The National tribune., 1899-02-09
4 FILE Of IRFANTRYNEp.
"For Three Years During the At Home in aShelter
Tent and Abroad with Three Days Rations
and Forty Rounds of Ammunition"

gy JOHN McELRoY.

selves from the hospital kitchen, but his
unluc<y encounter with the Wardma tel
had walked them up there until this was
now too hazardous. Some thing else must
be done.
A drizzling rain set in while they talked,
which, though il made them very uncom-
Portable, aided their scheme by rendering
detection less likely. While O'NeiI de-
bated over several plans of slipping out
through the camp guard lines, he heard
the Sergeant of the guard call out:
Second relief, fall int"
And he instantly decided on a bold
line of action. He had noticed and de-
rided their slovenly manner of perform
ing guard duty, and especially OF assem-
bling reliefs that were 10 go on duty. In
stead of making all those in the rehefs
not on duty stay at the guard house, SO
as to be ready when wanted, they allowed
many of them 10 go to their own quarters
to sleep, under the promise TO appea
promptly when called OF course, some
would forget this promise, in the depths OF
their Slumber, and the Sergeant of the
guard would have much trouble in as
sembling enough to relieve all his posts.
Leaving their places of concealment,
O'Neil and Stock walked cautiously up
To point in rear of where the relief was
slowly assembling. At length they heard
the Sergeant say angrily:
d it, there's two men lacl1in' yit!
WONDER WnerS l ma en-
They stepped out, picked up two guns
and belts from the stack and took their
places on the left of the line, which
stretched so far out int the darkness that
the Sergeant, standing by the fire, could
not distinguish their faces. They said
not word, but slipped up silently, as
tardy soldiers are i'm the habit of doing
Those next to them sang out:
Here they are, Sergeant"
And that officer, after relieving his
mind of some sulphurous denunciation
of ''Iazy hounds who always keep the
reliefS waitin'," commanded:
"In whole numbers from the right
count off,
When ONeil and Stock called off their
numbers the Sergeant turned his head as
if the voices sounded strangely to him,
but this passed from his mind, and he
ordered:
Eyes, it seems yer all heah, at last. BY
twoS-count Off"
O'Neil and Stock counted this time in
carefully -modulated tones that did not
attract the Sergeant's attention, and he
commanded:
fright facel-Forward by file LETT
March,
And away they went on the round to
relieve the posts. O'Neil and Stock could
hardly restrain their risibles as they came
up to the cabin where O'Neil had been
confined, 10 find the guard there in
dustriously pacing his beat, without the
least suspicion that he was sentineling
a vacant hut. He had evidently just run
out from his game when he heard the cali
for the second relief, and upon being
lieved, instead of falling in behind, as he
should have done, he slipped away, prob
ably fastened by the fact that the betting
was now pretty lively, and the cards were
running in his favor.
Those 10 front Of O'Neil and Stock
had been stationed-one by one-until
they were the only two left, and the Ser
geant, who was tagging a little behind.
called out
"Now, you two fellers, go over there
to the gate, and relieve them two there.
I'll take the old relief back"
"The gate" in camp parlance, is the
place where all the exits and entrances
must be made, and is the most important
post ia the chain. The two tired men
on duty there did not wait for any for
mal;ties, but as O'Neil and Stock came
Up. they shouliered their muskets, picked
up their Blankets, and hastily departed,
saying: