The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-11-20
w. s'e'sV % 4'"V-s'
TRUMPETER MUELLER, !
2 s. SOLDIER 81 - /
The Story of n Man Who Was 4
Thought Fit Only to blow
BugIe Calls.
BY EDWARD II, CLARK. 2
by EDWARD II. CLARK.


J iisilN hu'AiN.A NNNNi ~ tbNl Il trumpet
IN the Third cavalry. Hans was more
ol less of Il hut fer the jokes Of the
men of his troop lie took all kinds
/ Of gihes With Il eood nature that WAS
as perfect rs it was stolid. The trum-
/ peter knew more about music than he
did about muskets. When for awhile
he tried what the other men called
straight soldering he was continually
getting tangled up with his equip
mcnts. and on several occasions at
skirmish drill he came within an ace
told Hans that rs long as he confined
his efforts Ia killing himself they would
offer no strenuous objection, but That
| II he got real careless and shot the
! heud OF some one else he must look out
for trouble. As n matter of faet he
did one day come pretty close to put
| ting Il bullet through the heart of Ser
| geant Peter Nelson who forthwith
! Captain Roberts called Hans gross"
and said that he must stick to his
trumpet
The edict of his chief made Hams
feel bad lie blew the whole scale
of calls from reveille through fatigue.
recull and drill TO taps. but his soul
wasn't in his music Down deep In
Hans soul there came the thought that
somehow he was not like other men.
| The smartness of appearance which
| characterized Sergeant Nelson, Corpo=
raj Brady and score of privatcs he
| knew could never he his. There was
lacking IN his makeup that something
which gives dash To soldier. Hans
used to fall over his feet in II most un
military way, and his hands were neV.
er In the proper places, There WAS
one thing, however, that could be said
| for him, he always tried 10 obey orders
implicitly, He generally blundcrcd
while making the attempt, but the in
tent WIS right, and That covers mul
titude of sins much more serious IN
nature thun mere plumbers.
The Third cavalry WIS In the Wyo-
ming country IN the IGllthorn creek re
gion. There had been n good dcnl of
trouble with the Ncz pcrees, and J.
troop had been kept on the jump most
of the TIME FOR Il month. l. troop WIS
Huns outfit There had been one con
slant succession of scoutings 1t had
been necessary to send small squads in
half Il dozen different directions at one
and the SHINE time. The trumpcter had
| been forced TO stay with the main
| body which WAS not Il very big main
| body ut that, ut all times. He had
: boon IN nrarythinu IN which the whole
| troop was engaged, bat the idea of
sending Hams out on II reconnaissance
| where cooluess and the subtlety of the
| devil were necessary for safety was
the lust thing that ever entered tho
hcnd of the troop commander.
one day, however, one of the coolest
days of the second winter month, II
became necessary to send n scouting
party to investigate the rumor of the
approach of bnnd OF savagcs. Now. it
happened Tint the whole command
was tagged ont, and this In Il nutshell
IL tho reason why Hans Mueller found
himself for the first time In his life IN
position of acute responsibility. IIo
was ordered by Captain Roberts 10
proceed with Sergeant Nelson and two
privntes northwest until something
was "felt' or until the sergeant was
satisfied that wrong report had been
turned into the camp.
When the little body set out, the ia
tlgue OF the individual members of the
trn., al, al I.t
speak. strong enough TO keep these
same individuals from giving Huns
SendOff. Hans had II carblne nnd II re-
yolver His trumpet was hanging up
on II peg. one Of the bystunders said
10 the sergeant I'm command: Look out
for Hans If you happen to get into
scrimmage. The first thing you know
he'll forget himself, ana he'll try to
blow retreat on his cHrbIne. You may
lose one man If Hans puts his mouth 10
the wrong end Of the barrel"
Then they said few other things to
Ilans. He was told to be cure not to
get his cantcen mixed UP With his car
fridge belt and To mike sure that lie
took note Of the landmarks on the way
out 30 he could get back to camp In n
hurry If he happened to hear nm Indian
shoot off his gun. Hans took all this
well enough, because the thought Of
actually going out on II scout was sur
flcient TO knock all other things ont OF
| his head, resentment along with them.
| They had left the camp far behind
| them. Sergeant Nelson, who was an
old and tried campaigner turned to his
men and said, 1--WE are getting near
the place where we may expect to SEQ
something" Then he spoke seriously
to Hans. Mueller" he said, you're
not half as bad perhaps as the troop
makes out, but tell you honestly that
| I'm Kind Of afraid of you when It
comes to a pinch. DO the best you can
! and don't run. As II matter OF fact,
think that Jim Crosby was pipe dream.
Ing when he brought the rumor Of reds
IN this vicinity into camp, but you may
have Il chance to see trouble and If you
do please stick"
That was pretty tough thing to
have to say TO Il soldier with Uncle
Sans uniform on his back Stick!
Mucller's face went almost white nm.
der realization that the true signih-
canoe Of that admonitlon was that the
sergeant had n pretty strong fear In
his heart that this trumpet t0otcr Was
u coward. Stick. He would show them
| IL he was only given II chance.
Sergeant Peter Nelson was an old
and tried campalgncr, indeed but that
day ne made a mistake. He led hts
three men straight into an ambush.
There were a score OF painted NeZ
Perces straight across their track. The
Indians had very little cover, but they
used It 50 artfully that the old soldier
sergeant had actually thought that the
bit Of embankment and the few sent
tered powders did not offer cover
enough to conceal II jack rabbit.
The first intlmatlon Of the Indians
presence was a yolley. Sergeant Mel
son went to the ground with wound
IN his side One of the prlYates, shot