Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-28
aow The sergeant was Deceived.

AdtQnCe.
The following story is told OF French
Sergeant to whom was intrusted the
oversight of twenty-four soldiers, and
who doubtless had chance to find out
for himself the truth Of Longiellow's
statement that "things are not what
they SEEM"
In the building which the soldiers
were to occupy there were nine rooms,
so be arranged his men in the following
manner, taking care to keep the center
room TO himself, so that he could thus
manage a sort Of warlike "puss
3 In the corner" By this dispo-
stion of his men the brave Ser
geant had nine stationed on
3 3 each face of the building, and
so fattered himself that 1t was
we'll guarded. BY and by the
3 3 soldiers grew tired, and not
seeking any signs Of danger,
they knocked at the door OF the center
room, aud asked permission TO altar the
arrangement, so that they might have a
little amusement.
The Sergeant gave consent, on condi-
ton that there should always be nine
men on each side of the house, and then
retired TO rest.
About an hour afterward he went his
rounds and found the men arranged
thus:
He counted carefully. There
were nine on each side, so he 1 4
went peacefully TO bed again,
quite satisfied with the conduct
OF bis men aud little imagining l
tina. four soldiers had gone fora
walk la the town, as yon may
see II you count the number 10 4 l 4
the plan adjoining.
Not long afterward the tru-
ants returned, bringing with them four
friends. There were now twenty-eight
men in the building. For the second
time the Sergeant went his
2 5 9 rounds, aud found the rooms &C.
cupied as follows: Mine on
each side" he thought, "csr-
5 5 tainlY l am a lucky fellow to
have such trustworth set OF
men under me-" And yet
. Q there were four more soldiers
than there were at first, and
eight more than when he last went
round. Truly "things were not what
they SEEM"
Soon after the sergeant had retired
four more fresh soldiers came in, so the
number of the detachment was increased
to thirty-two. Once more the vigilant
Sergeant went round. Once more he
found nine men on each side, and went
back 10 his room without suspecting
mischief.
BY and by four more men l z
came IN; and the number In the
building was raised 10 thirty
six The men we're at first Z z
afraid that they would be found
ont. but after little while they
managed to arrange themselves l z l
so that the magic number should
still be found on each side
neither more nor less.
And so for the fourth time the Ser
geant counted aud was satisfied.
Made bold by their success in
0 9 0 puzzlng their leader, the men
agreed that half should leave
the building, only eighteen re-
Q 9 naming behind. While they
were gone the Sergeant came
around for the last time, and
O Q found the arrangement as fol-
lows:
What more could man wish?
There were nine on each side 5 0 4
and vet there were six men less
than at FIRST. and eighteen less
than when he last went out. o o
IL is easy TO explain how the
Sergeant was deceived. The
corner rooms are connected on 5
two sides Of the house at once.
The more there are 10 these two rooms,
the fewer they are in the whole build
ing; aud the fewer there are in the cor
ner rooms the more there are In the