On The Walk By The Door, And Looking At Him With
Contempt, Stood A Splendid Specimen Of Manhood - Erect, Broad-Chested,
With Clear, Honest Eyes And A Weather-Beaten Face - A Typical Soldier
Of The United States Army, And Such As He, The Prisoner Inside Might
Have Become In Time.
Our house is separated from the guardhouse by a
little park only, and I could plainly see the whole thing - the strong
man and the weakling.
In the meantime, bugles had called the men back to quarters, and very
soon I learned all about the wretched affair. The misguided young man
had deserted once before, was found guilty by a general court-martial,
and sentenced to the penitentiary at Leavenworth for the regulation
time for such an offense, and to-morrow morning he was to have started
for the prison. Now he has to stand a second court-martial, and serve
a double sentence for desertion!
He was so silly about it too. The prisoners were at the large ice
house down by the river, getting ice out for the daily delivery. There
were sentinels over them, of course, but in some way that man managed
to sneak over the ice through the long building to an open door,
through which he dropped down to the ground, and then he ran. He was
missed almost instantly and the alarm given, but the companies were
sent to the lowland along the river, where there are bushes, for there
seemed to be no other place where he could possibly secrete himself.
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