Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-29
III

III.
Newton Lambert has more than once
in the course of his years of service been
heard to say that of all the odd sensa-
tions he ever experienced that which
possessed him on the occasion of bis re-
porting for duty with his fryt com
pany was the oldest Ac~ Isromed
during his four years of cadet life TO be
have with punctilious respect in the
presence of officers, young or old, and ac-
customed also through his two months
detail at the academy that summer to
be treated with even the exaggerated
Difference which the old non-commis-
stoned officers seemed TO delight in
showing to young graduates, Lambert
was unprepared for the hail-fellow-well-
met nature of his reception by the en-
listed men and the absolute impassive-
ness of his one brother officer. That II
was utterly different from the customs
obtaining elsewhere in the regular serv-
fee he knew very well. In visiting class
mates already on duty with their bat
teries among the New York and New
England forts, as we'll as during his
brief stay at the barracks, he had noted
the scrupulous Difference of the veteran
sergeants when addressing their Off
GERS. He could understand awkward
ness and clumsiness among the recruits,
but the idea of corporal chatting him
On the cut of his clothes and-the idea
of two months recruit being a cor
poral, anyhow. Never in the tales told
Of the Fire zouayes of '61 had he heard
of anything much more free-and-easy
than the manners of this camp of regu-
lars. Never in his widest dream had
he figured such specimen of the COM
missioned officer as ne found in Capt.
Close. In the contemplation of this
character the go-as-you-plense style of
the enlisted men sank into insignifi-
cance. Long years afterwards Lambert
used to go over this meeting in his mind,
and for two years, often importuned,
he would convulse his brother officers
by vivid description of It. But there
came a time when they no longer
laughed and he no longer told the story
save to those he loved and trusted ut
terly.
Aroused by some unusual chatter
among the men, the first sergeant of
company G, smoking a pipe while work
ing over a ration-return, stuck his head
out of his tent and saw a young gen
tleman in a light-colored suit, courte-
cusly raising a drab derby in his ldd-
gloved hand, while he stood erect with
soldierly ease before the company com
rnander. Sergt. Burns also noted that
some of the men were tittering and
all of them looking on. One glance
was enough. The sergeant dropped pen
and pipe and came out Of his den with
q single bound, buttoning his blouse
and glaring about him as he did 80.
Hush your id CAB, you'll" he fierce
ly growled at the nearest group. Get
into your coats, therel" he swore at
another, while with menacing hand he
motioned to others still, whose costume
was even more primitive, to scramble
back to their tents. In ten seconds 81
lence reigned throughout the camp al
most as complete as that which was
maintained, for that time, at the tent
of the commanding officer. Lambert
actually did not know what to say in
response TO his superior's announce
ment. It was full ten seconds, or more,
before he determined in what form to
couch his next remark. He had in
tended to say: 81 have the honor to
report for duty, sir" but Il vague sus-
picion possessed him that this might
be some game at his expense-some
prank such as old cadets played upon
"plebes." He compromised, therefore,
between his preconception Of strict
ly soldierly report and his sense of
what might be due his own dignity.
my name Is Lambert said he. "And
am here for duty as second lieuten-
ant"
Slowly the man in the camp-chair
laid down his work, sticking the needle
into the flap Of the tent and hanging
the thread upon II. Then he heaved up
out of the chair, hung the damaged
trousers over its back and came pom
derously forward. Not vestige Of a
smile lightened his face. He looked the
young gentleman earnestly In the eye
and slowly extended his big, brown,
hairy hand. Seeing that II was meant
for him, Lambert shifted his hat into
the left, leaning his sword against the
tent-pole, and his dainty kid-a wild
extravaganza so soon after the war
was for an instant clasped, then slow
ly released. Capt. Close unquestionably
had a powerful grip"
How'd you Gomez" he asked. "Kind
Of expected you Monday evenin'-out
from Quitmnn."
'"rhe general kept me over "a day
or two TO let me see New Orleans. He
told me that you would be notified, sir
I hope you got the letter."
"Oh, yes. That was all right. There
was no hurry. / didn't know as they
could get passes over the Northern. /
s'pose the chief quartermaster fixed 1t
for you, though ?" And the brown eyes
searched questioningly the young
officers face.
"Passes? No, sir; ! bought my tick
ct through"
NO! Why, you needn't have done
that. The Quitman roads biddin' for
oil the government freight IL can get
now. They'd have given you pass in a
minute. l suppose you want to be
quartermaster and comm'ssary?' And
again the brown eyes looked almost
wistfully into the blue.
81? No, indeed, sir. j don't know
anything but little tactics. What /
most want"-with u glance around
und an apologetical laugh-"is a chance
TO wash off the cinders-and something
TO eat. Pm hungry as IA wolf"
The captain looked troubled. "Pve
had my grub; so've themen, 'cept those
that come back late in the night-becn
up TO Bucl1atubbee with the marshal.
Did you try over at TooR'loo"
Everybody was asleep over there. !
left my trunk at the railway station and
walked out"
"Why, ] told the sergeant TO send II
mule in last night on the chance Of your
comm by the OWL Didn't anybody
meet your
"Thcre was a mule, but no body"
laughed Lambert, except darly
asleep IN a freight cnr. The mule was
lying IN the dirt, and mapped his head
| stall when tried 20 raise him"
what became of him? lie didn't get
away, did hep" asked Close, in great