Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-06-26
THE SERGEANT'S PLEDGE.
by GEN. CHARLES KING


Pay day at the post was just over.
Tattoo had just "gone," the soldiers
used to say, aud the major had turn.
ed homeward in disgust. Sergt. Pell
anu dozen men had been reported
absent.
My compliments to the officer of
the guard, and say | wish to See him
At quarters" growled the commander.
and the trim young soldier in atten.
dance was off like shot. Before he
had gone half way to the guard house
the major whirled about and shouted
"Orderlyp And three or four Off
GERS, scurrying homewsrd, seeing that
the orderly didn't hear, Joined in.the
shout, but it was too late.
NO." said the major to himself,
IL don't want to see him at nv quar-
tiers. It's jim Reynolds, and I've
told Fan ! wouldn't have him there"
Any woman could have seen the
situation at q glance. in. ReyHolds
was penniless sub. Fan WAS the
majors daughter, aud Jimmy aud
Fan were In love. There WAS moth
ing the matter with Reynolds. He
WAS only two years out of the Point, E"
was only n second lieutenant, had
neither debt nor savings. He WAS a
handsome, healthy, honest Young
chap, fit mate for pretty Fan. but AS
neither had money the major said
"NO." The major knew, for his
wife had told, that Fan would rather
take Jim Reynolds without money
than any other man with million.
but Reynolds didn't dare think -
He had loved her heartily u whole
year. She had liked him we'll until
the elders began To snub him: then
she turned To and loved him with all
her strong. sweet, impulsiye nature.
but he had not dared to speak in face
of the fathers prohibition, and so be.
tween them there was as vet no com.
pact, none unless between them they
had sought and thought To reform
SeFgt. Pell, who, from being u reck.
less young trooper on the road TO ruin,
twas now sergeant on the high road
to promotion. Reynolds came almost
at the run, rather than keep the ma.
jor standing out there IN the md
parade and the bitter cold.
"Mr. Reynolds" said the COM
mander, gruflly, 'send a sergeant and
six men out to those Internal hog
ranches aud bring in those absentees.
If Sergt. Pell is there send him to
his troop in arrest"
"Sergt. Pell isn't there" said the
young officer respectfully, bat conf
IDENTIFY. "He gave his word to Miss
to me, rather"
"Then where is he:?"
al don't know, sir, but he isn't
there"
The major stopped moment. gaz-
ing thOughtfuliy away past the black,
one. storied hulks of the garrison bar
racks buildings, TO where the broad
valley of the Platte, covered with its
mantlet of snow. lay cleaning in the
moonlight. A mile away, among the
dark patch of cottonwoods close by
the stream, some dim lights glim-
mersd through the distance. Away
up the valley, three miles beyond,
were other tiny CLEANS that told of
settlements, if not of civilization.
These were the days of old when we
had no canteen to keep the soldiers
from going astray at night, and these
gllmmers were so many hell fires.
wreckers' beacons, "false lights on
the shore" of soldier life, Turing him
from duty and honor to debauchery
and disgrace. There was no law to
limit them. The solves" were owned
and run by sovereign citizens, who
named che man that made the laws.
They could vote, the soldier victims
couldn't, and the pOt-house and the
politician had their way.
perhaps you'd better turn oyer
your guard to the sergeant and 60
YOURSELF" said the major, after a mo-
ments study, then whirled about and