Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-21

to be lett lying around loose"
Locked? Yes. At least never was
way for any time without locking it.
sometimes, just going out to receive
'eports at roll call, would not lock up:
or who would want to rob poor fell
ow of papers of no value to any one but
,he owner"
The major looked grave. Lanes face
vas full of anxiety, which he hardly
Knew how to conceal. Both well knew
The almost universally careless habits of
he bachelor officers in garrison Their
doors are never locked; their rooms are
Empty half the time, and their pocket
books empty ordinarily as their rooms;
heir books, papers, desks, even trunks,
almost always lying unguarded about
,he premises Servants and orderlies
move from house to house unquestioned,
md the rear doors are unfastened day
and night I'VE have nothing worth
;tealing, is the general theory, 80 why
bother about locking an empty stable?"
who is your servant" asked Ken
yon brusquely.
Our black boy. Jake He has taken
are of my rooms and traps for three
years, and works for Wallace and Mar
in, too. He's as honest niger as ever
lived; has been with the regiment longer
han | have"
Yes; Jake isn't half bad boy But
was there no one else who had the run
Of the premises
Not a soul. Jake himself is rarely
here except when at work"
Thn,-
major presently sauntered over and tried
,he door leading to the dining room.
Here IS the key if you want to go in
here" said Hearn. Il have kept all
he rooms locked since Blauvelt left ex-
cept this one and my bedroom upstairs.
The back door is locked, too. Jake al
ways comes in the front way | don't
suppose any one has come through the
kitchen since the day the captains fam
jly left"
Didn't Welsh have to come here for
ais traps" asked Lane
Yes; but he was under guard at the
ime-had sentinel over him-and both
Jake and l were here He took nothing
out of this house but his own personal be-
longings, and never entered this room at
all that day. | couldn't help it, but after
seeing him with Schonberg today the
drst explanation of my loss that occur
red to me moment ago was-Welsh
Yet how could he have been the man,
There was another moment of silence.
Lane stood thoughtfully examining the
lock of the desk, then strolle1 into the
nall and tried the key of the front door.
AS he stood there under the swinging
lamp the clink of an infantry sword was
heard at the gate and the voice of Capt.
Brodie.
What are you youngsters doing at
this hour of the peaceful night? Come
out here and worship nature and visit
sentries for me- Obi beg your pardon,
Lane; thought it must be some of the
boys"
Maj. Kenyon and l have been keep
ing Hearn awake" was the answer.
We are just going
Hello, Brodie," quoth the major, as
he, too. came forth Have you been to
see how Brent is?'
'Delirious, I'm told. Only the doctor
and steward are with him was Just
waiting for - o'clock to 60 down and
stir up the sentries. There ought to be
none but calvary officers of the day at
this post. by JOvei SO that they could
ride around among those outside sen.
tries. It's too far for a Christian to
walk twice in twenty four hours Thank
God, there's the call now"
At the first words from the lips of the
sentry at the guard house the lamps at
the two western gates We're promptly
extinguished, and then the forms of two
men could be discerned fitting from
post to post, extinguishing each lamp in
turn. Soon the entire quadrangle was
wrapped IN total darkness, and the silent
stars CLEANED all the more brilliantly in
the unclouded sky Far over to the
westward the reflection of the electric
lights, pallid, sickly glare upon the
heavens. suddenly faded into nothing
ness
That's the first time the town clock
and ours have been so close together
since my coming to the garrison Where
did we get this custom of dousing the
glim at midnight" asked Lane
''The til started that when they
were here. Got it from town perhaps
Listen moment" answered Brodie. IL
the bridge
Faint and far, though borne on the
wings of the soft night wind the call of
No. had just sounded 1t was now the
turn of the farthest sentry, No 8, whose
post was down the winding road at the
haystacks and wood yard \ rich, mu-
steal Irish voice. softened by distance
began its soldier troll
Number S Twelve o'clock-and
a-a-all's- Who goes there? Halt! Halt!
Corp1 the gu-a-ard-Number6 81 Bang!
Hearn was the first of the four officers
to reach the southwest gate He could
hear the footballs of the officer of the
guard running down the road past the
stables, and without hesitation followed
full tilt. The guard was hurriedly turn
L. IL