The record-union., 1892-01-23
THE COWARD.

Harry Burnham was the youngest man
in his class at the U. S. Naval Academy,
and had gone from a home where every
thing was done for him that could be done
by loving mother and devoted sisters,
with the idea that he would win his com
mission, as did the heroes in Marryat's
sea tales. The gruff commands, the mill
tary precision, and above all, the guying
and hazing he received were so different
from the preconceived idea that before
week had passed he felt his desire for ma
Ffal glory waning, and all that held him to
his decision was the pride that every
bright American boy has in well-doing,
and sense ofduty toward the friends that
had secured him the position A few days
after he had entered the academy as a ca
det, and before he had become accustomed
to the tight, natty jacket and the trim lit
tie cap, all the "new cadets were assem-
bled and told that the commandant wished
to speak to them. Harry had never seen
the commandant, and felt that he must
surely be a great parsonage, with grand
UNIFORM like the captain in Mr.. Mldshlp-
man Easy SO he was somewhat dlsap-
pointed when short, well built man, with
al 1LOn-GIdy HiSLdCl6, anu uISSStu III
fatigue uniform, stepped in with pleas
ant good morning, gentlemen; keep
your seats" and Harry thought him quite
The most unpretentious captain he had
ever imagined.
Now, young gentlemen said the
commandant, Il have sent for you to give
you talk about this haZing that has been
going on for several years and has finally
become so serious an obstacle to order
and discipline that Congress has stepped
IN and made law that haZing shall be
stopped at all hazards. 1t deVolyes upon
me and nay assistant officers to see this
law enforced, and | am going to call on
you to help me. Those fellows who have
been here several years viii probably try
70 guy you and make you go through all
The actions and grimaces that go to make
uD hazlng and tagging. In this case it
VIII be the clear and unquestioned duty
Tor you to report 1t at once to the officer
IN charge; in this duty you are left no dis
cretion, and / ask and demand this much
OF you. Good morning, gentlemen, this
is all l have to say,' and the Captain was
gone.
Harry turned Just in time to see cadet
who had been turned back from higher
class, initiating the Captains manner and
speech. This brought forth laugh of
approval, and it was clearly to be seen
that the majority felt the yoke of duty
quite lightly, and Harry soon discovered
that the cadets would consider it rank
heresy to report case Of hazing. Still he
mad taken an oath when he entered to
support and follow the rules and regu-
do II If he lost all else; still he hoped that
he would never have such an unpleasant
duty to perform.
y few days later, as he sat in his little
room in the quarters that looked so bare
and comfortless compared TO the home he
had left, the door burst open and in
rushed a crowd of upper cIaSsmen,''
with their caps tilted back on their heads
and their jackets all unbuttoned, the very
pietsIre OF disregard to all military order.
"Get up ~ shouted one. ''iTake off
your hatL' exclaimed another. Fins
outn' yelled a third, and Harry was so
taken aback that he obeyed all without a
question. Hi! You're the plebe that
won't be haZed-the conscience fiend;
Wen fix you. Fill your basin with wa
ter" and Harry, thinking in the face Of
such odds that discretion was the better
part of valor, did as he was ordered.
The spokesman Of the crowd tossed a
penny into the basin OF water and said,
''NOw fish it out with your nose,' and
the whole gang roared with laughter as
our frightened 'plebe" vainly attempted
TO get the penny out of the water until.
spluttering and choking, he declared that
he could not and would not try again.
He won't take hazing.' Maybe he
wants to tight" Perhaps he would like
drink OF INK, - exclaimed several upper
classmen ia a breath, and almost before
ne knew it, it was arranged that Harry
was to fight an upper claSSman because
he would not be hazed. The seconds
were chosen, and everything prepared
and a small crowd assembled behind the
armory ito see the fun
The fight came of, and our hero was
rapidly getting the worse of it, when a
Waterman appeared on the scene. The
spectators, now thoroughly frightened
took to their heels and scattered in every
direction, but the principals were less
fortunate, and with bleeding faces and
mud-splattered attire were taken to the
officer in charge, who referred to it as a
''disgracefuI affair." and ordered them to
go TO their rooms and stay there until
they had permission to leave them.
Harry wished most heartily that he had
never heard of the place, and he felt quite
like criminal awaiting the sentence.
The next day they were arraigned be-
fore the commandment, who, after short
speech on the brutality of a fist-fight,
asked for the particulars of the case. The
Cpper classman stammered out a weak
BIOLOGY, and Harry said he would rather
nOs tell what he knew Of the case. This
looks very suspicious" said the com
mandant, land ! think you will have to
tell me the whole story Harry knew
that the cadets looked upon this as tat
cling, and that such O1fenSes as giving
away on another cadet was punished by
coventry" which, following the plan of
Tom Brown of Rugby, meant that not
one Of the class should speak to the Of
lender against the unwritten laws of the
academy, except as duty required it; yet
ne felt that his honor was at stake and
that nothing was left for him to do but to
lelI the truth In reply to the command
ants questions. lie regretted deeply
hat he was thus forced to give evidence
hat might dismiss half dozen upper
2lassmen, against whom he had no
grudge, yet he saw his duty clearly, and
ne brayely did it.
The result was even worse than he had
feared, for a court-martial was convened.
which, after eXhausting the evidence in
Jhe case, gave q verdict which dismissed
three of the chief offenders and gave the
others enough dement's to restrict them
rom all privileges for months to come,
Harry's classmates were loud in their de-
nunciations Of his course, and he was fire.
1uently met with sneers and Kisses
coupled with the unpleasant epithets of
coward, y sneak and "tattler" Then
MS class held q secret meeting, and de-
cided that such an unusual breach of
cadet law merited the worst punishment
they knew; SO Harry was placed in
coventry" This was hard to bear, and
ne felt the pangs of inconsistencies all the
more keenly, now that all his former ac-
luaintances had forSaken him; but he
was proud and unflinching, and deter
mined to stick it out TO the end.
His roommate, Dick Martin, was one
Of the chief ones against him, and never
lost an opportunity TO show his ami
mostly. 1t was Dick who gave him the
grating nickname of 1.-THE Coward ~ nv
which he soon became. generally known