The herald., 1898-11-25
THE SEVENTH
REGIMENTS DRILL
CONTINUED from Page One.)

pavilion, changed direction by the left flank
twice, marched up opposite the pavilion and
swung into line, where they counted off
"one, two, three, four; one, two, three,
four" etc. The sergeants took position in
the rear and the lieutenants proceeded to
Inspect arms" while the old and new Of
ficers of the day stood well in front of the
line, directing operations.
Bayonets were adjusted as the inspectorap
preached and he took each gun, turned it,
sighted it to see if the barrel was straight,
examined the lock and passed it back, NOV.
ing on to the next man. Inspection over, the
"supernumeraries," who had turned out to
| take the place of anyone who might be re-
jected for any reason, were left in position
as the guard marched by the left flank in
fours twice and broke up into squads for
guard duty. The supernumeraries were dis
missed, the guard was reassembled and
marched off the field in step to buge
march, snapped out with true martial vi
vacity.
The mysteries of guard mount held the
close attention of the crowd, the greater
part of which was not versed in military
usage and which gazed in wonder upon the
most simple evolutions. The careful drill
ing of the men showed itself in the minutest
details of this part of the program.
COMPANY DRILL
Company NJ of Riverside, Captain e. +.
Pam, commanding, next gave an excellent
company drill. The evolutions were intri-
cate, the wheels to line well done, and the
double quick went off like clock work, SO
we'll indeed as to call forth applause, which
became specially frequent during the platoon
drill.
The alignment was poor when marching
in line, the left sagging considerably until
the last time the company passed the stand,
when the corporal alone was in fault-or
rather he alone was right, all the rest of the
company being slightly in advance.
Firing in line was one of the best orders
executed. The operations of loading aim
ing, firing and ejecting shells was apparent.
ly automatic, the click of the hammers all
but simultaneous and the platoon work, as
before intimated, altogether satisfactory.
'SPANIARDS" APPEAR
At this point brown line was discerned
far to the right, marching around the track
to the parade ground. The next article on
the program was the pitching of shelter
tents, but this brown line was coming on,
and the word was quickly passed that the
"Spaniards' were in the neighborhood. No
one seemed much concerned, remembering
possibly, that in regular warfare little ac-
count had been made of such gentry. Never
theless. the company in brown Company c
in disguise, as it subsequently, proved
marched steadily around and deployed as
skirmishers in squads, with outposts, who
stretched themselves, some distance in front
of their companies, fiat ON the ground The
rest extended and assumed like recumbent
position on the extreme right, where they
remained, like typical Castilians, smoking
cigarettes and watching the next feature of
the program.
PITCHING SHELTER TENTS
This was an exhibition by the First bat
talon, Major +. c. Prescott, commanding.
of the operation of pitching shelter tents.
Marching in by columns of fours the bat
TALON stacked arms and took position in
column of platoons. The columns extended
by grasping hands, so as to place each SOL
dier at double arms length from his neigh
Dor, when the orders were quickly given to
break, unsling and pitch
On the instant the hands all over the field
nnclasped, the canvas rolls of tent cloth
were unslung from the shoulders of the
troopers, each man having half shelter tent
and then the scramble commenced.
Separating into couples, two men would
spread their pieces a tent cloth on the
ground, connect the two pieces, plunge
their bayonets into the ground, adjust the
extension poles of the tents and then the
sound of driving was heard all over the
field as the poles were erected preparatory
to drawing the tents over the hastily con.
structed frames
Sergeant Kercher and Private Arnold of
Company were the first to erect their
tent, being exactly two misutes in pitching
it. 1t was rare opportunity to study in
dividual peculiarities of temperament.
Some worked with swiftness, but coolly.
while others We're in a tremor of nervous
haste. All made rapid progress, but one
or two OF the tents were set up before the
stakes were fairly driven and tfmbled in
heap, necessitating a fresh attempt.
The officers were slower than the men,
Captain Sloat of Company X OF San Ber-
nardino being the last to get his tent
pitched, but reasonable celerity was eff
fected even by them, all the tents being up
in just four and half x,inutes from the
giving of the order, "ptch'
The bugler sounded the call to Quarters"
and every man dove under his canvas pro-
lection and not a soul was in sight of the
100 who moment before had made so busy
scene upon the field. Here and there the
toe of . boot protruded, presumably that
of some elongated individual who grew in
the alfalfa district where there is no limit
uL mems height and they keep on growing
till they quit of their own accord, and some
forgot to quit.
"Tattoo" was followed by "taps," which
mean flights out or Ego to Sleep" ac-
cording to whether soldier is in camp or
in the field, on barrack or campaign duty.
The buglar was the last to disappear
In few moments "reveille" was sounded,
and here and there the heads began to ap-
pear and the men began to crawl out The
first thing they usually did was to clinch
for "wrassle." All sorts of "horse fun"
was perpetrated, and the men rolled on the
ground for minute, this being the custom
ary thing on turning out in the morning
The general bugle call was sounded, and
the men began with eager zeal to take their
tents to pieces, and the click of the sticks
was heard as they rolled them up in the
flaps of canvas Private Harry Parsons of
Company B had his half up in one minute
He comes from San Diego and is as quick at
taking down a tent as the real estate men
of that city are in "doing up "tender-
foot" Major Prescott had on his gloves
and was at disadvantage. Tt took him two
minutes to roll up his half of tent cloth,
and then the battalion responded quickly