The Red Cloud chief., 1915-04-08
CHAPTER xxi-Continued.

We are going on, I and my guns,
on to the best yet On In the pursuit!
Nothing can stop us! We shall hit the
Grays SO fast and hard that they can
never get their machine In order again.
God bless you! Everything that is fine
In me will always think finely OF you!
You and Lanny--two fixed stars for
met"
TRULY" She was radiant. Truly p"
she asked wistfully.
"Yes. yes--a yes as real as the
guns!"
"Then It helps! Oh, how Il helps!"
she murmured almost inaudibly.
"Good-by! God bless you!" he cried
a. he started to go, adding over his
shoulder merrily: "I'll send you a pic
ture postcard from the Grays' capital
OF my guns parked In the palace
square"
She watched him leap the garden
wall as lightly as he had come and
gallop away, an impersonation Of the
gay. adventurous spirit OF war. count
Ing death and wounds and hardship as
the delights of the gamble. Yes. he
would follow the Grays, throwing
shells In the irresponsible Joy of toss.
Ing confetti In n carnival. Pursuit!
Was Feller's the sentiment of the
army? Were the Browns not to stop
at the frontier? Were they to change
their song to. Now we have ours we
shall take some of theirs?" The
thought was fresh fuel to the live Goals
that still remained under the ashes.
A brigade commander and some OF
his staff-Oilcers near by formed
group with faces intent around an OBJ
orator who was attaching his instru-
ment to tield-wlre that had just been
reeled over the hedge Marta moved
toward them. but paused on hearing an
outburst of jubilant ordinations:
"A hundred thousand prisoners!"
And five hundred guns!"
We're coming in on their frontier
all along the line!"
ITS incredible!"
But the word Is ofilcial-it's right"
From mouth to mouth--a hundred
thousand prisoners, five hundred guns
the news was passed I'm the garden.
Eyes dull with fatigue began flashing
az the soldiers broke into cheer that
was not led, cheer unlike any Marta
had heard before. 1t had the high
notes OF men who were weary. of a ter.
rible exultation, of spirit stronger than
tired legs and as yet unsatisfied. Other
ordinations from both officers and
men expressed n hunger whetted by
the taste OF one days victory.
We'll go on"
Weu make peace In their capital!"
And with an indemnity that will
stagger the world"
Nothing Is impossible with Ian.
stron How he has worked il out
baited them to their own destruction"
"A frontier OF our own choosing!"
On the next range. We will keep
all that stretch Of plain there!"
And the river, tool"
They shall payday for attacking
usi"
Pay, pay for the drudgery, the sleep.
less nights, the dead and the wounded
for our dead and wounded! No mat.
ter about theirs! The officers were too
intent In their elation to observe n
young woman, standing quite still, her
lips thin line and deep blaze in
her eyes as she looked this way and
that Mt the field of faces, seeking some
discomfort, some partisan of the right
She was seeing the truth now: the
cold truth, the old truth to which she
had been untrue when she took Eel.
ier's place. There could be no choice
OF sides in war unless you believed in
war. One who fought for peace must
take up arms against all armies. Her
part as spy appeared to her clad in
new kind of shame; the desertion of
her principles.
Nor did the officers observe a man OF
thirty-fve, wearing the cords of the
stan and generals stars, coming
around the corner Of the house. Mar.
ta's feverish. rowing glance had noted
him directly he was In sight. His face
seemed to be In keeping with the
other faces. In the ardor OF hunt un.
finished: hand in blouse pocket, his
bearing little too easy to be conyen.
tionally military-the same Lanny,
She was dimly conscious of surprise
not to find him changed, perhaps be.
cause he was unaccompanied by a re.
tinue or any other symbol of his power
He might have been coming to call ON
Sunday afternoon. In that first
glimpse 1t was difficult to think OF
him as the commander Of an army. But
that he was, she must not forget. She
was shaken and trembling; and a
mist rose before her, so that she did
not. see him clearly when, with a ges.
ture OF relief, he saw her.
"Lanstron!" exclaimed an officer in
tho first explosive breath of amaze.
ment on recognizing him; then added;
His Excellency, the chief of staff"
But the one word, Lanstron, had
been enough TO thrill all the officers
80" alliance and ramrod salutea. Marta