Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-06-21
POST NUMBER EIGHT
BY BEATRICE Tucksa

w regiment % United States infan.
~ Occupied . single position in Cuba
Lor quite AWHILE. We were NOT very
near an enemy and kept out no vedettes
or pieksts, the colonel being satisfed
with the usual chain Of sentinels
&Rsre was one nenfry beat overlooking
valley from which every man posted
= sne evening relief disappeared. No
cry no sound Of any kind, was heard
~ post No. 8. but the sentry placed
tnere was not found when the corporal
OF the guard took a man to relieve hin,
nor was he ever heard Of afteFward
some concluded that an enemy eravled
W from below, stabbed him and took
niS Ooay away. Some concluded that
tne post was haunted and the sentry
was carried away by a ghost.
Whsn the first man disappeared the
omcsf OF the guard reported the mat
Ter to the colonel. who, thinking that
II would be better that the NEXT man
20 stand post on No. 8 should not
know Of the occurrence, ordered the
oGaceF to keep the matter a secret and
II there were inquiries about the miss.
ing man among his comrades to give
out that he had been ordered away ON
Q special service. So the second man
ola not know Of the mystery Of the
nrst' nor the third Of the second. nor
the fourth Of the third. The fourth
man was the last to vanish, for after
ne had gone the regiment was ordern |,
to the front.
was q member Of Company @. and
we knew more about the disapuear.
ances than the officers thought we did,
put we didn't know what had become
OK the aentries. 1t was the prevailing
opinion that the men were murdered
by hostile Spanish citizens, but with
what object we were ignorant. After
the war closed came north with the
rest OF the command, but eight years
later went to Cuba on business. and
there ono day. while passing a sugar
plantation, who should see sitting be-
fore wOrkman's cabin but John Hen.
derson, the last man who had disap-
peared from sentry post No. s. At
hrst he pretended not to know me. but
looked him square In the eve and
told him he couldn't fool me. Then he
owned up and told me the following
story:
When placed on post and left by
the retreating relief stood for awhile
uncertain whether to risk death by
some unearthly means or by being
ahot tor deserving my beat. knew
that three men had attempted to hold
It against natural or supernatural enc
miles aud failed. While / was deliber-
attng l heard q girls laugh and, look
Ing down. saw a merry face and two
black eyes peering up at me. The
girl had q basket on her arm full of
flowers and began to pelt me with
them. l supposed she was simply
passing that way and didn't connect
her with the ghost who had spirited
away tho other sentries. / seized one
or two Of the pOsles and threw them
back at her. She was too pretty to
keep at a distance, and invited her
to come up and sit with me on the
slope. 1t wasn't long before had my
arm around her and stole a kiss.
''She spoke some English and. point
ing to q house below. told me she was
ON her way to q dance to take place
there. We soon heard the sound OF
music. and the girl begged me to go
down with her. have a dance and get
back before the relief came. / was
tempted and fell. / went with her,
danced several times and was thinking
Of returning when l was surrounded
by the men In the room and made a
prisoner.
They were about to take me out to
shoot me when the girl who had ar
ranged for my capture stood in the
door and jabbered Spanish at them
with constantly growing irritation. l
didn't know then what she said, but
learned afterward that. having given
them three victims, she wished the
fourth to be spared. Finally she pre-
vailed. partly by threats to expose
them to our troops above and partly
by her influence over them l was re-
leased and, accompanied by the girl.
started up 10 camp. l had plenty OF
time to set thare, but was dallying
with her. she showing plainly enough
that abe had gone daft on me. tried
to tear myself away from her. but
couldn't l knew she had betrayed
three other men. but her preference
for me caught me, and while / was
trying to get away from her I heard
the relief visit my post Then knew
l Was too late. for u went 70 camp l
would be shot for being absent on my
post.
That threw the whole matter into
the hands Of the girl II Was the same
e. having sold my soul to the devil.
1 deserted. and We went away tOgeth-
sF. She deserted, too. for she never
went back home. Her people were
BpaniaEds, and the men who had been
bent 81 shooting me were Spaniards.
Thsy lived abOat there with their fam
nAeA and had the girl told on them. as
ale Threatened 10 do. eur colonel would
have arrested and shot them. They
had aaav Fonaanfad fo Lat me- Rn on