The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-07-13
Behind the Rock,
by Thomas Foye,

Nuhu himself hoe
a court-martial he wouId n.S peore
his mind that if the major r" hs,pD
voice in the matter he was as !, Aao
as convicted. "S good
There were those who evo,.,
officers harshness on tbo s'sgu The
ttat he belonged to the old 81 s'ouad
the school that looked upon tb aVo'--
and file as dogs-but the fao. ''aR
manned that he was not popuIs law uI le'
either his officers or his men - WIN
Affairs in the Indian eountr,
at peace when the post conr,. were
at Fort Brown applied for a ,-gIOvf
cured a long leave Of absanca Y
Major Davis was ordered n . ala
charge in his place. in less tbon ,'A'
hour later he began to issna gsa 1 al
orders, and groan Of disconten, '. I'd
heard throughout the garrison '''
Then began what was charao..
lied as "a tlum-a-diddle time M
lines of discipline were rigtdIy drar
| and the drills were frequent and 1 ".
acting. The finger Of the mari,
pointed in many directions and Il.
men who growled Went to the gn,r5
house on a trot.
At all military posts there ara
few favored men-men who sniff,
now and then from old wound. y.
have performed brave deeds and ~.
taciJly allowed to take things easr
Such man was private Tom CIV,
man at Fort Brown. Two bullets b.i
been fired into him as he rode with
dispatches across the plains ona
night, and though not incapacitafe5
as a soldier ne was given light dn,r
and coddled up bit.
The coddling ceased soon after tbs
majors arrival. He was on the loos.
oIt for such men. They were re.
turned to duty, and even given ey.
ira duty, and the mild protests OF
Cal tains and licutenants were mel
with the formal reply:
This Is a military post. not
hospital, and no man, unless excused
by the doctor at sick-call, will be
exempt from duty"
Private German returned to duty
4 with a complaint, and subsequent
events proved that the martinez had
( q special eye on him He was twice
reprimanded during company drill
one day, and followiug that he was
! placed on sentry duty and took hi:
post at midnight in a rainstorm.
1t was an inside post and Of no
consequence. The wounded man took
the chance of getting under shelter
for a short time. The major went
the round that night caught him
derelict and saw him hustled off to
the guaTdhouse.
Private German di@ not serve out,
his sentence of 80 days in the guard
house When he had served five DAYS
he was assisted to escape He was
furnished with a carbiua and food,
and he went into hiding within three
miles of the fort.
He felt that he had been uniusty
! treated and that he had been dis.
graced without cause, and he calmly
End deliberately made NIP his mind
to kill the man responsible It was
for this reason that he fingered near
the fort
Almost every morning the major
rode down to the boiIing spring,
three miles down the rough trail,
and there were so places where he
could be ambushed. The spot select
, ed was big rock alongside the trail
! end Tom was on watch there the
morning after his escape.
1t was seven o'clock before the
echoes of the iron-shod hoofs Of the
majors horse reached his ears, and
an instant later he was peering ou'
from behind the rock.
It was the major, alone on Il'
trail. No one was in sight in either
direction.
As the soldier made ready WIN
his carbine the major let fall Oil
reins and drew a letter from IN
pocket. AS he did so a photograpl
fell from the letter to the stony hga
way unnoticed by him. Queer as
may seem, curiosity about that pno
tograph overbalanced Ten German
thirst for revenge for the mohel'
and he let the officer pass.
A minute later he had the cara !
his hand. 1t was the picture OF Ill
tie girl not over five years Old
sweet faced little thing unu'l
meath was written From ELSIE
Papa" !.
No soldier at Fort Brown ha'
asked or could know whether 'n'4
martinez was a married man OF NV
They had not discussed his nome w
only his discipline. Here was
lew factor in the case. German cl'p
back to his ambush with his ~, ~.
! fixed on the face, and his own le''
ures began to soften. ..o
From Elsie to Papa he repe'''
over and over again. ia,
Private German found MS NV, S,,
in his throat. He was not lat NV,
but he was lover of children il IN
have given three months pay 10 p',
Elsie up in his arms and give H''
kiss. ,,1
You amt to blame for It, ..I,
one. Whatever he is to us, anu OI "ni
as he's used me, he loves you ~. r
you him, and cant oreah ~.
heart trying to get even. III h',o
kill him, and. l was going 10 n,
when he came back, but you :. y
sweet a thing to be left fatnerie'' M
The major came riding oacA, Il +;