Tonio, Son of the Sierras | Page 5

to their feet in deference to
the united "powers above," rank and age, youth and beauty, and
presently the commander was saying for the benefit of the two
new-comers: "My daughter, gentlemen. Lilian, Mr. Harris, Mr.
Willett."
Inadvertently he had named them in the inverse order of rank--a small

matter, though Willett had been promoted to his bar a year ahead of
Harris. Otherwise, it was with a fair field and no favor the old-time
rivals of cadet days stood for the first time in the presence of the only
army girl at that moment to be found in the far-flung shadow of the
Mazatzal--stood side by side, facing both the starter and the prize in
what was destined to be the last great contest of their lives.
CHAPTER II.
"Come and dine with us this evening, you two," the "Old Man" was
saying, a few minutes later. He had been home long enough to consult
the "Commanding General," as he frequently referred to that smiling
better half, and to compare notes as to the condition of the larder and
cellar. He had flung conventionality to the winds, as most of us had to
in early Arizona days. "You others," he said, "have suffered so often
from my steaks and stories, you're glad not to be included. To-day I'm
bidding only these two youngsters. You know our dining table holds
only six. No, never mind about the call!" he interposed, with uplifted
hands, one to receive the toddy Briggs was stirring for him, the other in
kindly protest, for both the youngsters were on their feet confusedly
striving to make it understood that they had only been waiting for the
cool of the evening to come to pay their respects. "And never mind
about spike tail and shirt fronts either--come just as you are!"
"Indeed, I'll have to, sir," said Willett, whose undress uniform fitted
him like a glove and was cut and made by the then expert military artist
of the far East. They had not taken it too kindly, these others in white
cotton sack coats, hewed and stitched by the company tailor, or even in
canvas shooting rig, as was Harris, that the young aide-de-camp, after
brief siesta in the mid-day lazy hour, should have appeared among
them all, fresh-shaved and tubbed, and in faultless, bran-new,
spick-and-span cap and blouse and trousers, with black silk socks and
low-cut patent leather "Oxford ties." Harris, hammock slung, and
moodily studying 'Tonio, looked approvingly, but made no remark
whatever. Stannard, ever blunt and short of speech, had shoved his
hairy hands deep in his trousers' pockets, a thing no sub would twice
venture in his presence, looked Willett over from head to foot, then,

with a sniff, had turned away, but Bentley and Turner had indulged in
whimsical protest, "Gad, man, but you put us all to shame," said the
surgeon. "I've seen no rig to match that since I came to this post. It's
rarer than rain."
"What do you wear when you call on the commanding officer?"
queried the Latest Arrival, with jovial good-nature. "Thank you, Briggs.
That was a good toddy."
"Never had a family here until this week," said Bentley, "and such
calling as I've done has been in what I happened to have on, and even
then I've wished we dressed like 'Tonio there. Why, Mr. Willett, only
once since I came to this post has there been an officer's daughter with
us. Only twice has there been an officer's wife. Even Mrs. Archer
wouldn't have tried it if the general hadn't been sick."
Willett laughed again, good-naturedly as before. "Well," said he, "in
the field 'The Lost and Strayed' didn't dandy much, but here I had not
even unpacked my trunk; had a whole buckboard to myself after we left
Captain Wickham at the Big Bug, so I just fetched 'em along. This is
light, you see--nothing but serge," and he held forth his arm. "Up there,
of course, we had no use for white. Gunboats and 'plebeskins' was full
dress half the year round----" And just then it had occurred to him to
put that question: "Does it never rain here?" and in so doing he had
appealed rather to Stannard and his fellows of the line, quite as though
he thought Bentley doing too much of the talk, especially since
Bentley's bent was criticising. But Stannard, as we have seen, had
referred back the question, whereat the doctor, defrauded of his game,
yawned languidly and turned over the matter to 'Tonio, thus dragging
Harris, all unwilling, into the tide of talk, and presently out of his
hammock. Next thing noticed of him he had disappeared.
To no man as yet, save the lieutenant-colonel commanding, had Willett
told the purpose of his coming. Late the