The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-30
Private Laufer'S Promotion.



rsmember we'll the day we all met at
ths adjutant's office to receive our portion
Of "a big batch OF recruits who arrived on
the previous day. Recruits are sent out
without assignment except 20 the regi-
ment In general; $3.50 recruits Co the
Tenth Cavalry for instance. Then the
colonel, a stiff old West Pointer. from
the general list assigned To each troop
the number required To fill up tho gaps
the last campaign had left. We were all
standing around the porch as Church,
our adjutant called off the names of the
men for each troop. A. Is, Z, ID. As each
mans name was called he stepped one
pace TO the front and side step To the
right so that they would form n separate
squad when the list was completed. When
my troop. j. was reached i naturally had
n general interest In what manner of men
might fall 90 my lot. but i confess was
not so absorbed as | would have been u
was receiving twenty horses instead ~
recruits. However, / was short OF good
timber just then and was struck by the
appearance of the man who stepped out
as Church called George Laufer. His
crisp. distinct Here In reply On his
name made me think that IL was his own
and q name no was proud Of The vast
majority of enlisted mems names In the
army, like those OF the penitentiHry, are
fictitious and run from Christian Scrip
ture to- George Washington, with only
one rule seeming To govern their selection;
the better the name the worse tho man.
Christian Scripture was the worst soldier
drunk or sober ever knew. Lauier
however had every mnrk OF u well broi
man about him. of an average height
with a light. strong frame, weighing lG)
or 10 pounds; young. with brown ewes
and hair, small dark moustache, cloan
we'll groomed face and complexion that
dissipation would have ruined in week,
but which was now clear and healthy.
My sargeant took the squad down To tho
troop quarters where with my lieutoDauts
inspected them listening to the storiss
Of all the rest-the same old story ] had
heard a thousand men tell and vary only
in detail-as to where they lived whether
they were married why they enlisted etc.
Laufer promptly told me all that it
was reasonable / should know and was
promptly showed his manhood when any
irrelevant question Was propou nded by
decli ming 60 answer. / was satisfied that
he had told the truth and that had lucs-
lily picked up lewe. of man. l made
up my mind that should be fulfill my
hIst impressions during his setting up
and graduation from recruit To private
he should be corporal after one or two
tours or guard duty.
The colonel frequently came around
from one troop TO another during the GER
emony of stables Morning ard evening
"a Cavalry Iuun uOVbO ID TOuSDIy
groomed, fed and watered each private
and corporal grooming the horse le rides-
the extra horsessheing taken care OF by tho
recruits or by the stable guard when there
were no recruits. That afternoon i was
right glad ID walk down with the "old
man" as we called our colonel. he was a
harsh one and swift in mis- punishments;
yet not slow In his rewards. Just but
cold booded and almost unmerciful a
man in many ways cordially hated by us
all, yet In many more ways idolized by
everyone who knew him. We turned In
to my troop stables and TO my utter as
tonishment fonud my stable sergeant
standing with Recruit Laufer ready or
my order to put him In the guard house.
Dressed now in his white stable frook
and trousers he looked typical cavalry
man but there was that in his face-Dot
defiance rather deternination-plainly
showing that he had made his decision.
What's the matter, Sergeant Cars.
welll" asked the colonel.
Recruit Laufer refuses Go groom his
horse. sir. " reported Carswell, with his
hand at the visor o. his cap.
Refuses 10 groom his horse, eh?' the
colonel asSed with that twapg in his
voice which every soul from the kid bug
Ter TO the lieutenant colonel knew meant
mischief. Then, turning 10 Laufer. in n
manner TO make stout nerves culver, he
asked:
why won't you groom your horse?"
Because am no groom. sir, and be-
cause such was not explained TO me ms
part of my duties when l enlisted, said
Laufer, saluting but steady as veteran.
"Tho-you say, roarad the old man,
now mad beyond all hope of calming.
Sergeant Sergeant Carswell!l Ser
geant!!v he yelled.
Yes. SIR" said the sergeant, who bad
stepped aside to look after the other re-
cruits. Sergeant Carswell, have the
far o sa
him UP In this vacant STALL when It's on
him, feed him in tho trough. lead him
out Co water and bed him with straw,
until further orders "
'Yes, sir" Carsweil saiuted and led
my good timber away to obey that order
from which there was no appeal
Rather bad beginning for man /
had Picked from the batch to make "a cor
porai. ] smiiingly said WHOM we wore
alone again. Oh. you can't toll, the
vorporal replied, and then wa talked about
the Whit saddle and the new car biro we
were trying and other post subjects until
10 left my sta bles.
knowing that his order would be
obeyed l paid no attention to II, oud
really forgot all about 10 among the de-
tails Of life more affecting my welfare.
wondered N we would get scouting Or
ders just as my next years leGvc ~
absence became due. III thore was really
any chance TO get hack that half month"; :
pay had dropped In the little game last
night; IL she meant what she said, SIC
was laughing so / could not make out at
the time. IL the nail would bring me rho
check which my kind old dad sometimes
sent Meantime the day was done and
another was begun. In tho semidarknosl
Of morning. ! saw Lauter lying on
his straw in the stall. believe / did
wonder IL hs was cold but knew II he
had been 1 could not in anyway romedv
it. And so two or three days and nights
passed, one very like the other. Again
Mnlked down TO nfternoon stAhlns with tho