A Soldier's Trial: An Episode of the Canteen CrusadeKing, Charles
General
A Soldier's Trial: An Episode of the Canteen Crusade
King, Charles
United States. Army -- Military life -- Fiction
"I believe I'll go, too," said Stone. "I'm feeling woozy to-night." So,
arm in arm, this Darby and Joan of the frontier betook themselves down
the row, past many an open casement and doorway, softly lighted, with
whispering couples in the shadows and laughing, chatting groups upon the
steps, with the tinkle of mandolin and guitar to mingle with the soft
murmur of voices, despite many a hospitable bid to "Come and join us,"
the couple kept sturdily on and found, just as they expected, that other
sympathetic souls had been before them, that Mrs. Ray was still holding
quite a reception, Priscilla and Sandy being conspicuous by their
absence, Priscilla having retired with a throbbing headache, Sandy,
still tingling and nervous, having sent for his horse but a short time
before and gone for a ride. They stayed quite a while, did the Stones,
and Mrs. Ray seemed gladdened and comforted by their coming. It meant so
much just then. Indeed, the bugles were sounding the ten o'clock call
when finally they took their leave, and Sandy had not returned. True, he
had then been gone little over an hour, and he could ride but slowly,
though he declared he had neither strained a muscle nor started anew the
trouble in the old wound. Perhaps it was too soon to be sure, but at all
events a ride, a gentle amble on a nimble, easy horse over the elastic
turf in the soft, summer moonlight would soothe and quiet him more than
anything else, so, wisely, Marion had interposed no objection.
Taps sounded and the lights were lowered in the barracks and the
sentries called off half-past ten o'clock, and still there had come no
sign of the westbound Flyer, far over the southward waves of prairie,
slowly breasting the long upgrade to the Pass. The big compound engine
of the Midland Pacific had a deep-toned, melodious, flute-like signal,
utterly different to the ear-piercing shriek of the old-fashioned
railway whistle, and on still evenings the sharp, rhythmical beat of the
exhaust, the steady rumble of the heavy Pullmans, and the occasional
blast, rich and mellow, of the misnamed whistle could be followed
westward for many a mile, until at last the echoes of the signal died
away among the cliffs and cañons of the frowning Sagamore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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