Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-06
SOLDIERS IN CAMP.
Rudyard KiplinE Tells How The!
Were Kept in Good Trim.

were Kept in Good Trim.
| From the Century.
| The regular working of the empire shift
ed his world TO Ir dia, where he tasted Ut
| ter loneliness In subaltern's quarters one
room and enc bullock trunk-and, with his
mess lean ed the new life from the begin
ling. But there were horses in the land
rcnies at reasonable price: there was polo
for such as could afford it; there We're the
! disreputaDle remnants of pack of hounds
and there We're cricket and musketry in
! struction and the fitting up of the new
| gymnasium, and Cottar worried his way
| along without too much despair. 1t dawn
| ed upon him that a regiment in India was
nearer the chance of active service than he
| had conceived, and that a man might as
well study his profession.
| major Of the new school backed this
| idea with enthusiasm Che was black lit
| tie man, full of notions) and he and Cottar
accumulated good library of military
works. and read and argued and disputed
! far into the nights. But said the old thing:
| Get to know your MN young un and
| they'll follow you anywhere. That's all
you want-know your men," Cottar thought
he knew them fairly well at cricket ard
| the reGimental sports. but he never real
| lied the true inwardness of them till he
was sent eff with a detachment of twenty
, to sit down in mud fort near a rushing
| river. which was spanned by a bridge of
| boats When the floods came they went
out and hunted stray pontoons down the
| banks. Otherwise there was nothing to
do. and the men got drunk ganlbIed and
quarreled. They were a Sickly crew, Cor q
junior suhatern is by custom saddled with
| the worst men. Cottar endured their riot
! irg as long as he could, and then sent
| down country for q dozen pairs of boxing
I gloves. (Ncthing in the regulations for
bids an officer taking Fart in healthy
sports.)
Il wouldn't blame you for dshtin'," said
he, IF you only knew how to use your
/ hands, but you don't. Take these things,
and I'll show you" 1t was great SPORT for
he could pay back an insubordinate yourg
| thief, and teach him something =; the
same tire: and the men appreciated his
efforts. Now, instead Of disappearing and
swearing at a comrade and threat ening to
shoot him they could take him apart ara
| Soothe themselves to exhaustion. As one
| man explained whom Cottar found with "A
shut eye aud a diamord-shaped mouth,
! splitting teeth through an embrasure: I'VE
| tried 1t with the gloves, sir for twenty
| minutes, and that does us no good. sir.
| Then took off the gloves and tried il tina
way for another twenty minutes, same as
you showed us. sir. an that done us a
world o. good. 'Twasn't fightin', sir; there
| was 4 bet on
Cottar dared not laugh. but he invited his
men to other sports. such ~ racing across
country IN shirt and trousers after a trail
of torn paper. and to single stick in the
evening, till the native population, who
| had a lust for sport in every form, wished
| to know whether the white men under
| stood wrestling. They sent in an ambassa-
dor. who took the soldiers by the neck and
| threw them about the dust. and the entire
command were all for this new game.
They spent money on learning new falls
and holds. which was better than buying
i beer and other doubtful commodities and
, the big-limbed peasantry grinned five deep
| around the tournaments.
| That detachment who had gone up in
bullock carts returned to headquarters at
| an average rate Of thirty miles "A day, fair
heel and toe: no sick, no prisoners and TO
| court -nartialS pending. They scattered
| themselves among their friends singing
| the praises of their lieutenant and looking
| for causes for offenSe