Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-14
CRANDALL'S MARCH.

Tom Crandall. tho orderly sergeant of Company I, was fine soldier and n 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 obeycd most literally. From reveille to tattoo it was drill, drill, drill for the boys of Company I till they would have welcomed marching orders for the north pole as release from the manual of arrls and cvOlutiOns.
 Nothing less than n surgeons order would serve with Orderly Tom as an cx cuse from drill.
 One afternoon, when the company had fallen iu, the roll call revealed tho ab- scncc of Thomas Higgins and William Suspicion. A rigid examination of tho company quarters failed to discover the dClinqucuts. and with ''al'Scnt without leave" against them in the orderly book and big black mark in Toms memory the company marched to the drill ground without them.
 The quarters of the men wcrc tho stables of Sneidikcr's hotel. With 10 full companies to drill, the stable yard, which was the only parade ground with ill the regimcntal lines, was totally in- adequate; hence all drills in company movements were conducted in a field outside the guard lines.
 Scntincls were duly instructed tO per init all squads or companies in charge of noncommissioncd officers to pass out, but under no other circumstances to al- low an enlisted man to leave the camp without n pass, though all soldiers might enter unqucstioned. Tom marched his company about q | hundred feet from tho lines and had just changed direction by tho right flank when his quick eye detected the two skulkcrs stealthily emerging from tho quarters of Company H.
 Company, halt" instantly shouted Tom. You, Higgins and Stapleton, get your equipments and fall in for drill Do you hcar?"
 Evidently they did hear, but instead of obeying both started on the duubl, | quick toward the cookhousc.
 "In place. rest" shouted Tom to hi company. Halt. therc!" to tho skulk CTS. But they quicllcned their pace.
 Dropping his rife into tho hands of ; corporal, Tom started in pursuit. Acros the guard lines Inc sped to the cook house, into which the two fuGitivcs ha' disappeared, and into which he als quickly vanished.
 Now. a largo portion of the member of Company were young fellows. rang ing from l7 to 23 years of ago, littl used to military restraints. while tn deprivations and dullnesS which the were experiencing made them peculiar ly eager for some sort of fun.
 It can be easily conceived that Order ly Tom : unexpected deviation from irk some drill was hailed by the boys of tn waiting company with delight. The hoped the race woud last long, and tha the fugitivcs would escape.
 So they did. After an absence of som 10 minutes Tom rcisSucd from tho cool house alone, and with an ominous frow upon his brow appfoached his con mand At the same time tho two fug tives were seen far down the road. mal ing their way rapidly toward the towr having left the cookhouse by some wa of which Tom knew not.
 | of the defeated orderly and the victor ous skulkers was greeted by the boys ( the company with first shout of less ing laughter and then n ringing cheer.
 Attention. companyr' shouted u orderly sergeant. But tho only attentiC paid him was another shout of laught' that deepcncd his frown.
 "Stop that laughing in the ranks' again commanded the orderly.
 "Halt!" cried the sentinel, bringiI his piece to charge and cpnfrontiI Orderly Tom, who had now reached u guard line. You can't pass here"
 ''I cannot pass" gasped the asto ished orderly. Why not?"
 "Orders," curtly replied tie sentry
 "Orders! We'll what are your C ders?''
 "Oh. yoa know the orders WI enough, answered the sentry-''to } no enlisted man pass out of the can without a pass except nOncommission officers in charge of squads for drills.
 "well." exclaimed Tom triumphaI ly, "I am a nonconmissioned officer command of company out for dri and there is my company. as you w know"
 Don't know nothin about that col