orporal Charlton was directed to get ready to accompany the writer at
dark and afoot for a thorough search of the town and to begin to assume
his role--

The Search--Amateur Army Detectives--The Corporal's Joke

We struck the town under cover of darkness, and proceeded to "comb" it,
both heavily armed and with no insignia of rank on or about our citizens
clothes or any indication that we were of the army-- "Now, Corporal, you
are to preserve your incognito-- You are to deal with your Commanding
Officer as though we are simply two friends or acquaintances on a
night's drive through the 'slums'; there are to be no--'Yes, Sir!'
or--'No, Sir!'-- No deference is to be paid--him-- Don't forget your
part! You are to be simply--'Green',--and the other party is to be plain
'Brown'-- Have your guns handy, and at a given signal be prepared for a
quick pull on the trigger-- These are all the instructions necessary,
except that you are under no circumstances to be separated from me for a
moment--and watch me all the time for signals"-- Charlton straightened
up--saluted--replied--"Yes, Sir"! and that was the last recognition of
rank the writer got during this adventure--

All night long we plied our trade of amateur detectives-- No stone was
left unturned-- We worked the "dives", faro banks--brothels, saloons and
questionable resorts, but without avail-- The deserters had been seen
but everybody seemed mum and blind or deaf and dumb-- They had been paid
off for several months--had scattered it--their money--liberally and had
left the town-- Nobody knew where-- At one _gilded dive_ "Green",
becoming bold and watching his chance, assuming the detective role with
some slight show of experience and with a most startling blase air said
to the bespangled proprietress--"Didn't you have a place at one time in
Jacksboro"? "Yes"!-- "Well, then, you must remember Brown, here",
pointing a finger at me-- "Oh, yes!" was the reply-- "I remember him
well, and that he came often and I have often wondered what became of
him"-- Anger came to the front at this joke--but it had to be choked
back--the instructions had been given-- No frowns or even scowls or
anything but a _positive order_ would have disturbed the imperturbable
musketeer Corporal--the d'Artagnan of our adventure at this point. The
writer was married and had left his wife and child in the howling gale
at Fort R----; and had never seen this "Jezabel"-- His outraged dignity
sustained a d