Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-03-01
CRANDALL'S MARCH.

Company !, was q fine soldier and a fine
fellow as we'll, but he was something Of
a enthusiastically popular among the
members Of his own company.
When orders were issued to have the
men thoroughly drilled, Orderly Tom
obeyed most literally. From rovoillo to
tattoo il 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 a surgeons order
would serve with Orderly Tom as an ex-
cuse from drill
One afternoon, when tho company had
fallen in, the roll call revealed the alb
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 tho orderly book
and a big black mark in Toms memory
the company marched to tho drill ground
without them.
The quarters Of the mon 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 oil drills in company
movements were conducted in a field
outside the guard lines.
S~entinels were duly instructed to per-
nit 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 a pass, though all soldiers
might enter unquestioned.
Tom marched his company about a
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, haltl' instantly shouted
Tom. lyon, 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 tho double
quick toward the c~oolhouse.
"In place, restr' shouted Tom to his
company. "Halt, therel' to the skulk-
ers- But they quickened 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, q large portion Of the members
Of Company 1 were young fellows, rang
ing from IL to 23 years Of age, little
used to military restraints, while the
~deprivations and dizziness which they
were experiencing made them peculiar
ly eager for some sort of fun.
1t can DO easily conceived that Order
" Toms unexpected deviation from irk-
some drill was hailed by the boys of the
waiting company with delight. They
hoped the race would 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, MAX
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 v%ictori-
GUS skulkers was greeted by the boys Of
the company with first "a shout of jeor-
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 ranlsl'
again commanded the orderly.
"Haltl" cried the sentinel, bringing
his piece to a charge and confronting
Orderly Tom, who had now reached the
guard line. You can't pass here
II cannot passl' gasped the aston
ished orderly. Why notY"
"Orders, " CURLY replied the sentry.
"Ordersl Well what are your or
dersY'
"Oh, you know the orders well
enough, " answered the sentry-''to let
no enlisted man pass ont Of the camp
without q pass except noncommissioaed
officers in charge Of squads for drills.
"Well," exclaimed Tom triumphant-
ly, II am a noncommissioned officer in
command Of a company out for drill,
and there is my company, as you well
know"
Don't know nothin about that COM
pany. It's outside the lines, and'you're
inside Don't look much like a company
anyhow.
Indeed the ~sentinel's sarcastic allu-
sion TO the company was justified, as
the men danced and roared and fairly
Rugged ono another to see the difficulty
into which their stern sergeant had fall
en Hemade no further attempt to cross
the lines, but turned and strobe swiftly
toward headquarters, followed bya fresh