The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-02-13

Hawk-eyeo. with grea, peak nose
and iron-gray hair, intensely and SOL
emnly serious, lacking a sense Of
humor, he would have looked at home
with his big, bony hands gripping
broadsword hilt and his lank body
clothed in chain armor. He had
mastiffs devotion to its master for his
chief
Since Lanstron became chief OF in
seems to have stopped" said Wester
ling. but not complainingly. He appre-
cIated Bouchards loyalty.
Yes. they say he even burns his
laundry bills, he is SO careful" Bou-
chard replied.
But that we ought To know" Wes-
terling proceeded. referring very in
sistently to a secret OF the Browns
which had baffied Bouchard. Try a
woman" he went on with that terse,
hard directness which reflected one OF
his sides. There is nobody like
woman for that sort of thing. Spend
enough to get the right woman"
Turcas and Bouchard exchanged a
glance, which rose suggesuvely from
the top of the head OF the seated vice
chief OF staff Turcas smiled slightly.
while Bouchard was craven as usual.
You could hardly reach Lanstron
though you spent a queens ransom.
said Bouchard in his literal fashion.
Il should say not" Westerling ex
claimed. No doubt about Lanstron's
being all there! | saw him ten years
ago after his first aeroplane fight un
der conditions that proved it. How
dinates.'
Wen set all the machinery we
have to work to find one, sir Bou
chard replied
Another thing, We must dismiss any
idea that they are concealing either
artillery or dirigibles or planes that
we do not know Of" continued Wester
ling. THAT is figment of our appre
tensions The fact that We find nc
truth in the rumors proves that there
is none. Such things are too important
to be concealed ty one army from an
other
"Lanstron certainly cannot carry
them in his pockets" remarked Tur
cas- Still, we must be sure" he
added thoughtfully, more to himself
than to Westerling. who had already
turned his attention to a document
which Turcas laid on the desk
The l2Sth Regiment has been or
dered to South La Tir, but no order
yet given for the 1920. whose place it
takes" he explained.
Let it remain for the PRESENT.
Westerling replied.
After they had Withdrawn, the look
that passed between Turcas and Bou
chard was pointed question. The
1920 to remain at South La Tir! Was
there something more than "newspa-
per talk" in this latest diplomatic
crisis between the Grays and the
Browns? Westerling alone was in the
confidence of the premier of late. Any
exchange of ideas between the two
subordinates would be fruitless sur
mise and against the very instinct OF
staff secrecy. where every man knew
only his work and asked about no one
elses
Westerling ran through the papers
that Turcas had prepared for him. II
Turcas had written them. Westerling
knew that they we're properly done
Having cleared his desk into the hands
of his executive clerk. he looked at the
clock. 1t had barely turned four He
picked up the final STAFF report OF OBJ
servations on the late Balkan cam
paign, Just printed in book form
glanced at it and laid it aside Already
he knew the few lessons afforded by
this war done on the cheap" with
limited equipment and over bad roads
No dirisibles had been used and few
planes. 1t was no criterion, except il
the effect Of the fire of the new patterr
guns, for the conflict of vast masses OF
highly trained men against vast masses
of highly trained men, with rapid
transportation over good roads. com
plete equipment, thorough organiza
ton, backed by generous resources. liz
the cataclysm of two grea, European
powers.
tTO BE CONTINUED