Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1904 — For Love of The Major [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

For Love of The Major

By HENRY COLGATE

Major Davis, paymaster, with headquarters at Fort Brady, was eating his supper at Sau Remo ranch, presided over by Apache Joe, one of the sleekest, slickest Mexicans in all she west. The sergeant and the troopers of his escort were frying their bacon at a campfire outside. While Jose, who waited on the officer, was away after the wine the major received a sudden shock. The handsomest Mexican girl he had ever seen softly entered the room, a finger on her lips, and whispered : "Don’t drink the wihe, senor. It will be poisoned! Don't sleep in the house tonight. They come to rob and murder you!” She was gone before the son of Mars could reach out and grasp her sleeve or utter a word in reply. lie had stopped at the ranch several times liefore and knew that the girl was a recent arrival. Jose was back with the wine a minute after the girl has disappeared, hut the officer waved him away, saying; "It is kind of you, Jose, but not tonight. 111 the morning, perhaps, you may ask me to take n bottle along to Fort Reno and have the colonel sample it with me,” At 10 o'clock the major made excuse that he would rather sleep in his ambulance, which was provided with a cot, and at 11 all was quiet within and without the ranch. Within, however, the Mexican stood at one of the rear windows peering out into the darkness, waiting. Without, while all the escort except a single sentinel appeared to be sound asleep, every man’s eyes were wide open and his carbine rested by his side. At midnight to the minute Jose lighted the candle and passed it back and forth across the window a dozen times. Then, taking his revolver from a shelf, he softly quit the house, and after a walk of 300 feet he stood before six men crouched behind a giant cactus. "They are asleep, the pigs,” he whispered, “and it will need only one shot apiece to do for them. Come!” Five minutes later seven border outlaws crept down to within ten feet of the sleeping men. The sentinel stood as one in a daze. The outlaws crept another foot, and the man on guard suddenly wheeled, firing his musket with deadly effect. Ilis recumbent comrades sprang to their feet and poured in a volley which dropped three ruffians. The rest fled into the darkness with the fleetness of shadows, and it was hardly a minute later when the

coatless, hatless and vestless Jose burst out of the front door of the ranch with the exclamation: “Who la It? What Is it? lam here to die with the senor and his brave men!” “We won’t ask you, Jose, to do any dying for us tonight." grimly replied the major as he came forward. “In the morning after we are gone you may dig graves for those dead comrades of yours If you want to oblige us.” “My comrades, senor? God forbid! I never saw one of them before. I permit no bad men to hang about my place. The cursed dogs, to come sneaking upon you In the darkness to do murder r The Mexican tried to throw the ring

of truth into his words, but as ha had a bullet bole In bis shirt and could atlU fool the skin smart where the lead bad graaed it be did not make much of a success. Even when be went over and kicked one of the doad men nobody asked to shake bands wltfi him. The major ate his breakfast In the ranch house and sought to put Jose at bis ease, bis one object to get another sight of the girl whose warning had prevented a tragedy. For Just five seconds she stood In the half open door and smiled at him, but before he could thank her she was gone. This was the beginning of the major’s “mash,” as his regiment chose to call It The officer would have been a boor not to follow It up at least to the point of having grateful Apeech with the girl. He rode to tbe ranch on purpose one day. Jose was fortunately away on a cattle stealing expedition, and his wife was In bed with the Jumping toothache. Little did he learn from Peplta, however. She was a girl of eighteen, handsome and convent educated, but she shrouded herself In mystery, and he did not seek to break down her reserve. He expressed his deep gratitude and rode away, but as he galloped back to Fort Brady he was uncomfortably conscious that the girl admired him. His wife had gone east, and he wns not the man to enter into a flirtation in her absence. Once more he saw Peplta at the ranch as he rode on official business, and once she was found lingering around the fort ns if to get speech with some one. Gossip filled in all the rest. It was a lonely, out of the world post, and there had to be gossip about some one or something. The major was. guyed by his brother officers about thel girl, and he knew that the rank and file were talking, but he went his way and said nothing. They would uot know that he had offered to send the girl east, where bis wife or his mother might provide for her. Then one autumn night, when the gossip was at its height, the sentinel at the gate suddenly called for the corporal of the guard. It was dark and gusty, with falls of rain at intervals, but he had caught sight of a figure skulking about. The corporal made a dash through the darkness and laid his hands on a human being—on a woman! It was Pepita! Near at hand was the pony on which she had covered a distance of twenty-eight miles in the Inst four hours. “I want to see the Senor Davis,” she said as the corporal demanded her business. “Oh, that’s the game, eh?” chuckled the man to himself and winked at the sentinel through the darkness. “At once, if you please.” “It's coming it pretty strong, little one, but it’s not for me to interfere. Say, Pete, if we only had a paper to take tills up, eh? Prominent officer mashed on a cussed good looking little greaser gal—rides out to chin-chin with her—she rides back to return ids call—love —romance—elopement. Everything here for a first class novel.” “With deatli in it if you insult me further!’% said Pepita as she drew a dagger trad menaced him. “A kitten with claws, eh? Put up that frog sticker and come along with me.” The girl was conducted to Major Davis’ quarters and remained for half an hour. Then she rode away. She was hardly outside the gate when a silent alarm brought the men out of barracks to fall In. A quarter of an hour later they had manned the defenses and were waiting for Red Cloud and his 600 warriors to attack. When the rush was made the famous chief wns beaten for the first time in ids life, and there were only -185 warriors to escort him back to his village. Had he come an hour earlier not a nmn or woman in Fort Brady would have escaped the tomahnwk. . “It was the little Mexican gal that gave the reds away,” explained soldier to soldier. And the tongue of gossip was silent. In the morning, when the soldiers pushed out here and there to gather up the sulky wounded and the silent dead, two of them came across a sight that was not pleasant to see. They covered the figure, beautiful even in death, In tender but soldiery fashion and carried her to Major Davis’ quarters. Then they withdrew and left those two alone, the tall, fair man in hla stern uniform; tbe tall, silent woman, with the peaceful smile frozen on her Ups. Tbe man bent over and kissed those Ups—for tbe first time. “For me It was not worth this great sacrifice, dear child. But for my men, and their wives and their children. It waa well doner* Ls Feßtsla*'i Opinion of Himself. “La Fontaine,” said one of the most brilliant critics and wits of the famous fable writer’s time, “Is such a fool that he does not know he has more genius than or Phaedrua.” In truth, be was a severe critic of his own work. He attended the first presentation of his “Astree’’ and sat near some ladles who did not know him. At some of the important passages he exclaimed: “That ls wretched! That la absurd!’* When they protested that it waa good and that It was by the great La Fontaine, he rejoined: "Tbat makes no difference. The piece is bad. I know that La Fontaine you are speaking of. He’s a stupid fellow. He’s myself.” Then he went out, entered a case and went to sleep in a corner. Some of his friends found him there and inquired why he wasn’t listening to “Astree.” • “Oh,” said tbe author, rousing himself and stifling a yawn, “I Just came away. The first part displeases me greatly. No one agreed with wjiat I said about it, but I didn’t care to hear more. I admire tbe patience of the Parisians.”

“I WANT TO SEE THE SENOR DAVIS," SHE SAID.