The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-09-26
THE SENTRY'S SHOT.
BY AMBROSE PIERCE.


of the year 1861 a soldier lay in a
clump of laurel by the side of road
in western Virginia. He lay at full
length on his stomach. his feet resting
upon the toes, his head upon the left
forearm. His extended right hand
loosely grasped his rifle. But for the
somewhat methodical disposition of
his limbs and a slight rhythmic move
ment of the cartridge-b box at the back
of his belt, he might have been thought
to be dead. He was asleep at his post
of duty. But, if detected, he would be
dead shortly afterward, that being the
penalty of his crime,
The clump of laurel In which enc
criminal lay was in the angle of a road
which. after ascending southwark a
steep activity to that point, turned
sharply to the west, running along the
summit for perhaps one hundred yards.
There it turned southwark again and
went zigzagging downward through
the forest. At the salient of that sec
ond angle was a large fat rock, iut-
ting from the ridge to the northward,
overlooking the deep valley from
which the road assembled. The rock
capped a high cliff; d stone dropped
from its outer edge would have fallen
sheer downward one thousand feet to
the tops of the pines. The angle where
the soldier lay was on another spur of
the same cliff. Had he been awake he
would have commanded a view, not
only of the short arm of the road and
the jutting rock, but Of the entire pro-
file of the cliff below it.
No country is so wild and difficult
but men will make it a theater of war;
concealed in the forest at the bottom
of that military rat-trap, in which half
hundred men in possession of the
exits might have starved an army to
submission, lay five regiments of fed
eral infantry. They had marched all
the previous day and night and were
resting. At nightfall they would take
to the road again, climb to the place
where their unfaithful sentinel now
slept. and, desce nding the other slope
of the ridge, fall upon camp OF the
enemy at about midnight. Their hope
was to surprise it, for the road led to
the rear Of it. In case of failure, their
position would be perilous III the ex-
tremc.
The sleeping sentinel in the clump
of laurel was young Eirglnan named
Carter Drase. lie was the son of
wealthy parents, an only child, and
had known such ease and cultivation
and high living as wealth and taste
were able to command in the noun
tain country of western Virginia. His
home was but few miles from where
he now lay. One morning he had risen
from the breakfast table and said,
quietly: Father. a union regiment
has arrived at Grafton. | am going to
join it..
The father lifted his leOniur head,
looked at the son :. moment in silence.
and rcDlied: go. Carter. and. what
ever NAV occur. do what Won conceive
to be vour dutv Virginia, to which
Won are a traitor. must get on without
YOU Should we both live to the end
of the war, we viii speak further OF
the matter. Your mother, as the ply
siciau has informed you, Is in most
critical condition; at the best she can
not be with Us much longer than few
weeks, but that time is precious. II
would be better not to disturb her"
So Garter Druse, bowling reverent3g
to his father who returned the salute
with stately courtesy which masked
a breaking heart, left the home OF ms
childhood to go soldering by con
science and courage, by deeds OF devo
ton and daring, he soon commended
himself to his fellows and his officers
and it was to these qualities and tc
some knowledge OF. the country thai
he owed his selection for his presen'
perilous duty at the extreme outpost
Nevertheless, fatigue had been strongei
than resolution, and he had falle1
asleep. What good or bad angel came
in a dream to rouse him from his state
OF crime who shall say? Without !
movement, without sound, in tn,
profound silence and the languor o
the late afternoon, some invisible mes
senger Of fate touched with unsealinG
finger the eyes of his consciousness
whispered into the ear of his spirit TIN
mysterious awakening word which n
human lps have ever spoken. no hu
man memory has ever recalled Il
quietly raised his forehead from hi
arm and looked between the masking