Just As I Stepped Off The Car, Mr. Davis, Quartermaster's Clerk,
Appeared And Took My Satchel, Assuring Me That Faye Was Right There
Waiting For Me.
This was so very unlike Faye's way of doing things,
that at once I suspected that the real truth was not being told.
But I
went with him quickly through the little crowd, and on up the
platform, and then I saw Faye. He was standing at one corner of the
building - all alone, and I recognized him instantly by the long
light-blue overcoat and big campaign hat with brim turned up.
And I saw also, standing on the corner of the platform in front of
him, a soldier with rifle in hand, and on the end of it glistening in
the moonlight was a long bayonet! I had lived with troops long enough
to know that the bayonet would not be there unless the soldier was a
sentry guarding somebody or something. I naturally turned toward Faye,
but was held back by Mr. Davis, and that made me indignant, but Faye
at once said quietly and in a voice just loud enough for me to hear,
"Get in the ambulance and ask no questions!" And still he did not move
from the corner. By this time I was terribly frightened and more and
more puzzled. Drawn up close to the farther side of the platform was
an ambulance, also an escort wagon, in which sat several soldiers, and
handing my trunk checks to Mr. Davis, I got, into the ambulance, my
teeth chattering as though I had a chill.
The very instant the trunks were loaded Faye and the sentry came, and
after ordering the corporal to keep his wagon and escort close to us,
and telling me to drop down in the bottom of the ambulance if I heard
a shot, Faye got on the ambulance also, but in front with the driver.
Leaning forward, I saw that one revolver was in his hand and the other
on the seat by his side. In this way, and in perfect silence, we rode
through the town and until we were well out on the open plain, when we
stopped just long enough for Faye to get inside, and a soldier from
the wagon to take his seat by the driver.
Then Faye told me of what had occurred to make necessary all these
precautions. He had come over from Fort Lyon the day before, and had
been with Major Carroll, the depot quartermaster, during the afternoon
and evening. The men had established a little camp just at the edge of
the miserable town where the mules could be guarded and cared for.
About nine o'clock Faye and Mr. Davis started out for a walk, but
before they had gone far Faye remembered that he had left his pistols
and cartridge belt on a desk in the quartermaster's office, and
fearing they might be stolen they went back for them. He put the
pistols on underneath his heavy overcoat, as the belt was quite too
short to fasten outside.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 69 of 213
Words from 35358 to 35873
of 110651
