Under Fire

by Charles King

  CHAPTER IV.

  Guarded by a detachment of veteran infantry, the recruits so turbulentat noon were spiritless now in every sense of the word. Turning over hischarge, as well as his account of their conduct and of his own, to thecommander of the escort, Captain Muffet remained at departmenthead-quarters long enough to impress the officials thereat on duty withhis version of the riot at Bluff Siding,--its inciting cause and itsincisive cure. Then he went back to the cavalry depot and presumablyimproved on his initial effort. The story of Muffet's wild ride with theraw recruits and Muffet's method of quelling a mob was often told thatsummer at the rear long after Lieutenant Davies and the recruits inquestion had gone to the front and were lost to all communication. Theofficer who went in command from Omaha was an expert. He established asergeant's guard in each recruit car, with orders to flatten out thefirst man who left his seat, rap every head that showed outside a windowwhen the train stopped, and so turned over the one hundred andseventy-two that were turned over to him a sick and subdued lot by thetime they reached Fort Sanders the following afternoon. "This is Mr.Davies,--Lieutenant Davies,--just graduated,--who's to go on with 'em,"said he to the commanding officer of that old army post, adding for hisprivate ear, "He's a tenderfoot and doesn't know anything but moralsuasion." To this conclusion Captain Tibbetts has been impelled by whathe had heard as well as by the events of the night. Mr. Davies, of whomhe knew nothing except what Muffet had to say, having been told that heneedn't bother about the men any more, had nevertheless bothered aboutthem, three or four at least, very much,--Lance Corporal Brannan tobegin with, who was slashed in the hand, and a couple of sorely batteredpenitents in the middle car among them. No surgeon being with thedetachment, Davies had begged permission towards evening to fetch thesepoor fellows back to the sleeper, where their hurts could be cleaned andbandaged. Tibbetts said no, and two hours later yes. Meantime he had metthe ladies, one of whom, the elder, exhausted by the sleeplessness andanxiety of forty-eight hours, was comforted by the despatch brought herat Omaha to the effect that her husband was being sent in by easy stagesto Fort Fetterman, where she could meet and nurse him, and she was nowfinally and peacefully sleeping in her berth. The other, a slender,graceful girl, with very soft dark eyes and grave, sweet, mobile face,who sat and fanned Mrs. Cranston during the heat of the afternoon, hadnext surprised the captain by re-dressing the ugly wound in the youngcorporal's hand. Tibbetts knew Captain Cranston well by reputation. Hewas one of the finest troop commanders of the cavalry arm, but Tibbettshad never before met Mrs. Cranston and her companion now consigned tohis care.

  "You are well taught in first aid to the wounded," he said. "Where didyou learn?"

  "My father was Dr. Loomis, of the army," she answered, simply. "Hetaught me when I was quite a child. He died, as I think perhaps youknow."

  "We all knew him, Miss Loomis," was the instant reply. "Even those whonever met him, personally, knew him as I did,--for his devotion to ourpoor fellows in the fever epidemic. And your mother?"

  "Mother has been dead for years. I am alone now, but for my cousinMargaret,--Mrs. Cranston. I am her companion."

  And the captain, himself aging in the service, and with daughters whomight be left as was this girl,--penniless,--understood, and bowed insilent sympathy. It was the sight of the gash in Brannan's fist thatcalled him back to the business before him.

  "How did you get that?" he asked, with professional brevity, littleliking it--soldier bred as he was--that one of the new flock should thusbe parcelled out from his fellows and transported in a Pullman.

  "Climbing through the window of the saloon I--cut it, sir," was theanswer.

  "Yes--_there_ perhaps," said Tibbetts, indicating the smaller gash, "butthis one,--clean cut like a knife. Whose knife?"

  Whereat Brannan looked confused and troubled. "I don't know, sir," hefinally said.

  "I believe you do know, and that you got it in that saloon row. A prettything for a man like you to be mixed in."

  Whereat Brannan reddened still more, and looked as though he wanted tospeak yet feared to say. It was Miss Loomis who promptly took the word.

  "Indeed, captain, you don't understand. He was ordered in. He washandling the hose pipe--the very first--with Mr. Davies." And here sheturned as though to seek the other pipeman, while Tibbettseffusively--impulsively--began to make amends.

  "Well--well--well," said he. "That's a totally different matter. You gotyour wound in a good cause, sir, and if I could find out who tried toknife you, he'd repent it this night. Are you sure you don't know?"

  "I don't think anybody tried to cut me, sir," was the answer, after apause.

  "Didn't you see anybody with a knife?"

  But this Brannan wouldn't answer, and the captain, after a moment'sthought, went lurching through the grimy, swaying cars, hunted up thetwo damaged recruits and gruffly bade them follow him. Davies looked upgratefully as they entered the sleeping-car, but the captain did notnotice him. "I have reconsidered," said he, "and brought these patientsto you, Miss Loomis," then turned abruptly away. It was the subalternwho aided, and then who thanked the skilful, light-handed nurse, for thepoor fellows seemed both abashed and humbled. One of them, lookingfurtively about, had caught sight of Brannan, sitting alone in a sectionwith his bandaged hand. Quick glance of recognition was exchanged. Therewas an instant of question in the new-comer's eye. It was answered bythe corporal, who raised two fingers to his compressed lips one second,then let them fall. But Davies saw,--saw also that when told by thecaptain they might remain there in the roomier, cooler sleeper for atime, the younger and more intelligent-looking of the two dropped intothe seat by Brannan's side. They chatted in low tone together, as thenight came on, their lips moving and their ears attent even though theirheads were turned apart,--communing as men commune who do not wish to bethought in conversation.

  "We shall have supper at Grand Island," said the captain, presently,"and coffee will be sent through the cars for the men. If you willescort Mrs. Cranston and Miss Loomis, Mr. Davies, my sergeants will lookafter the command." And Mr. Davies being subordinate and just out offour years' training in which no man may hesitate to do just as asuperior may bid, obeyed his instructions, not unwilling, even thoughsmarting under vague sense of being given to understand he was of nomilitary use.

  Re-entering the car, refreshed after a hearty supper, and seeing hisfair charges to their section, Mr. Davies caught sight of his invalidsstill seated where he had left them, and looking weak and hungry.

  "Did they bring you no coffee? Have you had no supper?" he asked. And,as a shake of the head was sole answer, he sallied forth. Appealing tothe sergeant in charge of the distribution of the cooked rations, he wasfavored with the brief reply, "The captain didn't give me no orders."Moreover, there didn't seem to be anything left. The captain was stillleisurely finishing his own supper, after having got the coffee startedon the train. The huge caldrons used for the purpose were already beinglifted off the cars, empty. Every drop had been spilled or swallowed bythe hungry and thirsty crowd. With quick decision Davies stepped to thelunch-counter, loaded up with huge frontier sandwiches, doughnuts, andhard-boiled eggs, and bade the manager draw a jug full of coffee and getit, with some cups, milk, and sugar, on the sleeper at once. He cameforth laden, the Pullman porter with him, as the conductor was trolling,"All aboard." Down the platform he went with the eyes of half the bluecoats on the cars upon him, and soldiers refreshed by food and coffeeare in more receptive mood than when dejected by hunger. Some men in thethird car who had heard his eager queries of the commissary sergeantknew for whom those supplies were meant, others did not, and of theselatter one jocular and untutored Patlander sang out, "Bully for theleftenint; 'tis he that knows how to look out for number wan." Whereatthere came furious shouts of "Shame!" "Shut up!" and inelegant andopprobrious epithets, all at the expense of the impetuous son of Erinwho had spoken too soon. Some one whacked his empty head with an equallyempty canteen and called him a Yap. Some one else, farther back,
sangout, "Three cheers for the lieutenant," and stentorian authority inchevrons bellowed "Silence there, fore and aft!" and then, when instanthush and awe rewarded the mandate, followed up the order with themilitary Milesianism, "Youse fellers wants to keep your mouths shutbarrin' you're atin'." The wounded in the Pullman ate and drankgratefully and heartily at the lieutenant's expense, and these arematters the rank and file remember. Lance Corporal Brannan, madecomfortable for the night in the sleeper, had a few murmured words withthe dark-eyed and more intelligent-looking of the two recruits beforethey were remanded to their own car for the night, where they went, and,after the manner of their kind, one of them bragged not a little overthe bully supper they had had with the lieutenant. "Enjoy it while youcan, me bucks," was the caustic comment of a fellow-recruit who had allthe ear-marks and none of the credentials of previous service about him."It's the last of that sort of hobnobbing you'll ever see."

  For upwards of an hour during the night, while Mrs. Cranston laypeacefully sleeping, Mr. Davies and Miss Loomis sat in conversation inthe opposite section. Tibbetts, who would fain have enjoyed such aprivilege, found no opportunity. Somewhere towards ten o'clock he camequickly in. Davies read official matter in the captain's manner as heapproached the section, and rising, stood attention, cadet-like, whenaddressed.

  "Mr. Davies, while I think everything will go quietly with thosefellows from this on, I wish to take all necessary precautions. I willdivide the night with you. After two o'clock I wish you to go throughthe cars once every two hours and see that the recruits are quiet andthe guard alert, also to step outside to the platform when we stop atstations. Better turn in now and get what sleep you can."

  But though promptly at two o'clock the young officer aroused thecaptain, who was dozing in the smoking-room, he himself had had littlesleep. The events of the day, the novelty of his position, the desire tosee something of the strange, half-settled land so recently theroaming-ground of Indian and buffalo through which they were steadilyrolling, and which lay outspread, weird and ghostly, in the summermoonlight,--these and thoughts of home and the rapidly nearingpossibilities of frontier warfare, all combined to make him wakeful. Hewas only getting sleepy when he should have been wide awake. CaptainTibbetts was an old campaigner and awoke from his doze with a start,shook himself together, and said he'd take a turn through the car beforeundressing for the night. In a moment or two he returned, the firstsergeant with him, and this faithful old soldier was rewarded by a longpull from the captain's canteen before returning to the recruit car.

  "Do you know anything about that young fellow,--ever meet him before?"said Tibbetts, indicating with a nod the recruit corporal, who, with apillow under his head and his feet on the opposite seat, was now curledup in slumber.

  "No, sir," answered Davies.

  "Well, he's a man of good education and family, if I'm not mistaken. I'mtold he's been on duty as clerk at the depot, and 'twas he who made outthe rolls. It will be long before he can write again. Better leave himat Sanders." As he spoke the captain was holding out the well-filledflask in one hand, the cup in the other. Davies took neither. "Won't youhave a nip?" asked the senior. "It'll help you to keep awake."

  "Thank you, sir, I never have, and don't care to begin."

  Tibbetts began screwing on the cap, looking his man over as he did so.

  "I believe you're right," said he, "and if I were to begin over againI'd do the same. But we were all taught the other way fifteen yearsago." He paused as though he half wanted to say more, but finally turnedaway and disappeared in his section.

  Obedient to his instructions, Davies made frequent tours through thecars, and scouted the outside of the train at every stop. The nightpassed, however, in perfect peace. The dawn came hours before the trainwas due at Sidney, where coffee was again to be served. Only oneincident occurred to give him food for new thought. Towards four o'clockhe returned to the sleeper after an absence of some ten minutes, just asthe train pulled slowly away from one of those little prairie stations,and as he entered the dimly-lighted aisle he saw that Brannan was not inhis place. Standing at Mrs. Cranston's section farther on, a littlephial and medicine-glass in her hand, her dark hair falling in heavybraids down her back, attired in a loose, warm wrapper, was Miss Loomis,calm, yet evidently anxious. Beyond her hovered Brannan, holding thecaptain's flask.

  "What is it?" asked Davies. "Can I be of assistance?"

  "Mrs. Cranston woke up in some pain," was the answer. "I know just whatto do for her. Thank you, corporal, I believe we won't need theflask.--He thought I needed it," said she, turning to Davies. AndBrannan, going to the captain's section, slipped his prize back into thelittle russet leather satchel and shoved it underneath the berth. Davieslooked at him in some surprise, but made no comment.

  "I am sorry I was not here to help you," said he. "Did you have to wakehim,--Brannan?"

  "He was awake. A soldier was in here speaking with him when I heard Mrs.Cranston, just after we stopped at the last station. We were thereseveral minutes, were we not?"

  "Yes, taking on water; but Captain Tibbetts gave orders that no manshould leave his car. Who was the man who came in here, corporal?" askedhe of Brannan.

  "I--I couldn't give his name, sir," was the answer, in evidentembarrassment. "He came in just the minute the lieutenant got off at thestation. He was only in here a few seconds, sir."

  "What did he want?" asked Davies.

  "He--wanted something of the captain, sir, but I told him the captainwas asleep."

  Davies hastened through the passage and across the jolting platform tothe next car ahead.

  "Sergeant," said he, "what man went through here into the sleeper whenwe stopped last station?"

  "No man, sir," said the non-commissioned officer, stoutly.

  "But there must have been--or no, perhaps he could have run along theleft side of the train from a forward car and jumped on the platform. Ididn't think of that. Did you see or hear no one?"

  "I heard some one on the platform of the sleeper, sir, but I thought itwas the lieutenant."

  Going forward Davies met with no better success. The guard at each doorwas positive no man had gone out. Then, unless there were collusion onthe part of the sentries, he must have slipped through some window, saidDavies to himself. Miss Loomis was still up and rearranging Mrs.Cranston's pillows when he returned.

  "Did you ascertain anything?" she asked.

  "Nothing. They all deny any knowledge of such a thing."

  "Do you know, I thought there was something strange about it. The manseemed hurried and excited, talked low and fast, and when Brannanrefused or seemed to refuse what was asked, I heard him say, 'Well,you'll be a sorry man if you don't.'"

  But of this threat Brannan denied all knowledge whatsoever. Davies,feeling sure that the young soldier was concealing something, decided toask no more questions inviting more lies, but to wait and report theaffair to the captain after breakfast. This time the sergeants did notoverlook the lance corporal in the distribution of coffee and rations.Davies found that Miss Loomis had just finished dressing and bandagingthe wound when he returned to the sleeper shortly after they resumedthe journey. The soldier looked gratefully into her face as he turnedaway, and murmured something the young officer could not hear. "Yes, Iunderstand," said Miss Loomis in reply.

  A moment later she accosted him. "I'm going to ask you something thatmay sound very strange," she said, and her color heightened and the lidsswept quickly over her eyes, "yet--I believe you won't misunderstand. Iwant you to do something--or rather _not_ to do something--for me. Youwere going to tell Captain Tibbetts about that affair of lastnight,--that other soldier's coming in here, were you not?"

  "I certainly was."

  "Well--please don't."