The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-22
Drummed Out of Camp.

OF the TWenty-ninJh Separate company
of the Third Provisional regiment TO sign
the muster rolls. the other day, two OF
them fatty refused One said that fam
ily difficulties" made ms immediate and
continued presence at home imperative
! in fact, that his absence would destroy the
possibility OF bringing a family feud 10 .
happy ending; the other that his health
| would not stand long campaign" The
news was soon spread abroad through the
regiment, and il was spontaneously de-
Fterna4ned 10 drum them out of camp. Late
in the afternoon the captain OF the COM
pany ordered the men from their tents
where they had been skulking. and told
them 10 be of when they would The or
der acted like a prearranged signal. The
men standing near beckoned TO their COM
rades of the next street. who. in turn
! beckoned and ran across to join them.
Men scurr1ed TO the company street from
all quarters; soon 500 rough fellows. freed
! for the time from the common restraint of
civilization. were crowding their way into
and about the tents, asking one aN6her
! where the towards were" and slipping
stale and hard-boiied eggs. raided from
| the QuarteTmasters tents, into ono an
! others hands. Some were laughing at the
| fun in prospect; many were cursing the
! men with the yellow streak" others
were quite ignorant OF the occasion OF the
excitement. Men OF the Twenty-ninth
were among them encouraging them 10
| do the business well.
Whats the matter with them?' asked
man who held an egg In each hand.
! Don't know" he answered. ''Flunked,
l guess
What for?''
Don't know towards, I suppose"
| One of the towards had sneaked into
his tent again soon as his superior Of
/ ficer was out of sight; the other-he who
| had pleaded family difficulties in excuse
stood. in a defiant attitude by his tent
door. over tho apex of which was scrawied
| in charcoal. Goo bless our home" and
Come early and avoid the rush" He had
his arms folded. and was giving stare for
stare. He was tan. straight muscular
man. with hard and deep-browned hands
He said nothing in reply TO the half utter
ed taunts OF the crowd that surged about
him, and did not finch when any one
pointed at him and said That's him
There's the coward"
Attention was soon distra cted from him
to his fellow in disgrace. Five or six men
had hauled him from under cover, and
were walking him by the arms towards
the officers quarters. a jeering mob fol-
lowing close on their heels.
LOOK out boys" yelled man making
to throw egg. Let me hit him one
Hold ON thereI Let him alone. Hes
going to muster.
Kill the coward If he don'tI Make
him sign
When they had dragged the man near te
the end OF the street, the captain OF the
Twenty ninth stepped from his tent He
held up both his hands and called out
angrily. Get back to your quarters. you
men of the twenty-ninth Let the man
go. I'm speaking to you-and you and
YOU" indicating each with his finger.
They loosed the coward" and he skunk
off to his tent. Some staff officers arrived
just then and drove the coward back.
In the meantime the stalwart fellow
who, few minutes before, stood defiant
ly at his tent door. had made a break for
the guard line. had been caught at IL and
brought back. The men, driven from their
other action. began to gather about and
menace him; and ne shrank backward
through his tent flap. At this moment a
burly corporal forced his way through the
crowd. He was without coat or hat and
the sleeves Of his wooden shirt were rolled
above his elbows.
Strip of his uniform, boys he shout
ed. mo coward leaves this camp WSh
his uniform on"
He pushed right into the tent followed
by three of the most excited men, Tho
others crowded the entrance, and craned
their necks to see the goings-on inside; or
put their ears against the canvas to hear
what they could.
For Gods sake. corporal. let me alone"
they heard the coward" say l told the
Cap'n 1 couldn't stay when left home"
The word went round that he was crying
RIP the thing off, it won't unbutton,"
said the corporal in quiet voice. Quick;
the sergeant II be here in a minute.
Then there was oath and the sound
of blow
You would. would your same one said. I
''You -" Nothing else could be heard !
for the scuffie.
The crowd fell apart to let staff officer /
pass. The corporal and his fellows were
ordered out; they came in a hurry and /
quickly lost themselves among the others /
Five minutes afterward the coward (
came out He had his uniform on and
carried his property in paper bundle and /
tin box tied together with a piece OF i
string. The men gave him wide. clear
way: they backed to the tent line on
either side of the street. He walked slow /
ly down the gauntlet for half a dozen
yards, unmolested and in utter silence
looking about as he went. Then some one I
SHE'D an egg that narrowly missed him.
The second thrown hit him on the should
er and scattered over his blouse Others
whizzed past him from right 20 left. thick
and fast. One caught him on the hat and
he faced about. Then a well-aimed one 4
struck him fair on the cheek, broke and
splashed over his face and into his mouth
so that he stopped and spluttered
shouted. Here's the coward Soak him.
boys" Then the eggs began 70 hy again.
hitting him on body and head. until his
uniform was covered with yoIk and white
Meantime the jeering grew in volume; and
the ends Of the gauntlet line drew to-
gether and followed along
The man whose health would not stand
a long campaign" was thrown violently
into the lane when the first coward"
came opposite his tent He picked him
self up from the ground and Iimped over
to his comrade. and the TWO walked slow
~ on, tauurs and curses flung after them, I
past group Of officers and women at
headGua rters. over the guard
line and out onto the plain. The men OF
the regiment broke through the guard and
lined up some yards beyond.
GO home II you dare shouted one.
towards. CowardsT'
Bring back them uniforms" yelled the
corporal putting his hands 70 his mouth
10 send his voice farther. we want them
for honest men. II
The French salon.
at IS recko1ed " writes a Paris core
spondent. That the-e have been at least
II. 40 works submitted 70 The Jury-about
: ~ paintings. 100 drawings and water
coIors, 80 eaZravi1Ez 80 architectural