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14 - Army Letters from an Officers Wife, 1871-1888 by Frances M. A. Roe · Army Letters from an Officers Wife, 1871-1888

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Speaker 1: Section fourteen of Army Letters from an Officer's Wife eighteen
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Speaker 1: seventy one eighteen eighty eight. This is the LibriVox recording.
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Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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Speaker 1: by Sue Anderson. Army Letters from an Officer's Wife eighteen
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Speaker 1: seventy one eighteen eighty eight by Francis Rowe, Section fourteen
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Speaker 1: Letters from eighteen eighty one eighteen eighty two. Fort Shaw,
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Speaker 1: Montana Territory, September eighteen eighty one. There has been quite
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Speaker 1: a little flutter of excitement in the garrison during the
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Speaker 1: past week, brought about by a short visit from the
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Speaker 1: Marquis of Lomay and his suite as Governor General of Canada.
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Speaker 1: He has been inspecting his own military posts and then
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Speaker 1: came on down across the line to Shaw, en route
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Speaker 1: to Dillon, for he will take the cards for the East.
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Speaker 1: Colonel Knight is in command. So it fell upon him
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Speaker 1: to see that Lord lo May was properly provided for,
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Speaker 1: which he did by giving up absolutely for his use
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Speaker 1: his own elegantly furnished quarters. Lord lo Maay took possession
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Speaker 1: at once and quietly dined there that evening, with one
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Speaker 1: or two of his staff and Colonel Knight as his guests.
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Speaker 1: The members of the suite were entertained by different officers
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Speaker 1: of the garrison, and Captain Percival of the Second Life
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Speaker 1: Guards was our guest. They were escorted across the line
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Speaker 1: to this post by a company of Canadian Mounted Police,
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Speaker 1: and a brave appearance those redcoats made as they rode
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Speaker 1: on the purried ground and formed two lines through which
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Speaker 1: the Governor General and his staff rode with the booming
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Speaker 1: of cannon. Colonel Knight went out to meet them, escorted
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Speaker 1: by our mounted Infantry in command of Lieutenant Todd. The
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Speaker 1: horses of the mounted police were very small and inferior
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Speaker 1: in every way to the animals one would expect the
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Speaker 1: Canadian government to provide, and it did look very funny
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Speaker 1: to see the gorgeously dressed police with their jaunty side
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Speaker 1: tilted caps writing such wretched little beasts. Our officers were
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Speaker 1: on the parade to receive the Governor General, and the
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Speaker 1: regimental band was there also, playing all sorts of things,
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Speaker 1: presently without stop, and as though it was the continuation
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Speaker 1: of a melody. The first notes of God Save the
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Speaker 1: Queen were heard instantly. The head of every Englishman and
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Speaker 1: Canadian was uncovered, quietly and without ostentation or slightest break
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Speaker 1: in hand shaking and talking. It was like a military
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Speaker 1: movement by bugle call. Some of us, who were looking
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Speaker 1: on through filmy curtains, thought it a beautiful manifestation of
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Speaker 1: loving loyalty. They were at a military post of another
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Speaker 1: nation in the midst of being introduced to its officers,
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Speaker 1: yet not one failed to remember and to remind that
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Speaker 1: he was an Englishman. Ever, Missus Gordon save me the
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Speaker 1: worry of preparing an elaborate dinner at this far away
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Speaker 1: place by inviting us and our guests to dine with
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Speaker 1: her and her guests. I am inclined to think that
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Speaker 1: this may have been a shrewd move on the part
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Speaker 1: of the dear friend, so she could have hanged to
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Speaker 1: assist her own cook at her dinner. It was a
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Speaker 1: fine arrangement at all events, and pleased me most of all.
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Speaker 1: I made this salad and arranged the table for her.
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Speaker 1: Judging from what I saw and heard, Hang was having
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Speaker 1: a glorious time. He had evidently frightened the old colored
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Speaker 1: cook into complete idiocy, and was ordering her about in
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Speaker 1: a way that only a chinaman knows. The dinner was long,
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Speaker 1: but delicious and enjoyable in every way. Lord Bagot, the Reverend,
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Speaker 1: Doctor mac gregor, Captain Chatter, and others of the Governor
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Speaker 1: General's staff were there, sixteen of us in all. Captain
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Speaker 1: Percival sat at my right, of course, and the amount
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Speaker 1: he ate was simply appalling, and the appetites of Lord
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Speaker 1: Bagot and the others were equally fine. Course after course
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Speaker 1: disappeared from their plates, not a scrap left on them,
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Speaker 1: until one wondered how it was managed. Soon after dinner,
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Speaker 1: everyone went to Colonel Knight's quarters, where Lord Lomay was
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Speaker 1: holding a little reception. He is a charming man, very
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Speaker 1: simple in his manner, and one could hardly believe that
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Speaker 1: he is the son in law of a great queen
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Speaker 1: and heir to a splendid dukedom. He had announced that
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Speaker 1: he would start at ten o'clock the next morning, so
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Speaker 1: I ordered breakfast at nine. A mounted escort from the
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Speaker 1: post was to go with him to Dillon in command
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Speaker 1: of Fay. It has always seemed so absurd and really
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Speaker 1: unkind for Americans to put aside our own ways and
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Speaker 1: cut customs when entertaining foreigners, and bore them with wretched
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Speaker 1: representations of things of their own country, thereby preventing them
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Speaker 1: from seeing life as it is here. So I decided
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Speaker 1: to give our English captain an out and out American breakfast,
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Speaker 1: not long or elaborate, but dainty and nicely served. And
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Speaker 1: I invited Miss Mills to meet him, to give it
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Speaker 1: a little life. Well, nine o'clock came, and so did
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Speaker 1: Miss Mills, so did half after nine come, and then
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Speaker 1: finally ten o'clock, but Captain Percival did not come. I
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Speaker 1: was becoming very cross for half an hour before I
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Speaker 1: had sent Hang up to call him, knowing that he
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Speaker 1: and Fay also were obliged to be ready to start
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Speaker 1: at ten o'clock. I was worried, too, fearing that Fay
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Speaker 1: would have to go without any breakfast at all. Of course,
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Speaker 1: the nice little breakfast was ruined soon after ten, however,
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Speaker 1: our guests came, came down and apologized very nicely, said
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Speaker 1: that the bed was so very delightful he simply could
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Speaker 1: not leave it right there. I made a mental resolution
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Speaker 1: to the effect that if every big Englishman should come
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Speaker 1: to my house to remain overnight, I would have just
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Speaker 1: one hour of delight taken from that bed, to my
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Speaker 1: great amusement, also pleasure. Captain Percival ate heartily of everything
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Speaker 1: and kept on eating, and with such apparent relish, I
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Speaker 1: began to think that possibly it might be another case
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Speaker 1: of delight, and finally to wonder if Hang had anything
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Speaker 1: in reserve. Once he said what excellent cooks you have here?
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Speaker 1: This made Miss Mills smile, for she knew that Hang
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Speaker 1: had been loaned out the evening before. Fay soon left
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Speaker 1: us to attend the matters in connection with the trip,
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Speaker 1: but the three of us were having a very merry time.
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Speaker 1: For Captain Percival was a most charming man. When in
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Speaker 1: the room came Captain Shade his face as black as
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Speaker 1: the proverbial thundercloud, and after speaking to me, looked straight
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Speaker 1: and reprovingly at Captain Percival and said, you are keeping
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Speaker 1: his excellency waiting. That was like a bomb to all,
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Speaker 1: and in two seconds the English captains had shaken hands
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Speaker 1: and were gone. The Mounted police are still at the post,
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Speaker 1: and I suspect that this is because their commander is
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Speaker 1: having such a pleasant time driving and dining with his hostess,
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Speaker 1: who is one of our most lovely and fascinating women.
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Speaker 1: I received a note from Faye this morning from Helena.
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Speaker 1: He says that so far the trip has been delightful,
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Speaker 1: and that in every way and by all, he is
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Speaker 1: being treated as an honored guest. Lord Lommay declined a
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Speaker 1: large reception in Helena because the United States is in
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Speaker 1: mourning for its murdered president. What an exquisite rebuke to
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Speaker 1: some of our ignorant Americans. Faye writes that Lord Lomas
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Speaker 1: and members of his staff are constantly speaking in great
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Speaker 1: praise of the officer's wives at Shaw, and have asked
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Speaker 1: if the ladies throughout the army are as charming and
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Speaker 1: cultured as those here. Our young horses are really very
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Speaker 1: handsome now, and their red coats are shining from good
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Speaker 1: grooming and feeding. They are large and perfectly matched in size,
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Speaker 1: color and gait, as they should be since they are
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Speaker 1: half brothers. I am learning to drive now a single horse,
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Speaker 1: and find it very interesting, but not one half as
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Speaker 1: delightful as riding. I miss a saddle horse dreadfully now,
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Speaker 1: and then I ride George, my own horse, but he
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Speaker 1: always reminds me that his proper place is in the harness,
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Speaker 1: by making his gait just as rough as possible. End
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Speaker 1: of letter, Fort Shaw, Montana Territory, December eighteen eighty one.
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Speaker 1: You will be greatly surprised to hear that Faye has
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Speaker 1: gone to Washington. His father is very ill, so dangerously
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Speaker 1: so that a thirty days leave was telegraphed Faye from
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Speaker 1: Department Headquarters without his having applied for it, so as
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Speaker 1: to enable him to get to Admiralbray without delay. Someone
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Speaker 1: in Washington must have asked for the leave. It takes
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Speaker 1: so long for letters to reach us from the East
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Speaker 1: that one never knows what may be taking place there.
9:29
Speaker 1: Face started on the next stage to Helena and at
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Speaker 1: Dillon will take the cars for Washington. Faye went away
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Speaker 1: the night before the entertainment, which made it impossible for
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Speaker 1: me to be in the pantomime Villikins and Dinah, so
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Speaker 1: little miss Gordon took my place and acted remarkably well,
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Speaker 1: notwithstanding she had rehearsed only twice. The very stage that
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Speaker 1: carried Faye from the post brought to us mister Hughes
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Speaker 1: of Benton for a few days. But this turned out
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Speaker 1: very nicely for Colonel and missus Mills, who know him well,
10:02
Speaker 1: were delighted to have him go to them, and there
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Speaker 1: he is now. The next day I invited Miss Mills
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Speaker 1: and mister Hughes to dine with me informally. And while
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Speaker 1: I was in the dining room attending to the few
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Speaker 1: pieces of extra china and silver that would be required
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Speaker 1: for dinner. A chinaman has no idea of the fitness
10:21
Speaker 1: of things, Volmer, our striker, came in and said to
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Speaker 1: me that he would like to take the horses and
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Speaker 1: the single buggy out for an hour or so, as
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Speaker 1: he wanted to show them to a friend. I saw
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Speaker 1: at once that he and I were to have our
10:36
Speaker 1: usual skirmish. There is one always whenever Faye is away
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Speaker 1: any length of time. The man has a frightful temper,
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Speaker 1: and a year ago shot and killed a deserter. He
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Speaker 1: was acquitted by military court and later by civil court,
10:52
Speaker 1: both courts deciding that the shooting was accidental. But the
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Speaker 1: deserter was a Catholic and Volmer is a Quaker, so
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Speaker 1: the feeling in the company was so hostile toward him
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Speaker 1: that for several nights he was put in the guard
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Speaker 1: house for protection. Then Fay took him as striker and
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Speaker 1: has befriended him in many ways. But those colts he
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Speaker 1: could not drive, So I told him that the horses
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Speaker 1: could not go out during the Lieutenant's absence unless I
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Speaker 1: went with them. He became angry at once and said
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Speaker 1: that it was the first team he had ever taken
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Speaker 1: care of, that he was not allowed to drive as
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Speaker 1: often as he pleased, A big story, of course, But
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Speaker 1: I said to him quietly, you heard what I said, Volmer,
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Speaker 1: and further discussion will be quite useless. You were never
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Speaker 1: permitted to take the colts out when Lieutenant Ray was here,
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Speaker 1: and now that he is away, you certainly cannot do so.
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Speaker 1: And I turned back to my spoons and forks. Volmer
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Speaker 1: went out of the room, but I had an uncomfortable
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Speaker 1: feeling that matters were not settled. In a short time,
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Speaker 1: I became conscious of loud talking in the kitchen and
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Speaker 1: could distinctly hear Volmer using most abusive language about Faye
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Speaker 1: and me that was outrageous and not to be tolerated.
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Speaker 1: A second and without stopping to reason that it would
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Speaker 1: be better not to hear and let the man talk
12:23
Speaker 1: his anger off out to the kitchen, I went. I
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Speaker 1: found Volmer perched upon one end of a large wood
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Speaker 1: box that stands close to a door that leads out
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Speaker 1: to a shed. I said, Volmer, I heard what you
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Speaker 1: have been saying, as you intended I should, and now
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Speaker 1: I tell you to go out of this house and
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Speaker 1: stay out until you can speak respectfully of Lieutenant Ray
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Speaker 1: and of me. But he sat still and looked sullen
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Speaker 1: and stubborn. I said again, go out and out of
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Speaker 1: the yard too, but he did not move one inch.
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Speaker 1: By that time I was furious, and going to the
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Speaker 1: door that was so close to the man he could
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Speaker 1: have struck me, I opened it wide, and, pointing out
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Speaker 1: with outstretched arm, I said you go instantly, and instantly
13:21
Speaker 1: he went, chinamen are awful cowards. And with the first
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Speaker 1: word I said to the soldier, Hang had shuffled to
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Speaker 1: his own room, and there he had remained until he
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Speaker 1: heard Vulner go out of the house. Then he came back, and,
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Speaker 1: looking at me with an expression of the most solemn pity,
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Speaker 1: said he velly, bad man, he killy man, he kille
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Speaker 1: you may be The poor heathen was evidently greatly disturbed,
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Speaker 1: and so was I too, not because I was at
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Speaker 1: all afraid of being killed, but because of the two
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Speaker 1: spirited young horses that still required most careful handling and
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Speaker 1: fame might be away several months. I knew that the
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Speaker 1: commanding officer, also the quartermaster, would look after them and
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Speaker 1: do everything possible to assist me. But at the same
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Speaker 1: time I knew that there was not a man in
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Speaker 1: the post who could take Volmar's place with the horses.
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Speaker 1: He is a splendid whip and perfect groom. I could
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Speaker 1: not send them to mister Bronster Run, as they had
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Speaker 1: been blanketed for a long time and the weather was cold.
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Speaker 1: Of course, I cried a little, but I knew that
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Speaker 1: I had done quite right, that it was better for
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Speaker 1: me to regulate my own affairs than to call upon
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Speaker 1: the company commander to do so for me. I returned
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Speaker 1: to the dining room, but soon there was a gentle
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Speaker 1: knock on the door, and opening it, I saw Volmer
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Speaker 1: standing in front of me, cap in hand, looking very
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Speaker 1: meek and humble. Very respectfully, he apologized and expressed his
14:58
Speaker 1: regret at having a that was very pleasant, But knowing
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Speaker 1: the man's violent temper and thinking of coming days, I
15:07
Speaker 1: proceeded to deliver a lecture to the effect that there
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Speaker 1: was not another enlisted man in the regiment who would
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Speaker 1: use such language in our house, or be so ungrateful
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Speaker 1: for kindness that we had shown him above all to
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Speaker 1: make it unpleasant for me. When I was alone, I
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Speaker 1: was so nervous, and talking to a soldier that way
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Speaker 1: was so disagreeable, I might have broken down and cried again,
15:33
Speaker 1: an awful thing to have done at that time, if
15:36
Speaker 1: I had not happened to see Hang's head sticking out
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Speaker 1: at one side of his door. He had run to
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Speaker 1: his room again, but could not resist keeping watch to
15:46
Speaker 1: see if Volmer was really intending to killing me. He
15:50
Speaker 1: is afraid of the soldier and consequently hates him. Soon
15:54
Speaker 1: after he came, Volmer, who is a powerful man, tied
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Speaker 1: him down to his bed with a picket rope, and
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Speaker 1: such yells of fury and terror were never heard. And
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Speaker 1: when I ran out to see what on earth was
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Speaker 1: the matter, the Chinaman's eyes were green, and he was
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Speaker 1: frothing at the mouth. For days after, I was afraid
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Speaker 1: that Hag would do some mischief to the man. It
16:20
Speaker 1: is the striker's duty always to attend to the fires
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Speaker 1: throughout the house, and this Volmer is doing very nicely.
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Speaker 1: But when Fey went away, he told Hag to take
16:31
Speaker 1: good care of me. So he also fixes the fires,
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Speaker 1: and at the same time shows his dislike for Volmer,
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Speaker 1: who will bring the big wood in and make the
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Speaker 1: fires as they should be just as soon as he
16:44
Speaker 1: goes out. However, in marches hang with one or two
16:48
Speaker 1: small pieces of wood on his silk sleeve, and then
16:52
Speaker 1: with much noise, he turns the wood in the stove
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Speaker 1: upside down and stirs things up generally, after which he
17:00
Speaker 1: will put in the little sticks and let it all
17:03
Speaker 1: roar until I am quite as stirred up as the fire.
17:07
Speaker 1: After he closes the dampers, he will say to me
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Speaker 1: in his most amiable squeak, me fixing him, He very good, Now,
17:15
Speaker 1: this is all very nice, as long as the house
17:18
Speaker 1: does not burn. Night before last, Missus Mills invited me
17:22
Speaker 1: to a family dinner. Colonel Mills was away, but mister
17:26
Speaker 1: Hughes was there, also Lieutenant Harvey, to whom Miss Mills
17:30
Speaker 1: is engaged, and the three Mills boys making a nice
17:34
Speaker 1: little party. But I felt rather sad. Faye was still
17:38
Speaker 1: en route to Washington and going further from home every hour,
17:42
Speaker 1: and it was impossible to tell when he might return.
17:46
Speaker 1: Missus Mills seemed to straight too when I first got
17:48
Speaker 1: to the house, but she soon brightened up and was
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Speaker 1: as animated as ever. The dinner was perfect. Colonel Mills
17:56
Speaker 1: is quite an epicure, and he and Missus Mills have
17:59
Speaker 1: a reputation for serving choice and dainty things on their table.
18:04
Speaker 1: We returned to the little parlor after dinner and were
18:07
Speaker 1: talking and laughing when something went bang, like the hard
18:13
Speaker 1: shutting of a door. Missus Mills jumped up instantly and exclaimed,
18:18
Speaker 1: I knew it. I knew it, and rushed to the
18:20
Speaker 1: back part of the house, the rest of us running
18:23
Speaker 1: after her. She went on through to the chinaman's room,
18:27
Speaker 1: and there on his cot lay the little man, his
18:31
Speaker 1: face even then the color of old ivory. He had
18:35
Speaker 1: fired a small derringer straight to his heart and was
18:39
Speaker 1: quite dead. I did not like to look at the
18:42
Speaker 1: dying man, so I ran for the doctor and almost
18:45
Speaker 1: bumped against him at the gate as he was passing.
18:49
Speaker 1: There was nothing that he could do. However, Missus Mills
18:52
Speaker 1: told us that Sam had been an inveterate gambler, that
18:56
Speaker 1: he had won a great deal of money from the soldiers,
18:59
Speaker 1: particularly one who had that very day threatened to kill him,
19:03
Speaker 1: accusing the Chinaman of having cheated. The soldier probably had
19:07
Speaker 1: no intention of doing anything of the kind, but set
19:11
Speaker 1: it to frighten the timid heathen just for revenge. Sam
19:15
Speaker 1: had eaten a little dinner and was eating ice cream,
19:18
Speaker 1: evidently when something or somebody made him go to his
19:22
Speaker 1: room and shoot himself. The next morning, the Chinaman in
19:26
Speaker 1: the garrison buried him, not in the post cemetery, but
19:30
Speaker 1: just outside. Upon the grave, they laid one or two
19:34
Speaker 1: suits of clothing, shoes, all Chinese, of course, and a
19:39
Speaker 1: great quantity of food, much of it of their own fruits.
19:43
Speaker 1: That was for his spirit until he reached the happy land.
19:47
Speaker 1: The coyotes ate the food, but a Chinaman would never
19:50
Speaker 1: believe that so more food was taken out this morning.
19:54
Speaker 1: They are such a queer people. Hang's breakfast usually consists
19:59
Speaker 1: of a glass of cold water with two or three
20:02
Speaker 1: lumps of sugar dissolved in it, and a piece of
20:05
Speaker 1: bread broken in it. Also, when it is necessary for
20:08
Speaker 1: Hang to be up late and do much extra work,
20:11
Speaker 1: I always give him a can of salmon, of which
20:14
Speaker 1: he seems very fond or a chicken, and tell him
20:17
Speaker 1: to invite one or two friends to sit with him.
20:21
Speaker 1: This smooths away all little frowns and keeps things pleasant.
20:25
Speaker 1: Volmer killed the chicken once, and Hang brought it to
20:28
Speaker 1: me with eyes blazing, said it was poor. He all hen.
20:33
Speaker 1: So I found that the only way to satisfy the
20:36
Speaker 1: suspicious man was to let him select his own fowl.
20:40
Speaker 1: He always cooks it in the same way, boils it
20:43
Speaker 1: with Chinese fruits and herbs, and with a head and
20:47
Speaker 1: feet on. And I must admit that the odor is appetizing,
20:51
Speaker 1: but I have never tasted it, although Hag has never
20:54
Speaker 1: failed to save a nice piece for me. He was
20:57
Speaker 1: with Missus Pierce two years, and it was some time
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Speaker 1: before I could convince him that this house was regulated
21:04
Speaker 1: my way and not hers. Major Pierce was promoted to
21:09
Speaker 1: another regiment, and we missed them very much. And of
21:13
Speaker 1: letter Fort Shaw, Montana Territory, July eighteen eighty two. The
21:21
Speaker 1: garrison seems lonesome since the two companies have been out,
21:25
Speaker 1: and I am beginning to feel that I am at
21:27
Speaker 1: home alone quite too much. Faye was in Washington two
21:32
Speaker 1: months and almost immediately After he got back, he was
21:36
Speaker 1: ordered to command the paymaster's escort from Helena here and
21:40
Speaker 1: now he is off again for the summer. The camp
21:43
Speaker 1: is on Birch Creek, not far from the Pagan Agency.
21:48
Speaker 1: The agents become frightened every now and then and ask
21:51
Speaker 1: for troops, more because they know the Indians would be
21:54
Speaker 1: justified in giving trouble than because there is any An
21:59
Speaker 1: officer is sent from the posts to inspect all the
22:02
Speaker 1: cattle and rations that are issued to them, Yet there
22:05
Speaker 1: is much cheating. Once it was discovered that a very
22:09
Speaker 1: inferior brand of flour was being given the Indians, that
22:13
Speaker 1: sacks with the lettering and marks of the brand the
22:16
Speaker 1: government was supposed to issue to them had been slipped
22:19
Speaker 1: over the sacks which really held the inferior flower and
22:23
Speaker 1: carefully tied. Just imagine the trouble someone had taken. But
22:29
Speaker 1: there had been a fat reward, of course, And then
22:32
Speaker 1: where had those extra sacks come from? Where had the
22:35
Speaker 1: fine flower gone? Someone could have explained it all. I
22:40
Speaker 1: must admit, however, that anyone who has seen an Indian
22:43
Speaker 1: use flower would say that the most inferior grade would
22:47
Speaker 1: be good enough for them to be mixed in dirty
22:50
Speaker 1: old pans with still dirtier hands. This lack of cleanliness
22:55
Speaker 1: and appreciation of things by the Indians makes stealing from
22:58
Speaker 1: them very tempting. The very night after the troops had
23:03
Speaker 1: gone out, there was an excitement in the garrison, and
23:06
Speaker 1: as usual I was mixed up in it, not through
23:10
Speaker 1: my own choosing. However, I had been at Missus Palmer's
23:13
Speaker 1: plain Whist during the evening, and about eleven o'clock two
23:17
Speaker 1: of the ladies came down to the house with me.
23:21
Speaker 1: The night was the very darkest I ever saw, and
23:24
Speaker 1: of this we spoke as we came along the walk.
23:28
Speaker 1: Almost all the lights were out in the office's quarters,
23:31
Speaker 1: making the whole posts seem dismal. And as I came
23:35
Speaker 1: in the house and locked the door, I felt as
23:38
Speaker 1: if I could never remain here until morning. Hang was
23:42
Speaker 1: in his room, of course, but would be no protection
23:46
Speaker 1: whatever if anything should happen. Major and Missus Stokes have
23:50
Speaker 1: not yet returned from the east, so the adjoining house
23:54
Speaker 1: is unoccupied, and on my right is Missus Norton, who
23:58
Speaker 1: is alone. Also, as doctor Norton is in camp with
24:01
Speaker 1: the troops, she had urged me to go to her
24:04
Speaker 1: house for the night, but I did not go because
24:07
Speaker 1: of the little card party. I ran upstairs as though
24:10
Speaker 1: something evil was at my heels, and bolted my door,
24:14
Speaker 1: but did not fasten the dormer windows that run out
24:17
Speaker 1: on the roof in front. Before retiring, I put a
24:21
Speaker 1: small lighted lantern in a closet and left the door
24:24
Speaker 1: open just a little, thinking that the streak of light
24:28
Speaker 1: would be cheering and the lantern would give me a
24:31
Speaker 1: light quickly if I should need one. Our breakfast had
24:35
Speaker 1: been very early that morning on account of the troops marching,
24:39
Speaker 1: and I was tired and fell asleep immediately. I think
24:43
Speaker 1: after a while I was conscious of hearing some one
24:46
Speaker 1: walking about in the room corresponding to mine in the
24:50
Speaker 1: next house, But I dozed on, thinking to myself that
24:54
Speaker 1: there was no occasion for feeling nervous, as the people
24:58
Speaker 1: next door were still up. But suddenly I remembered that
25:02
Speaker 1: the house was closed, and just then I distinctly heard
25:06
Speaker 1: some one go down the stairs. I kept very still
25:11
Speaker 1: and listened bod heard nothing more, an soon went to
25:15
Speaker 1: sleep again, But again I was awakened, this time by
25:19
Speaker 1: queer noises, like some one walking on a roof. There
25:23
Speaker 1: were voices too, as if some one was mumbling to himself.
25:28
Speaker 1: I got the revolver and ran to the middle of
25:30
Speaker 1: the room, where I stood, ready to shoot or run
25:34
Speaker 1: it would probably have been run in any direction. I
25:38
Speaker 1: finally got courage to look through a side window, feeling
25:42
Speaker 1: quite sure that missus Norton was out with her chinaman,
25:45
Speaker 1: looking after some choice little chickens left in her care
25:48
Speaker 1: by the doctor. But not one light was to be
25:51
Speaker 1: seen in any place, and the inky blackness was awful
25:55
Speaker 1: to look upon. So I turned away, and just as
26:00
Speaker 1: I did so, something cracked and rattled down over the shingles,
26:06
Speaker 1: and then fell to the ground. But which roof those
26:10
Speaker 1: sounds came from was impossible to tell. With goose flesh
26:15
Speaker 1: on my arms and each hair on my head trying
26:18
Speaker 1: to stand up, I went back to the middle of
26:21
Speaker 1: the room, and there I stood, every nerve quivering. I
26:28
Speaker 1: had been standing there hours, or possibly it was only
26:32
Speaker 1: two short minutes when there was one loud, piercing shriek
26:37
Speaker 1: that made me almost scream too, But after it was
26:41
Speaker 1: perfect silence. So I said to myself that probably it
26:45
Speaker 1: had been a cat, that I was nervous and silly,
26:49
Speaker 1: But there came another shriek, another, and still another so
26:54
Speaker 1: expressive of terror that the blood almost froze in my veins.
26:59
Speaker 1: With tea chattering and limbs shaking so I could hardly step,
27:04
Speaker 1: I went to a front window, and raising it, I screamed,
27:08
Speaker 1: Corporal of the Guard. I saw the sentinel at the
27:11
Speaker 1: guard house stop as though listening in front of a
27:14
Speaker 1: window where there was a light, and seeing one of
27:17
Speaker 1: the guard gave strength to my voice, and I called again.
27:21
Speaker 1: That time the sentry took it up and yelled Corporal
27:24
Speaker 1: of the Guard number one. Instantly lanterns were seen coming
27:28
Speaker 1: in our direction. Ever so many of the Guard came
27:32
Speaker 1: and to our gate as they saw me at a window,
27:35
Speaker 1: but I sent them on to the next house, where
27:38
Speaker 1: they found poor missus Norton in a white heap on
27:42
Speaker 1: the grass, quite unconscious. The officer of the day was
27:46
Speaker 1: still up and came running to see what the commotion
27:49
Speaker 1: was about, and several other officers came. Colonel Gregory, a
27:54
Speaker 1: punctilious gentleman of the old school who is in command,
27:58
Speaker 1: just now appeared in a striking costume consisting of a
28:02
Speaker 1: skimpy evening gown of white, a dark military blouse over
28:07
Speaker 1: that and a pair of military riding boots, and he
28:11
Speaker 1: carried an unsheathed saber. He is very tall and thin,
28:16
Speaker 1: and his hair is very white. And I laugh now
28:19
Speaker 1: when I think of how funny he looked, but no
28:22
Speaker 1: one thought of laughing at that time. Missus Norton was
28:26
Speaker 1: carried in and her house searched throughout. No one was found,
28:31
Speaker 1: but burned matches were on the floor of one or
28:34
Speaker 1: two rooms, which gave evidence that some one had been there.
28:38
Speaker 1: In the yard back of the house, a pair of
28:41
Speaker 1: heavy overshoes also government socks were found, so it was
28:46
Speaker 1: decided that the man had climbed up on the roof
28:49
Speaker 1: and entered the house through a dormer window that had
28:51
Speaker 1: not been fastened. No one would look for the piece
28:54
Speaker 1: of shingle that night, but in the morning I found
28:57
Speaker 1: it on the ground close to the house. All the
29:01
Speaker 1: time the search was being made, I had been in
29:03
Speaker 1: the window. Colonel Mills insisted that I should go to
29:06
Speaker 1: his house for the remainder of the night, but suggested
29:10
Speaker 1: that I put some clothes on first. It occurred to
29:14
Speaker 1: me then for the first time that my own costume
29:18
Speaker 1: was rather striking, not quite the proper thing for a
29:21
Speaker 1: balcony scene. Every one was more than kind. But for
29:26
Speaker 1: a long time, after Miss Mills and I had gone
29:28
Speaker 1: to her room, my teeth chattered and big tears rolled
29:32
Speaker 1: down my face. Missus Norton declares that I was more
29:36
Speaker 1: frightened than she was, and I say, yes, probably, But
29:41
Speaker 1: you did not stop to listen to your own horrible screams.
29:45
Speaker 1: And then after making us believe that you were being murdered,
29:50
Speaker 1: you quietly dropped into oblivion and forgot the whole thing.
29:55
Speaker 1: Just as the entire garrison had become quiet, once more,
29:59
Speaker 1: bang one a gun, and then again we heard people
30:02
Speaker 1: running about to see what was the matter and if
30:05
Speaker 1: the burglar had been caught. But it proved to have
30:08
Speaker 1: been the accidental going off of a rifle at the
30:10
Speaker 1: guard house. The instant that Colonel Gregory ascertained that a
30:14
Speaker 1: soldier had really been in Missus Norton's house. Check roll
30:20
Speaker 1: call was ordered, that is, the Officer of the day
30:23
Speaker 1: went to the different barracks and ordered the first sergeants
30:26
Speaker 1: to get the men up and call the roll at once,
30:29
Speaker 1: without warning or preparation. In that way, it was ascertained
30:34
Speaker 1: if the men were on their cots or out of quarters,
30:38
Speaker 1: but that night every man was present or accounted for
30:43
Speaker 1: at the hospital. Roll call was not necessary, but they
30:47
Speaker 1: found an attendant playing possum. A lantern held close to
30:51
Speaker 1: his face did not waken him, although it made his
30:54
Speaker 1: eyelids twitch, and they found that his heart was beating
30:58
Speaker 1: at a furious rate. His clothes had been thrown down
31:02
Speaker 1: on the floor, but socks were not to be found
31:05
Speaker 1: with them. So he is the man suspected. He will
31:10
Speaker 1: get his discharge in three days, and it is thought
31:13
Speaker 1: that he was after a suit of citizen clothes of
31:15
Speaker 1: the doctor's. Not so very long ago he was their striker.
31:20
Speaker 1: No one in the garrison has ever heard of an
31:23
Speaker 1: enlisted man troubling the quarters of an officer, and it
31:26
Speaker 1: is something that rarely occurs. I spend every night with
31:30
Speaker 1: Missus Norton now, who seems to have great confidence in
31:34
Speaker 1: my ability to protect her, as I can use a
31:37
Speaker 1: revolver so well. She calmly sleeps on while I remain
31:42
Speaker 1: awake listening for footsteps. The fact of my having been
31:46
Speaker 1: at a military post when it was attacked by Indians,
31:50
Speaker 1: that a man was murdered directly under my window, when
31:53
Speaker 1: I heard every shot every moan, and my having had
31:57
Speaker 1: two unpleasant experiences with horse thieves has not been conducive
32:03
Speaker 1: to normal nerves. After dark, during all the commotion at
32:07
Speaker 1: Missus Norton's the night the man got in her house,
32:10
Speaker 1: her chinaman did not appear. One of the officers went
32:15
Speaker 1: to his room in search of the burglar and found him,
32:18
Speaker 1: the chinaman sitting up in his bed, almost white from fear.
32:23
Speaker 1: He confessed to having heard some one in the kitchen,
32:26
Speaker 1: and when asked why he did not go out to
32:28
Speaker 1: see who it was, indignantly replied, what for he go away?
32:34
Speaker 1: What for I see him? I feel completely upset without
32:38
Speaker 1: a good saddle horse. George is developing quite a little
32:42
Speaker 1: speed in single harness, but I do not care for driving,
32:46
Speaker 1: feel too much as though I was part of the
32:48
Speaker 1: little buggy instead of the horse. Major and Missus Stokes
32:53
Speaker 1: are expected soon from the east, and I shall be
32:56
Speaker 1: so glad to have my old neighbors back. And of
32:59
Speaker 1: letters and a section fourteen