The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-07-05
rgue with me?' said the colonel.

=
"No, sir, said Lew. "But if man
come to you, sir, an said he was goin
to report you, sir, for 'avin bit of a
turn up with friend, sir, an wanted
to get money out O. you, sir
The orderly room exploded in roar
Of laughter. "Well?" said the colonel.
s'That was what that measly jarnwar
| there did, sir, an ed "a done 1t, sir,
if we 'adn't prevented i'm. We didn't
1T i'm much. sir E 'adn't no manner
O. right to interfere with us, sir. I
don't mind bein hogged by the drum
major, sir, nor yet reported by any
corp'ral, but I'm-but I don't think
it's fair, sir, for a civilian to come an
talk over man in the army. -
A second shout CT laughter shock the
orderly room, but the colonel was grave.
"What sort of characters have these
boys?' he asked of the regimental SER
geant major.
"Accordin to the bandmaster, sir, -
returned that revered ofdcial-the only
soul in the regiment whom the boys
feared-''they do everything but lie,
sir
"Is it like we'd go for that man for
fun, sir?'' said Lew. pointing to the
plaintiff.
cob, Observation-Disclosures
said the colonel testify, and when the
boys had gone he read the bazaar ser
| oeant's son a lecture on the sin of I'M
profitable meddiing and gave orders
that the bandmaster should keep the
drums in better discipline.
eff eithes Of You comes to practice
again with so much as scratch on
your two ugly little faces, - thundered
the bandmaster, "I'll tell the drum
major to take the skin off your backs
Understand that, you young devils. -
Then he repented of his speech for
just the length of time that Lew, look
ing like seraph in red worsted embel-
lishments, took the place Of one of the
trumpets-in hospital-and rendered
the echo of battle piece. Lew certain
" was a musician and had often in
his more exalted moments expressed a
yearning to master every instrument
of the band.
ssThere's nothing % prevent your be-
coming a bandmasuer, Lew, said the
bandmaster, who had composed waltzes
of his own and worked day and night
in the interests Of the band.
"What did he say?" demanded Jakin
after practice.
"Said I might be bloomin band
master an be asked in to ave glass O
sherry wine on mess nights.
"Ho! Said you might be bloomin
noncombatant, did e? That's just
about wct e would say. When I've put
in my boys seryice-it's a bloomin
shame that don't count for pension
I'll take on a privit. Then I'll be a
lance in a year-knowin what know
about the ins an outs O. things. In three
years III be a bloomin sergeant. 1
won't marry then, not l. I'll old on
an learn the orf'cers ways an apply
for exchange into a regiment that
doesn t know all about me. Then I'll be
bloomin OFF Ger. Then I'll ask you to
ave a glass O. sherry wine, Mr.. Lew,
an you'll bloomin well ave to stay In
the hanty room while the mess sergeant
brings it to your dirty 'ands-''
'.S'pose I'm goin to be bandmas-
ter? Not I, quite. I'll he orf'ce too.
There's nothin like takin to thing
an stickin to it, the schoolmaster says.
the reg ment don go 'ome for another
seven years. III be lance then or
near tc. %
Thus the boys discussed their futures
and conducted themselves with exem-
plary piety for week. That is to say,
Lew started Irritation with the color
sergeant's daughser. aged 13-"not,
as he explained to Jakin, with any in
tention O. matrimony, but by way O
keepin my and in." And the black
haired Girls Delighan enjoyed that hirta-
ton more than previous ones, and the
other drummer boys ragged furiously to-
gether, and Jakin preached sermons on
the dangers of "bein tangled along O.
petticoats.
But neither love nor virtue would
have held Lew long in the paths Of pro-
priety had not the rumor gone abroad
that the regiment was to be sent on ac-
tive service to take part in a war which
for the sake Of brevity we will call 'the
war of the lost tribes. F"
The barracks had the rumor almost
before the messroom, and Of all the 900
men in barracks not 10 had seen shot
fred in anger. The colonel had 20 years
ago assisted at a frontier expedition,
one of the majors had seen service at
the Cape, a confirmed deserter in E
company had helped to clear streets in
Ireland, but that was all The regi-
ment had been put by for many years.
The overwhelming mass of its rank and
file had from three to four years serv-
ice, the noncommissioned officers were
under 80 years old, and men and SER
geants alike had forgotten to speak OF
the stories written in brief upon the
colors-the new colors that had been
L