Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-10-27

one or both, owing to whether he
could spare both or not, into his pocll
cts, and the captain would call out to
him in q stentorian voice: Take your
hands out of your blasted pockets, you
awkward gawk, you'll" Slippery, jump
ing like he had been shot at and
missed, would slip them out like an
obedient servant, and all would go
we'll and according to tactics for
nwhile--till Slippery would forget
himself again, and in would go his
hands again. Hands out of pockets!"
the captain would command, much
louder. than ever, and Slippery would
slip them out, though rather precipi-
lately, but without any feelings of
animosity or animadvcrsion toward
the captain.
At last the captain could stand 1t no
longer, and he addressed a few brief
remarks, though they were lucid, to
Slippery, as follows: "If you don't
keep your hands out of your pockets
while on drill, without having to be
made to do so, why, I'll make YOU"
well, look here, Cap" said Slip
perry, comprehending the crisis fully,
''if you only will break me of the
habit, or can, I'll forever and forever,
amen, be under everlasting and ever
lasting obligations to you, and SO will
dad, for he's been trying to break me
of it from time immemorial, and /
don't know how much longer-l guess
from everlasting-and he don't seem
to have made much hendway; least
wise, l don't see much improvement
or much abatement of the symptoms,
us the doctors say. The habits chronic,
captain, and the doctors all say that
anything chronic is hard 10 break up;
tolerably hard like to break this here
up. i"
Hold on, you endless chain pump
, gobbler you," said the captain. "Will
you talk forever, if not halted?"
well, reckon mighty near it; al
ways was"
stop, tell you," cried the captain,
land there, again, take your big fists
out of your pocltets!'
well, will, will, Cap. Idon't do
1t out of any cussedness; / only will
be tarnnlly forgetting it. They go in
themselves, unawares like, like by
automatic power. Confound that fist,
what will do with it. reckon I'll
have to-"
"Stop!' cried the captain, louder
than ever you go and report to
Surgeon Bildad for treatment for st.
Vitus dance, or the seven years itch,
Or
Make it even times seven, Cap, and
you'll be more like it," said Slippery.
Hold your tongue!" cried the cap
tain.
~ can't spare my hands from my
pockets long enough, Cap" said Slip
perry.
Leave the ranks!" cried the cap
tain, land put your hands into your
pockets"
"I'll put them in. Cap, both of them,
you bet"
don't care which," said the captain.
Shall take seven years rations
with me, Cap?" asked Slippery.
"Yes, go on; and take seven times
seven years rations, for you'll need
them" said the captain.
~ reckon will" said Slippery, "but
it'll begin to be little old and musty
like, Ireclkon, by the time it's all out!"
Slippery in due time reported at
Surgeon Bildad's Office and saluted the
surgeon as we'll as he knew how, and
as we'll as it was possible for him to
execute a military salute, which was
not in the most graceful manner, be-
cause it was not exactly in his line
He managed by special effort to keep
,o his hands out of his pockets long
enough for that purpose on this oc-
4 casion. He salrted him simply be-
cause it was military to do SO; not be-
cause he felt himself to be stranger
TO anyone, not even the sutler or cook
Slippery said: Surgeon Bildad, am
directed by the captain to report to