The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-07-23
Lambs Playing Soldier.

Looking out Of my study window
one quiet afternoon, my attention was
drawn to a flock of sheep and lambs
quietly resting and chewing their
cuds. Presently a large, spirited
lamb walked out few PAGES in front
of the flock, pranced about awhile as
if to show its agility, then took
position facing the flock and gave
peculiar bleatiug which his soldiers
all seemed to understand, for they
left the flock and gathered around
their captain.
BY few maneuvers the captain got
them into line. AS quick as they
could arrange themselves they stood
in almost as good form as company
of real soldiers, except one insubor
dinate fellow who wanted to break
ranks by getting out of line. Captain
Lamb would not tolerate such breach
of discipline. so at lively pace he
went for the fellow and gave him such
a butting that he was glad to take his
place in the ranks. Then Captain
Lamb gave the command and they all
galloped down the slope of the hill
like cavalry horses without riders.
When they had reached the foot of
the hill they faced about and walked
back without observing much orde
then reformed and galloped down
again in the same orderly manner.
This time they halted near large
apple tree which had been blown
down so that it formed an angle with
the ground of about twenty degrees.
Captain Lamb looked seriously at the
tree for few minutes, then sprung
forward and ran up the trunk of the
tree until he came to some limbs, then
balanced himself and jumped off.
! Then he went back to the head of the
column and seemed to give orders to
the head of the company to follow
suit. The one at the head Of the
column went through the same per-
Torrance, and each one took his turn
until the whole company had been
through the manehyer. The same
fellow that the captain had to dis
cipline broke ranks again and tried to
be in ahead, but the captain butted
him again until he took his place in
the ranks, which seemed 10 settle him
for the rest of the performance.
All of the lambs ran up the trunk
of the tree about as far as the captain
had, except one timid fellow, who only
went about half way, and in trying to
turn around lost his balance, fell to
the ground and then went to the rear
of the column, as if he were ashamed
of his performance. | noticed, too,
that the same fellow which the cap
tain had twice punished for insubor-
dination tried to Guido all the rest by
running up the trunk Of the tree q
little further than the rest, but he
came to grief again by falling off in
stead of jumping as the others had.
When they went through this per-
Torrance the captain got them into
line again at right angle with the
trunk of the tree where it was about
two feet from the ground, and placing
himself at the head of the column, ran
forward and jumped over the tree
trunk, all the rest forming except the
iimid ono who seemed too mortified
at his first failure to risk another.
This ended the regular performance
and away they went up the hill, butting
and jumping over one another with no
more order than a lot of boys let out
of school. They were soon scattered
among the flock, which had been
watching their performance with deep
interest. M. S. Hall, in Chicago Rec.
ord.