Trooper Tales — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

36 The Silent Trooper. knew me up north as a civilian. Crim and I were sta- tioned there, but he did not know me. I was only a private. She was lovely to us both. The queer thing about it is that I won out. Then it occurred to me that I was only a common soldier, who had flunked at every- thing else he tried, and hardly fit to marry, so I applied for a transfer and chased out. She wouldn’t have Crim, anyway. “Now Crim turns up again in the attitude of my supe- rior officer, which is very dramatic, and the little woman is here, which is also very dramatic; and as I can’t see them both I want you to go to her. I must keep the other engagement. Tell her I’m a deserter, or dead, or any old thing.” For the second time I heard Lander laugh low and melodiously. I can hear it yet. He was either acting or a devil for coolness. “There'll be a show down to-night,” he said. After retreat, the lieutenant called for his horse and loped slowly townward. The sun was red and low, and the silken flag over headquarters was cased for the night. A little later Lander entered the tent, drew his cartridge belt about him and sauntered carelessly out. “Don’t keep the little woman waiting long,” he whis- pered tome. I watched his form grow dim in the shadows toward the village. Then I stepped into my cartridge belt, looked at my six-shooter, and became one of the mysterious townward procession. Something is going to drop on the village road this night, I thought. CONNIE OOOKS (co)