The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-15

returning 10 Une pOSU DeUN6tu udGbOO anu
reveille to enter their barracks from the
rear, and not to cross the quadrangle
bounded by the fence. There was road
all around in the rear of the barracks
and quarters, but in the wet spring
weather it was often deep with mud and
generally dark as Erebus. What Won
der, therefore, that many parties still
managed to slip in, not exactly in def
ance of the order, but because the enlist
ed men had fine appreciation of that
principle of international law which pro-
vides that a mere paper blockade is not
entitled to respect? Then it was that
the ''old man." as the soldiers called the
colonel, ordered out his blockaders. An
extra sentinefs post was established,
sentry was ordered stationed at the
southwest gate from tattoo until reveille,
and as all the cavalry were barracked
on the west side near their stables, and
as the infantry were manifestly the Of
additional sentries required were ordered
taken from among their number.
This order made guard duty trihe
harder and the infantrymen trifle
madden. Out of sheer mischief some of
them took to passing up the road be-
tween the guard house and the traders,
entering the northwest gate and stalking
across the parade in stealthy column of
files from that direction, facetiously dec
Grating their trail with empty beer bot
ties, whisky TASKS or sardine boxes, over
which the police sergeant spent some
time and blasphemy after reveille next
morning. Then the colonel ordered the
laughing rascals climbed the fence. He
would not order out more sentries, but
he gave the officer of the day directions
to have patrol in readiness at the flag
staff between II and that night, and
then some fine foot racing resulted, in
which the patrol came out second best.
The colonel ordered the five infantry
men who happened to be on pass arrested
and brought to trial before a garrison
court, and the court promptly acquitted
every man. 1t was established that they
had all obediently gone around the gar
rison; they had even taken the trouble
to call the attention of the sentry OH No.
4 to that fact; and then it dawned upon
the commanding officer that some of
those infantry scamps We're, as they
would have expressed it, putting up a
job" at his expense, and that half a
dozen of the feetest footed among them
We're just for a lark slipping out of quar-,
tiers after II o'clock and around to the
northwest gate, vaulting the fence with
the agility of monkeys, and then play.
ing the old game of ''Tom, Tom, pull
away" with his patrol. They had moi
had so much fun in year
Col. Morris had sense enough to know
that if he lost his temper and got t.
clustering the men would regard it as
victory. He issued no new orders. Sus
picion had fallen on a squad of rollicll
ing young Irishmen in Company F, al
of whom were members of the battalion
baseball nine. A match game was t.
come off two days later with the clul
from Fort Lawrence, and local interes
/. and bets-were running high. Alas
} when the morning of the eventful da,
came around, four of the heetest bas
runners in the Rife nine languished il
the guard house, arrested at reveilie b,
, order of their own captain for absenc
from quarters at midnight. The colo
: mel had simply let them get out, the,
, ordered check roll call with doors barred
and they stood self exiled. Fancy tn
CONSERVATION among the lovers of til
: national game! Even the cavalry ha
backed the local nine against that frol
Lawrence, and well knew that If subst
tutes had to be put in there was II
: earthly chance of their winning.
: Manifestly, said the battalion, there
, no man but Corp. Brent to get us out c
the scrape. He was captain and short
: stop Of the nine, and on him they rallie
forthwith. ''Give me your word, mel
: that there's to bel no more of this monke
: business, and I'll go to the colonel my
: self. Refuse, and the game goes to Fol
} Lawrence, nine to nothing, for we can
: play without Lynch and Cooney on tn
t bases.' 1t was case of unconditionf
2 surrender.
t The colonel had kindly received tn
young corporal, had listened to the ia
t of woe, and sat silently bordering m,
5 ment. Then he looked up. ''You sa
7 the game must go against you witho1
these four mem" he asked.
Eyes, sir. Indeed | would not pla
g without them. We would far better Il
/ the game go by default than have tn
: record published, as it assuredly woul
be, in the army as well as the local p
s pers, with all the errors scored again'
us. This nine of ours has not been beate
: by any team in the department as We
: and it would be an unearned victory fc
Z, Fort Lawrence"
y Colonel Morris sat keenly studyin
the young soldiers face. He made I
: answer for moments and when
S spoke it was of an utterly irreleval
matter:
S "Rave you not served somewhere und
/ my command before this, corporal?"
/ The color sprang to Brent's face. The
e was an instant of hesitation, then fir
n but respectful answer:
/ "Nowhere, sir. l have been in Il
L army, only two years, and this is my fir
t station since leaving the depot at David
% island" Then, as though eager to g
II back to more pressing matter, eff Il
e colonel will not consider me as propo
> ing compromise, and will take it as
le is meant, can promise, 1 think, tn
le there will be no more of this mig
st proving across the parade, on the pa
h of our men at least"
70 Morris looked sharply up from und
le his shaggy brows: