Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-02-05

VICES LnaL u mere paper DlOckaQo is not
entitled to respect? Then it was that
the 'sold man" as the soldiers called the
colonel, ordered out his blockaders. An
extra sentinel's post was established, a
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
tenders $50 argued the colonel, the three
additional sentries required We're ordered
taken from among their number.
This order made guard duty trife
harder and the infantrymen a tride
madder. 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
northwest gate locked at tattoo, and the
laughing rascals climbed the fence. He
would not order out more sentries, but
he gave the officer of the day directions
to have a 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 on No.
to that fact; and then it dawned upon
the commanding officer that some of
those infantry scamps were, as they
would have expressed it, quitting up a
job at his expense, and that half a
dozen of the fleetest footed among them
were just for lark slipping out Of quar-
ters 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 not
had so much fun in year.
Col. Morris had sense enough to know
that If he lost his temper and got to
clustering the men would regard it as a
victory. He issued no new orders. Sus-
picion had fallen on a squad of rolliclz-
ing young Irishmen in Company T, all
of whom were members of the battalion
baseball nine. A match game was to
come off two days later with the club
from Fort Lawrence, and local interest
and bets-were running high. Alas!
when the morning Of the eventful day
came around, four of the heetest base
runners In the Rife nine languished in
the guard house, arrested at reveille by
order Of their own captain for absence
from quarters at midnight. The colo
mel had simply let them get out, then
ordered check roll call, with doors barred,
and they stood self exiled. Fancy the
CONSERVATION among the lovers Of the
national camel Even the cavalry had
backed the local nine against that from
Lawrence, and well knew that if substi-
tutes had to be put in there was no
earthly chance of their winning.
Manifestly, said the battalion, there's
no man but Corp. Brent to get us out of
the scrape. He was captain and short
stop of the nine, and ON him they rallied
forthwith. ''Give me your word, men,
that there's to be no more Of this monkey
business, and I'll go to the colonel my
self. Refuse, and the game goes to Fort
Lawrence, nine to nothing, for we can't
play without Lynch and Cooney on the
bases" 1t was a case Of unconditional
surrender.
The colonel had kindly received the
young corporal, had listened to the tale
of woe, and sat silently pondering a mo-
ment. Then he looked up. ssYou say
the game must so against you without
these four men?" he asked.
eyes, sir. Indeed / would not play
without them. We would far better let
the game go by default than have the
record published, as it assuredly would
be, in the army as well as the local pa
pers, with all the errors scored against
us. This nine Of ours has not been beaten
by any team in the department as yet,
and it would be an unearned victory for
Fort Lawrence
Colonel Morris sat keenly studying
the young soldiers face. He made no
answer for moment, and when he
spoke it was Of an utterly irrelevant
matter:
''Have you not served somewhere under
my command before this, corporal:'
The color sprang to Brent's face There
was an instant Of hesitation, then a firm
but respectful answer:
Nowhere, sir. I have been in the
army only two years, and this is my first
station since leaving the depot at David's
island" Then, as though eager to get
back to a more pressing matter, IF the
colonel will not consider me us propos-
ing compromise, and will take it as it
is meant, can promise, l think, that
there will be no more of this night
prowling across the parade, on the part
Of our men at least"
Morris looked sharply up from under
his shaggy brows:
w nctb w 1OO L1CcAn- w AAttb AA4IA
would have any occasion to cross the pa
rade but the infantry?''
81 mean, in all respect, sir, that there
may be men, or at least man, who hav-
ing no occasion to cross the parade will
do SO simply for the sake of making
trouble. In plain words, cayalryman,
SIR
The adjutant, sitting at his desk,
dropped his pen and looked quickly up,
and the sergeant major, going out with
a bundle Of papers, found means to halt
at the Office door, as though to hear what
might follow Mr. Mason, the adjutant,
turned quietly, caught the sergeant ma
jor's eye ard gave quick but express
i've jerk of the head in the direction Of
the outer room. The sergeant major took
the hint and vanished.
But the clerks had heard the corporaFs
intimation that some trooper was con-
nected with the transgression for which
the ball playing quartet were confined.
The door was Immediately closed, leav-
ing them to draw their own differences
and make their own comments. They
did not hear the coloners next remark:
"If any man IN the cavalry is guilty in
this matter there is only one whom can
suspect. Can you name him?"
Corp. Brent flushed again, but finally
replied, II beg the colonel not to ask me
to answer, when, as | said before, have
no proof whatever.
Il L.. q,