The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-05

shadowy forms of the sentry on No. 1
| slowly pacing his post. Stepping out
upon the parade, he noted that only in
one or two Of the windows were the
night lights still burning. Earlier in
the night signal fires could be seen far
over the southeast in the Sierra Ancha,
but they had dwindled away. Every
thing about the garrison seemed to
speak OF calm and security, yet, along
the porticos Of the opposite barracks
and in their hunks within, a hundred
| stalwart men lay browsing with their
arms close at hand. Many Of them had
not even kicked off their boots Num-
Der half past two" rang the call of
the sentry at the guard house. Then
NO. took it up over at the southwest,
adding in CHEEKY, resonant tone, 'ta-alis
we-e-ll." No. 8, far out on the west
front-one Of the sentries warned to
watch for Icons signal-came next,
and he, too, piped his soldiers lay,
prompt and clear and confident. Then
No. at the northwest-he who had
the best view of the distant valley of
the Sandy and the bold outlines of
Signal Butte-a big, burly German he
and his deep base voice rolled out
like the below Of a bull, "Holluf bahst
doo O'CLOCK, unit a-a-hls veil" Over at
the guard house the men of the first
relief were already turning out prepar-
atory to being inspected and marched
off to relieve the members of the third,
who had gone out at $780, and as big
Stromberg's resonant below went
echoing away to the Socorro, there was
, an audible litter and laughing imita-
tons of his German accent, and then,
sternly, the sergeant's voice ordered,
Shut UP, there! Stop that noisep'
The call had stopped short with No
4 Not sound had come from No. s.
who's No. 5 on your relief?" asked
, the sergeant, sharply.
Ruckel, the new man." replied the
corporal, already picking up his car
bine, but listening intently.
'RuckePs a snoozer," laughed a boy
trumpeter, nervously.
Silence, youi Quick, corporal" said
the sergeant. ''The man couldn't sleep
through that Dutchmans yell''
Promptly the corporal went bounding
across the parade, the short cut to the
north side, and Major Thornton, some
strange fear hammering at his heart,
fast as he could walk, had hurried
around to the back of his quarters,
where once more he could see the polar
consultations shimmering over the
Socorro and the dim, vague, shadowy
iowland stretching away from the slope
at his very feet. Already big Storm
berg had begun to repeat his call in
Teutonic observance of the order that
if the next sentry failed to pass it it
should be repeated once. Already Num-
Der Six, far around at the corral, had
lifted up a shout for the corporal, con-
WINGED that something must be wrong
with Five. But the corporal was in
rapid rush for the scene. lie never
pulled up as he passed the major, but
fastened on down the bluff Thornton
paused at the brink.
Where are you, Five? What's the
matter?" he heard the corporaPs eager
hail in the darkness. No answer
Where are you, Ruckel? VIII
Then a stumble stified exclamation
the sound of something like a carbine
falling on the sandy ground, and then
along the bluff trot, trot, trot, trot trot,
double time. the rapid coming of the
sergeant with the patrol and a lantern
''This way, sergeant" cried the major,
as he led on down the slope.
Come here with that light, for Gods
sake rang the voice of the corporal.
And fifty yards further they found him
bending over an inanimate and bleed
ing form-that of Ruckel, the young
Bavarian trooper, pierced through and
through with Tonic arrows.