The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-04-20

said the officer. II see no way of-fix.
ing it before morning"
my God, lieutenant There-must
be some way out of it! The morning
| will be too late
Then I'll do what can for you to-
night" said Mr.. Gray, as he turned
and hurriedly left the guardroom-a
dozen men standing stif1y about the
| walls and doorway and staring with
impassive faces straight to the front.
Again, the young officer had left the
post of the guard and gone up into
camp. while far and near through the
dim, fog-swept aisles of score of
camps the bugles and trumpets were
wailing the signal for lights, out" and
shadowy forms, with coat collars
turned up about the ears or capes muf-
fled around the neck, scurried about
the company streets ordering laughter
and talk to cease. a covered carriage
was standing at the curb outside the
Officers gate-and the sentry there
posted remembered that the officer of
the guard came hurrying out and
asked the driver if he was engaged.
I'm waiting for the major" was the
answer.
swell, where can one order a car
riage tonight without going clear to
town." inquired Gray. Il want-one;
that isl wish to order one at once
And the driver, who knew very we'll
riages could be had, preferred loyalty
to his own particular stable away in
town, and so declared there was none.
"You can telephone there. if you
wish, SIR" he added.
''And wait till morning for it to get
here? No! I'll get it-somehow."
And that he did get it somehow was
current rumor on the following day,
for the sentries on the guardhouse side
of camp swore that a closed carriage
drove down from McAllister street for
all the world as though it had just
come out of the park and rolled on past
the back of the guardhouse, the driver
loudly whistling Killarney" so that
it could be heard above the crunching
of the wheels through the rough, loose
rock that covered the road, and that
carriage drew up0not hundred yards
away, while the lieutenant was out WIS.,
iting sentries and presently they saw
him coming back along the walk,
stopping to question each sentry as to
his orders. Then he returned and in
quired if all was quiet among the pris-
eners, and then went and put out his
light in the tent reserved for the Of
ficer OF the guard, and once more left
his post, briefly Informing the sergeant
of the guard he was going to the officer
of the day. Then it was ascertained
that he mad visited half dozen places
in search of that veteran captain and
appeared much disturbed because he
could not find him. In half an hour he
was back, asking eXcitedly of the
sentry in rear of the guardhouse if
carriage had come that way. 1t had,
said the sentry, and was waiting down
the street. Gray hurried in the direc-
ton indicated, was gone perhaps three
minutes and returned, saying that the
sentry must be mistaken, that no car
riage was there. But the sentry reit-
Grated his statement that it had been
there and had been waiting for some
time, and must have disappeared while
he was temporarily around at the oppo-
site side of the building. This was
about II p. m.
Then when Gray appeared at revei1le
Morton had disappeared.
''It's not the sergeant let them fellers !
out" said the regimental oracles. |
This is no ten-dollar subscription |
business" And so until late in the i
afternoon the question that agitated |
the entire range of regimental camps |
was: slow did those fellows break
away from the prison of the -teenth?"
Then came clew, and then-discovery.
By order of Lieut.. Col. Canker
board of officers had been convened 10
investigate the matter, and after ques-
tioning everybody whom 'Squecrs" had
already badgered with his assertions,
threats and queries, they went to the
guardhouse and began thorough in
spection of the premises. The wooden
building stood in the midst of waste
of sand blown in from the shore line by
the strong sea wind. It was perched
on something like dozen stout posts
driven into the soft soil and then the
space between the floor level and the
sand was heavily and stoutly boarded
in-thick planks being used. Between
the floor and the sand was space of
about IS inches vertical, and a dozen