The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
ROCKIES FIRST LESSON.
PRIVATE SEpENsPoT FLANKs SOME
NEW RECRUITS.

the Old Soldiers Prelude to n Drink.
The Sergeant at the big recruiting station on
Third avenue was upto his stripes in business.
A half dozen Corporals were questioning
would-be fighters for Uncle Sam and scribbling
their answers almost before made. Long SER
vice on general recruiting duty had made them
experts at Judging human nature. Up in one
corner OF the room a Corporal was putting a
rookie through his PAGES and asking questions
and answering them for him before the ratified
rookie could more than nod or shake his head.
The little room fairly clattsred with rapid-flre
interrogations.
Had Ats -no-drink-moderately-married
no." and by the time the applicants chin hit
or grazed his collar the answer was down.
A worried looking man marched in and up to
the Sergeant's desk. The Sergeant kept on
writing a letter at double time. The man waited
until he had put the flourish to the last word
and then said:
" want to enlist"
How old p asked the Sergeant.
"Thirty-four." said the man.
~ look thirty six" remarked the Sergeant
critically. How many wives have y'got?"
only one!' said the worried Hooking man.
taken of his guard.
Don't want yon.' said the Sergeant. dip
ping his pen and starting another letter. And
Sho -loOhlnk Hdu WcuU u lOOhlIlS
more detected than ever.
Aruddy-faced youth OF % or 80 came a min
ute later. The Sergeant wasn't so busy that
he didn't catch a glimpse Of him out of the cor
nsr Of his eye. But he wrote a sentence or two
more. before he Strengthened himself up look
ing stern and soldierly.
Hat of! he ordered. and then: DO you
know fractions Yesl Well. how much is
one-third and one-half added One-nfth. you
say! Guess againl Five-sixths. ELI Greet!
How'd you like the heavy artillery Think
you'd like 1t. Ell? Well. go and get q letter
from q reputable business man. saying that
you are all right. and come back
A shabby individual with a frayed collar
slouched in. An odor OF flve-cent whiskev pre-
again, but he found time at the end OF SEN
orders with hardly a Lifting II the eyelids Il
throw VIZ i sws AYR, rs sGs' off S, shat h Ssss!"ss Stand S ap!
know, eh2 We'll. don't bother to count on your
fingers. said to stand up,,straight! Had a
evan now! Gwan, i sayl"
scribbied Tor fully two minutes without inter-
appeared in the doorway. The Sergeant
c eh"r' With "i an air o a's dl ksh Hnd v sit mp in T fs
Topography Of Ireland was lined on the scanned,
Z ltutuIeS u lIt newcomer. ne WAS Tuluy
with health. and a tritle more erect than most
men OF his ,undisguised years, His Jaw was
square and his lips rested against each other
OF staying there and seldom. parted com
pany to make way for words. Otherwise
civilian. who had failed to put on flesh in the
iorties. At least. that is what he looked to the
the Sergeant had swung around in his chair,
and then marched up and stood erect and at
tentivsi hut not at attention. The Sergeant
looked MN I'M and dawn IlGt nnpn and AeEnI.
How many years servlceH'
"Twinty wan" said the newcomer. Then
charges"
The Sergeant stuck the envelope. unopened.
into Q pigeonhole and asked:
mat re.iment do you want to apply for"
An right. Make yourself at home. 1t will
Adlntant-General.'
The Sergeant resumed his writing. and Pri-
yate S"vrnspot. with seven days coming to him
nei9re ne expiEatio4 OF his rofnlistment pc
the rockies waiting room.
When ,Sevenspot marched in there were
thirty odd rockies and four or Aye old, sol
dicrs were planted in the contest corners and
easiest chairs and were busily doing and say
once They were telling their e]XpIoits' ffrii..
vate SsvensPot took the most COMFORTABLE
rookie got up from a better one for a moment
Sevenspot exchanged and said nothing. Then
he looked out OF a window that faced Third
and kcrt right on saying nothing for
four stra, ght hours.
so Mea n the rockies kept on saving, all
women at n church sowing circle. one rookie
had once thrashcI his .sch9olmast"r. who was
TSts iesf ia tai Ina and nI,s SO s, big that he had to BE-
teers SO hard that the poor %9ficer had turned
third told what the Ninety-something VoIun.
"%6s would Tn.d have naH lone if they hqa only REACHED
ball scars and told ali about them. Stories OF
4 lived yout 2n' t Sn9'h tbe for 6i i9%F lT Ws:, h ,o1a no Then N
once Killed two bears at one shot with a rife,
y this rriy9te Seyenspot seemed to wake w.
him he said in an undertone:
mSpaykin ny bears remoinds me"-
Inc ROCKIES became suddenly silent and Sew
Iv til tonne whin I we're stationed at
Fort loot. Sherman n. En- in idaho; which DO be mare tn
min surgeon called me eyes twinty- forty.
do be doctor talk for lppsideIi. I were
ba!rTicks t2r 'gar az bein' ehniIensed.
saf aay M | w'a1 9nt l WGtab I m5x bear ar up DO
seen in your service. Nfther march!n for may
Ife ,winty mile an, havin' no luck at ali at ali,
If. About forty, fate above tn ground there
a large hole in tn tree Thin thinks /.
| can't get q bearl'm thinkin' there do lie a
'lleepy coon thot's comm Sevensrot's way.
moind ye. III snow lay heavy on III
ground AMI knew that a benr would take to
! tree like that ownly as a last resort. for whole
! bear can climb a smooth tree av its big
'nough. 1t cant climb down. but must slide.
akin chances nv broken bones.
Raysonln, that way an feeling sure av a
'lcepy coon, | putt aside me rifle an climbed
h tree. Win ! raiehed tn hole j putt me
and y II an felt for H. coon. pwhat I were sure
lud no, bottom to tn hole. Thin. thinks i.
sure there do be more ways than wan av
amin, q redskin. .Av | cant get tn coon wild
ne lishts, | may wild me fate SO with that
higher an thin lowered mesiif fate
oremost into tn hole. hopin' to get tn slcepin'
m ALL,
M l were ownly hangin' to tn edge av til
lole by me finger nails. An thin. ay a sud
lint, me, hould broke, an | wint rattlin' an
rashin' down tn insoide av that tree for full
orthy fate. Shure. TIL hollow raiched clane to
h, ground. An. whln ! got there l found mo.
in tn compiny. not av a coon. but av two
ear cubs. I've been in some toight places.
'unkie. but shure thot were intoirely too snug a
I. There were no way to get out, an tn Old
no bear moight be due at amy minute.
..Shure.i we're Just Akin me thoughts to say
few Hail Marys whin tn hole UP tn tree
rev dark .loike. an l knew Mrs. Bear were
pmin' an TINT ~ uar tofpna = IL IN -