Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-13
A CAPTURE.

First post had gone Oh the bugle at
Fort Saskatchewan, and the major was
sitting on the porch of his quarters
discussing with his adiutant the details
of practice march arranged the fol-
lowing week for b troop. The hard blue
Of the sky changed to purple, then to
steel gray. and Saturn appeared low
down on the western horizon. Over
the level stretches of the prairie the
night wind blew softly, rUstling the
yellow grass 1t was peculiarly soothing
TO the two officers. smoking i'll lazy CON
tentment after an arduous day in the
blazing August sun. They paused il
their chat, and their thuuglits drifted
to other lands They saw faces the pen
sive faces of women and the laughing
ones Of little children while they watch
ed the stars come out. one by one, in
the deepening dusk They remembered
that those same stars shone over the
homes which sheltered those women and
children they seemed like sentine! eyes
keeping tireless vigil over those loved
ones separated from them by long
leagues of hill and plain and by the
vicissitudes of a soldiers calling. and
their hearts warmed to their friendly
twinkling
AT length the major vagrant
thoughts reverted to the. matter in hand
Thirty miles will DO for the first day,
he resumed That will take you into
the Beaver hills where there's good
camping. now the cool nights keep the
flies down How's regimental No
2,142?"
''An right again, sir, " said the ad
iutant "Slight attack of influenza, the
veterinary surgeon said it was. He'lP'-
The door of the guardhouse across the
square opposite swung open, and
bugle rang out shrilly on the quiet night
air The two officers sprang to their
feet A shot went off. followed by an
other and another Forms fitted back
and forth through the bars of light
which streamed across the parade
ground from the barrack windows. The
officer of the day hurried up. touched
his hat and said
Il have to report, sir, that the pris-
oners McCorllle and Milligan.have over
powered the guard and escaped.
The major muttered something not
on record took three strides up the porch
and two back. and then rapidly deliver
ed his orders
Detail Kay and Hatherton to scout
south toward Blindman S river; they'll
probably work round to that vicinity,
sooner or later Send Smith and Ed
monds north TO the Athabasca landing
and Murphy and kraus east as far as
Saddle lake Fontaine and Christianson
can take the north bank of the Sas-
katchewan as far as Lac Ste. Anne.
Twenty minutes later the four de-
tails pulled oat of Fort Saskatchewan
on blind search for as choice pair of
blacklegs as might have been found any
where within 100 miles.
Up to the winter before. some of the
Saskatchewan fellows had cultivated
the idea that they knew little about
the game of poker. but after Cracker
box-baptized William McCorkle-had
dwelt among them for a month they
had been driven stubbornly TO the con-
viction that somehow they had made
an error of Judgment. A little earlier,
Calgary had been a flower, a night
blooming cereus, from the professional
gamblers point of view, but the bloom
had worn off; it had become too slow
and staid, and Crackerbox had heard of
the Saskatchewan game and moved
north. He thought there might be
profitable opening for him there, and be
was correct. His operations at the green
table had been quite satisfactory to
himself, and necessarily anything but
satisfactory to any che. else.
Still, the game went on, and Cracker
box continued to pull down his jackpots
with complacent regularity, until one
night things happened. 1t had been his
deal, of course. He was discovered with
faG;r mines in, his hand, and as three
were held among the other players
round the board, Crackerbox was called
on for explanations which he gave-at
the point Of six shooter. They carried
the wounded man home and Cracker
box TO the guardhouse He had done