The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-11-24
SERGEANT JACK.

The wagon-train has made about
three miles from its camp of the night
before when Sergt. Jack, of Troop E.
misses his knife and remembers that
he left it on the ground after using it
to cut a strap, The Captain gives him
permission to ride back after it. Why
mott 1t is but a dash, and we are at
peace with the Indians. He will over
take us within the hour.
Sergt. Jack is a brawnv man and a
veteran. The arrow and bullet wounds
received prove him a fighter. Men of
his company will tell you of seeing
him peril his life a dozen times over,
and they a count up st least seven
redskins he has wiped out. A grand
looking soldier is Sergt. Jack-every
inch a man. Your eye would pick
him out of a regiment for his bearing,
and when you had looked into his
bronzed face you would put him down
as game to the death.
Sergt. Jack rides back at an easy
lOpe. In half an hour he is at the
oanp. There are dozen gaunt wolves
providing about and munching at the
bones, and they grudgingly give way
for him as he rides up. Yes, the knife
is there, and he quickly secures it. A
newspaper has been thrown out of one
of the wagons. He picks it up and
sits down to scan its columns. Some
one has thrown away a letter; he picks
that up and becomes interested. Some
careless trooper has left a lariat here
in the grass. He secures it, walks
about for a few minutes, and then
mounts to rejoin the column. 1t is
travelling northwest. It will now be
about eight miles ahead of him. 1t
must bear to the left after crossing
Comanche Creek. He will therefore
take a short cut and save time and
trouble.
Now follow him, and you will witness
a curious thing. He rides away hum
ming the air Of a merry tune, and he
has not n anxious thought. He
passes ridge after ridge, covers mile
after mile, and so sure is he of his way
that he scarcely looks up. All of a
sudden the horse Stacks down. He has
been taking the ridges at two fast a
pace and is out of breath. A minute
later he is pulled up sharp, and Sergt.
Jack looks about him with anxious
eyes, What is it9 Nothing. He has
only to keep on and he will intercept
the column. He has emily to ride back
over his trail to strike the plain road
left by the wagons. It is only 6 o'clock
in the morning, and tho sky is without
a cloud.
Curious, isn't itl The soldier stands
up in his stirrups to look ahead; there
is more than anxiety in his eyes as he
turns and looks back, He chances to
the right-to the left-up at the sun.
All Of a sudden, as he rode gaily on,
the terrible loneliness of the great
plains struck him like a chill. What
if he should lose his way! What if he
had lost it! That is enough. He has
let aydoubt creep in, and five minutes
later that curious palsy of the plains
begins to creep over him. 1t has
claimed its hundreds, and all have been
brave men.
He will ride on. He smiles at his
fears-he seek to shake off that feeling
Of terror which made his cheek grow
pale. There is no cause for haste, but
he shuts his teeth together and gives
his horse the spur, and pushes on as if
riding a race. See! He bears to the
left. Let a mar become ratified in the
forest or on the plains, and he invari-
ably bears to the left and thus COM
pletes his disaster.
When the horse falls with exhaustion
Sergt. Jack is twenty-five miles from
the command. It does not occur to
him that he will be searched for and
that his trail can be followed. He now
feels sure that be is lost, but he cannot