The sun., 1897-03-22
PRTYATFS a AND B SALUTE.
THEY 60 ABOUT IF IN A HIGHIT
sTSTEMATIO WAT.

| They stand Shoulder to shoulder In . " Forn,a-
tion. but when Ono hns His Arm Ris
shoulder Shirts. ana tho Result Greatly
Amuscs the Little Daughter OF Capt n.
Having by the grace Of their superior officer
achieved a day of, Privates A and b OF tho
| United States Marine Corps, at the navy yard,
Brooklyn, went forth on Saturday like roaring
lions seeking what they might devour in tho
| way OF drinks. Various places Of resort wherein
rum, hot and spiced, and beer, cool and frothy,
| are dispensed prohted by the outing of Privatcs
A and Il, but the twain pronted not at all by tho
hot rum and the cool beer They who had gone
| forth like roaring lions came back like bleating
| lambs walking on tumultuoIu and uncertain
| ground. Very, very drunk were Privates A and
| b. United States Marine Corps, on their return
| to tho navy yard. Shoulder TO shoulder they
zigzagged along tho passageway which leads be-
| tween two dry docks to the little ferry, and 1t
was question into which Of the two yawning
holes they would tumble.
Having occasion to fulfil certain social obllga-
tions In New York, Capt. X of the United States
ship Pcrsimmon, accompanied by his wife and
his young daughter, stepped from tho little
| ferryboat and proceeded along the narrow path
| way which Privates A and were patiently and
painfully endeavoring to traverse from the OPP
| posite direction. 1t was written that the two
| parties should meet, and that Mt a opot where
| the walking way was narrowed to q Vineyard
space by a pile Of old rigging and scaffolding.
| The two marines, being intent upon their own
| futtering footsteps. did not note the approach
of the Captain. The Captain, engrossed in an
abstruse discussion Of intricate trolley lines with
his wife, failed TO see the marines. Miss y saw
| them and marveled.
"What a funny way to walk!" she observed.
looking at the marines with great interest. II
they got separated they d both fall down."
Everybody who has celebrated too en-
Enthusiastically with companion knows that the
speediest. safest, and most comfortable method
Is TO @ at a S OF
support The strength of the jag be esu
mated by the size Of the angle. There is but one
gets little ahead OF the other, both go fiat.
This Is what happened to Privates and y;
away from his companions shoulder, and as he
fell the Other oppeS oyer r,o2 on MIs him geev
How perfectly ridiculous
This called the Captains attention to the pri:
for hs he new that The lam
Guage Of the marine under certain conditions,
while emnsnty @ and piGtpresq1e t %
officer and Il gentleman. From certain thick,
mutled remar ks, accompanied by gestures Of
were making, he judged that for them the time
had come to talk Of many thiings; but there re was vas
yanced. Slowly the marines climbed to their feet
and got back to their original Information, now
rods uncertainty, and had just got into their
step when they simultaneously caught sight OF
such unanimty that they only wavered and
II thought they were going to do 1t again"
said the Captains daughter regretfully.
Privates A and b casped each other about
the neck for safety and looked about them. They
were also seeking an avenue of escape. None
"Tesshun! Here comsh oil man." said Pri-
":stannup Let foot ford. Now march, said
45 derrees to about Is degrees, and the Y moved
carefully forward. faint grin struggled
through the gathered backness ugon, the face Of
Miss x unfcigncdly gleeful; Privates A and
preternaturally solemn; They ADVANCED cou.
Con { sh lutef
,"Gotter sh'iute." responded Private 4, EN-.
drunk r shober"
"Bpshe sh,lute shame shane time" suggested Pri-
The distance between the two parties had
lessened to a rod when Private gave tho word
S bocN s@ny
shoulder was half the bond that held those twain
as one; When he lifted his hand 70 salute. that
as upon hinge. until their noses were close
against zach other, then lurched forward and
other side, and down they went fat to their
full length upon the ground. blocking the he
FOR the Captains self-control He shook
helplessly. with laughter, in which his wife
an ecstacy OF glcc. Private A looked over his
shoulder at Private B, and Private b looked
over his shoulder at Private A. and the looks OF
both were laden with unutterable reproech.
Neither tried TO rise. They knew too much for
that. On hands and knees they crawled away in
opposite directions leaving the path clear. and.
as Capt. Y OF the Pcrsimmon. very red in the
face. walked between them with his wife and
daughter, they gave him more humble and
grovelIing salute than is anywhere provided for
in the rules and regulations
"Oh, papa, you won't punish the poor men.
will you T. gasped the Captains daughter, as
they passed on. They were so awfully FUNNY"
Not until the officer and his family had disap-
peared from the end or the passage did Privates
4 and p get together and resume their forma-
tion and progress, and when they did they dis
cussed so earnestly the possibilities of what
would happen to them in the morning that they
walked straight on the end OF the slip into the
and sent /. their quarters shivering and half
sobered