Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-08-28
PFETFllR'S TRIUMPH.

fine biv eOlliprlV fellow, with a long,
tawnv mustache and wide opcn blue
ewes that gave his stolid German face
fro,,l, honest look. iudicative of his
character II v1as in his service in the
German army. before he left the father
land for = now home in the Gland Of
fine free. " tLat his Errad. sturdy shout
ders were ".et M" in eucl alliorly
fashion. lie was n sergeant in che en-
ncror's army. and afterwards when he
came ont to America and enlisted in
the navy. he found service as Jacky
rather distastcful. The brief authority
he had had as a sergeant had untitled
him little for life in the ranks again.
and although be was good seaman
and q fai,hfulJ acbv he grumblod under
his breath once in awhile because the
chance of advancement was so small
and nrom0tion SO slow.
So. when his term was up, Pfeifer did
not re-cnlist. But he found after a little
that he could not keep out Of the serv.
ice and so he held mn his hand beside
his bare head and swore again to uphold
fine constitution and the government Of
the United States bat this time it was
member oil lllt marine CORPS, Il
bloomin ioIlv soldier and sailor too "
In the marine corps Pfcifor found
that his service in the other two arms
helned him very much. He was as
steady rs he WIS stolid. and as faithful
Ms both. He knew the regulations back
ward. and all the requirements and du-
ties Of every man and officer in the
CORPS. So when his rapid promotion
landed him as Il sergeant. he slid into
the routine of his duties as easily and
as smoothly as a seal slips of a basking
rock into the sea After awhile Pfeifer
got an ASSIGNMENT to duty which made
him very happy. He was detailed to
command det4chment of marines on a
United States warship under orders to
patrol the Bering sea on the lookout for
seal poachers.
There are no superhuous officers in
the marine corps, and it sometimes hap.
mems that a sergeant has command of a
small detachment on such duty. Pfeifer
was delighted. and the men in his com
mand were put through their drills and
work with a thorough exactness which
surprised some Of them and made them
little inclined to grumble The SER
geant was strict disciplinarian, and
the men felt it, but he was not marti-
net and he was enthusiastic for the serv-
ice, and so the men settled down in the
consciousness that Pfeifer was all right.
The warship went on her cruise and
came back again. and Pfeifer's men
We're the pride of his heart. In not the
smallest detail had the regulations suf-
fered bv their action, and the sergeant
was hapnv as he CONTEMPLATED the report
he would make to his commanding Off
Ger. Then the warship was ordered to
the Mare island navy yard for extensive
repairs.
Now. there is a time honored and
glorious custom of saluting the flag
when a shin goes out of commission. in
which the marines who have seen serv-
ice on her take the largest part The
officers and the crew 90 ashore. all but
one Jacky. Then the marines are drawn
mn ON the quarter deck. facing the flag
which flutrers from the staff at the taft
rail. The solitary Jacky throws his car
on the deck and stands bareheaded with
his hand ON the flag halyards. ready al
the word of command TO haul down the
starry symbol of the nations life and
mower AS the Jackv goes at his work
and the flag begins TO sink. the office,
in command of the marines shouts:
"Present arms,"
I'm 90 the guns with a rattle and &
snan and mill the single Jackv ba,
gathered the plorions fac in his arms r.
keen if from tonobinp the deck as h,
hauls it down. every man Jack Of th,
marine stands like statue with hi,
ewes fixed on the stars and stripes ant