Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-07-11


of widely different degrees in importance.
The first was, that Death had either
lost all his skill as marksman, or, thai,
the game had removed to safer and
more distant neigl borhood, for tie off Z
GERS larder had been found sadly want
ing IN the items of woodcocks, black
cocks, ptarmigan, DC, for tie week past
while tie second and most important of
the TWO events was, that in regular sue
cession, four seninels had disappeared
fiom the extreme left line, without leay-
ing the slightest trace TO elucidatc the
mystery Of their disappearance.
This last circumstance struck such
dread into the breasts Of the rest of the
company, that no one could be found
willing TO yolunteer to take post--well
knowing that il would be only like sign
ing tier own deathwarrant to DO so
and Col. Innes, not wishing to wilfullv
sacrifice the lives of his men by compel
ling them to go. enjoinei double caution
20 the remainder OF the sentinels, and left
he fatal post unoccupied for night OF
| TWO.
Two or three accommodating parties had
been dispatched off round the neighbor-
hood in Tie hope of finding some clue to
The mys'ery, OF of Obtaining some intelli-
gence of Tie enemy, but they had each
OF them returned as wise as they had
started, with no reward for their trouble
save weary bones.
l. was on tie third night of the deser-
tion OF the post. tlat our hero, Death,
was returning TO the fort after paying a
visit TO S,anhope Farm. The moon was
up, but her light was nearly all obscured
by the dense masses of clouds which a,
| every few minutes were driven by a pref
| ~ ssitt breeze over her face; while the
huge trees, now all in iull leaf, creaked
and groaned, and bent their tall forms to
and fro, as The heavy gusts rushed whist
ling in among their branches.
Our hero had approached within a
hundred yards of the termination of the
forest that skirtcd tie small open space in
which the fort stood, when suddenly he
paused, and crouching down on his hands
and knees, crept cautiously forward few
PAGES. Having remained in this position
Tor several minutes, lie again steaIthily
retreated in the manner he had advanced
and plunging into the forest again, emerg-
ed at point considerably lower than
where lie had intended 10 leave it before.
Col. lnnes sat reading, alone, in his
prlva.e apartment, when an orderly en-
tered and informed him that one OF the
men wished TO speak TO him.
g Send him in" said the colonel and
at the next minute our friend, Dea b, 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
None, colonel" I" replied Dea.h but
| have come to ask a favor
Let us hear it," said the colonel,
and we will see what we can do.
Well, colonel, it is simply this-if
you will put The rifles under my orders
10 night, anl let me occupy The deserted
post. | will not only clear up the mystery
OF the disappearance of the four senries,
but make the post tenable for The future"
g But how p said the colonel, in in
tense surprise.
1 guess, colonel" answered Death,
"you had betler let me have the men,
AMI order us of. and I'll tell you the
Whole affair after, lpromise you that no
one shall receive even a scratch, that is,
II they will follow my directions implic-
itly."
' You are a strange man." said the
colonel, !" but think / will let you have
your own way this time. Wnen do you
intend TO START ?"
In about an hours time" answered
the Glazed Dea,h.
Very well, will give the necessary
orders, SO that You can start when you
think proper. And what is more, if you
perform all that you have promised, and
don't cause me 10 repent having humor-
ed You. you shall have poor Campbelrs
place"
Hector Campbell was brave but very
healstrong young Sco,chman. who had
occupied The post of lieutenant at the
tort. In sudden freak OF daring he
had volunteered to stand sentry at the
la.al spot from which three sentinels had
already SO mysteriously disappeared, and
lie paid for his rashness with his life.
Now, my lads said Death, as in
about an hour af.er his conversation with
Colonel lnnes. lie approached the deses t.
ed post, at The head of the dozen rifle
men who Lad been temporarily placed
under his orders. :" / will tell you what
we are going 10 do. The long and the
short OF the affair is simply this it's a
gang of them cussed, theivn' Iroquois,
that lave circumyented and carried of
our four men-shooting them with their
arrows, and then decamped with their
bodies. 3e a
Tonight. as was returning to the
fort, l suddenly thought l heard the
sound of several voices, and creeping on
my hands and knees towards the spot,
got nigh enough to see and hear that
about dozen Iroquois were there and
then arranging their plans to surprise the
iort to,n ,n9ni-inlendng to steal in upon
~ by lhe point which ,heil cus5ed devil
try had rendered so easy of access.
only stopped long enough to learn this,
when 1 hurried off to the colonel and