The Irish standard., 1895-09-21

orders are to take charge of this post
and all government property in view"
he had begun when questioned by the
officer of the day, and as Ferguson's
horse wasn't government property he
might have wriggled out OF his pre-
dicament under that head were not
other clauses In his orders which he
knew as we'll as did the officer Of the
day. One of these read: ALLOW no
horse to be taken out Of the corral be-
tween tattoo and reveille sxceptin pres
ence of commissioned officer, the quar-
termaster sergeant or the corporal OF
the guard" and as Ferguson's horse
could neither have climbed nor jumped
nine-foot high adobe wall, the conclu-i
sion WINS irresistible that he had been
led or ridden out through the gateway,
and 1t was the sentry's business to see
and stop him. There were still other
orders bearing on the case. The
man Muncey must have crossed. the
sentry's post both when he entered
and when he left the corral, and
the sentry's orders forbade his al
lowing any personto pass without the
couptersign - the password for the
night, with which only certain few Of
the officers and guard were irtrusted.
The post commander had permitted the
refugee prospectors to turn their horses
and mules into the big new corral, .
privilege of which they had eagerly
avai,ed themselves, but the quarter
master sergeant and his men who slept
ordinarily in q tent pitched just within
the gateway had not slept at all this
night, but in common with those mem-
bers of the garrison who were not act
ually in ranks avn iting orders were out
somewhere along that northward bluff
watching eagerly for further sign from
Che front. The plain truth Of the mat
ter was that Casey, too, instead OF
watching the corral, kept as much as
possible at the northward end Of his
post, where he could see or hear what
might be going on in that quarter. And
SO it happened that the corral was left
practically unguarded, and Muncey had
been able to enter and quit at his own
sweet will. t3 ,:s5 zs3s#
It wouldn't help Casey to say he
didn't see or didn't hear. Schoolboy
excuses are not accepted in the army.
A sentry must see and must hear even
In nights dark as Erebus and buster
Ing as boiler shop, which this sum-
mer night was not. Oh the contrary,
1T was soft and still and starlit. There
was no moon, but the sky was cloud
less, and had Casey used even ordinary
vigilance, no one without his knotyl.
edge could have trespassed on HIS
guarded land. At twelve-thirty when
the third. relief was started around,
Private Meisner took Casey's post. The
latter was in no sense surprised,
though woefully disturbed, to find that
the moment the old relief was inspected
and dismissed at the guardhouse, the
sergeant of the guard had ordered his
belt taken off-and that is the soldier
way of saying that the, ex. sentry was to-
Z be relieved for good as untrnstwort
-his arms and equipments turned over
to his first. sergeant and he himself
turned over to the charge OF his fellow
members Of the guard, q prisoner
awaiting trial by court martial for neg
lect of duty as sentry. Everybody felt
sorry for. Casey, who had lost d good
reputation, but sorrier for Ferguson,
who had lost what was conside cred Of
even greater worth in the old frontier
days. fne horse. Even as Casey was
ruefully slipping out Of his carbines
sling and waist belt Ferguson and oth-
ers, with lanterns, were tracing the
hoof prints 81, the beas, fful roo ii. Ont.
\ from the corral II, around sto the
south val, they followsd them IS the
\ soft, dusty soil; but they were soon lest
along the slope No ono believed TOT y
I moment Muncey had idaen eastward
1 my distance, how z hat the
3 quart II rom which the pa ches Ind.
Gomez, nv stward, alloisy lace
re the Socorro, Is j cs1nr,,es;
for IL Gard oza hsss
81 stt ON tho Spring.
non 81