Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-11-23


be submitted to the mess committee, the |
punitive powers of which are extremely
faITeaching. The life of am officer sent
to Coventry" by his fellows is unendura-
bic, and his only chance is to exchange.
But all this is moral suasion only,
and in the end disputes are frequently
settled by a resort to first principles
the rule Of fist-while redress is some
times obtained in ways as drastic as
they are novel.
A gentleman joined a crack cavalry
regiment He had no pedigree or fami.
ly to recommend him. In fact, his IA
Their was a -otired brewer, and by the
scions Of mobility among his comrades
he was rather coldly received.
care you the son of Dash, the brew
er?'' inquired one of these
"I am.
"Then why didn't your father bring
you up to his trade?''
"Ch, well, you're the son of Lord
Blank, aren't you!"
Eyes"
"Then why didn't he bring Won I'D a
gentleman"
The upshot of this was rough and
tumble, wherein was demonstrated that
IN the army plebeian is the equal of
peer-if he can box as well.
Another gentleman from the ranks of
trade came home one day to find all the
crockery and breakable articles in his
rooms smashed, the same being intend
cd by the wreckers as o delicate hint
that his presence among them was OBJ
jectionable
He was late for dinner that evening
and apologized to the president of the
mess for it, explaining what had hap
pened-that he had been to the rooms
of the three he suspected and returned
the compliment; if he had wronged
any, he would apologize and restore the
articles; if he had hit on the right ones,
they could have satisfaction in the rid
ing school after dinner.
Accordingly, after dinner, two Of
them received satisfaction in full, o la
Corbett, in drill time, but the third
proved q tougher nut to crack, and the
big hearted plebeian (who, by the bye
Is now generan, weakened by his ex-
ertions, was getting worsted, SO anoth-
er OF the same social status who was
an expert boxer took up the running.
He soon finished off the third man
and obligingly offered to take on any
one who sympathized with the trio. By
this means-appropriate to their pro-
fession-these two officers opened the
door lii that regiment to others than
oifshoots of the peerage, by whom it
had previously been regarded as pre-
serve.
| Among officers exchanging from one
regiment to another is common. One
little man, q lieutenant. incurred the
enmity of the men Of his.troop by con-
tlnually finding fault and rubbing it in
by contrasting them unfsvorably with
his late corps till they hated the very
name of the "Pinks," as we'll call
| them.
Not only the rank and. file, but sthe
noncommissioned officers, came in for
his animadversion till it got urbearable.
and at last the troop sergeant major
told the captain quietly that there
would be mutiny in the troop before
long if it continued.
lt so happened that he had also car
ried his insulting comparisons into the
mess, and as he wouldn't take advice
and drop it" his brother officers took
the matter into their own hands, with
the result that one cold might in Febru-
airy there was a hubbub within the Off
GERS quarters, a window was presently
opened, and little joey" cladionly in
his nightshirt, was handed out. seized,
placed and held down IN a hand barrow,
wheeled of to the manure hsap and
there shot out, to make his way back to
bed as best he could. He soon after left
the regiment.
The antipodes of this gentleman was
an officer In the same regiment, an
freshman, feet 2 and big in propor-
ton, but his ''go" was not proportion.
ate to his size. He was too big and apa-
thetic for a cavalry captain. In fact,
his nickname, Molly" well describes
him. One cheeky" youngster appeared
to think he could take any liberties
with such an easy going mountain Of
flesh, and in the billiard room one night
he carried his impudence beyond all
reason.
Molly" said nothing. He simply
dropped his cue, picked the offender up
and sat him violently down on a side ia
bic, ignorant or needless of the fact
that upon it were standing glasses and
decanters.
1t was some time before, the surgeons
picked the Last piece of glass out of the
impertinent one and we alss before he
could appear in the saddle again. 1t il
scarcely necessary to say that he gave
Molly" Mcguire a wide berth after
that.-Pearson's Weekly.
trimming With Charity.
1 ClpClilui. gem Of a husband uove,