The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-10

Lieutanant Wharton of General Cor
don Oranges staff was IA handsome, sol
dierly young fellow. He had galloped
from Triune to learn in person tho rea-
son for Colonel Baird mysterious dis
patch Tho colonel shook hands with
him, drew him to one side and asked:
Were you at Triune today mean
yesterday, for it is now June 6"
II was, " replied Wharton.
cat headquarters"
Eyes, every hour of the day"
Did two men, Colonel Anton and
Major Dunlap, inspect the post at
Triune yesterday"
Certainly not"
"You would know it if they did?"
Il should, but why do you ask?'
Colonel Baird then explained the sit
uation to Lieutenant Wharton and asked
him to 90 back and look at the suspect
ed men. Wharton complied, returned
and said:
Il never saw those men before, and /
certainly would not have forgotten them
had they been at Triune yesterday, for l
have been and still am, believe, in the
full possession of my senses. p"
Colonel Baird then showed Wharton
the orders purporting to have come
from Adjutant General Townsend and
General Rosecrans and asked him what
he thought of them. Wharton, who was
entirely familiar with all the forms
coming from headquarters as well as
with the signatures of the officers in
question, hurriedly glanced over the pa
pers, then said, with emphasis:
They are forgeries Where did you
get them?"
Colonel Baird told him,
Then, colonel" said Wharton,
"these fellows are spies"
1t would be an error to suppose that
Colonel Baird was not man of force
and decision. The responsibility of his
present command showed the esteem in
which he was held at headquarters, but
like all gallant men he was at heart gen
| tie and humane, and he shuddered as he
considered the necessities forced on him
by the situation.
| 1t was by this time after l o'clock.
| The clouds had vanished and the stars
pated the mists resting over the low
lands, and the signal lights at Triune
and at other stations within the field Of
vision flashed so brightly that they could
be seen by the unaided eye.
Communication with General Gran
ger was renewed, for now that the char
acter Of the prisoners was beyond ques.
ton it was believed that Forrest might
make an attack OH the outlying posts al
once and was only awaiting the return
of his emissaries.
Weary with waiting in the head
quarters at Murfreesboro, General Gar
field had followed the example of hi'
chief and gone to bed, leaving the offic,
in charge of Major Frank S. Bond, will
orders to be called if any unusual mes
sage came from Baird at Franklin O.
Granger at Triune. Baird and Watkin
consulted. 1t was decided to call
drumhead court martial to try the pris
oners Immediately. A list of officer
was written ont, and an orderly was dis
patched to summon the necessary men,
1t tests the nerves to hear the lon,
roll i'll the dead of dark wintry night
when the troopers boots are frozen a
hard as sheet iron and the saddle blan
ket is 50 stiff that it threatens to breal
like glass in bending it over the bumped
back of the poor trembling horse, but
doubt if even this sets the heart flute
like the midnight summon breaking il
on heavy sleep: The colonel orders
sir, that you assemble at once at head
quarters for drumhead court. Spies y
Only five hours since Anton and Dun
lap had ridden so confidently int
Franklin, where they We're received a
belitted their assumed rank and dignity
yet they were doomed as certainly as
they stood on the scaffOld, unless
miracle, and there are no miracles il
save them.
When the court was assembled, tn
prisoners were brought in. Dunla
trembled visibly and looked entirel
helpless. Anton GOODNESS had vanished
His lips We're drawn, there were darl
rings about his eyes, and his hands wer
clinched, as if he were making des
perate effort to steady himself. He di'
not need to be told the purpose of thi
midnight meeting. He was an old sol
der and understood only too well tn
meaning of this gathering Of officers II
uniform, with their side arms hooked
up to their BELTS Addressing the pris
oners, Colonel Baird said:
To be Continued.