Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-11-13

The following curious incident Is
furnished by n Times correspondent:
Capt. Andrew Willard, having
served thirty years In the regular
army, has been retired on half nay.
During several years OF Indian war
fare, Willard had several interest
ing experiences, but none more
unique than his introductory one.
Willard enlisted In New York
City, and. after month pessed on
Governors Island. he, with the rest
OF his company, was sent 10 Fort
Sill, Indian Territory, ut q time when
the Indians were giving the. troops
. lot Of trouble. He had not been
ihera lsna before he. xith others.
were told OF for piclset duty. The
assignments TO posts were by num-
Der, and Wizards number chanced
to be 2. Before the other officer
came to escort them to their posts
Willard was approached by a red
haired, freckled-face Irish lad, who
had been assigned TO post 8.
See here, me bye, said the Irish
man, we're jist in an Crane at the
bizness, an they've gone an put
yez on for number two. That's for
mist the stables, down yonder, an
it's the hardest place ay thin all, so
IL is. I've number eight, which in
out be thin two haystacks, an all
yez have TO do is to walk from wan
to the ither, back an. forth. It's a
cincb. so it is, an balm as yer Crane
at the biznis, I'll trade with veg fer
the wanst.
Willard thanked the young felllw
for his kindness and gladly availed
himself of his offer. When they fell
in to march TO their posts, the Irish
man fell into the second place and
Willard into the eighth. As the Of
ficer of the guard left Willard at the
post he said:
Now look here, young fellow. we
lose q man on this post every night
or two. Nobody knows how IL hap
pens, but when we come to relieve
him we find him laid out cold. You
are supposed TO make frequent trips
from one stack 10 the other, but you
need not make the trip very often.
Keep in the shade OF the stack,
where you cannot be seen, and keep
sharp lookout. IL you see any
thing suspicious whatever, fire at
it. Fire first and inquire afterward.
Good night"
The Irishman generosity was
explained. Willard says his hair
Immediately took a perpendicular
position and maintained il the rest
of the night. Half of the night pass
ed away without incident, and then
the moon being bright-he saw
away out on the plain what he took
to be dog trotting about, back and
forth, and circling here and there,
as though seeking the trail OF some
quarry. After watching it a while,
Willard turned his attention else
where, and for time forgot all
about the animal. Later he looked
for the dog and found that il had
approached much nearer to the
stack, but was still circling about
as when he first observed il. He
continued 10 note its movements,
and became aware, that each circle
or tack the animal made, itapproach-
ed little nearer the stack. The
movements seemed TO him to be
systematic, and he grew suspicious.
He determined to take a shot at the
beast on a venture. Raising the
gun he took careful aim and fred.
There came yell that sounded won
derfully like human voice, and the
dog arose upon his hind legs and
ran swiftly across the plain. When
the officer and men came running TO
learn the cause Of the shot, Willard
explaiped and was complimented
for his sagacity. There were no
more men picked Of from that post
during Willard's $ stay at the post.
4 Il II