The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-06-03


knee. sometimes on his fathers-face
down. Otherwise he receives physical
demonstration from bigger boy.
From which It would appear that the
youngsters gazetted to the lrrepressi-
bles were not well brought up. At all
events, they had the reputation of be
ing the most rowdy crew in the army 1
list. Now, in India, a reputation Is only |
gained by being deserved. And 1t was I
in hill-station that the subalterns OF
the Irrepresslbles reached the Hottest
pinnacle of their folly. The affair was
hushed up afterward, for the honor OF
the regiment, as such things should be.
The Irrepressibles were unlucky in
their quarters that year. They were
fixed on the plains at a time when there
was nothing to do, no game, no society,
/ no anything. In a case like that they
were thrown back on themselves, and
the result was unfortunate. Mems tenn
pers began to give way under the strain,
and, from the commanding officer
down to the smallest boy capable OF
beating a drum, there was not one who
did not curse the hour he was born at
least seven times a day.
The trouble came. 1t all arose out OF
the Junior Subaltern going out fishing
one day, or out of the fact that he
caught nothing. Coming back, how
ever, he must needs run across cobra,
which, with his usual foolhardiness,
he duly forked and transferred alive
and wriggling into his creel. Thence,
on arrival at quarters, 1t was removed
to a perforated box and tenderly fed.
Two of the subalterns began to de-
velop most astonishing degree of ha-
tired the one for the other. They were
two men sufficiently alike in character
and capabilities to be either the tirmest
@ of friends or the bitterest of enemies.
!. AS matter of choice they were the
latter. Jealousy was at the bottom of
the trouble, no doubt In the natural
order of things, this little feeling didn't
= make life any the pleasanter for the
rest. At first 1t was treated as wei
6 come diversion, and for time the 9th
9 er youngsters used to take an artistic
pleasure in tanning the quarrel, fore
most being the Junior Subaltern.
What was originally a variation OF
. the monotony of life, however, soor
8 came to be a nuisance, and the Irrepres
a sibles began to feel very sick. Ther
3 they got to wishing that one or both Of
the men would die. This is not nice
8 sentiment to entertain toward an.
b man, especially if he is a brother-of
: ticer. But, most of all, each of the mel
wished that the other would go out, ant
this was even worse.
At last matters came to head. III
: two subalterns had regular row on
night after mess They would hav
come to blows If it hadn't been for tn
interference of the older men. Their
were six men present, all subaltern
except one, and 1t would have been be
ter If they had let the two fight it OF
then and there Probably the difficult
might have been settled finally. BIZ
peace was patched up for about thre
days, and then they broke out wors
ty than ever, and said things that half
or century ago would have led to pisto
yer next morning. In the meantime, ii
rel! Junior Subaltern and four other inn
Of mischief had matured a plan t
which they hoped to fix up the matte
once for all. And in this plan, natura
eh ly enough, the snake took some par
1t was grim enough practical joke
the best, and they ought to have pc
50 sessed more sense between the five
irs them than to think of such thing.
The idea was nothing more or lie
than to propose to the two men
Sc. spend a night together, and with t
cobra, in a disused room in quarter
They were to be locked in and left
yn- settle the matter among themselv
u'll during the night, and in the morni
). the rest of the party would release t
survivors, If any. or course there W
- no thought, even for a moment, of i
ting loose the corba in that way, b
as the Junior Subaltern said: 1T wo
y do them any harm to think 1t out, a
-. perhaps with reflection will come
i'm increase of wisdom"
While the two men were still in
heat of anger the Junior Subaltern p
pounded to them his idea of settli
their difficulty by means of the sna
He and his confederates looked n
rowly at the men, and fancied Il
blanched slightly at the prospect. I
must have been Imagination, howey
for, as with one breath, they b
agreed, and even seemed anxious
have the matter settled. They m
WY have been very mad.
The affair being thus decided, a
ents used room was chosen as the scene
the ordeal, and was hastily cleared
what furniture was in 1t. This be
done, the two men, who had
saw changed color during the scene. "
nrst stationed at opposite corners of
u OF room, propped up in sitting positi
g at with clear space between them
anus something like fifteen feet.
oard' All prellminaries having been
had ranged, the boy brought in the f
elow. box and deposited 1t in the center of
SO room. In such manner that the
nj II should open sideways. Here again
ike ingenuity came into play. 1t was
o see vious that the box must be ope
al of whom all excent the PRINCIPALS ,
ana outside the door. Luckily, the box
lldh sliding lid, and the Junior Suba'
there was able to arrange it so that, by
the taching a piece of string, any
USED standing outside the door would be
Ice in 20 slido hack rho lid and so release
some. ,,roSumad occunant of the box
. 'ne During all these arrangements
e. ~ five conspirators had felt very ser
liu''A They began TO realize that it
"a " rather a grim joke they were ha'
and 1t is probable that the two