People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1893 — WARING'S PERIL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WARING'S PERIL.

NANI AS!” “Ye-as, snh?” “What time is it?” “ G y a h d - mountin’ done gone, suh.” “The devil it k has! What do ja you mean, sir, by allowing me

"to sleep on in this shameless and un■eonscionable manner, when an indulgent government is suffering for my services? What sort of a day is it, sir?” “Beautiful day, Mr. Waring.” “Then go at once to Mr. Larkin and tell him he can’t wear his new silk hat this morning—l want it, and you fetch it. Don't allow him to ring in the old ■one on you. Tell him I mean the new ‘spring style’ he just brought from New York. Tell Mr. Ferry I want that new Hatfield suit of his, and you get Mr. Pierce s silk, umbrella; then come "back here and get my bath and my •coffee. Stop, there, Ananias! Give my pious,regards to the commanding officer, sir, and tell him there’s no drill for ‘X’ battery this morning, as I’m to "breakfast at Moreau’s at eleven o’clock and go to the matinee, afterwards.” “Beg pahdon, suh, but de cunnle’s done ohdered review fo’ de whole command, suh, right at nine o’clock.” A So much the better. Then Capt. Cram must stay, and won’t need his swell team. Go right down to the •stable and tell Jeffers I’ll drive at ninethirty.” “But-” “No huts, you incorrigible rascal! I don’t pay you a princely salary to raise obstacles. I don’t pay you at all, sir, except &t rare intervals and in moments of mental decrepitude. Go at once! Allez! Chassez! Skoot!” “But, lieutenant,” says Ananias, his' black face shining, his even white teeth all agleam, “Capt. Cram Stopped in on de way back from stables to say Glenco’d sprained his foot and you was ride de bay colt. Please get up, suh. Boots and saddles’ll soun’ in ten minutes.” ,l lt won’t, but if it does I’ll brain the bugler. Tell him so. Tell Capt. Cram he’s entirely mistaken; I won’t ride the bay colt—nor Glenco. I’m going

driving-, sir, with Capt. Cram’s own team and road wagon. Tell him so. Going in forty-five minutes by ray watch. Where is it, sir?” “It ain’t back from de jeweler’s, sub, where you dun lef’ it day before yist’day; but his boy’s hyuh now, suh, wid de bill for las’ year. Whut shall I tell him?” “Tell him to go to—quarantine. No! Tell him the fever has broken out here again, sir, and not to call until ten o’clock next spring—next mainspring they put in that watch. Go and get Mr. Merton’s watch. Tell him I’ll be sure to overstay in town if he doesn’t send it, and then I can’t take him up and introduce him to those ladies from Louisville to-morrow. Impress that op him, sir, unless he’s gone and left it on his bureau, in which case impress, the watch—the watch, sir, in any case. No! Stop again, Ananias; not in any case, only in the gold hunting case; no other. Now then, vanish!” “But, lieutenant, ’fo’ Gawd, suh, dey’ll put you in arrest if you cuts drill dis time. Cunnle Braxton says to Capt. Cram only two days ago, suh, dat—” But here a white arm shot out from a canopy of mosquito netting, and first a boot-jack, then a slipper, then a heavy top boot, came whizzing past the darky’s dodging head, and, finding oxpostulation vain, that faithful servitor bolted out in search of some ally more potent, and found one, though not the one he sought or desired, just entering the adjoining room. A big fellow, too—too big, in fact, to he seen wearing, as was the fashion in the sixties, the shell jacket of the light artillery. He had a full round body, and a full round ruddy face, and a little round visbrless cap cocked on one side of a round head, not very full of brains, perhaps, yet reputed to be fairly stocked with what is termed “horse sense. ” His bulky legs were thrust deep in* long boots, and ornamented, so far aS the skintight breeches of sky blue were con- ■ cerned,. with a scarlet wslt along the seam, a welt that his comrades were Wont to say would make a white mark on his nose, so red and bulbous was that organ. He came noisily jn from the broad veranda overlooking* the parade ground, glanced about ou the

[Copyright, 1893, by J. B. Lippincott & C k and published by special arrangement.]

WARING'S PERIL.

U.< S .ARMY.,

disarray of the bachelor sitting-room then whirled on Ananias. z “Mr. Wearing dressed?” “No-o, suh; jus’ woke up, suh; ain’t out o’ bed yit.” “The lazy vagabond! Just let me get at him a minute," saM the big man, tramping overto the doorway as-thongh bent on invading the chamber beyond. But Ananias had halted short at sight of the intruder, and stood there resolutely barring the way. “Beg pardon, lieutenant, but Mr. Waring ain’t had no bath yit. Can I mix de lieutenant .a eopktail, suh?” “Can you? You black imp of Satan, why isn’t it ready now, sir? Sure you could have seen I was as dhry as a limekiln from the time I came through the gate. H ware’s the demijohn, you villain?” “Bein’ refilled, suh, down to de sto’, but da’s a little on de sideboa’d, suh,” answered Ananias, edging over thither, now that he had lured the invader away from the guarded doorway. “Take it straight, suh, o’ wid bitters—o’ toddy?” “Faith, I’ll answer ye as Pat did the parson: I’ll, take it..straight now, and then be drinking the toddy while your honor is mixin’ the punch. Give me hold of it, you smudge! and tell your masther it’s review—full-dress—and it’s time for him to be up. Has he had his two cocktails yet?" “The lieutenant doesn’t care fo’ any dis mawnin’, suh. I’ll fetch him his coffee in a minute. Did you see de cunnle’s oade’ly, suh? He was lookin’ fo’ you a moment ago.” The big red man was gulping down a big drink of the fiery liquor at the instant. He set the glass back on the sideboard with unsteady hand and glared at Ananias suspiciously. “Is it troot’ you’re tellin’, nigger? Hwat did he say was wanted?” “Didn’t say, suh, but de cunnle’s in his office. Yahndnh comes de oade’ly, too, suh; guess he must have hyuhd you was over hyuh.” The result of this announcement was not unexpected. The big man made a leap for the chamber door,only to find it slammed in his face from the other side. “Hwat the devil’s the matter with your master •this morning, Ananias?— Waring! Waring, I say! Let me in. The K. O.’s orderly is afther me, and

all on account of your bringihg me in at that hour last night. Tell him I’ve gone, Ananias. Let me in, Waring, there’s a good fellow.” “Go to blazes, Doyle!” is the unfeeling answer from the other side. “I’m bathing. ■’ And a vigorous splashing follows the announcement. “For the Lord’s sake, Waring, let me in. Sure, I can’t see the colonel now. If I could stand him off until review and inspection’s over and he’s had his dhrink he’d let the whole thing drop; but that blackguard of a sinthfy has given us away. Sure I told you he would.” “Then slide down the lightning-rod! Fly up the chimney! Evaporate! Dry up and blow away, but get out! You can’t come in here.” “Qh, for mercy’s sake, Waring! Sure ’twas ypu that got me into the scrape. You kfiow that I was dhrunk when you found me up the levee. You made me come down when I didn’t want to. Hwat did I say to the man last night, anyhow?” “Say to him? Poor devil! why, you never can t'emember after you’re drunk what you’ve been doing the night before. Sonie time it’ll be the death of you. You: abused him like a pickpocket—the sergeant of the guard and everybody Connected with it.” “Oh, muifther! murther.! murther!” groaned the poor Irishman, sitting down and Covering his face with his hands. “Sure, they’ll court-martial me this time without fail, and I know it. For God’s sake, Waring, can’t ye let a , feller in and sdy that I’m not here?” “Hywh, dis way, lieutenant.” whispered “Slip out on.de into Mr. Pierce’s room. I’ll .tell, you when he’s gone.” And in a moment the huge bulk of the dow opening from the/gallery into the bachelor den Of the junior second lieutenant. No sooner was thin done than the negro servant darted bxfokiclosed and bolted the long green Venetian bl|Mis behind him, tiptoed to room door, and, softly tapping, called: “Mr. Waring! Mr. Wartug! get dressed quick as you can, suhf I*ll lay out your uniform iu hyuh.”

**l tell you, Ananias, Fm going to town, sir; not to any ridiculous review. Go and get what I ordered you. See that I’m properly dressed, sir, or I’ll discharge you. Confound you, sir, there isn’t a drop of Florida water in this bath, and none on my bureau! Go and rob Mr. Pierce—or anybody.” But Ananias was already gone. Darting out on the gaHery, he took a header through the window of the adjoining quarters through which Mr. Doyle had escaped, snatched a long flask from the dressing table and was back in the twinkling of an eye, “What became of Mr. Doyle?” asked Waring, as he thrust a bare arm through a narrow aperture to Receive the spoil. “Don’t let him get drunk; he’s got to go to review, sir. If he doesn’t, Col. Braxton may be so inconsiderate as to inquire why both the lieutenants of ‘X’ battery are missing. Take good care of him till the review, sir, then let him go to grass; and don’t you dare leave me without Florida water again if you have to burglarize the whole post. What’s Mr. Doyle doing, sir?”

“Peekin’ froo de blin’s in Mr. Pierce’s room, suh; lookin’ fo’ de oade’ly. I done tole him de cunnel was ahter him, but he ain’t, suh,” chuckled Ananias. “I fixed it all right wid de gyahd dis mawnin, suh. Dey won’ tell ’bout his cuttin’ up las’ night He’d forgot de whole t'ing, suh; he allays does; he never does know what’s happened de night befo’. He wouldn’t ’a’ known about dis, but I told his boy Jim to tell him ’bout it ahter stables. I told Jim to sweah dat dey’d repohted it to de cunnle.” “Very well, Ananias; very well, sir; you’re a credit to your name. Now go and carry out my orders. Don’t forget Capt. Cram’s wagon. Tell Jeffers to be here with it on time.” And the lieutenant returned to his bath without waiting for reply. “Ye-as, suh,” was the subordinate answer, as Ananias promptly turned, and, whistling cheerily, went banging out upon the gallery and clattering down the open stairway to the brickpaved court below. Here he as promptly turned, and, noiseless as a cat, shot up the stairway, tiptoed back into the sit-ting-room, kicked off his low-heeled slippers, and rapidly, but with hardly an audible sound, resumed the work on which he had been engaged—the arrangement of his master’s kit.

Already, faultlessly brushed, folded and hanging over the back of a chair close by the chamber door were the bright blue, scarlet-welted battery trousers then in vogue, very snug at the knee, very springy over the foot. Underneath them, spread over the square back of the chair, a dark-blue, single-breasted frock-coat, hanging nearly to the floor, its shoulders decked with huge epaulettes, to the right one of which were attached the braid and loops of a heavy gilt aiguillette whose glistening pendants were hung temporarily on the upper button. On .the seat of the chair was folded a broad soft sash of red silk net, its tassels carefully spread. Beside it lay a pair of long buff gauntlets, new and spotless. At the door, brilliantly polished, stood a pair of buttoned gaiter boots, the heels decorated with small glistening brass spurs. In the corner, close at hand, leaned a long, curved saber, its gold sword-knot, its triple-guarded hilt, its steel scabbard and plated bands and rings, as well as the swivels and buckle of the black sword-belt, showing the perfection of finish in manufacture and care in keeping. From a round leather box Ananias now extracted a new gold-wire fourragere, which he softly wiped with a silk handkerchief, dandled lovingly an instant the glistening tassels, coiled it carefully upon the sash, then producing from the" same box a long scarlet horsehair plume he first brushed it into shimmering freedom from the faintest knot or kink, then set it firmly through its socket into the front of a gold-braided shako whose black front was decked with the embroidered cross cannon of the regiment, surmounted by the arms of the United States. This he noiselessly placed upon the edge of the mantle, stepped back to complacently view his work, flicked off apossible speck of dust on

the sleeve of the coat, touched with a chamois-skin the gold crescent of the nearest epaulette, then softly, noiselessly as before, vanished through the dooSway, tiptoed to the adjoining window, and peeked in. Mr. Doyle had thrown himself into Pierce’s armchair, and was trying to read the morning paper. “Wunner what Mars’er Pierce will say when he gits back from breakfast,” was Ananias’ comment, as he sped softly down the stairs, a broad grin <sn his black face, a grin that almost instantly gave place to preternatural solemnity and respect as, turning sharply on the sidewalk at the foot of the stairs, he came face to face with the battery commander. Ananias would have passed with a low obeisance, but the captain halted him short. “Where’s Mr. Waring, sir?” “Dressin’ fo’ inspection, captain.” “He is? I just heard in the messroom that he didn’t propose attending —that he had an engagement to breakfast and was going in town.” “Ye-as, suh, ye-as, suh, Gen. Rosseau, suh, expects de lieutenant in to breakfast, but the mofnent he hyuhd ’twas review he ohdered me to git everything ready, suh. I’s goin’ for de bay colt now. Beg pahdon, captain, de lieutenant says is de captain goin’ to wear gauntlets or gloves dis mawnin’? He wants to do just as de captain does, suh.” What a merciful interposition of Divine Providence it is that the African canndt blush! Capt. Cram looked suspiciously at the earnest, unwinking black face before him. Some memory .of old college days flitted through his mind at the moment. “0 Kunopes!” (“thou dog-faced one!”) he caught himself muttering, but negro diplomacy was too much for him, and the innocence in the face of Ananias would have baffled a man far more suspicious. Cram was a fellow who loved his battery and hla profession as few men loved be*

fore. He was full of big ideas In one way and little oddities in another. Undoubted ability had been at the bottom of his selection over the head of many a senior to command one of the light batteries when the general dismounting took place in *66. Unusual attractions of person had won for him a wife with a fortune only a little later. The fortune had warranted a short leave abroad this very year. (He would not have taken a day over sixty, for fear of losing his light battery). He had been a stickler for gauntlets on all mounted duty when he went away, and he came home converted to white wash-leather gloves because the British horse-artillery wore no other, “and they, sir, are the nattiest in the world.” He could not tolerate an officer whose soul was not aflame with enthusiasm for battery duty, and so was perpetually at war with Waring, who dared to have other aspirations. He delighted in a man who took pride in his dress and equipment, and so rejoiced in Waring, who, more than any subaltern ever attached to “X,” was the very glass of soldier fashion and mold of soldier form. He had dropped in at the bachelor mess just in time to hear some gabbling youngster blurt out a bet that Sam Waring would cut review and keep his tryst in town, and he had known him many a time to overpersuade his superiors into excusing him from duty on pretext of social claims, and more than once into pardoning deliberate absence. But he and the post commander had deemed it high time to block all that nonsense in future, and had so informed him, and were nonplussed at Waring’s cheery acceptance of the implied rebuke and most airy, graceful and immediate change of the subject. The whole garrison was chuckling over It by night. [to be continued.]

A HEAVY TOP BOOT CAME WHIZZING PAST.