Page:Tale of the Rebellion of 1745, or, The broken heart (2).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 disappearance. It was necessary that the station, from a stronger motive than ever, should not remain unoccupied ; 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 sentinel 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 be discovered ; and it seemed not likely that this discovery could 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 fellow 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 commended this resolution. "I will not be taken alive," said he : “ and you shall hear of me on the least