The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-19
CRANDALL'S MARCH.

2H' Ai'u tuiot-uiiIuly pOpuInr among Ch0
: members Of his own company.
i When orders wcro issued to have the
#men thoroughly drilled, Orderly Tom
Sobeycd most literally. From roveillo to
$sattoo it WIS drill. drill, drill for the
Hooys OF Company till they would have
&Sclcomcd marching orders for tho north
Holc as a release from the manual Of
8Tms and ovolutions
81 Nothing less than surgeon order
$3Soulh servo with Orderly Tom rs on c.,-
8:use from drill
81 One afternoon, when tho company had
#allcn i'll. the roll call revealed tho alb
fence of Thomas Higgins and William
#otapleton A rigid examination of the
l&;ompany quarters failed to discover the
Slclinquents, and with "absent without
&eave" against them in the orderly book
3lnd big black mark in Toms memory
#hc company marched TO tho drill ground
RWithout them.
4 Xhc quarters of the mon were the
Stables Of Sneidilscr's hotol With 10
FULL companies to drill. tho stable yard
(which was the only parade ground with
s II the regimental lines was totally in
#ldcquatc; hence all drills In company
movements We're conducted in field
#outsidc tho guard lines
Scntinols were duly instructed tn per
Unit all squads OF companies in charge
'f noncouimissioncd officers TO pass ont
put under DO other circumstances to al.
low an enlisted man to leave the camp
4yithout pass. though all soldiers
8mght enter unqucstioncd
n Tom marched his company. atxrt a
hundred foct from tho lines and ha!
= ust changed direction by the right flank
&Shcn his quick eye eintnct:d The two
#kulkcrs stcalthily emerging from Tx,
&luartcrs Of Company Il
Company, haiti" instantly shouted
4rom- "You. Higgins and Stapletoa. get
= our equipments and fall in for drill!
&0o you hcar?"
&pf obeying both started on tho double
Hluick toward tho oookhousc.
q 'In place, rcst!" shouted Tom 10 his
company. Halt, thcrol'' to the slzulk.
las. But they quickcncd their pace,
\ Dropping his rifle into the hands Of
1a;mporal. Tom started in pursuit. Across
hc guard lines he sped to the cook
& house, into which tho two fugitivcs had
Disappeared, and into which he also
Quickly vanished
a Now, large portion Of tho members
H1f Company We're young fellows, rang
ing from II to % years of agc, little
fused to military restraints while tho
3lcprivatiOns and dullnc%s which they
3wcrc experiencing made them peculiar
Ny eager for some sort of fun
: 1t can be easily conceived thas Order
8ly Tom S unexpected deviation from irk-
&some drill WIS hailed by the boys of tho
53waiting company with delight They
&oped the race would Lust long. and that
Hthe fugitivos would escape
Il So they did. After an absence OF some
lO minutes Tom rcissuod from tho cook
hoslSo clone, and with an ominOus frown
q upon his brow approached his com.
3mand- q AT the same time tho two fugi-
#tivcs wcro seen far down tho road, MAX
Wing their way rapidly toward tho town,
&having left the cookhousc by some way
$of which Tom knew not
The almost simultaneous appearance
#of the defeated orderly and the victori-
ous skulliers was greeted by tho boys of
the company with first a shout of iccr.
: ling laughter and then ringing choer
3 Attention. oompanyi" shouted the
: orderly sergeant But tho only attention
3paid him was another shout of laughter
THAT docponoA his frown
8 "Stop that laughing in the rarks,'
3again commanded tho orderly.
L.
This piece to n charge and confronting
8Orderly Tom, who had now reached the
7guard limo lyon can't pass hcro'
II cannot pass gaspcd the aston
&ished orderly why not?''
Orders, " CURLY replied tho sentry.
4 Orders Well what are your or
Ade1s?"
"Oh, You know the orders well
enough" answered the senry-"to let
no enlisted man pass out of the camp
without pass except noncommissioned
/ officers in charge of squads for drills "
well " exclaimed Tom triumphant
aly II am nOncommissioned officer III
command of company out for drill,
: and there Is my company. as you well
know.
Don't know nothin about that COM
paiiy. It's outside the lines and you re
j Inside Don, look much like q company
5anA how"
Andeed tho sentinel's sarcastic allu-
|ao3 to the company was justified, -
then men danced and roared and fairly
lhQ&sgcd one another to SEQ tho difficulty
|ii& o which their stern sergeant had fall
|elM He made no further attempt to cross
|tM lines, but turned and strobe swiftly
towFACrd headquarters, followed by fresl.