Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-06-21
\ BLANK CARTRIDGE.
The Sergeant's Story.

|
"You were never detailed to shoot deserter
were your NOT Well, was once. and I'll tel
you about it. It's \ strange story and sad one
too, some OF it, but no matter. IL kind % doe:
me good TO tell i, sometimes. Hand me the can
teen. Bill All! that's none of your commissary
whisky Now forit"
! "Hold on sergeant, here comes the lieutenant. ,
Hes welcome" said Sergeant Jukes, pleas
nntly. There s stiff horn or two left in the lug
| Lieutenant Beads arrival created but a mo
mentary diversion. He took the offered "horn,
and it being a holiday, prolessed himself desirou:
of hearing his sergeant's story.
Juke therefore took up his "moving tale" a.
follows, so far. at least, as the substance of tht
narrative is concerned, for the writer transcribes
| from memory, and cannot pretend TO give the ser
geonts style Of expression very accurately:
Zone day" he began, 81 WAS corporal in the
lndepC ndents then. and you were with the Sharp
shooters, ieutcnant-well. one day when | wa:
haMking around among the pickeis, couple Of
chaps came sneaking over from the rcbs, and sait
they were descrters, and anxious to join our side
We were pretty shy of that sort OF folks; for be
tween dCseTter and spy there aint rs big steI
as the poet says there is between the sublime and
tie ridiculous. However, We marched them to
quarters, and after going through the usual cxami
nations and oaths. they listed into our squad
ron of scouts. They were two as unlike fellows
as you could scrapc up in the same family, foi
they were brothers, at all events they said they
were, though from what passed-but that'l
come by IN by. Well, one of 'em-the oldest-wa:
tall, big boned, dark faced chap. with n wicked
eye, and scar across his nose from bowie knife
| guess he was about twenty Eve. But the other
wasn't more than nineteen or twenty, and pre- t
tv youth as you'd care TO see--pretty young
girl. lie had long dark hair, smooth, soft checks
clear, large eyes, they floating like in his
head. lie wasn't near as tall as his brother, and
was quite slender, and he didn't seem to have any
signs of beard. except a sort Of shadow on his up
per lip, not half as much as I've Spanish
girl many time. His name was Ned KentOn,
and his brothers name George, though their
names are OF no consequence to the story Geo
was first rate trooper, hard rider, and as brave
as they make 'em, and he seemed to hate his
former friends, the rebS, like the devil. Ned was
good rider, too, and brave enough, but didn't
seem to have much heart in tie work, and would
hang back, like. until his brother spurred him on
10y something he would say to him, though what
il was never could hear.
"W ell, soon got TO Ike Ned, strangely; | say
strangely, for the fellow didn't let himself out to
ne, nor % any body else, but was a silent, mean-
choly chap, and once caught him crying like Il
baby. And yet, in spite of all this, got to like
him amazingly, and used often TO choose him TO
90 with me when was ordered off on some special
scouting arrangement for he knew all the highways
Ibput piil VI Us Ncil a> II Tie Ddu
engineered 'em. ! thought. too, | might pump
something out of him about himself and his big
brother-what made 'em desert and so forth; but
for n long time | couldn't get a show.
"Finally we were out one day, Ned and J, with
a squad looking up stme refugees and contra
bands, when we stopped at farmhouse to water
and feed. The folks, if there were any, had left
in a hurry. There was nobody but = hallblind
and whole deaf black woman in the place.
Come in, says | 20 Ned, after We had dis
mounted
'l'd rather not, says he, unless you order it.
"0h, SAWS |, its not an order, YOU can stand at
case outside il you like. says |, laughing. and |
went into the house. But l couldn't help wonder
Ing what was tie reason Ned wouldn't come in,
for i. cold as b zes outside, and drilling to
boot found the old darkey cuddled up in the
chimney place.
where's your master says |.
DE ole woman's deaf, SAYS she.
"Whcre's your muster? says in roar.
"Lor. maSsa's dead an mis'us done gone way
wild de children la night.
Nv hats YOUR mistress name? | wells.
"Brcss your soul. honey, Amt so done deaf as
dat; hears Jon without sich yellin'. Missus
nsme's missus Kentor-dere.
"Ho! no! says to myself, seeing streak of
light on Ned's subject.
'liow miny children has she' asks.
Well, den. says the Old wom,n Grossly,
clare you sojcrs il mighty qusitive, jus ike de
Yankces-ya. va.
&C, me, old lady. l shouts; answsr mellow
many children7
"Well, den, If you mus know, dcre's Miss Tida
but she's Done gone away long ago, poor chiie,-
She shook her grizlled head awhile. and then
sumCd:
IAN dcre's Miss Grace. an missy Jat's Judy,
d,y'm all away wid de miss,.s dat's all massI
sojer.
.All the girls. Now, how many boys?
Hi. honey! Missus neber h.d no boys as
knOw'd on. What put dc boys in your head,
"No boys! was all in tie dark again, but an
idea struck me.
"Your muster had brothers. then, l suppose;
come, wake up, and tell me about them.
"Sartin, mas,a had bruddeGs. Two, free of
'em But dey IN gone to de war long ago. We
haint seen muffin ob dem dis year, reckon.
"HOw old were theyl
"Well, den, dunno. Bout thirty or forty
reckon.
''Was there none younger?
eli. | dunno. | reckon. Bout thirty or
forty. reckon, massa.
"And this was all could screw out Of the old
crone after considerable further effort So was
nearly as puzzled as ever, though thought that
Ned and George (or one OF them at any rate)
were either Mr.. Kenten's Brothers, or had assum-
cd the name 4 disguise.
"On our way ID camp, tried 10 pump Ned
once more; but all the information got that
those kent)ns wee near relatives Of his, and
he naturally stunned their house after becoming
what they would call a traitor to his country.
"a few days later We broke up camp, and went
on big raid.
| am as dry as a burnt chip. so, with your leave,
lieutenant, Iii take five minutes for refreshments,
as the railroad chap says.
You command the party. sergeant, just now
said the lieutenant, aicibly.
well" resumed the sergeant when his whistle
was duly wet again, "my liking for Ned Ken,on
continued ard grew stronger for all his perverse
want of confidence. though | couldn't help it
One night, or rather one morning-ior il was just
before daylight-we surprised guerrilla camp,
and after short but sharp scramble, sobbled pret
~ nearly the whole lot When all was over and
the roll came 30 be called, neither George nor Ned
Kenton answered to their names.
"CAll 'em again, adjutant, says the major. SO
he did.
"Missing. sings cut the corporal.
"And missing they were, enough. We
searched for 'em in vain. They were neither
among the wounded or the killed. In fact there
were two ed and half dozen slashcd little.
"Ol course we marched on without EN-
"Those fellows have deserted again, says the
major and il serves me right for trusting EN-.
P'raps they've only sIraggled, major. says |,
for couldn't think they'd gone off in cold blood
when they been so staunch before.
"Siragsled be ID. grows the major, who
wasn't very choice in his language But ii catch
either of them, they wont get second chance to