The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-21

old cadet who wanted to attend the hop and
IN July L managed it pretty we'll. This
enabled me to march on" at eight O'Clock,
TO spend my day walking post or on duty at
the guard tents and to walking post or get
ting eat-naps on a camp stool bed ut night.
After the first three or four tours NO one
attempted any tricks at my expense when a
sentry and the oAly really undisturbed and
peaceful hours were those when on guard or
the bllssful morning that followed march
ing Oh" when, excused from all dutySntil
the dinner roll call, the cadet could wapdar
up to the rocky heights of old Fort Post"
or out on the rugged TANKS of Grow Nest
and look down upon a picture matchless
elsewhere in all the world.
But by August some official or other dis
covered the fact that certain plebes were
psrpetually on guard and certain ysarlinps
neref-ana my happiness was at an end.
lhers was always some expedicnt afoot
10 get the plebes into an e1asperating or
ludlcrous scrape. Some of them were
moss-groWn with ~years-played in the DAYS
OF our forefathers. Others the product Of
later ingenuity. One, the Stationery riot,''
80 caiioa, WAS an institution of great an
tlqulty, and having heard all about it. I
waited to see when it would be sprung upon
us, determined mot to get caught. One
evening at mess the sacond CAPTAIN being
temporarily In (ths came blessed
fellow who deyiled us 80 laughably at pre-
nlnary reoltatlons and then helped the
MISUNDERSTANDING Of them-in and
throagh their eariv struggles) called for
attention, ard in his matter-of-fact WAY.
but With q suspicious twinkle in his merry
eyes, sang out: "Ail members of this fonrtI
class who desire stationery for tha ensuing
month will call at the quartsrmaster's
lent right after supper. First come, first
setyed. II company, rise. 'C' COMPANY
rlso, etc,"-the old, old formula. docs be
ever recall il now, l wonder, the
rsvered and eradite head Of one of the fore
most, 'departins1tso of the national
aosdemyD Zen minutes later, when we
DroSs ranks IN camp, every plobe not in
the secret made u tremendous rush down
through the street of Company I'D" to the
oinas OF the cadet qualt9rmaster. No
oHichr, OF course, WAS around at that hour.
There never wss. Three or four of NV
classmates to whom / had whispered warn
Ing ran the other way, getting into Com
pRny AS" street far from the scene, bat
~ was useless. A cadet lieutenant ~stsrnly
orcefea US to JOIN cur coiIrAdeR. We pro-
testsd we wanted no stationery. ''Than it
~ yonr duty to notify the euarterm aster."
50 40 We had TO. slowly and reluctantly.
Eeansiine. seeing a torrent of plebes come
Iahhing ana lesplng down upon his tent
aao lespl2g NJ about his doorway. the
vsuet 9Gaftsfmaster sergeant profesged
ishhlte a!6rn. Tho sentry on No, s, duly
inst Fucted what to do in case of riot or
alatarbance. yelled for the guard. Tho Of
ncer OF the guard having half q dozen mon
~ feaoiness, caine charging down full tilt.
ana IN iehs than no tiIae the whole class
was herded into double column of files and
Delng marched to the guard tents CHARGED
with creating riot about the auartermast.
sf's sent. We, whe had held aloof, were