The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-24

officer Of the guard reported the mat
ter to the colonel, who, thinking that
1t would be better that the next man
to stand post on Nc. 8 should not know.
of the occurrence, ordered the officer
to keep the matter a secret and II
there were inquiries about the missing
man among his comrades to give out
that he had been ordered away on q
special service. So the second man did
not know Of the mystery Of the first,
nor the third Of the second, nor the
fourth of the third: The fourth man
was the last to vanish, for after he had
gone the regiment went to. the front.
I was a member. Of Company. G. and
we knew more about the disappear
ances than the officers thought we did.
but we didn't know what had become
Of the sentries. 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 I came north with the
rest of the command, but eight years
later went to Cuba on business. and
there one day, while passing a sugar
plantation, who should I see sitting be.
fore a workman's cabin but John Hen
derson, the last man who had disap-
peared from sentry post No. 8. At
first he pretended not to know me, but
l looked him square in the eye and
told me the following story:
when placed on post and left by
the ~retreating relief I stood for awhile
uncertain whether to risk death by
some unearthly means or by being
shot for deserving my beat.
while I was. celebrating l. heard
a girls laugh and, looking down, saw
q merry face and two black eyes peer
ing up at me. The girl had a 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 the other sentries.
I seized one or two posies and threw
them back at her. She was too pretty
to keep at a distance, and I invited her
to come up and sit with me on the
slope. It wasn't long before I had my
arms around her and stole a kiss. ("
'She spoke some English and; point
ing. to a house below. told me she was
on her way to a 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. i went with her,
danced several times and was thinking
Of returning when I was surrounded
and Made q prisoner.
Thhsyswere;gkquf1 TO take me
Shoot- me whansfh gft1swhoshadsafs
ranged ,fsr...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 ove them. I was re-
leased and. accompanied by the girl
started up to camp. l had plenty Of
time to get there. but was dAllying
with her, she. showing plainly enough
that she had gone daft on me I tried
to tear myself away from her, but
couldn't. knew she had betrayed
three other but her preference
for me caught me-. and while 1 was
to. get away from her ! heard
the relief visit my post. Then I knew
I vas too late. for If I went to camp !
would be shot for being absent from
my post.
THAT threw the whole matter into
the hands OfIthe. girl. It was the same
az having sold my soul to the devil.
I deserted. and we went away togeth-
er. She deserted. too, for she never
went back home. Her people were
and the men who had been
bent On shooting me were spaniards.
They lived about there with their fam
lilies. and had the girl told on them. as
she threatened to do. our colonel would
have arrested and shot them. They
had only consented to let me 60 on her
promise that she would keep me from
back to the! command. OF
course. not understanding spanish.
didn't know this at the time or ! shonld
have been forewarned.'
Y Henderson had married the girl. and
they had several children: IN that
country women fade early. and upon
ID introduction I found the vile home
- orn,nIa. - ssans hnp@ 80 raonnw II