The Nevada County picayune., 1917-06-14
FOURTH iNSTALLMENT.

to the fate he had asked for. He nev- or intentionally added 10 the difficulty CT delieaeF 8f the charge of those who had him in hold Accidents would happen; but they never happened from Il9 fault Lieutenant TruXtan told me that when Texas was annexed. there 0as=a careful discussion among the officers, whether they should get hold Of Nolan handsome set of maps. and cut Texas out Of lt 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 il was voted rightly enough. that to do this would be virtually to reveal to hin what had happened, or, as Harry Cole said. to make him think Old Burr had succeeded. So if was from no fault of Nolan's that great botch happened at my own table, when. for q short time, 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 tum- ble reminded him of an adventure of his own, when he was catching wild horses in Texas with his brother Steph- | quite boy He told the story with a good deal of spirit-s0 much so, that the silence which often follows 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 Texasf After the Mexicans got their tndepend- ence. I thought that province of Texas would come forward very fast. It is really one of the finest regions on earth t is the Italy of this continent. But I 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, anG 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 con yulsion of sneezinr. Nolan himself saw that something was to pay. he did not know what And I, as master of the feast, had 10 say:
 Texas Is out of the map. Mir. No Ian. Have you seen Captain Backs curious account of Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome?'
 After that cruise I never saw No Ian again. wrote 10 him at least twice q year for in that voyage We became even cunfdentially intimate; but he never wrote 10 ne. The other men tell me that h those fifteen years h. aged very fast, as well he might indeed but that he was still the same gentle. uneompIaining, 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 eyer tn 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 sideriag whether or no would print 'f. as a warning to the young of today of what f. Is to throw away country I have received from naBforth. who is on board Che Lrvaut. letter which gives an account ef Nolan's Last hours.
 ITO understand the first words of the letter, the neHpr9fessiaHai reader should remember that after lsl7 the position of every officer who had No
 
 fieiicaey. The government had failed to renew the order of 1897 regarding hIm. What was man ta doG Should he let him goG What then. IT he were called to account by the depart mert for violating inc order of lsQ77 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 hm ii chargef
 l urged and pressed fh# Ipon South
 ard, and l huvc Fea-oa fo thlaA chat
 other officers did the same thag Bu
 the secretary always said aa they SO
 often do at Washington faat there
 were no special orders to give, and
 that we must act ou our own Judg
 ment That means, "If you succeed,
 you will be sustained; 1T you fall. you
 will be disayowed" Well. aa Dauferih
 says, all that is over now. though I
 do not know but l expose myself lo a