The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-12-28


even to Gray's fun, which he would
stand, as rule, longer than anybody
else's. Meantime, the discovery having
been made that recruit Schramm was
but a novice in English, whatsoever he
might be in German, that young soldier
was told by the sergeant of the guard
to go on out of this and back to your
bunl1ics. Sure you couldn't tell
Sioux from a shyster unless he shot
you in Dutch" which, being inter-
preted, was understood to mean that
until he had mastered the English Ian
guagc he wasn't fit for sentry duty.
And so, much troubled, the young fell
low went to Sergt. Schultz, Prussian
like himself, and sorrowfully told his
tale.
Never In his life had Private
Schramm's blue eyes gazed on scenes
and soldiers such as these. just what
he expected to find in the ranks of the
American army he had revealed as yet
to no one. 1t was the evcntful sum-
mer of &c, when, amazed at the force
and fury with which the Sioux had
fought and baftied the commands of
Crook and Custer, Terry and Gibbon,
congress authorized the immediate en-
| listment of twenty-five hundred men to
fill the gaps in the four regiments of
| cavalry engaged in the campaign. No
credentials were required. Eager for
chance to get to the new diggings-
the Black Hills of Dakota-at the ex-
pense of Uncle Sam, swarms of toughs
were enlisted in the slums of New
York and Philadelphia and Baltimore,
and four weeks later were deserving by
the dozen, with horse and equipment
complete, as they reached the wasted
army in the field. But there was
leaven in the lump. THAT young fell
ler's a soldier clean through" said the
recruiting sergeant when Schramm
gave his name, age, nationality, ETC.,
answering promptly SO long as the
| questions were propounded in the Ger
man tongue.
Cant he speak English ut ALP" said
the recruiting officer, doubtfully.
long as he's only going to be scalpcd?
Swear him in And so, silent, OBJ
servant, patient, Schramm was shipped
westward with the first lot of victims,
turned over to the waiting officers at
the cavalry depot, was marched out to
camp and set to work grooming horse
the very evening of his arrival, and
turned out for drill the next morning,
when, barring n certain quaint habit
of throwing the left foot far out to the
front at the command march," and a
queer way Of executing about face"
it was found that he was far better
drilled in the rudiments, at least, than
the corporal detailed as his instructor.
The carbine manual was strange to
him, but not so the saber. He handled
| it like n master. He knew how to
clean and polish arms, belt buckles,
ETC., in a way that the few old hands
at the post recognized at once as ''ez-
pert" He was besieged by German
sergeants with queries as to his past
history, but said he preferred to keep
all that to himself. Yes, he had served.
No use in denying that lie had been
through certain cadet schools and en-
tered n certain regiment CT hussars;
which one he wouldn't say, neither
could they End out by writing. 1t was
nobody's business but his own, anyhow,
said he: The United States had adopt
ed him. and he was now an Amcrikaner,
a ''Fraiwilliger," too. Long before the
weary march to the hills was over he
had demonstrated the fact that he was
a fine horscman and n good shot. Lieut.
Ray, commander of the big detach-
ment, had more than once spoken of it;
and so, when finally they reached the
wild romantic hills and were distrib-
uted among the regiments there await
ing them, Schramm looked with Won
derment in his soul, if not in his eyes,
at the slouch-hatted, rough-shirted, IN
shaven officers, at the ragged mob of
the rank and file, at their gaunt slsclc-
tons of horses, and marvcled that his
strange fortunes had made him a SOL
dicr in so strange service.
Wisely he kept his views to himself,
making no comment even to the Ger
mans, who were disposed to be so
ciable and to question him as to his an
tecedents. In two days strong col
umn marched away-al broken-down
men and horses and all raw recruits
being left behind-but with Schramm
evidently an educated cavalryman, rid.
ing b1oyantly In the ranks of D trool
on the spirited roam he had bestr;dde,l
/ all the way from the railway. 'sUhat,
ever they Look" thought he. "thcss
fellows Gre .aight;iy at home on the
] frontier" Sergs. Schultz explained
that they always left their un;sosms IL
garrison when Ia TIE Geld after In,
diana. bat called his attention to che
fact that thar Hever HvNd bAt4ax In th.