The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-05-28
NEW BI,OOMFIEII0 PA. TUESDAY, 28, 1878

bulk to native dealers for value as old
metal at one of the clearance sales some
time ago.
had learned all could. 1 spurred
back to camp with the bullets, from
which had never parted, in the pouch.
1 shall never forget the scene. In the
middle of the camp the men were drawn
up in three sides of square; in the
centre of the square were the triangles,
with Gerald lashed to them. L saw them
as came down the hill take off his
jacket and lash his wrists. sped on.
1 could see the old colonel, with the pa
per in his hand, standing alone, and
then 1 saw nothing more, for dip in
the road concealed them; as / rose again
to the crest at less than quarter of
mile, saw a woman rush in from be-
tween the ranks towards the triangles,
holding something in her hand. dart
ed on, and rushed into the square, but
just in time to seize the farrier's arm as
the lash was descending, and to see that
the woman was my sister, and that she
was being led away between two SER
geants.
" Stop, colonel, for the love of God ~
1 cried, with my hand still grasping the
farrier's arm; L have evidence to prove
the man not guilty"
then showed the colonel the bullet
that had come from the saddle and the
others from the pouch, and pointed out
to him that while one was marked No.
2, the others were all marked No. 5,with
dot. 1 assured him, on my honor as
an officer and gentleman, that it was
almost impossible that No. 2 bullet
could by any chance get into packet of
No. bullets. He was only too glad to
to hear me, and agreed to postpone the
execution of the sentence till further
orders from the general of his division.
I've heard some shouts, and I've seen
some displays Of enthusiasm in my
time, but never shall forget the shouts
that rose the minute that the colonel
had pronounced that the execution of
the sentence on Corporal Ashton would
be postponed until further orders"
The men had been standing at 'atten-
tion," many of them with the tears roll
ing down their cheeks, but when they
heard POSTPONE" they broke ranks,
rushed up to the triangles, cut the lash
ings, broke the cat, screamed, shouted,
and danced like madmen.
Three cheers for Gentleman jack
and his wife! Again again, boys'
Officers and all Joined in for a few
minutes. There stood the old gray
headed colonel in the midst of scene
that out-bedlamed Bedlam.
AS for me was like man in dream;
L felt hundred hands grasping mine.
1 had my sister sobbing in my arms, and
then l heard the colonel say to the bu-
gler, F" Sound the assembly," What a
changel in less than a minute 1 stood
by the fallen triangles in the center of
three lines of living statues. Not a
sound; not movement.
" Major Jackson, reform your column
and break off the men, said the colonel;
and then walked away with myself and
my sister,"
g But what did your sister do there ?"
" Well, she had promised Gerald that
he should not suffer the disgrace of the
lash; and had, during the hour thought
she was fooling with the doctor, man
aged to get hold of his bottle of prussic
acid, and had rushed out with half
of il for him and half for herself: and
her appearance had so thoroughly sur
prised every one that she had reached
the triangles, and almost raised it to his
lips, when the doctor recognizing his
own blue bottle, struck her hand vio-
lent blow and dashed it on the ground,
besides disabling her from getting her
own share.
"And how did the affair end was the
general of the division satisfied :"
/ don't think he would have been
with that evidence alone, and so we went
about to hunt for more. begged, that
as we had found so much, Gerald might
be permitted to accompanya party of
search, under guard, to find the miss
ing tiger.
We went there, Meggie insisted on
joining us. All the officers off duty
went, and about half the men. Gerald
then pointed out the spot where he had
stood, and where he had shot the tiger
and from that point we started, crossing
and recrossing, till there could not have
| haan anvthinO as Ia roe as a half crOuvn