Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-08-31
On Picket.

The relief is going out from the reserve
picket. Between the reserve and ths
camp, where 10, 900 men are slumbering,
is half mile of woods; fields and broker
ground. Between the reserve and the enc
my is thin line of picket-a man stationed
here and there to give advance warning Of
any movement.
Follow the relief and yeu will notice how
cautiously the men tread. The dark line
winds around through the trees, fits across
open space, and halts here and there for q
moment 10 relieve the old picket Musket
shot away are the pickets of the enemy,
and loud word may bring a volley OF
bullets. The line might pass you twenty
feet away and you would hardly catch
sound.
Sit you here on this bank where you can
look down upon the picket-aye, almost
touch him. A little creek runs between
you. There is an open space of thirty
feet, and all around it are trees, stumps,
logs and brush. 1t would be lonely
place In which to pass two long hours even
in times of peace There is q warning In
the midnight breeze as it rustles the
branches, and the waters of the creek have
more than once been colored with blood.
The lone picket takes his station under a
tree. In the dark shadow you can hardly
make him out As he finds himself alone
his eyes are constantly searching the dark
ness in front, and his ears catch every
sound. They tell Of men found asleep on
picket. II must be strange man who
could close his eyes in sleep with the night
wind whispering In his ears: beware |!
beware, In tie bushes TO the left is a foe. J"
and the waters of the creek are plainly
saying, Keep watch to the right |! right |!
right right !"
That man has been in a dozen battles,
and has been wounded three times. Don't
call him coward, and yet he trembles
and turns pale before he has been fifteen
minutes alone. The skirmish line with its
deliberate murder is not as bad place as
this. If that man Is dead when the relief
comes again it will be worse than murder.
Call that babbling creek company Hark !!
hear what 1t is saying TO him, every word
as plainly spoken as If their language was
the same
look out! Look cut! There is q
fierce-faced guerrilla crawling through the
bushes toward you! He has knife in
his teeth and he is coming to assassinate
you."
If the creek did not say so, and if the
picket did not understand, why did he
give that sudden start and change his po-
sitionl Why does he kneel to get clearer
look around him? Why does he keep his
eyes fastened upon that stump until the
intensity of his gaze brings out every knot
and splinterl If fifty men were asleep in
that space and one other were awake he
would feel the loneliness and danger. By
daylight school girl might weave ro-
nance from the babble of the waters.
Hark! Is there any romance IN this:
"Beware! bewarel That man with
tangled hair, fierce eyes and savage face is
still advancing! Be on your guard, watch
-listeni,
Coward! count the scars on his body
look up his recordl No, not a coward.
and yet his pale face comes to you from
the darkness almost like candies light.
If it was fear he would crouch down. II
it was cowardice he would hide, or desert
his post. No, it Is not fear, and yet be
thinks it feeling unworthy of him, and he
braces against it. He turns deaf ear to
the whispers of the creek. Ee refuses tc
hear the warnings of the breeze. You can
almost see him as he shuts his teeth hard
together and tries to force his thoughts into
another channel.
'Look out look out." whispers the
creek, but he refuses to hear.
Something is moving over the ground
behind him. You can see it from where
you sit. 1t is something darker than the
dark ground beneath. Now it moves
now it halts-now Its fierce eyes almes
light up the darkness, as it makes out tht
mufiled form of the picket leaning agains
a tree.
Murder, Murder! Murder! gurgiei
the creek.
You hear II, but the picket is thinking
of home. A thousand miles away is ,
quiet farm house. If the same night wIn(
blows there it kisses the apple blossoms ant
lulls the wife and children to deeper slum
bers.
You see that dark something coming
nearer. 1t is creeping up behind him. 4
tiger would rustic the leaves or snap q twig
and his victim would have time to cal
Gods name before the spring. This is
human tiger. God put mercy IN his heart
but 1t was driven out by hate.
"Save himl Save him." cried tn
creek.
You start at the call, but he does no
move. He is thinking of the wife who's
tears wet his cheek-of the eurley-head
who clung to his arms-of the miles an
the dangers between him and them.
That something rises behind him. Tha
terrible knife Is transferred from mouth I
hand.
"Murderl M1rderI Mur-!" but
was done. Not a cry-not even groan
The head sank down with only sigh
, The picture of wife and children was hard
ly hidden between earth and Heaven
Zone less!" hissed the human tiger, 8
be peered into the blanched face, and wit
gurgle in his throat, as If he had lappe
at the hot blood flowing toward the creei
: ne crept away to seek another victim.
"This is warI" whispered the creek, {
it shrunk away from the blood, "and W.
. NNr