Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-28
THE SLEEPING SENTINEL.
fortunate Circumstance Warded
on the impending Denth PenaItx


on the Impending Death Penalty.
Star reporter had an army officer as a.
listener, and he was expatiatins on the
way he would shoulder a musket and fight
pleed ard die for his beloved country, in
case there was war with England or any
otner effete monarchy tottering On a tum-
pilnS throne, or words to that effect
Dld You ever do guard duty on a nasty
| night IN the enemys country?" INQUIRED
the officer.
wen, no., hasitated the reporter
linen don't say what you would do until
you nave tried it. 1t reads nicely in the
papers. and lots of men delight in imagin-
ing the housekeeping style that they would
lrot along the crimson path that leads to
glory Or the grave. but when the crimson
Is mud, or the path is i'll a thi:ket, which
at any moment may blaze up with a yolley
IL isn't half so nice to think about The
hshtins is the least disagreeable thing
.inout war and the glory is won at an
amazingly high price"
Il wouldn't stand guard" asserted the
reporter; IL would be an officer and have
somebody else do the guarding"
Wen, l. didn't begin my soldier career
that way said the officer. Il was Il pri-
vate ana hot yet twenty, and the amount
or guard duty l did seemed to me TO be
enough to protect al! The armies in the
neid. Let me tell you stony of how / did
II one night. 1t WAS dark and dismal
Tine down on the Potomac and We had
Teen "lding ground in the mud and cold
uhtii Tie heart was entirely taken out of
us. we Fad moved forward and We're eX-
pecl!hS an attack of the enemy at any mo-
ment Under such circumstances sentinels
are given extra orders to be watchful and
LOT d SGarG 10 sleep on his post means
death at daylight. sure.
Il had been placed in an exposed pos;tion
and my orders We're very strict indeed
Ny beat lay across narrow neck of land
o oetw '. lasg.eofses. ana l had a monopoly
o Oh, ~ arg was entirely alone, but l had
good command d the ground in front of
me, ara With ordinary care no enemy
could approach without being seen I knew
mat much Depended on my vigilance. and
knew that IL L betrayed my trust death
would ne ny portion at daylight but
was only boy and dead tired hat
could hardly stand up. I went on duty,
though, Ike Il man, ana | stood II for
don't know; how long.
but boy nature can't stand everything
ana was rudely aroused from a beautiful
cream OF nome ny q violent shaking and
the hoarSe whispers and curses of th, ot,i-
Ger of the guard. In a minute | kncS what
hai happened. and there flashed through
my mind picture of a hlindfoi.led so,aier
SITTING Oh his collin with a firing party
standing in front of him. 1 got TO nv f.ct
by the help Of a jerk or two by the officer
and then l expected more abuse, and got
1t and kept on getting il until | got back
10 the ofileers tent. Fortunately 1 kept my
mouth shut until we reached the light of
the tent.
There the officer got a good look at me
and discovered that I was covered with
blood. SO did I, much to my surprise, but
felt on the instant that / was saved. for
the ofTicer asked what the blood meant.
and l told him I must have burst a small
blood vessel ard fallen in a faint on my
peat. l was scared so badly that / was
sick. and didn't have to argue long to
prove my case, Notwithstanding the very
serious results that might have followed
my dereichon of duty. I had no guard
duty to perform after that for long time,
and an oifense that was punishable by
death actually turned out to be a fine snap
for me, which as boy 1 rather enjoyed. .
But the blood?' inquired the writer.
Simply case of nose bleed to which
two or three Years before l had been sub
1ect L presume my weakened condition
brought 1t back again, but why 1t should
nave resumed operations at such an opnor-
tune time cannot say. l can say, though.
that l never slept on my post again." and
the officer chuckled to think of his narrow
escape.