The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
QUEER PETS IN ARMY LIFE.
THE ACCoMPLfsHED ooBLIE moo
OF 8N TNFANTRY COMPANY.
Gen. Miies's Tenm or fnst.trottisE EiLs-
Tale ofa Pet Cub Hear and SITS Mother
a Cntamount and = Panther that
Loved Men-A King arnLs,s Fr,snd,hto

a Cntauount and = Panther tina
Loved Men-A Kine Snakes Friendship
A curious feature OF military life Is the fond
nesa shown by the soldiers for animal Pets
Nearly every regiment In the servics has a pei
OF some kind, ana tho animal or bro, which.
ever IL may he, not only lives In garrison on the
fat OF the land. but also often accompanies the
men on marches and IN tho field, seemingly
content to endure its share of hardship and
peril as well ne the rest. Every one remem.
bcrs that when the garrison OF Cork marched
out with colors flying en- route TO the rrimea
thay were compelled by orders TO leave their
four-footed pets at home. All sorts OF
schemes were rractised TO evnde the order.
When the drum corps was directed 10 beat a
march not n single drummer appeared willing
10 obey the order. A stern command brought
forth the music, and It also brought forth such
u yelping and snarling that turtle or conceal.
iheht WIS impossible. The men had cndeav-
ored To smigglc their animal friends on board
ship through the agency OF the drum corps.
While stationed at st. Augustine, Fla, one
OF the infantry companies had a bright little
collie dog named Chico. lie was almost as
well Informed concerning the buRle calls as
the soldiers themselves. There are all sorts OF
calls blown during the day at an army post,
such ne reveille, slck call. guard mount, drill,
mess, fatigue. parade. and retreat. Chico had
n special fondness for some, particularly those
tlnt announced breakfast, dinner, and supper
and those for the formation OF the company.
Nhen the buglc sounded mess, Chico was
promptly on hand. and gravcly proceeded to
the dining hall, where his portion Of the meal
was assigned to him; and should IL occur that
he Glanced TO lie some distance away when
the call was blown, his keen ear would always
detect its peculiar significance. and hncH he
! would come at fun speed 10 take his place in
lima for tho arnh IN t1,n l.n Ill.,.
particular pride was that his company should
show off we'll. AT the first call for guard
mount. drill. and parade the dog always
cleared the company parade of interlopers.
whether they were civilians or members of
other companies. At st. Augustine the bar
racks are located In an old Spanish monastery,
which contains a courtyard in the rear leading
into the street by way of an old fashioned
sallyrort. Here the company usually formed.
and Chico promptly fell in with the men Of
file %clGsers. When tho company broke
.nIiyn S"tu't tho Of ii,, four r,,i to march out Of the
The front. and acting rs advance guard. OK.
ercised his good Judgment by chasing small
parade was formed Chico again took his place
IN the rear, and as the bugles sounded the re.
music in a series OF we'll meant howls. After
the CEREMONY he preceded the company back
the little fellow fell out With the rest and
jumped around in hlgl, glec, at the same time
Mlnte his comrades upon their successful per-
When stationed at Fort Keogh, in the far
mandlng the army, was the owner of a very
pretty pair Of pets that We're the wonder and
were two young elks that had been thoroughly
hroken TO harness. and behind this brace OF
spinning across the snow covered prairie AT a
80 gait. When not in use the animals were
Turned ar loose to roam at VII, and remained on
captlye buffalo at the post. Occasionally
they would wander, off into the timber Of the
two were always to he found at the home corral
awaiting their keepers attention,
rs GaPpt' , Ht"ldwin's co npsSy, then at Fort
CAPTURING and tanning animals ''fere ]nainra."
ferred to; who had somehow driftcd in among
me post herd, and, being rounded up with the
9 an WAS made a prisoner when quite n calf.
Gier y 4ig 81 i snd lar, ard u p,nhyfalIy w. bHtted the sol,
at being hostile; but as he grew S"S Ode older 1hlf lis beIi.
liiGere,nt nature began to assert itself, and one
Day; having HI had a personal difficulty with the
rest of the animals out OF the corral, and was
himself chased so far up the Yellowstone Val
seen or heard of since. ~
!, Anot her pet Of capt. PaIdwin's men was a
dams. The little fellow was brought to the
Where he lost no time ! in making fTjc4n dsry wItn
the company cat. lie was taught to do sew.
rTT;Sa rieks, among others those Of boxing, jug
ing to the tune OF a fiddle. As he grew older
he had more liberty, the only restraint put
he was chained. Pete, as he was called. would
S !" w al s oyer w the pos, s]arryins the chair in his
or shady corner that pleased him there he
would sit for hours until his fancy moved him
TRUSTWORTHY bear, however. was SpOilpl nna
day when he was caught red.handtd in
the " c9aon, held sG ei by tie chain ma wS and 'q remna 'nf u" oP
the chair. which had become cntangled in the
knpity problems of IA bunch of gnarled oak.
iariy approached him. the hitherto gentle ami,
maj knocked the first conner about ten feet
scryGd the others IN like manner had they come
grace, a very unwilling prisoner. and chained
to a stake in the rear Of the company street.
ana the men were at q loss TO understand the
change in the animals disposition. until one
Pete had a midnIgHhtr visitor. 4 solder TH Tc retnrn.
Grms OF a second bear who was apparently
oner' The stranger was IL large customer, and
upon being discoverCl immediately turned and
set, and sure enough bnCk came the same in.
truner apparently on II visit to Pete. This was
failing, to call at the usual hour. But it was
noticed that these midnight visits had a very
bad influence upon Pete, So It was decided
TO set II trap TO catch the larger bear, and this
railing, the brute was To be shot. The trap
uidn't, work, but three or four rifles did, al
though the moonlight was II little unCertnin;
ana then the truth was made apparent that the
larger animal was in all probability the mother
or Pete. She had. evidently been trying To
persuade her cub to come away with her, for
Pete was not ten months old at the time. and
she paid her life ms the forfeit of her faithful
Pete a ftcrward grew so savage and
dangerous that II became necessary TO kill him
Also; hut he Is not yet forgotten, for his glossy
black hide IL still preserved, and adorns one
OF the walls of the company room,
Perhaps of all tho wild animals that may he
nt least partially civilized or famed. the Rocky
lion or. catamount offers the least
promise; and yet In the writer's experience one
specimen was as gentle and as doCile as human
kindness could make him. The one In qucs,
ton was 50 completely controlled 10y his mas
ter that he followed tho latter around like n
dog, ohcying every wish or nod, but he would
allow no other person TO approach him with
offers Of Kindness or anything else. This crea-
ture was II full grown mountain lion that for
strange reason had taken. n fancy to II
cheyenne Indian. Whether in camp, on the