The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1902-01-30
,TRUMPETER MUELLER,
- SOLDIER =
The Story Of a Man who Was
Thought Fit Only to BLOW
Bugle Calls.
BIZ EDwARD 3. CLARK.

Hans Mueller used to toot trumpet
in the Third cavalry. Hans was more
or less Of butt for the jokes of the
men Of his troop. He took all kinds
Of gibes with 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
If 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 putt
ting a bullet through the heart of Sex
geant Peter Nelson, who forthwith
thrashed Hans in an approved style.
Captain Roberts called Hans gross
and said that 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 un-
military way, and his hands were 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 Numbered
while making the attempt, but the in
tent was right, and that covers a null
titude of sins much more serious in
nature than mere blunders. i
The Third cavalry was In the Wye
ming country in the Elkhorn creek re-
trouble with the Nez Perces, and I.
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 a 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. n of
sending Hans out on a reconnaissance
where GOODNESS and the subtlety 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 cOldest
days of the second winter month, 1T
became necessary to send a scouting
party to investigate the rumor of the
approach Of a band of sayages. Now, it
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
position of acute responsibility. He
was ordered by Captain Roberts to
proceed with Sergeant Nelson and two
privates 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
tigue of the individual members of the
troop showed that it was not, so to
speak. strong enough to keep these
same individuals from giving Hans a
sendoff. Hans had carbine and re-
volver. His trumpet was hanging up
on peg. One Of the bystanders said
to the sergeant In command: Look out
for Hans If you happen to get into a
scrimmage. The first thing you know
he'll forget himself. and he'll try to
blow retreat on his carbine. You may
lose one man If Hans puts his mouth to
the wrong end of the barrel"
Then they said few other things to
Hans. He was told to be sure not to
get his canteen mixed up with his car
fridge belt and to make sure that he
took note of the landmarks ON the way
out so he could get back to camp in q
hurry If he happened to hear an Indian
shoot off his gun. Hans took all this
well enough. because the thought of
actually going out on scout was suf-
ficient to knock all other things out 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 see
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 pinch. Do the best, you can
and don't run. AS matter of fact, L
think that Jim Crosby was pipe dream
ing when he brought the rumor of reds
in this vicinity into camp. but you may
have chance to see trouble and IL you
do please stick"
That was pretty tough thing to
have to say to a soldier with Uncle
Sans uniform on his back. Stick!
Mueller's face went almost white un-
der realization that the true signifi-
canoe of that admonition was that the
sergeant had a pretty strong fear in
his heart that this trumpet tooter was
a coward. Stick! He would show them
Il he was only given a chance.
Sergeant Peter Nelson was an old
and tried campaigner, indeed, but thai
day he made mistake. He led his
three men straight into an ambush.
There were score of painted .Nez
Perces straight across their track. The
Indians had very little cover. but they
used 1t so artfully that the old soldier
sergeant had actually thought that the
bit Of embankment and the few scat
tered powders did not offer cover
enough to conceal q jack rabbit.
The first intdmations OF the. Indians'
presence was .yolley. Sergeant Mel
son went to the ground with q wound