Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-02-25


sacrifice the lives of his men by compelling
them to 60, enjoined double caution to the re-
mainder of the sentinels, and left the fatal post
| unoccupied for night or tive
Two or three reconnoitering parties had
been dispatched off round the neighborhood,
terry, or OF obtaining some intelligence of the
enemy, but they had each Of them returned as
wise as they had started, with no reward for
their troubles save weary bones.
1t vas on the third night of the desertion of
the post, that our hero, Death, was returning
to the fort, after paying visit to Stanhope
farm. The moon was up, but her light was
| nearly all obscured by the dense masses of
| clouds which at every few minutes were driven
by pretty stiff breeze over her face; while
| the huge trees, now in full leaf, creaked and
groaned, and bent their tall forms to and fro,
as the heavy gusts rushed whistling in among
their branches.
Our hero had advanced within q hundred
yards Of the termination of the forest that
skirted the small open space in which the fort
stood, when suddenly he paused, and crouch
ing down on his hands and knees, crept eau
tiously forward few PAGES. Having remained
| in this position few minutes, he again steal
ced; and plunging into the forest again, emer-
| ged at point considerably lower than where
he had intended to leave it before
Col Innes sat reading alone, in his private
apartment, when an orderly entered and in
formed him that one Of the men wished to
| speak to him.
"Send him in" said the colonel; and at thu
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.
None, colonel" replied Death; "but have
| come to ask a favor"
g Let US hear it, said the colonel, ''and we
| will then see what We can do for you"
"Well, colonel. it is simply this if you will
put the rifles under my orders tonight, and
let me occupy the deserted post, will not only
clear up the-mystery of the disappearance Of
the four sentries, but make the post tenab,e
| for the future
But how?' said the colonel, in intense
surprise.
Il guess, colonel" answered Death, "you
had better let me have the men, and order US
| off, and III tell You the affair after. promise
you that no one shall receive even a 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 20
In about an hours time" answered the
| elated Death.
Very well, 1 will give the necessary orders
so that you can start when you think proper;
and what is mere, if you perform all that you
have promised, and don't cause me to repent
having humored you, you shall have poor
Campbells place.
Hector Campbell was a brave but a very
head-strong young Scotchmsn, who had occu-
pied the post Of Lieutenant at the fort In a
sudden freak Of daring, he had volunteered to
stand sentry at the fatal spot from which three
sentinels had already SO mysteriously disap-
peared, and he paid for his rashness with his
life.
Now, my lads" said Death, as, in about
an hour after his conversation with Col. Innes,
he approached the deserted post, at the head
of a dozen rifemen who had been temporarily
placed under arms, 90 will tell you what we
are going to do. The long and the short of
the affair is simply this It's gang of them
cussed, thievin' 1roquois that have circum-
vented and carried off our men-shootin' them
with arrows, and then decamping with their
oiies."
Tonight, as was returning to the fort, L
suddenly thought 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 then ar
ranging their plans to surprise the fort to- night
| intending to steal in upon it by the point which
their cussed deviltry had rendered so easy of
| access, [ only stopped to learn this when hur-
| ried of to the Colonel, and asked him to place
you at my disposal, and here we are did not
| say q word to him Of what had learned, be-
| ing determined that if possible the rifles
should have all the honor Of exterminating the
varlets. And now ask you, are you willing
and ready to follow my orders?"
Every man cheerfully answered in the af-
/ frmative; and with quickened pulses and san
guine hopes, the little company again moved
| forward.
The post consisted of a long, narrow space,
| bounded on each side by a rocky shelving
bank, while its extreme end was closed by the
dark and impenetrsble forest. The bank of
each side of the pass was thickly covered with
brush and underwood, and among these Death
DOW carefully concealed his men-taking care
to arrange them so that their FIRE would cross
| each other, and bidding them not to fire until
| he had given the signal; and after they had
| fired not to stop to reload, but, clubbing their
| rifles, to jump down and finish the struggle in
| that manner.
| With steady alacrity each man took I'D the
post assigned him; and in another minute, the
l spot presented the same lone. still and solemn
| appearance it had worn previous to their ar
| rival
The little company had begun to grow very
| impatient, and Death himself began to fear
that the Indians had either rued to make the
| attempt, or had changed their plan Of attack,
when suddenly his quick eye detected the form
of one Of his crafty foes issue in a crouching
i position from the deep shadow which the lofty
| trees threw up from the pase.
Three-six-nine-twelv count
ed Death, as one after another they emerged
from the wood, and with quick, cat-like steal
| thiness Of movement, advanced up the pass !;
their rifles in trail and their faces and bodies
rendered still more hideous and ferocious-
looking by the grotesque marking Of their war
paint. On they came, swiftly and silently, and
all unconscious of the fate that was in store
| for them.
The foremost Of the band, whose commanding
stature, wolf-teeth collar and eagle tuft at once
proclaimed him as chief, had advanced until
he was directly opposite the bush in which
Death was hid, when the latter with startling
distinctness suddenly initiated the cry of a
night-owl, and discharged his rife.
Eight of the Indians fell by the volley which
the remaining rifemen now poured in upon
them; but, strange to say, one Of the FIVE who
did not fall was the chief whom Death aimed
| at This unusual event was owing to the fol-
lowing cause The branch of the bush on
| which he bad steadied his arm in firing, had
suddenly yielded at the moment he discharged
his piece, thus rendering harmless his other
| wise unerripg aim.
Il ;xc- 4 .tvI - Al