and disappeared in between two sets of barracks at one
corner of the parade ground. Then everything was unusually quiet; not
a human being to be seen except the sentry at the guardhouse, who was
walking post.

It was pleasant, so I sat down, still feeling curious about the trouble
that was serious enough to call out all the troops. It was not so very
long before Lieutenant Todd, who was officer of the day, came from the
direction the companies had gone, pistol in hand, and in front of him
was a man with ball and chain. That means that his feet were fastened
together by a large chain, just long enough to permit him to take short
steps, and to that short chain was riveted a long one, at the end
of which was a heavy iron ball hanging below his belt. When we see a
prisoner carrying a ball and chain we know that he is a deserter, or
that he has done something very bad, which will probably send him to the
penitentiary, for these balls are never put on a prisoner who has only a
short time in the guardhouse.

The prisoner yesterday--who seemed to be a young man--walked slowly to
the guardhouse, the officer of the day following closely. Going up the
steps and on in the room to a cot, he unfastened the ball from his belt
and let it thunder down on the floor, and then throwing himself down on
the cot, buried his face in the blankets, an awful picture of woe and
despair. 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 manag