The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-06-19

brought us feather beds from the hotel2"
81 guess you'll be mighty glad 1 came back
when you hear" said Kitty "While you are
feasting and doing, here you are letting lot
of men and horses and things march all
round you. Major Dillon has taken his
cavalry right around you, and you can't catch
aim unless you 60 through the woods and
lead him off,"
"By Jove You're a wonder, Kitty!
You're better general than any of US" cried
the Sergeant.
"Il command you them" laughed Kitty
excitedly; "get into the car and we'll catch
them in no time, Billy"
ooh, this is the best ever!" chuckled Mr.
Wyeth, as he selected patrol of six men and
bundled them into the auto, while the girl
overcame the protests of the frightened
chauffeur.
A patrol of six is small force to 60 against
a troop of cavalry, but the cavalry was
moving entirely against the rules of the
game, and six men were quite enough to up
set the plans of the treacherous leader.
In twenty minutes the hoofs of the horses
could be heard, and presently Wyeth stopped
fthe auto and took his patrol forward at double
time. When within two hundred yards of the
patrol and fired a volley, which roared out
like salvo of artillery and lighted up the
whole landscape with the flash.
Wild CONSERVATION was at once evident
among the troopers, and an officer came
galloping back in a fine fury.
s. "For Gods sake, stop that firing, you
fools!" he shouted; "don't you know it's
against orders to fire after recall2"
"This is a patrol of the 9TH Infantry,
Major Dillon" said Wyeth. "Do you
surrender"
Surrender nothing!" roared the Major;
"1'm taking my men back from a reconnais
sance and we're looking for camp SITE"
"You've had seven hours or more to look
for camp site, and this looks so suspicious
that think we ought to have an umpire to
decide what course to take" said Wyeth.
"You're altogether too oficious," COM
mented the Major; ~ remember you now;
you're the man l met up the St. Lawrence.
You'd better take your patrol back and keep
quiet about this, or you'll be making fool
of yourself"
The sound of horse galloping came to
their ears "What, more trouble ?" snapped
the officer.
"You wait here and see, or I'll fire another
volley," threatened Wyeth.
"What's all this fring?" demanded an
officer, riding up to the group. 1t was
young and enthusiastic umpire who had
heard the volley and fastened to learn its
significance.
"These men from the 9TH fired on me
while I was looking for camp site," COM
planned the Major.
The umpire laughed. "You must be
pretty fastidious to be hunting a camp site
at midnight" he said ~ think you'd better
tell YOUR second in command to bivouac here,
and come back with me to the Chief Umpire.
| wouldn't care to venture a decision in this
case myself"
The cavalry officer so far forgot himself as
to swear a little, but finally rode away with
the umpire Kitty showed that she really
possessed remnant of discretion by quietly
slipping away unperceived during the excite
ment.
Papa Cowles had been wide awake with
anxiety for several hours, madly telephoning
to various points for tidings of his lost daugh-
ter and motor. Kitty told him everything,
and he was so righteously angry that he
asserted his parental authority with unusual
frmness and decreed their positive departure
from the seat OF WdI on tIle lOllOWllS gay,
remaining adamant to the pleas and protests
of his daughter.
They left the hotel next morning and took
up the homeward route. Kitty pouted
Grossly, and it made her no more cheerful to
contemplate the unusual number of troops
through which they passed. 1t was quite
evident that the commander of the Reds was
preparing for an engagement OF some magni
tude, and Kitty reflected bitterly that she'd
seen not single battle of importance.
After threading their way through regiment
after regiment of horse, foot and artillery,
they reached the advance guard, which hap
pened to be the 9TH.
"Ihere is that young beggar you've been
losing your head over" snarled Mr.. Cowles
"He isn't beggar; he's got money enough
for anyone" cried Kitty.
"I1l wager he hasn't cent" quarreled
the old man; "he's probably a fortune
hunter"
By an odd coincidence sudden common
tary was offered upon the topic ofthe moment
r. @=@ 9h