Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-10-24
THE sENTRY's SHOT.
nv AMBROSE PIERCE.

OF the year 1901 . soid'er 10y ia
clump Of laurel by the side OF road
in western Virginia. Hs lay at full
length ON his stomach. his feet resting
upon the toes, bis head upon the left
forearm. His extended right hand
loosely grasped his rife. But for the
somewhat methodical disposition OF
his limbs and . slight rhythmic move
ment Of the cartridge.box at the back
Of his belt, he might have been thought
10 b dead. lie was asleep at his post
Of duty. But, ifdetected, he would be
dead shortly afterward, that being tho
penalty Of his crime
Tho dump Of laurel In which the
criminal lay WA In the angle Of road
which, after ascending southwark q
steep scclivity 10 that point, turned
sharply TO the west, running along tho
summit for perhaps one hundred yards,
Thcre 1t turned southwark again and
went zigzagging downward through
the forest Az the salient Of that sec
ond angle was q large fiat rock, jut-
ting from the ridge to tho northward,
overlooking tho deep valley from
which the road assembled. The rock
capped a high cliff, sstone 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 view, not
only OF the short arm OF the road and
the jutting rock, but Of the entire pro-
Hle Of the cliff below II.
No country Is so wild and difficult
but men will make II theater Of war;
concealed In the forest at the bottom
Of that military rat-trap, In which half
a hundred men In possession Of tho
exits might have starved an army to
submission, lay five regiments Of fed
ersl 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, descending the other slope
OF the ridge, fall upon a camp Of tho
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 perllous In the q.
IRENE.
The sleeping sentinel In the clump
Of laurel was q young virginian named
Carter Druse. lie was the son Of
wealthy parents, IN only child, and
had known such ease and cultivation
and high living al wealth and tasto
were able to command in the noun
tain country OF western Virginia His
home was but few miles from whore
he now lay. One morning he had risen
from tho breakfast table and said,
quietly; Father, union regiment
has arrived ut Grafton. an going to
Join 1t.
Tho father lifted his leonine head,
looked at the son moment In silence,
and replied; go, Carter, and what
ever may occur, do what you conceive
to DO your duty. Virginia, to which
you are traitor, must get on without
you Should we both live to the end
OF the war, wo will speak further Of
the matter. Your mother, as the ply
stefan has informed you, Is In a most
critical condition; at tho beat she can
not BIO with us much longer than q few
weeks, but that time Is precious. 1t
would DO better not to disturb her."
So Carter Drusc, bowling reverently
70 his father, who returned the salute
with stately courtesy which masked
breaking heart left the home Of his
childhood to go soldering. BY con-
science and courage, by deeds Of devo-
ton and daring, no soon commended
himself to his fellows and his officers;
and II was to these qualities and to
some knowledge OF the country that
he owed bis selection for his present
perilous duty at the extreme outpost.
Nevertheless, fatigue had been stronger
than resolution, and he had fallen
asleep. What good or bad angel came
in u dream to rouse him from his state
OF crime who shall say? Without
movement. without II sound, in the
profound silence and the languor of
the late afternoon, some invisible mes
senger OF fate touched with unseallng
finger the eyes OF his consciousness
whispered into the ear Of his spirit the
mysterious awakening word which no
human lips have ever spoken, no hui
man memory has ever recalled. He
quietly raised his forehead from his
arm aud looked between the masking
stems OF the laurels, instlnctively clos
ing his right hand about the stock Of
his rifle.
His first feeling was keen artistic
delight On colossal pedestal, the
cliff, motionless at the extreme edge
Of the Gaping rock and sharply out
lined against the sky, was an cques-
trian statue OF impressive dignity.