Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-08-28

found that captain breaking the glori-
Gus custom of years 1t was to him the
revelation and the demonstration of the
impossible. The whole elaborate fabric
he had built out of the traditions of
army, navy and marine service came
tumbling about his ears The very foun-
dations of belief were shattered by the
single command which showed the SER
geant that a captain who did not know
his duty was, after all, possibility.
The color went out of Pfeifers face,
and he grew dcathly pale Then he sa-
luted and said:
but beg youi pardon, sir. 1t is not
the regulation. l should salute from the
quarter deck.
If he had received a blow in the face,
the captain could not have been more
surprised. 1t was serious thing, in
deed when Pfeifer protested at an or
der. But the se1geant's objection was
we'll grounded. 1t recalled the regula-
ton to the captain, and he knew his
order was mistake. Nevertheless it
was his order and he would not reverse
it. He hesitated an instant and then:
"You heard the ORDER" he said.
"Obey it. -
They were standing on the main deck
Just outside the executive officers Of
fee The executive was at his desk fin
ishing up the last of his work before
going ashore. The window was open,
and he heard all that was said by the
captain and the sergeant. When he
heard the order repeated, the executive
| looked out of the window. He saw
Pfeifer standing, white faced and deter
mined, facing the angry captain. The
sergeant breathed in quick short gasps,
and as the executive watched he lifted
his hand again i'll salute and said;
1.-The moment my men and l are
ashore sir, we are no longer under your
command. My superior officer then is
the commandant of the marine bar
racks If 90 ashore, sir, | cannot obey
your order to salute the flag, for my
duty then is to report at once to my
commanding officer.
The captains face went red and
white and he lost his grip on his tenn
per. His voice rose to an angry shout,
and he exclaimed:
"Talle your men ashore and salute
the flag from the wharf.
Without a word Pfeifer saluted,
wheeled on his heel and went away.
Presently the bugle summoned the ma
rines to fail in. Pfcifer was at their
head. Down the gangplank they march
cd, and on the wharf they formed up.
Fright facet shouted the sergeant.
His we'll drilled men wheeled as one
and stood facing the marine barracks.
Forward, march, commanded
Pfcifer, and off the marines Of the war
ship swung to report to the comman-
dant Of the barracks, leaving an amazed
and angry Jaeky standing by the hal
yards, with 10 enc to salute the flag as
he hauled it down.
The captain was furious. He had
been dehed by a sergeant Of the marines,
and he meant to make Pfeifer smart for
it, but he did not know that the exccu-
tive had seen and heard it all. Pfeife1
did
Pfeifor went to the marine barracks
and reported. but SAID never word OF
the captain order. His men were not
so silent, and the barracks hummed
with the story. The men knew there
would be Il reckoning, and they waited
impatieptly for the result.
The captain went to the admiral anC
told his story. The next morning PEI
fer was summoned before the admiral
There the captain confronted him. The
captain was still angry. He knew dow
in the bottom of his heart that he haC
made mistake, but he hoped to be able
to force his complaint through by blus
ter, perhaps, if he couldn't make it ap
pear bad enough for Pfeifer by his mar
ration of the sergeant $ refusal to obey
his orders. So he told his story, and hC
counted that his word would stanC
against that of an enlisted man.
Then it was Pfeifer's turn. He CAV,
simple, ghtforward account o
what had occurred and his honest fac
, and soldierly bearing lent it strength
When it was finished, he added:
"And the executive officer was in hi
, Office, sir, and he heard all that wa
said"
Orderly" said the admiral, "asl
, the executive officer to come here.
The captains jaw fell, for he say
that he was caught in a double trap
, He had failed to observe the regula
+ tons, and after that he had lied abou
q it. He waited uneasily until the execu
I tive officer came. The executives stor
: was as Pfeifer had told it. A scow
= came over the face of the admiral.
"You may go, sergeant, he said t
Pfeifer, and when the sergeant had sa
a luted and gone the admiral turne
9 upon the captain and exclaimed:
n Captain Allenson, l am ashamed c
q you, sir. You are the damnedest fool i
Q the United States navy. You are dis
9 grace to your uniform and the flag an
4 the service. l am amazed and chagrine
9 that you should require to be laugh
o the regulations Of your service by a sci
n geant of marines, and that man not