The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-01-30
Cun6re
By THOMAS B CHEEVER

dreading something.
| Gunfre in the morning was at sun
rise and in the evening at sunset
Twice every day Sergeant jenkins, in
charge of morning and evening gun
| fire, set the automatic electric appa'
ratus connected with the clock gov
eminent timel so that a circuit would
| be made by which the gun should be
| fired by almanac time. Colonel Marti
net was so exact in all things that he
was meditating the erection of small
astronomical observatory on the pa
rade in which the sun might be OBJ
! served every cloudleSs day in its pas
sage across the meridian and the time
| figured from the observation to the
| fraction of second.
And now what had happened
Though it was midwinter and the al
manac gave sunrise on that particular
| morning NJ Z o'clock and ii minutes.
| the garrison was aroused at O'Clock
! and II minutes. or three hours before
daylight. by the morning gun.
Colonel Martinez. who had been
dreaming that he was commanding a
! siege force and a mine had been ex-
! ploded under him and his men, blow
| ing them sky high, leaped out Of bed,
glanced out through his window, saw
that there was not the slightest sign
of dawn. looked at his watch. the
hour hand of which stood at 4 o'clock.
and exclaimed:
well, I'll be jingedr'
"What is it, dear?" asked his wife
with yawn.
"What is it? Gunfre at o'clock
and II minutes! The service is go
ing to the deuce. Why, never in all
my military life since | was a plebe at
the Point have | known gunfire to be
a minute late or early. Whoever is re
sponsible for this shall suffer for it,
well. you can't discipline him till
morning. You'd better get back into
bed and go to Sleep"
The colonel got back into bed. but
not to sleep. for the remainder Of the
morning till O'Clock he was conjuring
up punishments for Sergeant Jenkins.
that the army regulations would per-
NIT severe enough 10 meet the case.
At Q O'Clock exactly the colonel was
in his office. and his orderly was seen
by groups of those who were waiting
for the outcome of the terrible irregu-
larity to hurry toward the quarters of
Sergeant Jenkins. The interest aroused
was not solely on account Of the gun
having been fired three hours ahead of
time, but because Sergeant Jenkins
was a favorite with both officers and
men. He wore five service stripes on
his sleeve and a medal for bravery in 4
fight with Indians and one with the
Spaniards in Cuba on his breast He
was a few years older than his com
mander. who had not happened to
see any active service. When he en-
tered his commanders office. stood M
attention and saluted he found there
several of the older officers of the com
mand whom the colonel had summoned.
desiring to be borne out in any severe
punishment he might see bit to intlict
on the sergeant.
Sergeant Jenkins" said the colonel.
you will explain how the gun hap
pened to be fred this morning so far
ahead of time"
81 didn't fire it. sir"
who did,"
Some one broke into the firing room,
sir"
Some one? What some one? Who
some one?"
las soon as heard the gun | went
into the room, sir. 1t was very dark.
but | saw this some one. whoever it
was. moving away from the electric
key"
well? Go on"
HE got out before l could get him"
Got out. Was a door or window
openY'
Neither. sir. He was a little fel-
low and came through small hole"
WAS he soldier? You could sure
ly tell that by his uniform"
"He didn't belong to the cavalry.
sir. There was no yellow about him"
"Any red?'
NO, sir. He wasn't an artilleryman.
either"
Then he must have been an infan-
tryman.''
well, sir. it was so dark couldn't
see, but there was no lively color to
his coat. But | got him. sir"
Got him."
'Yes, sir set trap for him."
"Set trap. Why, you didn't sup
pose he was fool enough to come back
after such a breach of discipline. did
your"
ut was hunger, sir. I baited the
trap with something he liked. Then
l went to bed and fell asleep In ,he
morning found him in the trap"
Explain yourself. sergeant | don't
understand you. Found whom in the
trap?
"a mouse"
There was silence for a few mo-
ments; then the corners of the mouths
Of the colonel's subordinate officers be
gan to quirk up. The sergeant con
| tinued:
He got into the room. sir, by gnaw-
ing hole and while foraging about
hoped on to the key that fires the
| gun"
Awe for the coloners dignity was
not sufficient TO keep his improvised