The National tribune., 1901-03-07

DN
The word was soon passed through
camp that it was a false alarm, the COM
panies were dismissed to their tents, and
camp again became quiet. The man who
had caused the alarm was soon relieved
of post and brought to the guard tent a
prisoner. The Officer of the Day was still
there when he was brought in and ac
costed with:
We'll, my man, so you got so excited
You mistook a wolf for an Indian and shot
ut it, causing a false alarm throughout
the command, did you?''
mo, SIR responded the prisoner in
dignantly; Il did nothing of the kind. |
saw an Indian, and after he had taken
several shots at me with arrows | took
few pops at him, and hit him, too.
may never be able to prove what | say,
but If that Indian is ever found he's got
my mark on him-the hole of u Sharps
rifle ball"
THAT all sounds very fine" retorted
the officer; but we will want more sub
stantial proof to save you from Il court
martial"
"An right, Captain. If you'll give me
n chance in the morning I'll NOV that
grass for quarter of a mile around but
what I'll find them arrows, for arrows L
know they were, although | never heard
the wIriz of one before"
The Officer of the Day then called for
his escort to go the grand rounds" and
made the tour of the camp, visiting each
sentry to see that he was alert and doing
his duty. The rest OF us who were off
post. not feeling like sleep after this ex-
citing event. whilcd away the time dis
cusslnG the occurrence and listening to
yarns from some of the old veterans.
Old Tom Observed Boys, | believe
the man is tclin' the truth, an that it uGs
an Indian that he shot at. His tale don't
sound like a put-up job, an he don't talk
like one of the eXcitable or skccry kind.
In my time I've knowcd several such in
cidents of Indians assuming the appear
ance of wolf or other animal, in order
to crawl mp near enough to a sentinel to
fix him with an arrow SOS he'd give no
alarm. The only surprising thing about
it is that the Indian shot four times at
him an' missed him every time. But, then,
the sentinel being in motion all the time,
and it being so very dark, may account
for that. But unless the man can find
the arrows or some other plain proof, he
will lie punished severely as an example
for the benefit Of yOu recruits. | hardly
expect that the body of the Indian will
he found, for unless an Indian is killed
dead he will make Il desperate effort to
get away far enough TO save his scalp, or
if he has comrades near they will carry
him off, Then, after smoking his pipe
i'll silence awhile, he said: The regula-
tions and discipline of the army require
that a sentinel shall walk his post con
tinuously, and not leave it or sit or lay
down under any circumstances till prop
erIy relieved, This may do in ordinary
warfare with civilized nations, but it aint
safe to walk your posi- in an Indian coun-
try where there is danger; for it gives
sneakin rcdskin all the advantage. He
can see the sentinel walking his beat long
before the sentry sees him, an creep up
to point where he can pick him off with
out helm seen"
We'll" | asked him, "what would you
do! If you sit down or lie down on post,
or stand still, you are liable to neglect of
your duty, if you don't go to sleep; and
if you are at one end of your post you
wont know what is going on at the other
end
/ select Il place near the middle Of
my beat, where there is q mule or horse
near by, if possible" replied Tom, "and
squat down and watch that mule or horse.
\ mule makes q better sentinel than a
horse, as they are more distrustful, and
their sense of hearing, sight and smell is
keCncr. If any person or animal ap-
proaches, the mule will know it long be-
fore you will, and by pointing his ears
at the object will show you the exact di
rcctlon of it. OF course, man has to
take the risk of goin' to sleep. If he finds
himself getting drowsy he'd better get up
an move about Il while"
| studied this plan of Toms over and
concluded it was Il good one; and on in
quiry afterwards found that nearly all the
old hands practiced it. From that time
on | never walked post much at night
when | could get near q horse or mule.
In the morning, before it was fairly
light, the prisoner was awake begging the
Officer Of the Guarf TO let him return
to his post of the night before to look for
the dead Indian, or the arrows which he
positively asserted had been shot at him.
As soon as it was sufficiently light the
officer told the Sergeant to take two men
of the guard and accompany the prisoner
in search of the evidence he was required
to produce to clear him of the charge of
giving a false alarm.
As we neared No. the sentinel on post
held up to view a dirty gray blanket,
which he said he had found at daylight
on the bank of the river, at the point
where the prisoner said the Indian had
disappeared, and he added:
His tracks are there i'll the mud at
the edge Of the water
On examination the blanket was found
to have bullet hole in it, and considera-
BILE blood on, and, sure enough in the
soft earth at the waters edge the Indians
noccasin tracks We're plain. But the red
skin himself was nowhere in sight. If
killed he had sunk in the water, or if only
wounded had got away.
The prisoner, though pleased Mt finding
the blanket and tracks, took it coOlly,
merely saying:
Il knew I'd find some proof. Now, let's
look for them arrows" And taking his
former position on the beat he pointed
out the spot where the Indian was when
he shot the arrows, and on making a close
search in the grass beyond him, and about
where the arrows would probably light,
we succeeded in finding the whole four
sticking in the ground, though somewhat
scattered.
As we retraced our steps to the guard
tent the prisoner remarked. regretfully:
Sergeant, if | only could have found
the Indian, the chain of evidence would
be about complete, wouldn't it?'
On reaching the tent the Officer of the
Day was there, and cheerfully released
the prisoner and restored him to duty, and
also apologized like a man for his unkind
utteranccs of the night before, and prom
ised to recommend the man for promo
tion as soon as there was a vacancy in
his company.
On the principle that ''to the victor be-
longs the spoils," the blanket and arrows
were given to the man who had won them
to keep as mementoes of the last nights
incident, and as he gathered them up he
remarked:
ssWhon 7 Iooly at 'au II maLoS mo oIod