Year: 1879

PRIVATE TOM GATES.


a small, square room, dim with toloac-
co smoke, poorly lighted by single
lamp around a hugh stove a group Of
men, wearing the blue and gold of Uncle
Sans livery; very shabby the blue, very
tarnished the gold, after the long sum-
mer campaign on the dusty prairies and
the grimy Bad Lands. AS the fierce wind
howled around the little log cabin. driv-
ing the snow through the loose window
frames until it lay in miniature embank-
ments on the floor, the little company
drew still closer to the friendly stove, and
one and another told his tale of past ad-
venture and stress of circumstance, until
the old doctor, whose gray HAIR might
have earned for him some more cheerful
home than a frontier outpost in which to
pass his evidently hale old age, said in
his slow, quiet way:


We'll, my boys, you've each had your
say and not asked the old man for his anec-
dote yet; but your getting a trihe
talked out the last half hour. I've seen
some queer things in my day, and maybe
could tell a story as well as any one if I
was urged hard enough


Lay on, doctor; we save the best till
the last, always


''None of us can tell such yarns as you,
when you're once set going, for you never
spoil good story for want Of adding a
tritle here and there just to make COM
petc and round it off nicely" murmured
soto voce saucy STRIPPING.


while you've been talking here,' said
the old doctor, an odd melancholy sort
of feeling came over me, and you'll own
that's a weakness III not very subject to,
boys, but somehow my thoughts seem to
run on a poor fellow who's dead now, so
there's no harm in talking about him, if
you care to listen


a sharp order to the junior lieutenant
to fill up the stove with wood and 'be
quick about it, a fitting back Of wooden
chairs to miraculous angles, expressed
the approva! Of the company, and, draw
inga long whit from his pipe, the doctor
began:


up at Camp r., not many years ago,
there was a soldier who excited consider
able curiosity among the officers and men
by his queer ways. Most Of you know
how it is IN these little rat-holes where
troops arc housed for the winter, shut
up like bears in u pit, with nothing to do
but look at each other, till spring starts
them off on the war-path again. Each
persons peculiarities undergo search
ing analysis, and any one who refuses at
once to divulye his whole private history
and antecedents, for the benefit of his
comrades curiosity, IS considered social
fraud. The idea that 'the proper study
Of mankind is man is carried to its
furtherest; limits, both among officers
and privates. The soldier 1 was telling
you about was prompt and exact about
his duties, no fault could be found with
his conduct, but his face wore always a
look of extreme depression. lie was sell
dom seen at the suffers store, never at
the soldiers dances or theatricals, never
spok if he could avoid it, but spent his
spare time lying idly on his bed or wan
dering alone over the bleak, frosty prai
ries.


1T was at last decided 10y his comrades
that he had committed some crime ant
enlisted to escape the law, and a pref
dice began to be felt against the poor fel
low, which resulted in his being totall,
ostracized. | pitied the man. He came
to the hospital once or twice for som'
trifing ailment, but any effort to draw
him into conversation only ended in th
discovery that Tom Gates was born a
Lynchburg, Va, had served through tn
last war, and was now in his second en-
!istment in the regular army.


Spring came in and the scouting par
ties went out. From time to time
small detachment would come into Cam
r. to take out supplies or to bring in tn
sick and wounded men, for mountain f
yer and hostiles were both pretty trouble
some that season. One broiling Angus
day an orderly came to my room, where
was swinging in hammock and e1
gagged in desperate combat with the file
and gnats.


Sir said he, private Gates, B con
pany, is shot in the breast


Cali right; be down DIRECTLY and in
couple of minutes I stood by Gates bet
in the cool, quiet hospital ward. H
tanned skin and close cropped hair, tt
sunken eyes and hollow cheeks, gave a
odd expression to his face, but aroun
the base of the nose was the pinche,
dark look, which is a sure sign Of deaf
A short examination showed that h
days, if not his hours, were numbered;
fact, from the nature of the wound I W,
surprised that he had lived to reach tt
garrison.


"My poor fellow, l can't help you, e.
cept to promise to deliver any MESA.
you wish to send to your friends


"Gates gave a short sigh, but the loo
IN his eyes was more cheerful than al
one had ever seen in them before.


II have no friends who want to hear
me- he said, after pause, 'but if VI
have few minutes to spare would lii
to tell you something about myself,
you've once or twice asked me question
It's hard to carry the burdens I've b;
for years and die like sullen dog at las
He drew painful breath and went on
a faint, hurried voice: 1T was on t
march through Pennsylvania just befc
Gettysburg, the weather fearfully h
Men were continually dropping from t
ranks, fainting from heat and thir
When we passed any spring or creek I
regiment would make mad rush. a
the cold water and the heat together Is