The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-22
THE TOP" SERGEANT.



blanket and dragged his feet sleepily. The
sun was just appearing over the hill east OF
camp. beginning his daily battle with the
ping and cold over the camp.
'Bang!' spoke. the reveiile gun, and a
shrill artillery bugle began to scream, like
some new kind of shrapnel 81 can't get
'em up; / can't get 'em up" it said, and
as 1T died away the flap OF a tent was
thrown back and a disheveleG soldier sprang
out. his hair sticking out behind and his
leggins half laced. Rubbing his bleary eyes
with one hand and buttoning his blouse with
the other. he started down the company
street.
Outside here, you ~fellers!" he yelled,
passing from one tent to another, jerking
the guy ropes. 'Git a move on you! I'm
goin' to march a gang of you rockies to
the guardhouse. I'm tired monkeyin' with
you. Outsider
Then, as an unkempt soldier popped out
of his tent With no leggins on: go back
there, you, an git them leggins, an do it
quick. Hurry up now! I've told you about
fallin' in without leggins on. Fall in! Hur-
ry up there! Right dress! Dress back
there, Maloney. Button up that blouse,
Carter. Don't you never fall in ag'in with
your blouse unbuttoned. Head n eyes this
way! Up on the left! Back there in the
center! Donohue! Yes. you! You straight
en- up there; git that hump out'n yer back
an hor yer head up. Steady! Front! At
tentio-o-o-o-o-n to roll call! Answer, up
there, er I'll mark you absent. Next time
you yell like that, Fisher, I'll give you a
week in the kitchen. Stop that spittin' in
ranks! Hold them head n eyes to the
front! I'm talkin' to you! Don't you never
yell like that ag'in, Sawyer. r you go to the
euardhouse. Now. when mess call goes 1
don't want to hear no hoopin' an yellin'.
You act like wild men; you are wild men,
but I'll tame yous. Dismissed!
Fall in fer mess! Quit that crowdin',
Sellars; go an fall in at the end O. the
line. Bush, did you warsh yer face this
mornin'? No, you didn't, neither. Go an
warsh 1T. Go on! Sims, you go an warsh
them hans; you're sure the dirtiest Teller
ever I seen. Have you warshed them ears
since you enlisted? / doubt it. You fellers
got to keep clean. You amt in no coal
mine now; yer in the army. Cook, don't
put no grub in them plates Mess they're
clean. What's that? That's a big enuff
piece o. meat fer anybody. This kickin's
got to stop. You take what's give to yous
an be glad to git 1t. Cook, give that Teller
a bigger piece O. meat. 1 want you to dish
out tina stuff equal. You go comb that hair.
M~ulcahy, before you git any breakfast. 1t
looks like a last years bird nest. Go on!
Don't you talk back to me. Shut up!!
Outside, fer drill! Hurry up there! Fall
in! Right dress! Straighten up there. Don
ahue! Donahue! Hol' that head up! Cor
pol Shea, take Donahue an drill him in
the settin'-up exercises 'ntil he gifts that
hump out'n his back. Shut up an go on,
er you go to the guardhouse. 'FRONT.' Count
fours! Front an rear rank count together!
Count fours. What number are YOU, Skin
ner? Don't know. huh? Corpol Shea, take
this man along with Donahue an give 'em
a little double time, too. Stop that latin,
Seawright. Take Seawright, too, Corpol.
Right forward. tours right, march! Git
yer distance in that fourth four. Keep
them eyes to the 'front.' Files cover! Col
UNI right, march! Step! Step! Step! Git
step there! One, two, three, four; one,
two. three, four. Leeds, you bring that left
foot down when 1 say step. Step! Step!
Don't you know which yer left foot is? The
one on this side. Step! Step! Company,
halt! Leeds, you fall out. Sergeant Phil
lips, take Leeds an learn him to keep step.
Tie somethin' to his left laig. Some O. you
rockies can't keep step with yerselves. An
you fellers at was in the volunteers last
summer are the worst ones; you think you
know all about soldierin'. Company. at
tentio-o-o-o-n! Forward, march! III warm
yous I'D a little. Double time, march! Step!
Step! Step! Git that step! One, two: one
two. You'll run 'ntil you do. Step! Step!
Right front into line! March! Guide right!
Dress that line! Come out in the center!
Fours right, march,. Column right, march!
Quick time, march! On right into line,
march, Here, that second four don't want
to close UP. Company, halt! Dress to the
right without command. Head n eyes this
way! Front! At ease! Don't you light that
cigarette. Simpkins. What's the matter
with you. Bishop? Quit that scrappin'
there. Company, attentio-o-o-o-n! Spit that
tobacker out. Hogan. 1 don't want to ketch
nobody chewin' tobacker in ranks. Left
forward. four left! March! Git that fourty-
four-inch interval, there. Was that re-
CALL sergeant? Shut up. Smith; 1 didn't
ask you. Quit that latin. Double time,
march,! Step! Step! Step! Step! Fours
right, march! Company. halt! Right dress!
Hurry up. there! 'FRONT.'! Dismissed!
".well, what d'you want? Yes. you go on
guard, an you want to shine them shoes,
an shave. 1 amt goin' to ak no guard
detail out with whiskers all over 'em. Well,
What d'you want? No, you can't be excused
from drill. If you're sick go to the doctor.
II he won't give you nothin' you amt sick
then. You go on! Well? No, you can't go
to town! Seems to me you have lots Of re-
lations here. They'll have to come out
here. then, If they want to see you. Where
was you, Hawkins, at r~eveille? You git yer
fatigue clo'es on an report to my tent. Go
on! Don't you say another word er you go
to the guardhouse. You git them clo'es on,
an be quick about it. Fennessy, why amt
you in the kitchen? Sick, are you? You go
back to that kitchen an go to work. Go
on! Well, what d'you want? You go to
thunder! You can't bride me. Say, wait a
minnit. Well, If you're sick you nee'n' to
drill, / guess. All right; don't say nothin'.
Outside, here, fer retreat! Git them leg
gins on. Hurry up! Throw that cigarette
away, you, 1 want you fellers to quit that
howlin' when them trumpeters tries to
blow. Yous how like a pack o. coyotes,
an it's got to stop. Fall in! Right dress
Come up on the left! Briggs, draw that
belly In an hol yer head up! Front! At
tentio-o-o-o-n to roll call. h d'you
mean, Sankey? Quit that lookin' aroun'