The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-25

No. z, when mis- tour of guard duty came
on Friday, would swap guard with John
ny-come-la tely, all, of course, for the con-
Yenience of the greeny.
One night, not long ago several marine
officers had gathered in the officer of the
day Office at one of the marine barracks
on tho Atlantic coast. Naturally they drift
ed into yarnspinning, with the scene shift
ing from aboardship in every cline to any
where ashore on the seaboard of the Unit
ed States. One OF them-call him Lieut..
BarnweR-told the story that follows; he
gave no explanation. You can explain it to
suit yourself
Three years ago I was stationed at the
barracks al Mare Island and on the night
L speak L had been doing duty at the post
for more than year. OF course, l had
heard the yarn about post No T. and had
seen men punished for leaving that post.
However, ] am no believer in the super
natural. Time and again 1 had visited No.
Z at night, seeing nothing or hearing moth
dng unusual, and laughed at the story of
the phantom sentry.
One night l was on duty as the officer
OF the day, and the early part of the even
ing L spent in the Office reading some
work on military surveying With my
head fun OF this stuff shortly before mid
night l started out to visit sentries. Than
ghosts nothing could have been further
from my mind. First 1 visited No 9,
tfen No. s, and rapidly came up toward
No. T. Without any assignable reason,
unless II was the resonance of my foot
steps, 1 experienced an uncomforta bic
nervous feeling Of being cold. l walked
more rapidly, but the feeling only increased
and became colder and more nervous.
There under the lamplight stood the
sentry, who challenged me in clear sharp
tones, his rifle rafting as he brought 1t up
TO port arms 1 halted and gave the
countersign and the sentry ordered 'Ad-
vance officer of the dayr I walked up 10
him, and as 1 did so ! broke into a cold
perspiration. AT first there seemingly was
nothing unusual about the sentry, though
I did not knowfhe mans face 1 ordered
him to repeat the orders of his post and
he did so, but instead of giving the re-
cent orders of the post gave those that
were in force several years previously.
Then I noticed that the man was ghostly
pale and that his eyes burned with a deep
hollow fire, and that his. rife was rusty
and damp. l frankly confess that a wild
feeling of terror overcame me- Cutting
the man short in what he was saying, l
wheeled about and rapidly moved off.
When reached the end of his post invol-
unfairly turned to take another look; the
man had disappeared. Criticize me if you
will, but l am no coward. The strain was
too much and I broke into run. In
moment, however, L controlled myself, and,
visiting the other posts, 1 finally reached
my office utterly exhausted. Sleep that
night I could not and 1 feverishly tossed,
waiting until day came. when l could in
Vestigate and explain matters.
THE following morning 1 started in and
called up the sergeant of the guard, in re-
ply 10 my inquiry the sergeant said:
" 1t was ABOUT twenty minutes to II
when the officer of the day Informed me
that he was going out TO visit sentries
- Gould 1 possibly have been walking in
my sleep, sergeant?
No, sir, in surprised tones; both the
corporal of the guard and myself were
standing outside the guard room door, and
neither of us noticed anything unusual
VERY we'll, sergeant Find out who was
on No. Z, in the second relief, and ask him
when I visited his post last night"
THE sergeant went off on his errand,
and shortly returned, with every express
sion of surprise and incredulity in mis-
countenance. Private Baxter, sir and he
says you didn't visit him while he was on
his post last night.
Il went into the office and tried to think
it out and finally determined to send for
Baxter and question him myself 1 was
writing when the knock sounded on the
door. Private Baxter sir and I BOXED
up
II saw before me an entirely different
man from the one I had seen under the
lamp. Baxter insisted that had not been
near his post, and that shortly after 70
O'Clock he had moved down to the waters
edge to investigate a suspicious rustling
among the rushes; that he could not pos
sibly have been standing near the lamp
post
LAS the day passed the feeling Of nerv-
ousness or rear, if you viii so call il,
had entirely left me, and in its place came
a feeling of rage. 1 visited No. gain
and again, and fairly haunted the post
night and day, but without result. I can
offer no explanation of the circumstances;
but this much I can certify to. I looked
up the records of the post, and found that
that night was an anniversary of the night
on which the marine was drowned"