The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-16

that some old cadet would throw a deal Of
malice into the performance n add sneer'
ing and contrmptuoua remarks, but such
fellows were IN the minority, n OF this
dozen, perhaps, whom l recall in my cadet
days, all but one long sinoe severed hit
connection with the service.
Sometimes, when worked up to n pitch Of
enthusiasm, the yearlings would not be oon.
tent with simply sliding q follow ont Of his
tent, but two together would lay hold OF
pany street to tho blessed, dewy softness Of
the grass-crown parade, across the sentry
post and send him whizzing down the woa-
Their beaten countarscarp into the moiat and
shadowy depths of Fort Clinton ditch.
Many'B the time l have tried to hid there.
snatch an hour or two of placid sleep while
my classmates were spinning around camp,
hut thu sentry, who never could sec the
brace OF old cadets running hia post, was a
model of soldierly intiexibility whsre the
plebe was concerned. His searching eye
would BIO sure to find the would-bc hider
and being upon ths plebian head the Walls
of his denunciation.
Back to your tent, sir, ut once, unless
you wish me to report you to the
ant for running sentry post after taps" and
back to our tents obediently would we go.
/ hear, as / often heard then, some fellow
who hadn't been through it all, say at this
ju%noture: II wouldn't let them yank ms
into the ditch. I'd roll off my blanket"
Well-lots of us tried that-and wished We
hadn't. The more one lodged what was
done tho more he got of what perhaps would
all az a matter of course. WAS there no
attempt on the part of the authorities to
stop it?' Goodness, yes! 1 remember sew
eral occasions when the blue inc gold of
the officer in charge appeared in our COM
street, and while he was berating the
~A14t AL ~ A 81. Al.-x fa-A
that their ''plebes" were shiyering, blanket
laden, back to their violated abodes. the
plebes of h. G, ana d companies We're being
"snaked" out of their nests by the dozens,
n nc sooner had the indignant official
fastened thitherwaras to restore order he
would find almost a ~sepulcheral quiet reign
ing-and we would again come bounding
forth from our half-foot high door step.
One night, having been guilty of some in
fraction of the unwritten laws held sacred
by y~earling cadets, l was dragged forth
about every two minutes and the thing was
1890. however, l found that three follows
had hold of my blanket II that q journey
was in prospect. Over the color line we
went, in the dim light of the waning moon.
Out past the guard tents, unchallenged by
rnquestioned by the snickering
cadet corporal whom I saw at the lighted
tent of the officer of the guard; out over
the wide barren of the cavalry plain and
across the broad driveway. Then through
deep, cool, grateful grass (rolling friction
over pebbles, tent boys, cobble stones, etc.,
q not pleasantly, and finally down into the
depths Of. Execution Hollow. There
he trio left us, expecting doubtless that |
would YEARLY pick up myself and my be-
ongings and trudge back to lamp
But camp was pandempnium that night,
md the historic hollow was cool, dewy,
Here was peace. What in blazes
lid a bedeviled plsbe care for the ghost of
or any other man? l lay low-liks
5rer Fox-slept sweetly and soundly for
,ver an hour, and then out came the trio to
etch me home. Indeed it was nearly three
we got back to the familiar company
trect.
Next morning a broad, we'll defined
'trail' led from the street of Company
! straight across parade and plain to
Hollow. / knew what made it
o did my back and shoulders and blanket.
sut it was fun to us all to see the command
mt scratching his head and looking at it
questioning the ~guard-but of course
hey couldn't imagine who did it,"
And ~yet-would you believe it?-the trio
rho gave me- that yank, the longest of the
amp of '62. were warm personal friends
efore we shed the gray-and nave been
yer since.
As for smoking out, t~ent-droppings, etc.
ut 1 have overrun my limit, and that will
axe another chapter.
CAPT. CHAs. KING. U. S. A.
Copyright.