Page:Tale of the Rebellion of 1745, or, The broken heart (1).pdf/21

                    21 The relief company returned to the guard-house. The sentinels were replaced every four hours, and at the appointed time the guard again marched to relieve the post. To their inexpressible astonish- ment the man was gone! They searched round the spot, but no traces could be found of his disap- pearance. It was necessary that the station, from a stronger motive than ever should not remain un-occupied; they were compelled to leave another man and return to the guard-house. The supersti- tion of the soldiers was awakened, and the terror ran through the regiment. The Colonel being ap- prized of the occurrence, signified his intention to accompany the guard when they relieved the senti- nel they had left. At the appointed time, they all marched together; and again, to their unutter- able wonder, they found the post vacant and the man gone! Under these circumstances, the Colo- nel hesitated whether he should station a whole company on the spot, or whether he should again submit the post to a single sentinel. The cause of these repeated disappearances of men, whose courage and honesty were never suspected, must he discovered; and it seemed not likely that this dis- covery could not be obtained by persisting in the old method. Three brave men were now lost to the regiment, and to assign the post to a fourth seem- ed nothing less than giving him up to destruction. The poor follow whose turn it was to take the sta- tion, though a man in other respects of incomparable resolution, trembled from head to foot. "I must do my duty,” said he to the officer, “I know that; but I should like to lose my life with more credit." "I will leave no man,” said the Colonel, “against his will." A man immediately stept from the ranks, and desired to take the post. Every mouth com- mended his resolution. "I will not be taken alive," said he, "and you shall hear of me on the least