Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-03-29

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tcoman."
Two nights after this, as Capt. Buxton
was sulkily going the rounds of the sem
tries, he made discovery which greatly
enlivened an otherwise uneventful tour
as officer Of the day. 1t had been his
general custom on such occasions to take
the shortest way across the parade to the
guard house, make brief and perfunctory
inspection there, then go on down the
hill to the creek valley and successively
visit the sentries around the stables. If
the night were wet or cold, he went back
the same way, ignoring the sentries at
the coal and store sheds along Prairie
avenue. This was sharply cold night
and very dark, but equally still. 1t was
between 10 and o'clock-nearer than
12-as he climbed the hill on his home
ward way, and, instead of taking the
short cut, turned northward and struck
for the gloomy mass Of sheds dimly dis
cernible some forty yards from the crest.
He had heard other officers speak Of the
:act that Mr.. Haynes lights were burn
ing until long after midnight, and that
dropping in there, they had found him
seated at his desk with green shade
over his eyes, studying by the aid of two
student Jumps; "boning TO be general,
probably" was the comment of captains
OF Buxton's caliber, who, having grown
old in the service and in their own igno-
rance, were fercely intolerant of lieu
tenants who strovs to improve in pro-
fessional reading instead of spending
their time making out the company mus
ter rolls and clothing accounts, as they
should do.
Buxton wanted to see for himself what
the night lights meant, and was plunging
heavily ahead through the darkness.
when suddenly brought to stand by
the sharp challenge Of the sentry at the
coal shed. He whispered the mystic
countersign over the leveled bayonet of
the infantryman, swearing to himself at
the regulation which puts an officer in
such "stand attitude for
the time being, and then, by way of get
ting square with the soldier for the
sharply military way in which his duty
as sentry had been performed, the cap
tain proceeded to catechise him as to his
orders. The soldier had been well
taught, and knew all his responses by
rote-far better than Buxton, for that
matter, as the latter was anything but an
exemplar of perfection in tactics or sen
try duty; but this did not prevent Bux-
tons snappshly telling him he was
wrong in several points and contemptu-
ously inquiring where he had learned
such trash. The soldier promptly bu,
respectfully responded that those were
the exact instructions he had received al
the adjutant's school, and Buxton knew
from experience that he was getting on
dangerous ground. He would have stucl
to his point, however, in default of some
thing else to find fault with, but that tn,
crack Of whip, the crunching of hoof
and rattle OF wheels out in the darkness
quickly diverted his attention.
whats that, sentry!" he sharply in
quired.
"a carriage, sir. Leastwise, l thinl
1t must be"
"Why don't you know, sir? 1t mus
have been on your post"
"No, sir; it was way off my post. l
drove up to Lieut.. Haynes about half al
hour ago.
"Whered it come from from?" aske,
captain, eagerly.
"From town, sir, suppose" And
leaving the sentry to his own reflections
which, on the whole, were not compli
mentary to his superior officer, Capt
Buxton strobe rapidly through the dark
ness to Lieut.. Haynes quarters. Brigh
lights Were still burning within, both ol
the ground floor and in room above
The sentries were just beginning the cal
| of O'Clock when he reached the gat
and halted, gazing inquisitive!y at th
house front. Then he turned and listene'
to the rattle Of wheels growing faint i
the distance as the team drove ava
towards the prairie town. II llayne ha
gone to town at that hour Of the night
was most unusual procccding. and Ia
had not the coloncls permission TO al
sent himself from the post; of that Tia
! oficer Of the day was certain. Then
aG1kR, - RQH|d not have gfha 2pd N