Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-11
TRUMPETER MUELLER,
r. e SOLDIER -
The Story of Man Who Was
Thought Fit Only to Blow
EugIe Calis.
nv N 4
BIT EDWARD h CLARK.

Hans Mueller used to toot a trumpet
in the Third cavalry. Hans was more
or less Of a butt fer the jokes OF the
men of his troop. He took all kinds
of gibes with a good nature that was
as perfect as 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
ments, and on several occasions at
skirmish drill he came within an ace
of shooting himself. His comrades
told Hans that as long as he confined
his efforts to killing himself they would
offer no strenuous objection, but that
IL he got real careless and shot the
head off some one else he must look out
for trouble. AS a matter of fact, he
did one day come pretty close to put
ting bullet through the heart of Ser
geaAt ,er Aelson, who forthwith
thra> &c .;:s in an approved style.
CAPITA j l. rts called Hans gross"
and said lLat he must stick to his
trumpet.
The edict Of his chief made Hans
feel bad. He blew the whole scale
Of calls from reveilIe through fatigue,
recall 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 privates he
knew could never be his. There was
lacking in his makeup that something
which gives dash TO soldier. Hans
used TO fall over his feet in most I'M
military way. and his hands We're new
er in the proper places. There was
one thing, however. that could be said
for him. he always tried TO obey orders
implicitly. He generally blundered
while making the attempt. but the in
tent was right. and that covers a mul-
titude of sins much more serious in
nature than mere blunders.
The Third cavalry was in the Wyo-
ming country in the Elkhorn creek re-
Eion. There had been a good deal Of
trouble with the Nez Perees. and L
troop had been kept on the jump most
of the time for month. l. troop was
Hans outfit. There had been one con-
slant succession of scoutings. 1t had
been necessary TO send small squads in
half dozen different directions at one
and the same time. The trumpeter had
been forced to stay with the main
body. which was not very big main
body at that, at all times. He had
been In everything in which the whole
troop was engaged. but the idea of
sending Hans out on a reconnaissance
where coolness and the suhtlety OF the
devil were necessary for safety was
the last thing that ever entered the
head OF the troop commander.
One day. however. one of the coolest
days of the second winter month. il
became necessary to send a scouting
party to investigate the rumor of the
approach Of band of savages. Now. IL
happened that the whole command
was tagged out, and this in a nutshell
is the reason why Hans Mueller found
himself for the first time in his life in
q position of acute responsibility. He
was ordered by Captain Roberts 10
proceed with Sergeant Nelson and two
privates northwest until something
was felt" or until the sergeant was
satisfied that a wrong report had been
turned into the camp
When the little body set out. the IA
fiCue OF the individual members OF the
troop showed that 1t was not. so TO
kleak, strong enough to keep these