The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-06-09

presently turned on one Of our comrades, dry
droll sort of fellow, but not lacking in genu
inc wit, whose name have in reality forgotten
but for the sake of convenience Will call Perry
1t had been noted by some of the boys that 70
several evenings of late Perry had absentee
himself from the barracks-gone no on
| knew whittier. but it was strongly su5piciones
that he was out somewhere carrying on Ugh
filtration with some female.
The word passed from lip to lip and the barr
idea was enough to start the show. 1t was S:3'
| o'clock and Perry had not put in an appear
| ance and in 80 minutes more the shrill note
| of the bugle would sound flights out. Every
party must have leader, and proper charac
ter turned up just suited to the occasion in thu
person ola fellow named Howe, regular clown
more generally known through the giment a.
Gull, SO called on account of little exploit
ofhis connected with the shooting of sea-gulls
| which brought down upon him the laughter o.
nearly the whole regiment.
A hasty plan was formed by the boys Of Co
ID to assume that poor Perry was dead, and
| proceeded at once to hold wake around hi:
empty bunk in honor of the departed
| Fortunately we had drawn our allowance Of
candles that day, for which the boys were very
| glad as it would be out of the question to hold
wake without goodly array of candles. Ac
| cordingly each one contributed piece from his
supply until there was enough to make bright
! display around the bunk. 1t required some pa
| tience and ingenuity to make them stand up
respectfully, with no socket whatever to place
them in, but this was finally managed, and the
little luminarics stood erect and in good shape.
Meantime two sentinels were stationed outside
to watch for the missing man and to give the
signal agreed upon should he approach. In lieu
of more CHASTITY object gallon jug was found,
just the thing for wake which was placed in
the center of the empty couch, while the can
dies in front Of it fiickered and Jared, looking
most weird and solemn in the surrounding
gloom.
The boys now formed in platoons, with Howe
at the head followed by our drummer, and all
were ready to march at the first tap of the
drum.
a little time passed in silence, and then a
low, sharp whistle greeted our ears, and in a
moment more the whole line was in motion as
they took up the death march. With bowed
heads and solemn faces the procession moved
down the barracks at the tap of the muffled
drum and passed in front of Perry's bunk. At
this moment the defunct man himself appeared
in the door, which was opposite the array of
cleaning candles, and stood for a moment like
a statue, evidently considerably nonplussed at
the strange performance within
It was, however, but for a moment that
Perry was in the dark, and glow Of intelli-
gence shot over his face as he took in the stu
alton. The procession turned and marched
again with slow and solemn tread past the
flaming lights, aud Perry, seeing that the
wake was for his benefit, and resolving not to
get entirely left, in the true spirit Of solemn
ity, dropped his head instantly upon his breast,
and walking slowly up TO his bunk, took off his
hat in the most humble manner possible, and
hung it upon the nozzle of the jug. In an
other instant he had sprung over the lights
and was sitting in the center of his couch, his
legs twined about the stone occupant, which he
drew affectonately to him, and with mock
gravity which it is impossible to describe
awaited the proceedings silent as a corpse.
Still the solemn march continued up and
down the barracks, until at length the boys
broke into hearty laugh at the comical APP
pearance of Perry, and the band came to a halt
in front of the lighted bunk. With a dark
grin upon his face, he held ont the jug to
Howe. Here boys" said he take drink
on the strength of it. You know you may do
this in earnest some day"
The affair." like all Of its kind, was better
seen than described. Tho boys disbanded, and
each man turned to take the candle he had
loaned for the occasion. Hands off," cried
Perry. "These candles are mine. They've got
to light me through Purgatory, and I'm not
there yet"
The boys retired, laughing, to their respective
touches, recognizing the fact that Perry was
fully equal to the emergency. Before next
caadle day came many of them were inconven-
iently out of lights, while Perry was flush,"
and had moro than enough to carry him
through.-R. a. CRAMER, Baich, Wash.