Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-05
PFEIFER'S TRIUMPH.

PFEIFER'S TRIUMPH.
Pfeifer was sergeant Of marines, q
fine, big, soldierly fellow, with long,
tawny mustache and wide open blue
eyes that gave his stolid German face a
frank, honest look, indicative Of his
character 1t was in his service in the
German army, before he left the father
land for new home in the Gland Of
the Free" that his broad, sturdy shout
ders were "set up" in such soldierly
fashion. He was sergeant in the en-
peror's army, and afterward, when he
came out to America and enlisted in
the navy, he found service as q Jacky
rather distasteful The brief authority
he had had as a sergeant had untitled
him little for life in the ranks again,
and although he was good seaman
and faithful Jacky he grumbled under
his breath once in awhile because the
chance of advancement was SO small
and promotion SO slow.
So, when his term was up, Pfeifer did
not re-enlist. But he found after little
that he could not keep out Of the serv-
ice, and SO he held up his hand beside
his bare head and swore again to uphold
the constitution and the government of
the United States, but this time it was
as a member Of the marine corps, "a
bloomin, jolly soldier and sailor too"
In the marine corps Pfeifer found
that his service in the other two arms
helped him very much. He was as
steady as he was stolid, and as faithful
as 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 sergeant, he slid into
the routine of his duties as easily and
as smoothly as seal slips off q basking
rock into the sea- After awhile Pfeifer
got an assignment to duty which made
him very happy. He was detailed to
command detachment Of marines on a
United States warship under orders to
patrol the Bering sea on the lookout for
seal poachers.
There are no superfuous officers in
the marine corps, and it sometimes hap.
pens that a sergeant has command Of q
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 a 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
were the pride Of his heart In not the
smallest detail had the regulations suf-
fered by their action, and the sergeant
was happy 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 ship goes out Of commission, in
which the marines who have seen serv-
ice on her take the largest part. The
officers and the crew 60 ashore, all but
one Jacky. Then the marines are drawn
up on the quarter deck, facing the flag
which futters from the staff at the taft
rail. The solitary Jacky throws his cap
on the deck and stands bareheaded with
his hand on the flag halyards, ready at
the word Of command to haul down the
starry symbol Of the nations life and
power. As the :Tacky goes at his work
and the flag begins to sink, the officer
in command Of the marines shouts:
Present armsl'
Up 60 the guns with rattle and q
snap, and until the single Jacky has
gathered the glorious flag in his arms to
keep it from touching the deck as he
hauls it down, every man Jack of the
marine stands like a statue, with his
eyes fixed on the stars and stripes and
his rifle OF salute. Then the marines
march away. Jacky folds up the flag
and tucks it in its berth, and the shir
is out Of commission.
Pfeifer knew evsry detail of the proc
ess. He could almost have told before.
hand the very deck plank on which he
would stand when he gave the order to
salute the flag. He was all ready for the
last order from the captain, but when il
came it nearly knocked him down. for
it was not the order he had expected.
And, worse than that, it was not the
proper order. The captain commanded
him to take his men ashore, draw them
up on the wharf and from that position
to salute the flag as it futtered down
for the last time on the wArship.
Pfeifer was absolutely astounded.
For minute almost he stood like a
man stunned. Then an extraordinary
thing happened. The stolid German
servant, with whom obedience to orders
was as natural and a. necessary Ar the
breath Of life, broke every tenet and
| tradition Of the regulations and pro.
| tested at the captains order. All the
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