The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-02-28

in Arizona can illuminate. The Off
GERS, soldiers and their families were
peacefully sleeping. Not a sound was
heard except the occasional cry of a
coyote.
Three o'clock struck and the sentinel
on post No. started the call:
'.No /, three o'clock, and all's we'll -
A slight pause and No 2 responded:
mo. 2, three o'clock, and all's we'll"
Then came a long pause.
The sergeant of the guard stepped
out of the guardroom and listened.
''The sentinel on No must be
asleep" he remarked bad business
for sentinel guarding the corral
Turning to No. he commanded:
"Start the call again.
No. obeyed. No. took it up. But
there again it ended. The sergeant
turned out patrol and marched to the
corral.
As he approached the sentiners post
In the moonlight he saw the figure of
No. 5 stretched ont on the ground.
The position did not look like that of
Q sleeping man.
Double time!" commanded the SER
geant.
And the patrol came down the post
at a run. As the men came closer to
the figure sight met their eyes that
froze the blood in their veins Lying
face down on the sand. his hand still
grasping his rifle, was their comrade,
stiff and cold in death, an Apache
arrow buried deep in his body.
Three sharp cracks Of the rife. the
rattle of the long roll of the drum
soon brought the startled garrison.
Scouts were instantly sent out and
the plain thoroughly secured, but no
Indian signs could be found.
The next day, with muffied drums,
the members of the garrison followed
the body of their comrade to it's last
resting place. With uncovered heads,
sorrowfully and reverently. they lis
tened while the post chaplain read the
burial service. The military escort
fred three rounds over the grave, and
the bugler played the sweetest of all
calls, "Taps-lights out-sleep." Nat
urally a gloom was thrown over the
whole post.
The soldiers gathered in small
groups and discussed the perplexed
question: "Eow could it have been
doneg' The moon had been shining
brightly, and there was no cover be-
hind which an Indian could hide
The searching parties came in after
fruitless hunts. Night came. There
would be no lack of vigilance on the
part of the sentinel on post No. 3.
The moon was even brighter than on
the preceding night. and the objects
on the plain could be seen almost as
distinctly as in the daytime.
Each half honr the call of No. was
promptly answered by the other sem
tinels.
Few expected q repetition of the
preceding nights attack. Gradually
the garrison became silent and one by
one the lights went out. Morning
came and nothing had happened to
disturb the peace of the fort.
Several days passed and the post set
tied down into its old ways, and the
memory of the dreadful event was be-
ginning to fade.
The officer Of the day was making
the inspection OF sentinels after mid
night, and was approaching post No. =,
when the moon, which had been hid
den behind q cloud, suddenly burst
forth, revealing at the very feet of the
ofiicer the body of the sentinel as be-
fore, completely pierced by an Indian
arrow.
The alarm was quickly given, but in
spite of the most careful search no
trace of the assassin could be found.
a horror settled over the post. No
one dreaded an enemy they knew and
could fight openly, but against such
ghostly attacks no one could defend
himself.
At officers call the next morning
tne affair was earnestly discussed. 1t
WIS evidently wrong to require
sentinel to walk post in such an ex-
posed and dangerous PLACE. and yet,