Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-03-11
"a q !

'pfalrle chicken, as soldiers then
were who "took on" anywhere west
of the Mississippi, We all had a good
many reasons for believing, however,
that Wilson was not quite so much OF q
recruit as his Seattle enlistment record
showed on its face. None of us could
remember having soldiered with him
anywhere, and his face was unfamiliar
to all. Nevertheless, from the day he
arrived at Candy in charge of the Sc
attle batch of recruits, of which, ac-
cording to the list he handed to the
officer of the day, he was one, he car
ried himself too much like a soldier to
fool those of us who had been in the
outfit a long time.
Old Sergeant Fisher took the re-
cruits out to the parade ground, the
morning after their arrival, to begin
to lick them into shape in the awkward
squad. Wilson was among them. He
tried to assume the recruits clumsi-
ness, but We could see that the job was
little too much for him. He was too
naturally graceful man in his carriage
for that, and his shoulders were too
square. At the command of execution
he forgot himself every time, and
stepped out with the left foot. A re-
cruit never does that. 1t takes at least
six months to teach a recruit that he
is possessed of left foot. Old Fisher
gave "To the rear, march % suddenly,
and it caught Wilson mapping. Alone
of the squad, he whirled on the ball OF
his left foot and took step rearward,
while the rest of the squad ignorantly
ploughed on. 1t was bad giyeaway,
and Wilson's dark, handsome face
flushed. Old Fishers eye was sharp,
if he had been cantcen sergeant for
six years.
"Halt!" he commanded the squad
of recruits, and in their own time,
one by one, they halted. "Wilson,
fall out" Wilson fell out, and for a
time stood by watching old Fisher
drill the rockies in the facings. After
awhile the sergeant, having brought
the squad to rest, walked over to
Wilson, looked him over for minute
with sort of half smile, and said !:
"What's the use?"
"None," said Wilson, probably see.
ing that the game was up so far as old
Fisher was concerned.
All the same, not to make the Off e
GERS suspicious, the drill sergeant took
Wilson out with the awkward squad
every day for time. 1t was fine
thing to see Wilson handle his rife
when the guns were dished out to the
rockies for the first time. A young
lieutenant, fresh from West Point, hap.
pened to drop into the day room, and
he stopped for while to watch the
new men trying to get through the
manual. His eye naturally drifted to
Wilson, who would have attracted at.
tention III the middle rank of q regi-
ment, for he certainly was Il fine
looking chap. Wilson was trying to
handle his gun as if he had never seen
one before. We couldn't help but
grin Enthusiastically y as we stood around,
although we were careful not to let
the little West Point shavetail see us
do it, for we all liked Wilson and
didn't want to see him get into any
trouble. Wilson tried 50 hard to make
it appear that he didn't even know
what II rifle was made for that he
dropped it while the squad was stand.
ing at a rife parade rest. 1t made O
terrific chatter, and the little lieuten
ants eyes snapped.
"Gawk !" he muttered, while Will
eon, red and nervous, reached out anC
picked up the gun.
Attention !" shouted the drill ser
geaut. Wilson alone of the batch wa
like n ramrod before the echoes of th,
command died away in the day room
Fright houlder-humsl Wilson
gun came to his shoulder with a spap
the three movements perfect, Will
the other fellows of the squad wer
sluggishly coming to a port, present
n carry, everything but right shou
der.
"Fix-bay-o .netsl !" Wilson's wa
fixed with the rapidity and precisio
of nm expert.
"Well," said tho little lieutenan