Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-06-02
HOW HI WON HIS CON-
MISSION.
BY ]. C. W. BROOKS, U. S. A.


EylSg the moon in Arizona can il
Wv illuminate.
The officers, soldiers and their fam.
lilies were peacefully sleeping not 8
sound was heard except the occasion.
al cry Of coyote.
Three O'Clock struck, and the sen.
tinel on post Number One started the
call:
"Number One, three O'Clock, and
all's we'll p
A slight pause and Number Two
responded
"Number Two, three o'clock, and
all's well !"
Then came long pause.
The sergeant of the guard stepped
out of the guard room and listened.
The sentinel on Number Three
must be asleep, he remarked. "Bad
business for sentinel guarding the
corral"
Turning TO Number One, he com.
handed:
"Start the call again !"
Number One obeyed; Numtel
Two took it up; but there again it
ended.
The sergeant turned out a patrol
and marched to the corral.
As he approached the sentinel's
post in the moon light, he saw the
figure of Number Three stretched
ont on the ground. The pcs ton did
not look like sleeping man.
double timcw commanded the
sergeant.
And the patrol came down the
post at run.
AS the men came closer to the fg'
ure, sight met their eyes that froze
the blood in their veins.
Lying face down in the sand, his
hand still grasping his rifle, was theil
comrade, stiff and cold in death, an
Apache arrow buried deep in bis
body.
Three sharp cracks of the rifle, TIE
rattle of the long roll of the drum
soon brought the startled garrison
to the spot.
Scouts were instantly sent out and
the plain thoroughly secured, but nc
Indian signs could be found.
The next day, with muffled drums
the members of the garrison follow
ed the body of their comrade to its
last resting place. With uncovered
heads, sorrowfully and reverently
they listened while the post chaplain
read the burial service. The mill
tary escort fired three rounds ovel
the grave, and the bugler played The
sweetest of all calls, "Taps-lights
out-sleep.' Naturally gloom was
thrown over the whole post.
The soldiers gathered in small
groups and discussed the perplexed
question, "How could it have beer
done ?" The moon had been shin
ing brightly, and there was no cover
behind which and Indian could con.
ceal himself.
The searching parties came in af.
ter fruitless hunts.
The corral was in an exposed place
but the animals had to be guarded.
Night came.
There would be no lack of yfei-
lance on the part of the sentinel on
post Number Three. The moon was
even brighter than the preceding
night, and objects on the plain could
be seen almost distinctly as in The
day time.
Each half hour the cal of Number
One was promptly answered by the
other sentinels.
Few expected a repetition OF the
preceding nights cowardly attack
Gradually the garrison became silent
and one by one the lights went out.
Some of the more nervous woke
ever half hour, listened till sll The
sentinels had responded to the call
and then dropped of to sleep again
Morning came and nothing hat
happened to disturb the peace of th,
little fort.
Several days passed, and the pos
settled down into its old ways, ant
the memory of the dreadful even
was beginning to fade.
The officer of the day was making
the inspection of the sentinels afte
midnight, and was approaching tn
post of Number Three, when th
moon, which had been hidden benin,
a cloud, suddenly burst forth, re
vealing at the very feet of the office
the body of the sentinel, as before
completely pierced by an Indian al
! row.
The alarm was quickly given, bu
in spite of the most careful scare
no trace of the assassin could b