Once upon a time a very level-headed old soldier was commandant of
cadets at West Point, and one day one of his assistants, an energetic
young officer, came hastily in to say that he had just happened upon a
cadet duel at Fort Clinton, had captured one of the participants and
placed him under arrest, but the principals, seconds and most of those
present had managed to escape. The veteran listened grimly a moment and
then said:
"Were they actually fighting when you got wind of it?"
"Yes, sir," was the earnest reply. "Anybody could have heard them."
"Um," said the colonel, reflectively. "Then I think you--erred in
interfering. Couldn't you have got there just a little later?"
"But the regulations prohibit fighting, sir!" said the junior,
aggrieved.
"Certainly, and your course promotes it. You see they were already at
it. Five minutes more would have settled the thing one way or another,
and that would have been the end of it. They would have shaken hands and
been good friends. Now, neither of them has had enough. Each believes he
can whip the other, and those youngsters will neither be able to sleep
nor study till they've fought it out. Always prevent a quarrel when you
can, but once they get going, never stop a square fight, never see or
hear it--until you know it's over."
In like manner a wiser head than that which dictated the telegraphic
instructions to the department commander that night, would have seen
that it was far better for all parties in the mix at San Francisco if
Mr. Loring had been detained there long enough to have the matter
investigated from start to finish, and so to "fix the responsibility."
It was not of vital importance that he should sail by first steamer, but
there had been friction between this particular General and the
Engineers, between him and the adjutant-general, between him and the
secretary of war, between him and the division commander, then
temporarily absent, and a general who differs with so many eminent and
astute authorities as these enumerated must occasionally err in
judgment. Had Loring stayed and been accorded a complete investigation,
the chances are that he and the General would have shaken hands and
parted friends, for both had sterling qualities. But orders given in
compliance with orders from superiors are sometimes given only
grudgingly. The General had heard in that brief interview with his
late-at-night callers enough to convince him that the harshest charges
laid at Loring's door belonged elsewhere. But there were things Loring
had been too proud to explain. There was his insubordinate--so the
General regarded it--appeal over his commander's head to the bureau in
Washington. There was his defiance of his envoy and representative,
Captain Petty. There were lots of little things that ruffled the dignity
of the veteran autocrat, especially the somewhat peremptory tone of the
dispatch from the War Department, and the General felt himself wronged
by his superiors. Strain, too, suffered in his own estimate, and Petty
was fuming with pent-up wrath and hate against that cool, supercilious,
contemptuous upstart of an Engineer. Who in blazes was he anyhow? What
was his family? What his social status? demanded Petty to himself, even
though he knew that these were matters whereof our democratic military
system took no thought whatever. It is the proud boast of the American
Army that neither wealth nor name nor ancestry can count in the long
race for the stars. In these glad days of peace and national prosperity,
the officer is speedily taught that promotion is the result of only one
of two things, patient waiting or political influence.
And so it resulted that when Walter Loring steamed away southward on the
long run for the States, he left behind an unsettled fight, three or
four aggrieved officials--aggrieved because of him or his affairs and
their mismanagement of both--and one inveterate enemy. He had plenty of
time to think it all over after he was fairly at sea, but none before.
He and Dennis needed every moment to get his belongings aboard and his
business closed. He called upon the General as directed and stood in
respectful silence while that choleric warrior paced up and down the
room and explained his position. He wished Mr. Loring to understand that
while he felt that the young officer had behaved with disrespect, at
least with disregard of his commanding general, the latter was too
magnanimous to stand in his way, and had therefore determined the
evening previous to release him from arrest and from further duty that
he might lose no time in "joining" his new station, even went so far as
to say he had found much--very much to commend in the young gentleman
and his performance of duty in Arizona, and, but for the unfortunate
entanglements that had resulted, would have taken pleasure in making
public announcement of the fact. He could not but deprecate the conduct
of Mr. Loring's friends in Washington, and might find it necessary to
appeal to the President for justice. Meantime, however, he desired Mr.
Loring to know that no personal consideration had actuated his conduct.
He had done what he believed to be his duty, and then, like the orator,
the General paused for reply.
Mr. Loring stood in civilian dress and soldier attitude, hat in hand, an
attentive listener, never interposing a word or hazarding a remark. When
the General stopped the lieutenant remained silent and standing. The
General looked perturbed, halted and glared, as much as to say, "Why the
devil don't you speak?" a thing Loring never did when he had nothing to
say. The chief found it necessary to begin anew, but broke off
presently. "You understand, do you not?"
"Yes, sir," said Loring.
"Then I suppose--you're very busy--have many things to do?"
"Only one, sir."
"Well, I won't detain you. I--I wish you well, Mr. Loring,
and--and--_bon voyage_!" and the General strove to smile.
"Thank you, General. Anything else, sir?"
The General stood and could think of nothing. "I believe not," he
replied, "unless--however, never mind, I won't detain you."
"Good-day, sir," said Loring, and marched quickly away to the room of
the aide-de-camp. Petty was not there. An embarrassed lieutenant arose
and smiled vaguely.
"Petty isn't about anywhere this morning. He was out late last night--I
expect him every moment."
"You needn't. He won't come. Tell him I waited until 11:30." Then Loring
shut the door and left. He had many an hour later in which to think over
his final interview with the aide. A most unwelcome duty was that second
call to Petty. He would rather be kicked than go to Loring and say he
was released from arrest and free to go; perhaps he thought the kick
forthcoming if he went. But Loring treated him with the same
contemptuous coolness as he had earlier in the night. Nor did Loring
seem either elated or surprised.
"Damn the man!" said Petty. "I'd give a month's pay to tell him
something that would stir him!" Petty could easily have done that had he
seen fit to mention that the General had received a visit from the Lady
Superior with a young girl from the convent of the good Gray Sisters.
But that was a mysterious affair that even the General had seen fit to
say nothing further about, even to Loring, who was most concerned. It
was a matter that gentle and gracious woman herself never referred to
when the Engineer at ten the next morning presented his card and was
ushered into her presence. She was most courteous. There was peace and
loving kindness ineffable in her placid face. There was infinite
sympathy in her manner when she presently met and led in to him a pallid
little maid, who put a long slim hand in Loring's as he smiled upon her
downcast, red-rimmed eyes. Struggle as she might for composure and
strength, Pancha had evidently been sorely disturbed over something
through the long watches of the night. Loring's heart reproached him as
he realized how selfishly he had been engrossed for weeks, how little he
had thought for her, of her who must be so lonely and homesick in her
new sphere. He was almost shocked now at the pallor of her face, the
droop and languor of the slender figure that was so buoyant and elastic
those bright days aboard ship just preceding the catastrophe. What
friends and chums they had become! How famously he was getting on with
his Spanish! What a charming teacher she was, with her lovely shining
eyes, her laughing lips, her glistening white teeth! She seemed happy as
a queen then, and now--what had come over the child?
"They are going to let me write to you, Pancha," he had told her, "and I
shall write every month, but you will write to me long letters, won't
you?"
"_Si_," and the dusky little head bowed lower, and Pancha was
withdrawing her hand.
"You know I have no little sister," he went on.
She did. She had learned all this and much more aboard ship, and
remembered every word he had told her, very much more than he
remembered. She knew far more about him than did he about her, but he
looked far more interested now. The good gray sister was more than good;
she was very busy at something away across the room, and Loring had
drawn his little friend to the window.
"How I wish I had known you there at--at the Gila, Pancha," he managed
to say in slow, stumbling Spanish. "Do you know we made a great mistake,
Mr. Blake and I?"
She did not wish to know. Two little hands went up imploringly, the dark
head drooped lower still, the slender, girlish form was surely
trembling. What ailed the child? It was time to go, yet he lingered. He
felt a longing to take her hands again--clasped in each other now, and
hanging listless as she leaned against the window casing. He meant to
bend and kiss her good-by, just as he would have kissed a younger
sister, he said to himself, not as he had kissed Geraldine Allyn. But
somehow he faltered, and that was something unusual to Walter Loring.
Even at risk of being abrupt, he felt it time to go, but after the
manner of weaker men, took out his watch.
"Yes, I must go, Pancha. We won't say good-by, will we? It is until
to-morrow--_hasta la mañana_. You know we always come again to
California. You'll be quite a woman, then, though." He who was so brief
and reticent with men, found himself prattling with this child, unable
to break off. At last, with sudden effort, he seized both her hands in
his, where they lay limp and passive.
"_Adios_, little one! Dear little friend!" he said, bent swiftly, and
his curling brown mustache was crushed one instant against the top of
her dusky head. Then he hurried to the lady superior and took his leave,
Pancha standing silent at the window until the door had closed behind
him.
Another day, and he was looking back along the sparkling wake of the
crowded steamer, thinking how beautiful the ocean seemed to him only a
few weeks earlier. Another week and he was at the Isthmus, homeward
bound, yet clinging with strange interest to the scenes of so much
trial. Another month and he was spinning along old, familiar shores, _en
route_ for the distant field of new and stirring duty. Without a day's
delay he was hurried on the trail of a party of officials, designated to
select the site for the new post far up in the heart of the Sioux
hunting grounds. For associates he found a veteran quartermaster with a
keen eye for business, and an aide-de-camp of his new general
commanding, and recent experiences with such combined to render him more
reticent than ever. Major Burleigh confided to Captain Stone that if
that was a specimen of West Point brains and brilliancy, it only
confirmed his previous notions. The site for the new post was decided
upon after brief but pointed argument, and a vote of two to one, the
Engineer being accorded the privilege of a minority report if he saw fit
to make it. Commanding their escort was a young officer whom Loring had
known when as cadets they had together worn the gray, and though there
had been no intimacy there was respect, and the two subalterns, Engineer
and dragoon, agreed that the board might better have stayed at home and
left the selection to the Indians, but Lieutenant Dean had no vote and
Loring no further responsibility. He could make his remonstrance when he
got to Omaha, which would probably be too late. On that homeward way he
saw enough of Burleigh to convince him he was a coward, for the major
collapsed under the seat of the ambulance at the first sign of the
Sioux. Then there came an episode that filled Loring with sudden
interest in this new, yet undesirable acquaintance. Men get to know each
other better in a week in the Indian country than in a decade in town.
They had reached the little cantonment and supply station on the dry
fork of the Powder, stiff and weary with their long journey by
ambulance, and glad of a chance to stretch their legs and rest. The camp
commander was doing his best to be hospitable. Burleigh had been shown
into the major's hut, where a lot of mail was awaiting him. A bronzed
subaltern had taken charge of Mr. Aide-de-camp Stone, and another of
Loring. The latter had just emerged from a tub, dripping and refreshed,
and was rubbing himself dry, when across the canvas screen he heard the
voice of the commander hailing his host.
"Mr. Post Quartermaster," said he, "I wish every other kind of
quartermaster but you was in----. That old rip Burleigh is utterly upset
by some letter he's got. He's limp as a wet rag, shaking like a man with
a fit. Took four fingers of my best rye to bring him around. Says he
must have your best team and ambulance at once. Got to push on for
Frayne."
And indeed Burleigh's face when he came forth to start for the Platte
was a gruesome sight. "He looked," said the unfeeling linesman, after
he'd gone, "as though he'd seen more Indians."
An hour later a soldier servant handed the major an envelope. "Picked it
up under the table, sir. There's still something in it."
The major glanced curiously at the superscription.
"That's the envelope, at least," said he, handing it to Loring, "of the
letter that stampeded the old man."
And Loring looked at it first with but scant interest. Then took and
held and studied the writing with eyes that kindled wonderfully.
"Why, do you think you know that hand?" asked the major curiously.
Loring handed it back, hesitated a moment, nodded, but said no word.