The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1914-07-01
The White and
Black Pebbles
BY SARAH BAXTER


you heartily on your engagement to
Clara Deane."
THANK you. Dave. l appreciate
your congratulations more than those
Of any other of my friends"
These two sentences were spoken by
two cadets of the graduating class of
1872 at the Military academy at West
Point. Robert Harker did not know
what the congratulations cost his friend
David Warfeld. Both cadets had been
attentive to the same girl. but neither
knew that the other had proposed to
her. She did not tell the one she &C
cepted that she had been obliged to
decide between him and his friend.
And so it was that the woman was
the only one 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
field was still 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. Warfield
to Vera Cruz with General Scott.
During SCOTS advance to Mexico
City, involving series Of battles in
which the Americans were always VIC
torious, Warfield was of great value to
the commanding general in all matters
pertaining to the science of engineer
ing. When the army approached the
City Of Mexico. desiring to get a view
of the enemy's defenses, he appropriate
ed the uniform of a Mexican officer
who had been made prisoner and
worked his way to the rear of the
Mexican army. He took with him a
young soldier barely eighteen years of
age with view of sending back any
information he might acquire, in case
he 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 as captain"
and corporal only.
One day Captain WarfieId was stand
ing ON the edge of a wood, behind a
tree against which he was resting a
spyglaSs which he had leveled at the
Notifications of the City of Mexico
The corporal stood behind, walking to
and fro in the wood with a view TO
warning the captain against surprise.
Suddenly troop of Mexican hOrsemen
came gallOping toward them. The cor
poral gave warning signal, but too
late. From a distance the Mexicans
saw a man examining their fortified
tons through 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 he and the corporal
were taken into the capital and
brought before the Mexican command
er. After an examination a drum
head court martial was convened. and
they were tried as spies. They were
soon convicted and sentenced to be
garroted. but owing to the fact thar
they were Americans. where CARROT
ing was not practiced. the sentence
was committed to shooting.
The two were confined in the same
prison. The night before their exc
cution the corporal called for writing
material that he might write a letter
| of farewell to his mother. He had
| finished and addressed it when Cap
| tain Warfield saw it and read the adj
| dress.
Great heavensr' he exclaimed. pal
ing.
What is it. captain?" asked the
other
"You are a son of Robert Harker of
the til cavalry?'
II am"
And your mother as girl was
Clara DeaneT'
"She was"
| The dialogue was interrupted by the
| entrance of a 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
an enemy for such illegitmate war
| fare. He has directed that you two
men draw lots to determine which
| shall be shot. | have white and
black pebble here which place in my
! hat. The one drawing the white peb-
BILE will be exchanged as a prisoner of
war: the other will be Immediately ex
| ecuted.
Being a commissioned officer" said
the captain, while my fellow prisoner
| is a private. demand the right TO
draw the pebble to decide which of us
is to suffer-
The officer held out the hat to him;
he thrust in his hand aid Immediately
drew it out clinched. Going to win
dow, with the other hand he drew
forth a pebble and held it up to the
light. 1t 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 it.
plofoOD Of SoIdiarS uaS waiting