Williams news., 1917-06-21
FOURTH INSTALLMENT.

So Philip Nolan had his wish full filled. Poor fellow, he repented of his folly,, and then, like a man, submitted to the fate he had asked for. He nev- CT Intentionally added to the difficulty or delicacy of the charge of those who had him in hold. Accidents would happen; but they never happened from his fault. Lieutenant TruxtOn told me that when Texas was annexed, there was careful discussion among the officers, whether they should get hold of Nolan's handsome set of maps, and cut Texas out of it, from the map of the world and the map of Mexico. The United States had been cut out when the atlas was bought for him. But it was voted rightly enough, that to do this would be virtually to reveal to him what had happened, or, as Harry Cole said, to make him think Old Burr had succeeded. So it was from no fault of Nolan's that a great botch happened at my own table, when, for a. short time, I was in command of the George Washington corvette, on the South American station. We were lying in the La Plata, and some of the officers, who had been on shore, and had just joined again, were entertain ing us with accounts of their miSad- ventures in riding the half-wild horses of Buenos Aires. Nolan was at table, and was in an unusually bright and talkative mood. Some story of a tum- ble reminded him of an adventure of his own, when he was catching wild horses in Texas with his brother Steph- en, at time when he must have been quite boy. He told the story with a good deal of spirit-so much so, that the silence which often follows a good story hung over the table for an in- stant, to be broken by Nolan himself. For he asked, perfectly unconsciously,
 "Pray, what has become of Texas? |? After the Mexicans got their independ- ence, thought that province of Texas would come forward very fast. It is really one of the finest regions on earth; it is the Italy of this continent. But have not seen or heard a word of Texas for near twenty years."
 There were two Texan officers at the table. The reason he had never heard of Texas was that Texas and her af- fairs had been painfully out of his newspapers since Austin began his settlements; so that, while he read of Honduras and Tamaulipas, and, till quite lately, of California, this virgin province, in which his brother had travelled so far and, believe, had died, had ceased to be with him. Walters and Williams, the two Texas men, looked grimly at each other, and tried not to laugh. Edward Morris had his attention attracted by the third link in the chain of the captains chan delier. Watrous was seized with a con- vulsion of sneezing. Nolan himself saw that something was to pay, he did not know what. And I, as master of the feast, had to say:
 "Texas is out of the map, MT. No Ian. Have you seen Captain Backs curious account of Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome?"
 After that cruise I never saw No Ian again. I wrote to him at least twice a year, for in that voyage we became even confidentially intimate :, but he never wrote to me. The other men tell me that in those fifteen years he aged very fast, as well he might indeed, but that he was still the same gentle, uncomplaining, silent sufferer that he ever was, bearing as best he could his self-appointed punishment, rather less social, perhaps, with new men whom he did not know, but more anxious, apparently, than ever to serve and befriend and teach the boys, some of whom fairly seemed to worship him. And now it seems the dear old fellow is dead. He has found a home at last, and country.
 Since writing this, and while con- sidering whether or no I would print it, as warning to the young of today of what it is to throw away a country, l have rece4ved from Danforth, who is on board the Levant, letter which gives an account of Nolan's last hours.
 To understand the first words of the letter, the nonprofessional reader should remember that after 1917 the position of every officer who had Mo- Ian in charge was one of the greatest delicacy. The government had failed to renew the order of 1907 regarding him. What was a man to do? Should he let him go? What, then, if he were called to account by the depart ment for violating the order of 1S07i Should he keep him? What, then. if Nolan should be liberated some day, and should bring an action for false imprisonment or Kidnapping against ev. cry man who had had him in chargei l urged and pressed this upon South ard, and I have reason to think that other officers did the same thing. But the secretary always said, as they SC often do at Washington, that there were no special orders to give, and that we must act on our own judg. ment. That means, 'fIf you succeed you will be sustained; if you fail, you will be disavowed." We'll, as Danforth says, all that is over now, though !