The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-19
Three nights passed witboue any event. /

Three nights passed without any event.
| The moon, though on the wane, was
| still bright enough to allow Rogers to see
| any moving object on the plain.
| One would have expected I'd hayO seen
| him alert, actively watching for the slight
| est sign of danger, but he had different
| idea.
Seated on the ground, his back against
the corral, his rifle on his knees he was
apparently asleep.
Apparently only, for his sharp eyes
keenly watched every point of the plain.
He knew that he had shrewd tricky,
but at the same time bold enemy in
that willy Apache. He felt sure that the
Indian, especially in the second case, had
not crept up on his victim unobserved.
He must have employed some disguise
which had completely deceived the senti
mel. What was this disguise?
That Apache would be more apt to be-
tray himself if he thought me asleep than
he would if he saw that I was watching
him, - was his sound argument.
Through the long hours of the night he
sat motionless. 1t was o'clock when sud-
denly he caught sight of moving object
on the plain, some distance away. Noise
1essly he cooked his rifle. He was dead
shot and woe be to that object when he
fred. Nearer and nearer it came while
he sat as if asleep.
'Why, it is Corporate he suddenly ex-
claimed to himself
Corporal was fine, large Newfoundland
dog, the pet of the garrison, who had mys-
teriously disappeared from the post two
weeks before, and whom every one sup
posed to have been stolen.
Rogers first impulse was to call the
dog, when he remembered his resolution
-''shoot any moving object that comes
within range"
He therefore restrained his impulse, and
no one could have guessed that the ap-
parently sleeping sentinel was closely
watching every movement as the dog ap-
preached
1t was lucky idea Of Rogers to feign
sleep, for as the dog came nearer he
thought he noticed something peculiar in
it's appearance, and its actions did not seem
quite natural
Possibly Corporal may be exhausted
from hunger, or it may be the deceptive
light of themoon. thought Rogers
The dog was now within close range,
and he could hesitate no longer.
ut is matter of life or death, he re-
f1ected, land if I make mistake every
one-even Corporal himself-will forgive
me-"
Slowly and imperceptibly he brought his
rifle to his shoulder; a short but true aim,
crack and a yell - such as only an
Apache who has received his death wound
can give-startled the whole garrison.
As II by magic, every one collected on
the spot, each as he approached evidently
expecting to see repetition of the trag-
edies
The story was soon told. The skin Of
poor Corporal had been used as disguise
by the Apache who, with bow in hand,
had been creeping up on his third intend
ed victim. Deceived by the apparently
sleeping sentinel, he had been led to be-
tray himself and had met most merited
death.
Undoubtedly he had, by the same device,
deceived the other sentinels and had very
nearly succeeded in adding another scalp
to his belt.
Young Rogers was overwhelmed with
congratulations, special report was at
once made to the war department. and be-
fore long he received as a reward his much
coveted commissioner. G. w. Brooks in
Golden Days.