Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-02-12

troop, exempted from the authority of
the first sergeant, yet spending all his
leisure moments in loafing among the
company's quarters, where he speedily
gained the reputation of being surly and
insolent to the non-commissioned officers
and mischief maker among the men.
For a recruit who had only recently en-
listed it was surprising how much he
knew about the ins and outs of soldier
life.
Sergt. Wren openly accused him of
having been in service somewhere be-
fore, and as he had no papers to show,
he must be either deserter or a "bob-
taiP' "a soldier whose discharge paper
has had the Character cut Off. Welsh
angrily denied this, and his ignorance of
saber drill and certain troop details
seemed to bear him out. "But then, y
said Wren, she might have been in the
dough boys" Welsh avoided the troop
quarters for while after this episode,
and was moro civil to the sergeants, but
right after pay day he again appeared,
eager to try his luck in any game going
on. Then it transpired that, if not an
expert with saddle and saber, he was
with the cards, and the troopers lost
their money to him without exactly un-
derstanding how. The first sergeant re-
ported these occurrences to Capt. Blau-
yelt, and the old man seemed greatly
vexed. It was established that Welsh
had been neglecting the horses while
playing his game, but he was not re-
lieved and ordered back to duty with
the troop, as had been expected. If any
thing he became more insolent in man.
ner to the sergeants than before. The
whole affair seemed unaccountable to
the other men.
One morning about month after
Welsh's arrival at the post Lieut.. Hearn
came leaping lightly up the steps to
make an inspection of the barracks.
Corp. Qzinn. seeing him approach the
quarts;s, had given word to the men,
and those of them who were in shirt
sleeves jumped into their flannel blouses,
while CHEERS knocked the ashes out of
their pipes and put them away. Three
or four were seated around little table
playing cards, and among these was the
gypsy fellow Welsh, who had been there
ever since guard mount. These men,
too, sprang to their hunks and straight
ened up some items of their s'kits,'' but
Welsh aiill sat at the table grumbling at
the interruption to the game. ''Put up
those cards, Welsh" said sergeant
bluntly. 'Here comes the lieutenant"
"What do carer was the surly an
swer. ''I'm not under his orders He's
got no authority over me"
''Do as tell you, and be quick about
it, was the reply.
'sDo it yourself; they amt my cards.
l didn't put them there" answered the
man, with an ugly gleam in his black
eyes, while he drew from one pocket a
piece of chamois skin and from the other
one of the captains big brass spurs.
There was no time for further remark.
"Attentionr' came the order from the
sergeant, who happened to be nearest
the door, and the lieutenant entered.
Every man on the instant whipped off
his cap, and. facing the middle Of the
long room, stood erect at the foot Of his
bunk-every man except one. With his
cap on the backof his head, his matted
hair hanging down o%er his eyes, Welsh
sat there at the table coolly polishing
the spur.
'sGet up there, Welshr' growled in low,
stern tones the first sergeant. .'Off with
that cap, SIR
For all answer Welsh cooked his head
on one side, and. apparently unmindful
Of the presence of an officer, became crit
ically and approvingly absorbed in study
ing the polish which he was imparting to
the smooth surface of the spur.
Ibid you hear that order? Come to
attention, sir,7 repeated the sergeant.
And the men, astonished at the breach of
discipline, looked curiously at the re-
cruit, now slowly and scowlingly find
ing his feet He had not removed his
cap when the lieutenant stood before
him.
"Why did you not rise with the other
men, Welsh!" asked Mr.. Hearn, in a
quiet and deliberate tone oddly at vari-
ance with his usually quick and snappy
manner, and the young officer looked
straight into the soldiers eyes as he
spoke
Didn't suppose 7 had to-" was the
sullen reply.
sWhy not?'
well, tactics say soldiers actually at
work don't have to rise and salute Of
fcers."
'sAnd what work were you doing?''
"Work for the captain-cleaning his
spurs"
There was strange silence in the
room. This was new Interpretation,
and for recruit decidedly an original
one.
"Where did you learn that idea,
Welsh?'' asked the lieutenant, still calm
ly, though his blue eyes began to dilate
in way that indicated how thoroughly
he appreciated the mans defiant man
ner
"Well, no matter; learned it,"
sYou have had a very bad teacher,
sir. Take your hand out Of that pocketTi
An ugly scowl had settled on Welsh's
downcast face. He had stuffed the
chamois skin ia his blouse pocket, and
still stood there in slouching attitude,
with his cap ON the back Of his head.
Slowly, in obedience to the order, he low
cred his hand to the side.
'.Now take your cap off"
One could have heard pin drop all
over the big room.
Forty men stood there in silence, listen
ing breathlessly to this strange and un-
usual colloquy. Reluctantly, yet over
awed by the steady gaze in the blue
eyes of the young officer, Welsh's hand
went up to the cap, then tossed it angri-
ly some distance away. If he expected
rebuke on that score it was not forth
coming.
ssNow get your heels together and
stand attention"
"You've got no right to order me
around like this, Lieut.. Hearn. I'm on
duty for the captain, am-not for any
second lieutenant. Z
For an instant every nerve and muscle
in the officers athletic frame seemed tC
culver. His blueeyes blazed with wrath
and his lips set firmly under the blonde
mustache.
There was u moment Of deathlike 81
lence, q gasp or two among the men.
Sergt. Wren's bronzed, weatherbeaten
face was picture of amaze and indigna-
ton. Welsh himsef, as though realizing
the insolence Of his language and dread