Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-06-12


to leave it before.
Col. Times sat reading, alone, in his
private apartment, when an orderly en-
tered and informed him that one of the
men wished to speak to him.
:" Send him in" said the colonel and
at the next minute our friend Death had
entered, and made his best bow to his
commanding officer.
"Well, what scrape have you been
getting into now?' said the colonel,
when he saw who his visitor was.
"Nonc, colonel, replied Death; ''but
have come to ask favor"
"Let us hear it," said the colonel
"and we will then see what we can do. ;
"Well, colonel, it is simply this-it
you will put the rifles under my orders
tonight, and let me occupy the deserted
post, | will not only clear up the mys-
terry of the disappearance of the four
sentries, but make the post tenable for
the future"
"But howl" asked the colonel, in in
tense surprise,
g. guess, colonel" answered Death
"you had better let me have the men,
and order us off, and I'll tell you the
whole affair after. | promise you that
not one shall receive even scratch, that
is if they will follow my directions i'm
plicitly."
{" You are strange man." said the
colonel, "but / think | will let you have
your own way this time. When do you
intend to start?'
"In about an hours time" answered
the elated Death.
Very well, | will give the necessary
orders, 50 that you can start when you
think proper. And what is more, if you
perform all that you have promised, ant
don't cause mo to repent having humored
you, you shall have poor Campbcll'i
place."
Hector Campbell was brave but yer,
headstrong young Scotchman, who haC
occupied the post of lieutenant at tn,
fort. In a sudden freak of daring Ii,
had volunteered to stand sentry at the
fatal spot from which three sentinels haC
already so mysteriously disappeared anf
he paid for his rashness with his life.
"Now, my lads" said Death, az il
about an hour after his conversation will
Colonel Innes, he approached the desert
ed post, at the head of the dozen rife
men who had been temporarily PLACED
his orders; II will tell you what we ar,
going to do. The long and the short O
the affair is simply this /: it's gang o
them cussed, theiyin' Iroquois that hav,
circumventcd and carried off our fouI
mcn--shooting them with their arrows
and then dccamping with their bodies.
Tonight, as ] was returning to tn,
fort, | suddenly thought I heard thu
sound of several voices, and creeping OF
my hands and knees towards the spot
got nigh enough to see and hear abou
dozen lroquois were there and then ar
ranging their plans to surprise the for
Notwithstanding to steal in upon i
by the point which their cussed deviltr,
had rendered so easy Of access. | onl,
stopped long enough to learn this, wheI
| hurried off to the colonel, and askct
him to place you at my disposal, ant
here we are. did not say word b
him about what had learnt, being de
termined that if possible the "riAes'
should have all the honor of extermi
mating the varlets. And now ask you
are you willing and ready to follow IN,
ordersY
Every man cheerfully answered in til,
affirmative and with quickened pulses
and sangaine hopes, the little compan,
again moved forward.
| The post consisted Of long, marrow
space, bounded on each side by rocky
shelving bank; while its extreme en-,
was closed in by the dark and impen
etrable looking forest. The bank Of
each side Of the pass was thickly covere,
} with brush and underwood, and anon
these Death now carefully concealed hi
men taking care TO arrange them s
, that their FIRE would cross each other
and bidding them not 10 FIRE until he ha'