company as the contestants tore down
the track side by side. Then a mighty
cheer went up from Il company as.
at the finish. their man forged ahead
and o by a yard! How they
screamed and Rugged each other! And
they carried Private Johnson back to
barracks; they thought too much Of
him to allow him to walk.
The cinder track origin of the feud
had been all but lost In a larger and
more comprehensive rivalry, when one
fine morning the colonel's pretty niece
arrived at the post for a visit. Twenty
four hours after her arrival her heart,
hand, and dainty smile we're all vio-
lently besieged by the respective
second %lieutenants of companies e
and F.
And then the company fight found
q ilCSh luopIl utlOu, III was Wd6Cu "
all 1t vas worth.
When the + company second leu
tenant was allowed to take her sweet
ness to the first post hop following
her arrival, the hearts of the men who
slept on iron hunks in F company
were full of rejoicing.
When the second lieutenant of e
company stood highest in favor, L
company at once proceeded in a body
to the canteen as a consequence.
But this Is not a story of the loves
| Of two second lieutenants. Absorbing
as was the competition into which
| these officers Of f and F companies re.
spectively had entered, and ardent as
was the passion that inspired 1t,
neither have more than an incidental
interest in this tale.
One October morning, the sentinel
In rear of officers line saw flames
bursting from the roof of the %colonel's
quarters.
Fire, number three!" he yelled, at
the same time firing his rifle.
The stiffness OF the autumnal morn
ing was gone. Bugles blew, the re-
veille gun was fired, soldiers tumbled
out of barracks, officers dropped their
cards or their babies. The deserted
parade was at once alive with men and
Uttered with fire buckets, with hose
carts and with ladders.
The second lieutenants Of com
panies Il and F rushed out Of the
%colonel's house together. Between
them was Miss Wilckens. but which
n carried her, or whether neither
or both OF them enjoyed this priv
lege, not even the %colonel's cook could
tell. They left her reluctantly on the
sidewalk, and each, with a parting
look of undying love, fairly few across
the parade to conduct his own com
mand to the Of danger. The
first sergeants met them half way
with the hastily formed companies
and back again they madly raced tc
the burning house. easily beating al
competitors In a dead heat for frs
place.
In every well-conducted garrison
each company Is assigned a fire duty
Some bring the ladders, others the
hose. and others, still, fire buckets
For the latter duty were detailed
Companies T. and F; but finding NJ
water for their buckets, they wer,
ordered into the quarters to carry GU
the coloners belongings. With 1
company rushed its second lieutenant
A moment later he hurried forth bear
ing a divan pillow under each arm
and his eyes caught the second lieu
tenant Of e company not only calml!
standing on the sidewalk with Mis-
Wilckens, but actually wrapping hi
cape around her. A moment late,
the girls pretty shoulders were GOV
cred with another second "lieutenant'i
cape, and from that time on com
panies ID and r worked without thei
junior officers.
The colonel's quarters were old, ant
the puny streams of water that wer,
thrown upon the blaze seemed but Il
double the anger of the flames. TIL,