by Charles King
CHAPTER XVI.
That beautiful wintry Tuesday morning was as placid and serene as naturecould make it, but Fort Scott was in a ferment. Whether stricken byapoplexy, which was the first, or vertigo, which was the later, theory,Colonel Peleg Stone had been found lying bleeding and unconscious at thefoot of the stairs, and almost at his parlor door, just after sick-call.He had arisen early, said his tearful and terrified wife, saying thatmatters of importance demanded his presence at the office beforeguard-mounting. He had been wakeful and restless during the night. Hehad called for hot water soon after reveille, and gone into hisdressing-room to shave. This was all she knew until aroused an hourlater by her frightened maid, with the tidings that the colonel waslying speechless in the hall. Both doctors and Mr. Leonard weresummoned. Violence was hinted at, but the orderly pacing the frontpiazza declared that no one had entered the front door since he cameover and rang the bell to report himself for duty just as soon as he hadfinished breakfast. "For them was the colonel's orders when he dismissedme last night." Just about sick-call he heard the sound of a heavy fallinside, and presently "Jane come a-runnin'," and told him to rush forthe doctors. Alonzo, the colonel's colored body-servant who had followedhis fortunes a dozen years, was in the kitchen below stairs, and wassure no one had come in from the rear. He, too, had heard the fall andran up with Jane, finding his master completely dressed, lying close tothe parlor door, with blood streaming from his nose and mouth. Therewere heavy contusions on the forehead and face, caused probably by hishaving plunged blindly forward down the stairs. Something in thestertorous breathing suggested apoplexy, but the doctors soon decidedagainst that. It might have been vertigo, or he might simply havetripped at the top and come diving head-foremost all the way down, buthis clothing was not in such disorder as that would cause, and neitherthe orderly, nor Jane, nor Alonzo had heard more than one single crashor thud. Had they examined the parlor and sitting-room to see if any onecould have been there hidden? was asked. No, there wasn't time. Thehouse was one of the big double sets of quarters, with hall-way andstaircase in the middle, as frequently planned in those days for thecommanding officer of the large frontier garrisons. Four large roomswere on the ground floor for use as parlor, sitting-, and reception- anddining-room, all abundantly furnished, as Mrs. Stone was well-to-do, andthere were hiding-places enough if some one had stolen in, like a thiefin the night. The broad contusion on the forehead might have been causedby some blunt instrument, to be sure, said the senior surgeon, but hethought it improbable. Only one thing was certain,--Pegleg was knockedout. It might be several days, possibly a week, before he could resumeduty. Captain Devers came over five minutes after the adjutant left him,and was profuse in sympathy, sorrow, and proffers of aid. The despatchsent to Department head-quarters that afternoon was a model of style,but it did not reach the office until late in the afternoon, so latethat the general had gone home with his chief of staff, and not untilfive o'clock was it placed in the hands of the latter, who took it atonce to his commander.
"Whew!" said the chief. "It's bad enough to have Pegleg down, but thinkof having Devers up, even for a week."
"I don't see what we can do, sir," was the reply. "Thelieutenant-colonel of the Fortieth is on leave awaiting retirement, themajor on General Sheridan's staff. Major Warren, of the Eleventh, isabroad, and Devers is the ranking captain."
"Well, let it stand," said the general, after a while. "Leonard willlook after affairs in the Fortieth, and you look after Devers. If hegets to cutting up any didoes, send him up to the reservation toinvestigate the trouble up there; it's something after his own heart, Ireckon,--or send him anywhere, and let the command devolve on the nextcaptain until Stone's on deck again. Devers says he'll be up in a week."
"That's just what makes me fear he won't be well in a month, and if heisn't able to resume duty, Devers will say he only meant _sitting_ up inbed, probably."
No matter what the opinion attaching to Captain Devers, however, thefact remained that he was now in law and fact commanding officer of thebiggest post in the Platte Valley, and meant to make the most of hisopportunities. Leonard promptly asked to be relieved from duty aspost-adjutant, on the plausible ground that Captain Devers woulddoubtless prefer to have one of his own cloth and corps in the office,and Devers, well knowing how it would reflect upon him at Departmenthead-quarters, refused to change. "However strained may be our personalrelations, the good of the service demands that for the present they beignored. The differences between us can and shall be adjusted later on,"was the purport of his reply. Meantime Mr. Leonard could be assured thathe should in no wise be disturbed in his functions as regimentaladjutant, or hampered no more than was necessary in those that relatedto the post. Leonard swore impressively as he read the reply to hisfriends, Captain Pollock of the Fortieth, and Cranston of the Eleventh,but said nothing to any one else.
Davies was to relieve Hastings as troop duty officer for the week, andassume charge of roll-calls and stables, all matters between himself andhis captain being incontinently shelved after conference with Cranston,Truman, and Hay, until such time as somebody beside Devers should sit injudgment on Devers's acts. The temporary post-commander spent verylittle of Tuesday morning in the office. With official gravity he signedthe ration returns and such papers as were to be forwarded. "All mattersconcerning the interior discipline of the companies I prefer leaving totheir proper commanders," said he, coldly, to the statuesque adjutant,thereby hitting a self-comforting whack at the colonel, who rather likedto interfere. "I have every confidence in the judgment of the captainsof the infantry, at least, and as for routine matters you will bepleased to conduct them just as when Colonel Stone was on duty."
Then he went forth to his own sanctum, the troop office, raising his furcap in acknowledgment of the sentry's shrill, "Turn out the guard;commanding officer!" and once there established, he sent his orderlywith directions to the sergeant of the guard. In five minutes prisonerHoward, conducted by an armed sentry, made his appearance, and wasreceived within the sanctum. "You may retire, sentry, until called. I'llbe responsible for this man," said he, and from that conference evenSergeant Haney was excluded. The interview lasted twenty minutes, at theend of which time Howard was remanded to the guard-house and Painebrought over in his place. Howard swaggered insolently past the sergeantof the guard on his return, and when told to get ready to go out towork, replied, "I guess not, Johnny, unless you want to lose yourstripes." But Paine came "home" scared and abject. Men in quarters saidthat both the captain and Sergeant Haney stormed at him until he didn'tknow black from white, and the temporary company clerk, excluded fromthe office during the conference, was called in finally to witnessPaine's signature to a paper, the contents of which he did not see atall.
All day Tuesday Davies was occupied in getting his furniture and trapsinto Number 12, and Almira--pretty as a picture, and eagerly assisted byher now intimate friends, Mesdames Flight and Darling--was tacking upcurtains, brackets, and knickknacks. Army women have a gift of makingeven a burrow look cheery and attractive, though they do accumulate anamount of truck that becomes embarrassing in the inevitable event of amove. On Wednesday, however, as has been said, his week of troop dutywas to begin, and at gun-fire he was up and dressed and ready forbusiness. Devers did not come down to stables. The first sergeant madethe various reports in somewhat off-hand and perfunctory style, butDavies took, apparently, no notice of his manner, and, joining CaptainCranston as soon as he had inspected the stables on the return of thehorses to their stalls, the two friends strolled slowly up the windingroad to the parade, the last officers to return homeward. Sick-call wassounding as they passed the barracks, and Captain Devers met them on thewalk. Both officers saluted the post-commander, Davies in silence,Cranston with an accompanying "Good-morning, sir." Devers responded inthe briefest possible way and went at once to business.
"Mr. Davies, that man Brannan will be returned to the troop fromhospital this morning. See that he is immediately confined in theguard-
house." And then, with his orderly following, the commander wenthis way. Sergeant Haney was standing not forty yards away on thebarrack-porch awaiting his captain's coming. Such instructions weregenerally given by the company commander direct to the first sergeant,and the purpose of making Davies the medium and Cranston the witness ofthe order was apparent at a glance. Devers meant to inflict hispunishment not only upon the soldier, but upon those who dared either inperson or through some "member of the household" appear as thesoldier's friend.
"What should I do, captain?" asked Davies, sadly. "Turn and carry theorder to the first sergeant at once?"
Cranston looked back, saw Devers halt to say some words to the troopfarrier, and seized the opportunity.
"Yes, and I will go with you to be ready to testify to your havingobeyed."
Retracing their steps, the two approached the quarters. "Go no farther,"said Cranston, in low tone, as they got about half-way and were close towhere Devers stood. "Call the sergeant to you here." Davies did so, andDevers whirled around in surprise. Haney came promptly, buttoning hisovercoat on the way. It wouldn't do to "slouch" in presence of Cranston,whatsoever he might dare with a new lieutenant.
"Sergeant," said Davies, "the captain orders that Trooper Brannan beconfined in the guard-house the moment he returns from hospital."
"Yes, sir. I got the order, sir, last night," said Haney, forgetful inCranston's presence of the impulse to be flippant, and unconsciouslyrevealing just exactly what his captain meant to conceal. Davies turnedand looked at Cranston, and the latter, with a peculiar smile, linkedhis arm in that of his friend and, carefully avoiding the spot whereDevers now stood watching them, led him away.
This for a starter was significant, but more was to come. Guard mountingwas hurried through that morning, for the air was sharply cold and anortherly wind was beginning to moan through the garrison and whirl thesnow in drifts over the desolate prairie. Captains Truman and Pollock,the former as old and the latter as new officer of the day, appeared infur caps and heavy overcoats and stood at the desk where Colonel Peglegfor months past had administered the affairs of the post. The formerraised his hand in salute as he said, "I report as old officer of theday, sir," and tendered the guard report. Devers glanced at once at thelist of prisoners. Foremost were the familiar names of the old stagers,the general prisoners undergoing sentence of court-martial. Then thoseof the men sentenced to brief confinement by the minor or garrisoncourt. Then came the names of those awaiting trial, and opposite eachname in the column headed "Charges" was the word "Preferred," as was thecustom of the day, and this significant word appeared opposite the nextto the last name on the list, that of Howard, Troop "A."
"Ah! What is the nature of the charges against prisoner Howard?" askedDevers, blandly.
"I haven't seen them, sir. I understand that they were prepared byLieutenant Sanders as directed by Colonel Stone."
Devers tapped his bell and the orderly sprang in. "My compliments to theadjutant," said he, and from the adjoining room, grave, stolid, andimperturbable as ever, Leonard came in, pencil in hand, and stood atattention without a word.
"Mr. Leonard, have charges been preferred against Trooper Howard?"
"Yes, sir. Desertion. The specification alleges that he was caughtaboard the west-bound train at Braska in civilian dress Monday evening."
"Anything else?"
"No, sir."
"Captain Pollock, you may release Howard. He was in town with myapprobation and assent, looking for an absentee whose haunts he knew andwhose presence was required here. He says he boarded the train expectingpossibly to find him thereon, and wore civilian dress because hisuniform might have caused his rejection at places he wished to search."
Captain Pollock touched his cap without a word.
"You will also see that Paine and Brannan, recently confined, are sentout to work with the police cart. Other orders as usual. You arerelieved, Captain Truman. That is all, Mr. Leonard."
The talk that ensued among the officers of the calvary command when thismatter was detailed at the club room will have to be condensed. Davieswas not present. He never went there. Cranston was present for the firsttime in weeks, for it was an establishment for which ordinarily he hadno use. He and Truman went thither because they knew that that was whereSanders could be found, and there they found him. It was barely teno'clock, but this light-hearted young gentleman, together with three orfour kindred spirits of the Fortieth, was discussing, to theaccompaniment of hot Scotch, the relative values of hands dealt atrandom from a grimy deck. That they should have taken to hot Scotch atsuch an hour they explained by the statement that as they had to be upwith the dawn the day was already old, and that they should be playingpoker they didn't consider a matter calling for explanation of any kind.It was "a way they had in the army" in those days when the otherthree-quarters of the year was spent in sharp campaigning. Sanderscheerfully dropped his hand as he had his money and told his story likea little man.
"We trotted or galloped all the way to town and found Paine soon aftersix, drunk, of course,--too drunk to ride the spare horse, so while wewere waiting for an ambulance from the quartermaster's depot, I ran overto the Cattle Club for a drink, and was chatting there with Willett andBurtis,--by the way, I asked them both to drive out and dine with usto-night and take in the hop later,--and presently in came a couple ofcattlemen from Cheyenne who knew everybody at Russell and were jolly,pleasant fellows. They were going up on the evening freight, and weloaded up a lunch-basket and went down to the depot to see them off inthe caboose. The Braska crowd did their best to send them home full, andthey were full, and nothing would do but we must go into the bar anddrink Roederer with them until the conductor came rushing in to say allaboard. Then they snaked me on to the caboose platform when the trainwas under way, pulled me inside and ran me half a mile up the trackbefore they could stop her again. But that half-mile did the businessfor Mr. Howard. There he was spruce and dandified as you please, dressedfit to kill in a bang-up better suit than I ever hope to own, trying tosit behind a newspaper. They pulled Burtis aboard, too, and in thescuffle he fell all over Howard, knocked his hat off, and I knew theface in a second, and when I came off that car he came with me, by thescruff of his neck, swearing and protesting and denying that he wasHoward, and threatening to have the law on me and appealing to thecattlemen for rescue. By Jupiter, if it wasn't that I had been with themlong enough to make a favorable impression they would have rescued him,too. They didn't half want to let him go, and he straggled hard to getaway as it was."
Then Truman told him what Devers's orders and remarks were, and Sandersfairly blazed with wrath. "It's the maddest kind of a lie," said he."That fellow had never looked for Paine or thought of such a thing. Wefound where he had left his uniform and where he kept in hiding untiltime to skip out and catch that train. He wasn't looking for anybody anddidn't care to see or be seen by anybody. If it wasn't a clear-cut caseof desertion may I be hanged. He had over two hundred dollars in hisclothes and fresh duds in his grip-sack."
Long before mid-day, therefore, Sanders's words were being repeated frommouth to mouth, and Trooper Howard, with pale face and starting eyes,was shut up in the company office where only the captain and SergeantHaney could get at him, and Devers was there with his sergeant andclerk, when just at 10.45 the telegraph operator came bulging into Mr.Leonard's office.
"An important despatch," said he, "for the commanding officer."
Leonard took it, then hesitated. Under Colonel Stone his instructionswere to open and read at once, but the relations between him and thecaptain temporarily in command were neither confidential nor cordial."Take it to Captain Devers," said he, "and I will wait."
Devers read the despatch with kindling eye. It was from departmenthead-quarters at Omaha, and said briefly,--
"Send a discreet officer with twenty cavalrymen for temporary duty withBoynton at the agency at once. Report action by wire."
For a few minutes the captain sat in deep thought, th
en with head erect,and with quick, confident step, left the barracks and went straight tothe adjutant's office. "Orderly," said he, "my compliments to Mr. Daviesand say I wish to see him at once."
And so only a little more than an hour later, knowing absolutely nothingof what might be going on at the agency, judging only from the reportsof the mail-carrier that there had been trouble between the agent andsome of Red Dog's people, and that the agent had determined to makearrests, leaving his bride wildly weeping and protesting in the hands ofher devoted friends Mesdames Flight and Darling, yet commending her tothe guardianship of Captain and Mrs. Cranston, Percy Davies set forthupon a bitter, wintry march of eighty miles, answering the call of dutyat the front, leaving wife and fireside, good name and character, to thecare of friends or foes who remained.
