The Elk Mountain pilot., 1912-01-18

a hasty good-by and dug out at double time
for the gun rack outside the first guard tent
Its duty" he sighed to himself "a hard
duty but still duty even II 1t does take you
away from the girl you'l love-"
1t was eleven o'clock at night. Taps had
sounded an hour earlier. Billy Lang was
pacing up and down number four between the
trunks of the great elms which. with the SEN
tinels guarded the camp. 1t was the blacklist
kind Of a night Up on Crows Nest mountain
and to the northward toward the Catskills
Hudson's crew was playing tenpins. 1t ID
long bowling alley which Old Rips friends use
when they begin their favortte game inc
thunder came nearer and the lightning played
overhead This IL a time when the sentinel.
with his steel bayonet pointing skyward. feels
more nervously apprehensive than when In the
face of a human enemy. Patter. patter. patter.
the rain began to fall the leaves OF tho
elms. The sentinels on number four knew
that in minute tho gates would be open and
then deluge.
The nickering oil lamp at the south end OF
the post sent feeble gleam out into the
darkness Forty yards down the roadway
Billy Lang saw someone approaching. who
comes there?" rang out the challenge
Friends" came the answer in a mans
voice.
fash Of lightning lit up the roadway and
Billy Lang saw Frederick Jackson and Frances
Curtis held motioness by his challenge. At
that instant came the deluge. Umbrelaless
and unprotected in any way stood the young
couple, straining their eyes toward a place
where they knew was a young fellow with =
bayonettipped rife.
Billy Lang knew that he could strain .
point and let the two pass. Any cadet in the
corps would have done IT. ON recognition a.
certain as his. But Billy was stickler for
duty. He knew his orders. Halt. friends" "
he said. and then raising his voice. he yelled.
Corporal Of the guard No. A.
How tho rain did come down. Frances Cur
It's light ball dress was rag She was chilli
ed through and she stood holding the arm Of
her escort and shivering from her light slip
pers to the bedraggled rose thtat crowned her
hair. Frederick Jackson was in as bad .
plight though he didn't allow himself to
SILVER.
It's my duty" said Billy Lang to himself.
land Frances is a stickler for duty: she'll
like me all the better for it,
The corporal came at last He allowed tho
shivering couple to pass to the hotel. He
saw the plight they were in. and II he hadn't
been 'yearling corporal and Billy Lang a
FIRST classman he would have told No. that
he was an ass for not using e little common
pass.
Frederick jackson left for New York the
next morning. When he was relieved from
guard Billy Lang called at the hotel. Miss
Curtis could not be seen that day She was
slightly indisposed The next afternoon Billy
Lang received a note. 1t was in Frances Cur
tis handwriting. 1t read like this: "A tele-
gram from New York tells mother that Mr.
Jackson is dangerously i'll with pneumonia al
a result of exposure in the storm. He has no
relatives nearer than England. am a great
stckler for duty and SO mother and I are
Just leaving for New York to Mr. Jack
son. You will doubtless applaud my course
for you one Of duty's own disciples"
Frances Curtis did not return to West Point
that summer. 1t was late in the fall when
the postman one day handed Billy Lang an en-
velope postmarked New York. 1t contained
wedding cards in which the names of Curtis
and jackson were prominent
yearling corporal stuck his head in the
door. Tomorrow. Lang" he said. you are on
special duty"
"D-n duty" said Billy.
And the officer of the day who was passing
skinned" him for profanity.