Connecticut western news., 1894-08-23
CRANDALL'S MARCH.

CRANDALL'S MARCH.
 Tom Grandall, the orderly sergeant of Company I, was a fine soldier and a fine fellow as well, but he was something of a martinet-hardly popular among the members of his own company.
 When orders were issued to have the men thoroughly drilled, Orderly Tom obeyed most literally. From reveille to tattoo it was drill, drill, drill for the boys of Company till they would have welcomed marching orders for the north pole as a release from the manual of arms and evolutions.
 Nothing less than surgeons order would serve with Orderly Tom as an ex- cuse from drill.
 One afternoon, when the company had fallen in, the roll call revealed the ab- sence of Thomas Higgins and William Stapleton. A rigid examination of the company quarters failed to discover the delinquents, and with "absent without leave" against them in the orderly book and a big black mark in Tom's memory the company marched to the drill ground without them.
 /The quarters of the men were the stables of Sneidiker's hotel. With 10 full companies to drill, the stable yard, which was the only parade ground with in the regimental lines, was totally in adequate; hence all drills in company movements were conducted in 8 field outside the guard lines.
 Sentinels were duly instructed to per init all. squads or companies in charge of noncommissioned officers to pass out, but under no other circumstances to al low an enlisted man to leave the camp without pass, though all soldiers might enter unquestioned.
 Tom marched his company about hundred feet from the lines and had just changed direction by the right flank when his quick eye detected the two skulkers stealthily emerging from the quarters of Company H.
 Company, haltp' instantly shouted Tom. ''You, Higgins and Stapleton, get your equipments and fall in for drill! Do you hear?"
 Evidently they did hear, but instead of obeying both started on the double quick toward the cookhouse.
 ''In place, restp' shouted Tom to his company. Halt, there" to the skulk- CTS But they quiekened their pace Dropping his rife into the hands of a corporal, Tom started in pursuit Across the guard lines he sped to the cook house, into which the two fugitives had | disappeared, and into which he also | quickly vanished.
 Now, large portion of the members of Company were young fellows, rang ing from IT to 23 years of age, little used to military restraints, while the depriyations and dullness which they were experiencing made them peculiar 1 ly eager for some sort of fun.
 It can be easily conceived that Order ly Tom's unexpected deviation from irk- some drill was hailed by the boys of the waiting company with delight. They hoped the race woud last long, and that the fugitives would escape.
 So they did After an absence of some 10 minutes Tom reissued from the cook house alone, and with an ominous frown upon his brow approached his com mand. At the same time the two fugi- tives were seen far down the road, mak- ing their way rapidly toward the town, having left the cookhouse by some way of which Tom knew not.
 The almost simultaneous appearance of the defeated orderly and the victori- ous skulkers was greeted by the boys of | tha Av-of Sh ofto ing laughter and then a ringing cheer
 Attention, companyr' shouted the orderly sergeant. But the only attention paid him was another shout of laughter that deepened his frown.
 ''Stop that laughing in the ranksp' again commanded the orderly.
 "Haltl" cried the sentinel, bringing his piece to charge and confronting Orderly Tom, who had now reached the guard line. You can't pass here"
 ''I cannot passl'' gasped the aston. ished orderly. "Why notg''
 "Orders, '' curtly replied the sentry.
 "Orders! We'll, what are your or. ders?''
 enough" answered the sentry-"to lei no enlisted man pass out of the camI without pass except noncommissioneG officers in charge of squads for drills "
 Well" exclaimed Tom triumphant. ly, "I am noncommissioned officer in command of company out for drill, and there is my company, as you well know.'
 I Don't know nothin about that com panys It's outside the lines, and you re inside. Don't look much like a company anyhow. .... ....a B
 Indeed the sentinePs sarcastic allu- sion to the company was justified, as the men danced and roared and fairly hugged one anather to see the difficulty into which their stern sergeant had fall. en- He made no further attempt to cross the lines, but turned and strode swiftly toward headquarters, followed by fresi burst of derisive laughter from his in subordinate command.
 In short time he reappeared, ant exhibiting a pass to the sentinel ad l vanced toward his demoralized com pLy, and resuming his rife uttered tn, single word, "Attentionp'
 H Every face instantly sobered, for ev cry man felt that not only was Ton deeply offended, but that retributiol was close at hand. Very quietly h,