The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1889-07-25

placed every four heurs, and, at the
appointed time, the guard again
marched to relieve the post. To their
inexpressible astouishment, the man
was gone. They searched around the
post, but no traces could be found of
bis disappearance. 1t was necessary
that the station, from stronger
motive than ever, should not remain
unoccupied: they were compelled to
leave another man, and returned,
rumlnatlng on this strange circum-
stance, to The guard house. The
superstition Of the soldiers was
| awakened, and the terror ran through
the regiment. The colonel, being
apprized of the occurrence. signified
his intention to accompany the guard
When they relieved the sentinel they
had left. At the appointed time they
all marched together; and again, to
their unutterable wonder, they found
the post vacant, and the man gone.
Under these circumstances, the colonel
hesltated whether he should station
whole company here, or if he should
again submit the post to single sem
tlnel. The cause of these repeated
disappearances of men, whose courage
and honesty were never suspected,
must be discovered: and it seemed not
likely that this discovery could be OBJ.
tanned by persisting III the old method
Three brave men were now lost to the
regiment, and to assign the post to a
fourth seemed nothing less than giving
i'm up to destruction. The poor fell
ltw whose turn it was to take the sta
ton. though man in other respects
of unconqucrable resolution, trembied
from head To foot. Il must do my
duty said he to the officer; Il know
that, but | should like To lose my life
with mere credit II will leave no
man, said the colonel, against his
will" A man Immediately stepped
from the ranks, and desired to take
the post. Every mouth commended
his resolution. II will not be taken
alive said he, "and you shall hear Of
me on the least alarm. At all events,
| will fire my piece if hear the least
noise. Ii crow chatters or a leaf
falls, you shall hear my musket. You
may be alarmed when nothing is the
matter: you must take the chance of
that, as the condition of my making
the discovery. The colonel ap-
plauded his courage, and told him he
would be right to fire upon the least
noise which was ambiguous. His
comrades shook hands with him, and
left him with melancholy foreboding.
The company marched back, and
waited the event in the guard house,
With the most anxious curiosity.
An hour had elpased, and every ear
was upon the rack for the discharge of
the musket, when, upon sudden the
report WAS heard. The guard imme-
diately marched, accompanied, as be-
fore, by the colonel and some of the
most experienced officers of the reg-
ment. AS they approached the post
they saw the man advancing towards
them, dragging another man on the
ground by the head. When they came
up to him, it appeared to be an Indian
whom he had shot. An explanation
was Immediately required II told
your honor" said the man, "that |
should fire if heard the least noise.
The resolution l had taken has saved
my life, and led to the discovery.
had not been long on my post, when
heard rushing at some short dist
ance / looked, and saw an American
hog, such as are common in the woods,
crawling along the ground, and seem
ingly looking for nuts under the
trees, and among the leaves. As
these animals are SO very common, l
ceased to consider it for some minutes;
but being on the constant alarm and
expectation of attack, and scarcely
knowing what to consider real cause
of apprehension, or not, l kept my
eyes visilantly fixed upon it, and
marked Its progress among the trees;
still there was no need to give the
alarm, and my thoughts were, not
directed to danger from
another quarter. 1t struck me, how
ever, as somewhat singular, to see
the animal making, by circuitous
Al.al. o.ap,oa sv,n,A1i |