The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-04-03
The White and
Black Pebbles
By SARAH BAXTER

Bob. my dear boy. / congratulate
you heartily on your engagement t.
Clara Deane.'
Thank you. Dave. appreciate
your congratulations more than those
Of any other Ut my friends"
These two sentences were spoken By
two cadets of the graduating class Ot
182- at the Military academy ut West
Point. Robert Harker did not know
what the congratulate tons cost his friend
David Warfield. Both cadets had been
attentive 70 the same girl. but neither
knew that the other had proposed t.
her. She did not tell the one she &C.
eepted that she had been obliged t.
decide between him and his friend.
And 30 1t was that the woman wa
the only u who knew the fact.
Eighteen years passed. during which
time the two officers had not served at
the same military station. though once
they met at Washington. Harker's
family was not with him. and War
Aeld was sttl unmarried. Nineteen
years after they had graduated the
Mexican war broke out. and both were
ordered sOuth-Harker to the Rio
Grande with General Taylor. Wardeld
to Vera Cruz with General Scott.
During Scott's advance to Mexico
City, involving a series Of battles In
which the Americans were always vic
t~ori0us, Warield was Of great value to
the commanding general in all matters
pertaining to the science of engineer
ting. When the army approached the
City of Mexico. desiring to get a view
II the enemy's defenses. he appropriate
ID the uniform of 4 Mexican officer
worked his way to the ear Of the
Mexican army. He took with him q
young soldier barely eighteen years Of
age with q view of sending back any
Information he might acquire, in case
be could not get back himself. The
youngster put ON the uniform of a
dead Mexican corporal. 1t was ar
ranged between the two that they
should address each other az captain"
and corporal" only.
One day Captain Warfeld was stand
Ing on the edge Of . wood, behind a
tree against which he vas resting .
spyglass which be had leveled at the
Notifications Of the City Of Mexico
The corporal stood behind, walking to
and fro in the wood with q view to
warning the captain against surprise.
Suddenly a troop Of Mexican horsemen
came galloping toward them. The COZ
Doral gave . warning signal. but too
hate. From q distance the Mexicans
cav a man examining their forti3ca-
lions through a spyglass.
Riding up to the captain. the COM
mander Of the troop questioned him.
Warfeld spoke but little Spanish and
could give NO satisfactory account Of
himself. Both be and the corporal
we're taken into the capital and
brought before the Mexican command
Or. After IN examination u drum
bead court martial was convened. and
they were tried rs spies. They
noon convicted and sentenced to be
tarroted. but owing to the fact that
they were Americana. where CARROT
ing was moi practiced. the sentence
was commuted to shooting.
The two were confined in the same
prison. The night before their exe
%utiOn the corporal called for writing
material that he might write a letter
II farewell TO his mother. He had
finished and addressed it when Cap
tain Warfeld saw it and read the ad-
dress.
"Great heavens" he exclaimed. pal.
Ing.
what Is it. c~aptain?" asked the
uther.
you are a son Of Robert aarker Of
Tie til cavalry?"
n an"
And your mother as a girl was
Clara DeaneY'
''She was"
The dialogue was interrupted by the
entrance Of u Mexican officer. who said
to the two condemned men:
'Our commander has decided that
but one need suffer in order to carry
out the necessity Of striking terror into
IN enemy for ssch illegidmate war
fare. he has directed that you two
men draw lets to determine which
shall be shot have 4 white and a
black pebble here which ! place in my
hat. The one dra wing the white peb-
BILE will be exchanged as a prisoner Of
war: the other will be Immediately e.
ecuted."
Being 4 commissioned officer" said
the captain. while my fellow prisoner
u . private. ! demand the right to
draw the pebble ~ decide which Of Us
ID to suffer-"
The officer held cut the hat to him:
b. thrust In his hand and Immediately
drew It out cliDehed. Going to 4 win
dow. With the other hand he drew
forth a pebble and held 1t up to the
light. It was black.
The Mexican officer In the excite
ment Of the moment Of life and death
forgot the other pebble and placed his
hat on his head without withdraw
ing 4.
A platoon Of soldiers was waiting
hor thu lo~or ond Coo<o}u War