The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-20

hivins only knows what med you think
sojer clothes cud make a sojer out av q
jersey milkman."
This unkind allusion to the civil con-
dition and military incapacity of Jones
| Second irritated that gentleman. and
he inaugurated wordy war of epithet
| and personal reflection with Mr..
| Maher, that made the forenoon pass
vivaciously.
| By the time the officer of the day got
round to inspect the mess-room and
cookhouse, Tim was as sore as boil
and had reached the bottom Of his
whisky bottle.
| On this fateful day Second Lieut..
| Gcoschawk, weaked-mouthed, uncer-
tain young man, was the officer Of the
day. He was a recent appointment
from civil life and knew no more about
soldiers and soldering than the man
in the moon; and, as he had an idea
that he was ridiculed by the wits of the
ranks, his ignorance and suspicion kept
him in chronic state of touchy dignity
that was intensely amusing.
AS he approached the cookhouse,
with his cape thrown back to show its
yellow lining and his saber Gathering
noisily at his heels, he saw Tins red
face withdrawn from the door and
must have heard him say to me: Here
comes that dingtoed recruit lootenant,"
for he was nervous and nearly tripped
himself up with his saber, when Tim
yelled with drunken lustiness: Ten
shun fer the afficer av the day."
AS Jones Second and I stood to atten-
ton beyond the range, Mr.. Goosehawk
demanded. in voice huskily and
emotionally stern:
What have you for dinner, Maher?"
''Rigimintal bane soup, petaties,
gravy an slow deer, sir" said Tim,
winlzing at us with tipsy gravity.
What is slow deer, Maher?" con.
tinued the green lieutenant.
IVAN Of the company pigs, We omad-
haun," olurted Tim, forgetting disci.
pline in his eagerness to catch recruit
with stale company joke.
Had Mr.. Goosehawk been struck with
club, his dignity could not have re-
ceived a greater shock than it. did from
Tins words; and, as we chol1ed trying
to preserve respectful demeanor, the
officer of the day grew red and slut
tered out:
private Maher! You are drunk and
insolent to the officer of the day. What
do you mean by such language to your
superior officer. sir?"
Tim had now reached that stage OF
spirituous exaltation where he cared
little for articles of war and nothing
for officers of the day. He eyed the
nervous and indignant officer with
drunken disdain, and, renemb ering only
that he was recruit, spahe:
''Arrah, why the divil don't We look
in the pots an see pwhat the grub is
instead Of aslsin' yer foolish questions.
Sure there isn't an ould sojer in the
phost, from Badly Price to Jones Sec
ond there, would be askin' the likes.
It's Jack a dandies like you that never
saw gun or brass button that comes
hoppin' into the service to be bossin'
VETERANS that was attn hard tack whin
We wor dhrinlzin' yer mothers milk.
Gwan out av here altogether"
Mr.. Goosehawk was Mortified. 1t was
his first experience with Tim, and as he
trembled with rage and affronted dig
nity-forgetting even to keep exposed
the yellow bravery of his cape lining
he said TREMENDOUSLY:
Jones! Call the first sergeant"
Jones hastily crossed the quadrangle
Is the orderly room and returned with
Sergt. McGrath, who, as he entered
the cookhouse, took in the cause of his
summons.
he saluted with sober face and
waited for Mr.. Goosehawk, who said
with all the sternness he could master:
"Sergt McGrath. Have Private
Maher taken TO the guardhouse. and
tell the sergeant of the guard to make
him carry log from fatigue call re-
treat, and enter on the guard book
charges preferred.
The first sergeant saluted, and or
dered. curly: Get your blankets,
Maher. Jones Secon1' Tell Corporal
Brown to get file of men and march
Private Maher to the guardhouse. with
Lieut. Goosehawls order to carry a
log"
In short order, Tim, with his blankets
over his shoulder, started for the jug
between two troopers. under charge of
Corporal Brown, chanting with tiPsy
defiance:
"Ch, There's not ttlrade that's go.E'
Worth known, or shown,
Like that from glory CROWN
For q boald so!er boy"
Landed in the guardhouse, Tin de-
posted his blankets on his wooden bed,
and was then marched 10 the quarter
masters woodpile, where a thirty
pound oak stick was selected for him;
countermarching, he was returned 10
the guardhouse ii front of which he
was paraded with his log on his shout
der
A thirty-pound log weighs thirty
pounds. only thirty pounds; yet when
the hot sun beats down Oh the whisky
sodden head Of lis carrier, and the pass
ing hours make it more difficult 10 find
soft or easy spot on his shoulder, TIE
weight OF the stick. by the alchemy Of
imagination. presses with the force OF
thirty tons. And this was the expert
ence OF the Inundated cook AL that
afternoon Tim marched ard counter
marched his via dolorosa before the
-a,-Ar - r--1fS