Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-11-05

stirring In tree top not far away had
dislodged dead limb or piece of bark
Now there comes sound from the
thiclset on the left, and the horse turns
his head and points his ears. Even q
field mouse scampering over the dead
leaves can be heard yards away on
quiet night -..
All! Peer-listen-feel the horse
tremble with excitement as dry
branch cracks in the thicket across
the creek Did human footsteps cause
that sound? The horse stands with
ears pointed, head lowered and ono
forefoot almost off the ground. He is
an old veteran. If it were otherwise
he would toss his head and paw the
earth and betray his location to any
one prowling near. A hundred nights
of picket duty have taught him caution.
Come, old boy, there's nothing to
fear" whispers the trooper as he pets
his neck. ''We mustn't get excited
about coon or 'possum moving about
You and l have been in some tight
places together, but we are all right
here. Let's settle down to kill time
until we are relieved"
A quarter of an hour goes by. The
| horse has not ceased to watch and
listen. No cavalryman's horse on our
post forgets the situation. Some will
neither eat nor drink-none ever sleep.
The troopers eyes stare into the thick
cts, but in a vacant way. He listens,
but he no longer separates the different
sounds. A tree toad is uttering its
| ,nr ,lns, all -, -s, %11a
dry grass-afar off whippoorwill is
making night melodious. He does not
sleep but he thinks of home and wife
and little ones
| Listen! There was peculiar sound
from the stony bed of the creek-the
| crunch of gravel under footstep. The
horse hears it and points his ears, and
his eyes grow larger. The trooper
hears it, but it does not break his walk
ing dream. The end of war has come;
a nation is rejoicing; the bronzed faced
veterans are marching from battlefelds
to fields of waving grain.
The horse is trembling with fear and
his breath comes faster. He hears the
sound again and again. Something is
creeping up the bed of the creek, whose
| HiSu UduhS 10TH du eNCellenU SnelUer.
Is the trooper asleep? Have those
sounds no significance to the man who
knows that on this front someone has
been murdered almost nightly? The
horse carefully turns his head to look
back.
''So-ho So-ho!" whispers the trooper
as he caresses him, but he is still think
ing of home and those who will well
come him.
The horse shrinks backward and ut
ters a snort of alarm, and the trooper
suddenly rouses himself. 1t is too late
AS he straightens up ia his stirrups
there is fash of fire in his face, fol-
lowed by a report which will arouse a
thousand men, and after lurch or
two and clutch at the saddle he falls
to the ground. The war is over for him.
The horse wheels and bounds away a
few yards, but when the guard turn.
out and comes hurrying up they fnf
the animal standing almost over nj.
dead master, with his frightened eve.
watching the bank and his eals strained
to every sound.
''Am brsshed and murdered, y whispere1
the men as they gathered ground th<
corpse. THE 5ushwhacke- must hap
crept up the bed of the creek to shoo
him, and it's wonder his horse didnr
give the ALARM in time"-M- Y. Sun