Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06


trying to better pair in the draw. Rath-
| er looked for you"
Thanks, awfully old man." I drawled
| '.but I'm all knocked w this morning. My
| man Jenkins, you know, failed to appear,
and really 1 had to do my own work.
AS a matter of fact. had stopped play
| ing poker with my brother officer fellows
| because I always lost when I tried it, and
| no man who thinks anything of himself
| can lose to such beastly American lot
| of fellows.
why" said another second lieutenant
| fellow, your man got into trouble last
night. He was hived in poker game after
taps. Haven't you heard about it?''
| NO" answered with as much show of
| interest as one dare exhibit when his own
| man is mentioned.
| well, I was officer of the guard yester-
day, and you know the old man." this is
| the way we have of referring to the Colo
| mel of our regiment; you know the old
man is getting very keen about soldiers
| gambling. particularly when they run their
| games after taps. The officer of the day
| gave me a secret order to take a patrol at
II o'clock and go all over the post, inspect
| ing for games that were being run on the
| quiet. First. 1 struck a gang of them. all
| soldiers, i'll the old root house back of F
| company. They had the cellar fixed up In
style. and have been playing there for some
| time by the appearance of the place. l
| would have passed it unnoticed because
| it is Underground. and not sign of a
| light was visible, but as 1 approached it l
| saw the shadow of a man going down the
|
when I made them open the door. and I
| marched the crowd, six of them, straight
| to the guard house.
| "Aftcrward. I went down the laundress
| line, and as passed the Chinaman's house
| I heard a suspicious juggling of chips.
| tried the front door. but it was locked.
| Posting my guard at the other doors
knocked at the front door.
| who's there" asked soldier voice.
| "'Open this door, I replied.
There was a consultation, and then the
same voice whispered through the key
| hole, GO round tsth' back door,
| '"They evidently thought 1 was some SOL
| der wanting to join the game. and l felt
| ra Their mean about it, but, of course, l had
| my orders. At the back door they admit
ted me without word. but when they
| saw who it was they scrambled in all
| directions Under the tables, behind the
| doors. in the closets at the windows, every
| man made frantic effcrt to escape, but,
| Of course, l gathered in the whole crowd
Just as L was leaving the house 1 saw a
suspicious movement in great pile of
soiled clothes, and. kicking away the
Ch.naman's laundry, l discovered your
man Blatvisky. 1 wish you could have
seen him when l ordered him to come out
you will have to do your own work today,
for the entire crowd, poker chips, cards
and all, are now in the guard house"
My man jenkins hidden in the soiled
inen?" j gasped, and then 1 vowed that
| Jenkins would have to take three baths
| before he again entered my rooms.
l discovered later that my man jenkins
was in the straights. He had been con-
victed of Il number of minor ofanses-
believe that is what they call them-and
| now my stupid captain was determined to
send him before a general court-martal
| and have him dishonorably discharged the
| service if possible.
1t was an awful predicament for me.
| Fancy a fellow about to lose a man who
| is thoroughly broken to fellows wants!
l went to my stupid captain, and told him
| L along
Jenkins
jenkins be DID, said the vulgar fellow
! IF you want to save Biatvisky, You be his
! counsel when he is tried. 1 want to get rid
| OF him. anyhow
His last remark was rather funny. you
know. but fiatter myself that 1 can tell
when a fellow is making game of me. But
it gave me an idea that was worth trying
You know. a soldier has right to have an
officer for his counsel when he is tried by
general court-martial-think that is what
they call it.
So 1 went over to the adjutant's Office
and got me copy of the nasty charges
against my man Jenkins. The thingamebob
specification said: I'm that Private Blat-
| visky. company C. blank infantry did with
out proper authority absent himself from
his company quarters after IL o'clock p.m.,
and did engage in game Of poker at the
quarters assigned to the Chinese laundry
man. All this at or near Fort BarrenaI
| .. D.. on or about July 16. 1893 1 wrote
the thingamebob words on a sheet of my
how to defend my man Jenkins.
l sent to the guard house and had my
man Jenkins fetched over to my rooms.
OF course l could not allow him to come
in after his contact with the soiled linen,
but L questioned him through my open
window. I read the beastly charges pre-
ferred against him.
Sir said he, and then the fellow told
me a story that made my eyes open.
Don't say a word about that except
among yourselves" said l.
1t was O'Clock in the afternoon, and, de-
string to dress for dinner. l sent this great
unwashed fellow lack to the guard house.
] felt sure that 1 could clear him before
the court, and congratulated myself that
after a process of fumigation l could once
more enjoy the pleasure of saying: "Jen-
kins, don't forget to varnish my boots'
On the day set for the trial Of my man
Jenkins I PIT on my London uniform, for
which from London my horrid taller has
had the impudence to send me several bills
l felt very much pleased with myself, for
l knew would surprise the court-martial.
AT a long ia Die in a big room all the Of
ficer fellows sat. They fetched my man
jenkins before them, and they all stood up
and swore something out of a little book
about trying my man Jenkins without par
TALLY, favor. fear aTection-some thing
like that-do2't remember exactly. The
judge advocate fellow asked Lieut. Winters
a lot of silly questions about his name and
his rank and his station. Fancy asking a
fellow his name when you know him and
see him every day, even eat your meals
with him.
The Winters fellow told all about catch
ing my man Jenkins playing poker. and
about pulling him out of the soiled linen. 1
blpshed for shame.
When my turn came, fetched in one of
the soldier fellows who had been caught
with my man Jenkins. The judge advocate
fellow asked him his name, and then 1
wrote on little slip of paper-that's the
way they do in their odd conference.-the
wrote: What game We're you playing that
Dight?"
What game were you playing that
right?" read the judge advocate fellow
from my slip of paper.
I'VE wuz playin' ecarte." said the soldier
fellow with a low grin.
sent for four more witness fellows, and
they all swore they We're playing ecarte
l felt very much Pleased with myself for of
&C urse, any fellow can that if you
charge a soldier fellow with poker play
ing and then prove that he was playing
ecarte, of course, you acquit him of the
charge. And 1 hoped the court would be
smart enough to recognize that soldiers
should be encouraged to play such royal
English game as ecarte.
Last of all, my man Jenkins raised his
right hand and sworc he would tell the
whole truth and all the trutn-Some thing