Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-05-11

flag at half staffp The old colonel q mean
the new commander was greatly excited.
He shouted for the corporal, who returned
with his file of men at double time. | can
tell you Corporal. said the colonel. WHY.
sir, did you put that flag at half staff
Who's dead, STRIP
" No wan, sir, is did that knows of.
said the corporal, with frightened face
ana an awkward salute, but couldn't git
IL any higher, sir. 1t sthuck there, sir
Then why in -, sir, did you leave
10 at half staffP Why didn't you pull it
down, you blankety blank idiotP Down
with it at once, sir, and keep it down until
you can get 1t up right again
AS we walked off together the colonel
looked uneasy and distracted. Finally he
said, III be shot if like that flagincident.
major. Something internally odd about it.
can understand how some halyards can
refuse TO work sometimes, but that any
soldier with sense enough to be a corporal
should deliberately walk off and leave a
garrison flag at half staff is incomprehensi-
BILE. | don't like it, major, and | believe
that some one Of us will go to meet his la
mented mother-in-law before the day has
passed
II laughed at the colonel's superstition,
and we soon parted.
THAT morning at o'clock Camille was
to give breakfast to the new command
ing officer. Fourteen ladies and gentlemen
were provided for, and they comprised
about all the officers and their wives At
the last minute, and not until after break
fast had been announced, Lieutenant Drum
came and without his wife, whose unavoid-
able absence he apoloHzed for. We sat
down to an excellent breakfast Camille
was in fine form and superb spirits. He
was, as usual, the soul of his circle. No one
noticed that the absence Of the heutenant's
wife had reduced the number of our party
TO the fatal thirteen, nor did we observe it
until after all was over. AS the meal
(which had been a particularly jolly one)
was about finished, a loud knock on Cantle's
front door startled us somewhat. No door
bells out there, you know. Government
doesn't permit such luxuries at the far west
ern posts. Camille said; 1t is my first ser
geant with the morning report for my sig
nature, suppose. Excuse me a moment,
ladies and gentlemen, and don't permit me
TO disturb the meal. will reappear later
Now, sir, +" said the grizzled major, from
that day to this we have never been able to
find out who knocked at Cantle's door. 1t
was no this sergeant, and the most persist
emit inquiry throughout the post and neigh
borhood has failed to disclose who it was
"Cantle left his table The meal went on
to finish. Mrs. Camille finally said, Il
wonder what detains the captainV She
went toward her room just across the hall.
In moment we heard shrek. We rushed
to the room, and there lay the poor fellow
dead ON his bed 'Apoplexy,' said the doc
tor. The colonel called me aside and said,
How about that flag at half staff Did
not tell you that one of us would go todayP
The post surgeon said, Well, the dice are
true so far
1--WE buried Camille in the post cemetery.
commanded the funeral escort On the
road to the grave we had to pass the rear of
the guardhouse, and there sat the same
black dog in exactly his former position
and bowling piteously. No, we never did
find out where that dog belonged. lie was
never seen again.
"The next morning went out alone to
take look at Cantle's grave. The coyotes
had dug it open during the night. had it
closed, however, and said nothing about it,
Yes, the doctor died in his turn. He went
in less than year after Cantle-young
man, too-died with a malignant fever in
New Mexico. The sutler was the only in
firm man of the three who threw those
fatal dice, and according to all natural laws
he should have died first, but he still lives.
You will observe, sir, that the doctor
died within the year allowed by the fatal
1S. Camille, poor old Camille, died like a
gentleman, sir; he did not even disturb his
breakfast party. And here am to be in
speeted and condemned like wornout
horse
"Phewi what a blow that wasl 1t is a
terrible night, sir"
SHOW the senator to number Is" said
the hotel clerk, and l was called back to
my reportorial life-Gilbert E. Overton in
Washington Post