The evening times., 1899-06-03
THE TANNING OF POLGLAZE.

do you remember Sergeant Polgiazc,
Cornish?" said Sergeant Harding, remin-
iscently. Cornish said nothing. For the
sergeant liked to tell his yarn. and his
elaborate leading up to his subjects was
never anything except pretence that the
stories were drawn out Of him. rather than
that they were. as was fact, il you touch
ed the right tap, poured out freely. And.
perhaps the tap did not matter mucn. For,
as on this occasion, II no one rose to the
SSi,. the tale came out just the same.
when we lay at Shornclitfe," went on
the sergeant, "Polglaze was senior SER
geant in Company /. He was fine chap.
l don't usually like these big soldiers. they
eat too much, they can't march, they go
over at the knees, and the only reasonable
use to be made of them is to lay them on
the ground in front OF shelter pits to stop
the bullets. And, considering the bullet
goes through forty eight inches Of clay.
they won't do for that with the Lee-Met-
ford. But Polglaze stood six feet four.
weighed twenty-five. and had no superiiu-
Gus fat on him. He was strong and well
made all in proportion to his height. And
when you do get man like that he ought
to make a good shot, for he can hold the
rifle by the upper band. and, with twenty
two solid stone behind it, the rifle ought
to be as steady as II you put the buttpiate
not against a mans shoulder, but against
st. MichaePs Mount. And. if there's a
wind from the right, he has only to blow
along the side of the barrel second be-
fore he holds his breath, and where's your
wind?
One night / was Cne CT the picket un-
der Sergeant PolglaZe. aud we we're slow
ly pacing through Sandsate. when we saw
Pengelly. who was busily engaged in tum-
bling into the gutter. Pick n up said
Polglaze. AN well take n back L guard
room Hocken and stopped to obey. but
Pengelly let out SO madly with his feet
that we drew back.
The mans crazy drunk said Pol
glaze Come. Pengelly. you'll only make
bad worse by carrying on these way. A
plain drunk is a thing which must over
take the best-meanin' man now an then.
But dun't, by resistin' the picket. turn
n into a discredit to 'eerself an the ID.
c. L. LID
Go t hell. gurgled Pengelly.
'All in good time. Come along. I
along quietly. Be good bwoy. an dun't
discredit the regiment before all these
Holy Bwoys an 'Strawboots.
..Pengelly never said a word but lay
where he had fallen.
Try again L pick n up said Pol
glaze.
we tried. He made my rose bleed. and
knocked Hocken into the wall By kick
ing him in the stomach.
'Us've given n a fair chance L come
quietly said Polglaze. Us can't let d.
C. l.. |. picket be laughin stock t other
regiments. Go an fall on n "One an
All an see ef zee can keep n quiet
''Hocken and l had had enough. The
others tried. For two minutes the arms
and legs were flying wildly, and no one
knew what was happening. At the end
OF the two minutes. the picket held of to
get its breath Pengelly was in his old
place in the gutter. Four of the picket were
on their backs in the road. All the rest
OF them were holding one part or other
Of them from their heads TO the ammuni-
tions, where they had been struck or
kicked Ihey were all cursing pengeily.
Give n frogs march, sergeant said
Trewent savagely.
I dun't like do!n' that said Polglaze,
to one OF our own. All be sorry tomor-
row for giyin' US so much trouble
An I'm sorry tonight. 'Tis well
'nough for you L talk. sergeant. You've
not been savaged by n. like US have
IL dun't' said Polglaze. mind takin'
my share of my knocks that be goin'.
Therefore l will now take my turn with
you rankers.' He walked up alongside
Pengelly.
Are zee comm quietly?'
'Pengelly's only answer was to aim
kick Polglaze simply sat upon Pengeily' 5
chest.
Now he said calmly. .efee bwoys
will come an take hes arms an laigs. per-
hars us'll get n back L barracks
They held Pengeliy firmly till PoIglaze
got up. Then the kicking began ever
again.
Fell never get n up to barracks
said Trewent. unless zee do give n frogs
march
lin afeared not. said Poglaze. 'Yet
dun't like ct
"Pengelly let out with arms legs and
teeth like raving madman.
Frogs march n said Poglaze reluc-
tantly
They frogs marched PengelIy UP the
hill to the guardrocm. He struggled a
good deal at first. but less and less as lime
went on. The picket was congratulating
itself on having taught him well me eded
lesson.
II think We might let n walk a Bit
said Polglaze. AS quiet now
Think what ct meant L get n, SER
geant.' said Trewent. Better keep n szfe
now US We got n
Perhaps you're right. But ! dun't Ike
these frogs march
''As they got to the guardroom Pengelly
ceased to struggle at all. They carried
him in and laid him on one of the wooden
beds. The sergeant Of the guard weat TO
look at him. while Polglaze sat down AMI
asked whether there was or was Eot any
beer.
The sergeant of the guard came over to
where he sat and said to him in whisper:
What do zee think 'ee've brought here
Folgaze?
Private Pengelly. l Company. drunk
wun't say 'nythin' bout resistin' the
picket. Look at n. 'Ee can see for 'e.self
what's matter thin
Ee've brought a corpse. Polgiaze,
said the sergeant of the guard
There was an inquest on Pengelly. and
Polglaze took all the blame on his own
shoulders. OF course he was responsible
for all that happened. Equally. of course.
the inquest eXonsrated him, for he had
taken no strong measure with Pengelly
until he was obliged to do so. Yet Pol
glaze was unhappy. He would have had a
natural regret about the matter had he
been smoking his pipe in the mess all the
time. and had some other sergeant been
on duty. But to think that he was the
cause Of Pengelly's death. of the disgrace
that had come on the regiment, of the
scorn of the Holy Boys and the Straw
boots. maddened him. He knew quite
well that, although he had been quite JUS
tilted in frogs marching Pengelly, il he
had consulted his own wishes and had not
been so anxious to follow. the opinion of
an irresponsible ranker. PengeIly would
still have been alive. With that on nis
mind Polglaze sat in the mess and drank
steadily from O'Clock in the afternoon till
g. He was trying to drown his grief; but
he could not do so. At o'clock he rose
from his seat and went to the sergeant at
the bar.
" Gimme boil whisky