The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-12-04

wasn't well with him at least. "My
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 well 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 except in 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
a nine-foot high adobe wall, the conclu-
sion was irresistible that he had been
led or ridden out through the gateway,
and it 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
sentrys post both when he entered
and when he left the corral, and
the sentry's orders forbade his al
lowing any person to pass without the
countersign - the password for the
night, with which only certain few of
the officers and guard were intrusted.
The post commander had permitted the
refugee prQspectors to turn their horses
and mules into the big new corral, a
privilege of which they had eagerly
availed themselves, but the quarter
Il
ordinarily in tent pitched just within
the gateway had not slept at all this
night, but in common with those mem
bers of the garrison who We're not act
ually in ranks awaiting orders were out
somewhere along that northward bluff
watching eagerly for further sign from
the 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 gould sac 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,
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. On 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 knowl-
edge could have trespassed ON his
guarded land At twel6e-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
be relieved for good as untrustworthy
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, a prisoner
awaiting trial by court-martial for neg
lect of duty as sentry. Everybody felt
sorry IOr Sdoey, Who lou 4onb d Soou
reputation, but sorrier for Ferguson,
who had lost what was considered of
even greater worth in the old frontier
days-a fine horse. Even as Casey was
ruefully slipping out of his carbine
sling and waist belt Ferguson and 9TH
ers, with lanterns, were tracing the
hoof prints of the beautiful roam. Out
from the corral gate, around to the
south wall, they followed them in the
soft, dusty soil; but they were soon lost
along the slope. No one believed for
moment Muncey had ridden eastward
any distance, however That was the
quarter from which the Apaches had
come. Westward, along the south face
of the Socorro, was his probable course;
for if Cardoza had slipped through