Theodore Goodridge Roberts

“ Then Barrington jumped forward, flung his one-time commanding officer to the ground, and thrashed him with a paddle of rock maple. He swung the paddle with both hands. The Colonel staggered to his feet twice, only to fall each time beneath the shower of blows.
"Now you're not fit to carry the canoe," remarked Barrington. "Pick up that bag of grub and move along!"
Maul stood up slowly and painfully, and turned. His face was livid with fury. "I'm no man's servant!" he cried. "Carry your own blasted bag, confound you!" ”

“ Trapping is not as easy as it sounds. The Colonel was worked like a slave. When he did well, nothing was said. When he did ill, he was sworn at and knocked about. He continued occasionally to make rash attempts to explain his position in the matter of the confidential reports, and Barrington continued to silence him with a billet of stovewood or whatever weapon lay nearest to hand.
"Do you remember the evening of the fifth day after I joined the regiment?" asked Barrington one night, as they sat smoking before the stove. ”

“ Instead of being kindly, he was sarcastic; instead of being paternal in his manner, he was hostile and overbearing; instead of warning the unfortunate subaltern, and requesting him to buck up, he menaced him, sneered at him, and let his mean and stupid dislike show in his eyes. ”

“ Barrington was astonished, puzzled, and grieved when informed of the nature of the first report, which was made at the conclusion of his first year's service. He could not understand the case against him; he could not see what he had done that other subalterns in the regiment were not doing, or what he had left undone that others were not neglecting; he was fairly well up in his work ”

“ They had not been able to find him. They had brought out the tent and provisions, however. The factor reflected for an hour. He knew that his men were honest.
"Wolves, like as not," he remarked at last. "Anyhow, the less said the soonest mended."
III.
On the morning of his desertion by the half-breed guides the Colonel had awakened at sunrise, and, looking at his watch, shouted to know if breakfast was ready. He repeated the question, this time with a curse at the end of it. No answer. He threw aside his blankets and crawled to the flap of the tent. ”