Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-02-23

stirring in . tree top not fay away had
dislodged dead limb or piece Of bark.
Now there comes . sound from the
thiclet on the left and the horse turaas
his head and points his ears Even 9
field mouse scampering over the dead
leaves can be heard yards away on a
quiet night
All Peer-listen-feel the horse
tremble with excitement as a dry
branch cracks in the thicket across
the creek Did human footsteps cause
that sound? The horse stands with
ears pointed. head lowered and one
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. 4 hundred nights
of picket duty have taught him caution
Come, old boy, there's nothing to
fear, whispers the trooper as he pats
his neck. we mustn't get excited
about a coon or possum moving about
You and ! have been in some tight
places together, but we are all right
here Let's settle down 10 kill time
until we are relieved"
A quarter Of an hour goes by The
horse has not ceased 10 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
peculiar plaint-crickets sing in the
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 a peculiar sound
from the stony bed of the creek-the
crunch of gravel under a footstep. The
horse hears it and points his ears, and
his eyes grow larger. The trooper
hears it, but ii does not break his wax
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
high banks form an excellent shelter
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.
soho! Shot" whispers the trooper
as he caress IN, but he is still think
ing of home those who will well |
come him.
The horse shrinks backward and ut
tiers a snort of alarm, and the trooper
suddenly rouses himself 1t is too late.
As he straightens up in his stirrups
there is flash cf fire in his face, fol- !
lowed by report which will arouse a
thousand men, and after a 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 turns
out and comes hurrying up they find
the animal standing almost over his
dead master. with his frightened eyes
watching the bank and his ears strained
to every sound.
"Ambushed and murdered, whispered !
the men as they gathered around the
corpse. THE bushwhacker must have |
crept up the bed of the creek to shoot |
him, and it's wonder his horse didn't |
give the alarm in time. IN. V Sun.