Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-10-25
THEY TAKE BIG CHANCES.

Some Experiences of Deserters From the
Army and Navy.
From the Washington Star.
"Deserters from the army and navy
occasionally stack up against some
queer experiences when they re-enlist
as good many deserters do," said q
Washington man who had served in
both outfits. "When I entered the
army for the second ive-year stretch
about 20 years ago, I took on al
Davis Island, N. Y, then the big
eastern recruiting station. l was
assigned, as is the usual custom, to a
company of recruits, and they made
me sergeant until they decided to
what post to send me. Among the
rockies in my company was good
looking chap named Devine. He was
every inch soldier. 1 knew that he
had been a soldier. So did all the
old-timers who sized Devine up. 1t
made me feel foolish when l took
Devine out with lot of the rockies
for an awkward-squad drill. He tried
with all the skill he had to act like 6
man who had never seen gun before
in his life but felt all the time thai
Devine was just laughing at me. One
day, in the middle Of the manual drill
I gave a somewhat unusual order-ar
order that recruits wouldn't be sup
posed to know anything about-jus'
for the sake of trying to find out
Devine. caught him unawares and
he made the first movement toward
executing the order. Then he tumbled
to himself, gave me sly wink out Of
the corner Of his eye, and relapsed
into assumed clumsiness. When the
drill was over l happened TO run into
Devine outside the company quarters
"'You are an old swaddie,' said 1.
"'Forget it, said Devine.
"'Ain't you afraid they'll nail you :?
1 asked him.
"It's me that's is taking the chance,
said Devine.
"Well, after the couple of months al
David's Island, I got my orders. |
was to join an infantry regiment al
Fort Assiniboine, Montana, and take
charge of large batch of recruits
assigned to the same outfit. The whole
batch got their orders simultaneously
with me. Among the batch was
Deyine. ran into him at the canteen
about half an hour after we got oul
orders.
"'Say,' said Devine, Il don't know
whether TO duck or not
"'For why y?' asked him.
"'There's a captain out there al
Assiniboine that knows me- said
Devine. Il was in his outfit when
jumped. And l was sergeant, al
that. He's pretty square old geeser
and I soldiered up to the handle as
long as l was with him but all the
same, I'm afraid he'll land me if l gc
out there
"'It's you that's taking the chance,
said 1. IF he's square officer, all
right and proper, maybe he won't
know you
"'I'll take the Odds said Devine.
"Well, we went out to Assiniboine
and when we lined up in front o.
headquarters OIL the morning we got
in, who should be officer of the day
but this captain Devine had served
with when he jumped. The captain
didn't see Devine until, in calling the
roll of the newly arrived recruits
he scanned the countenances of the
men. was watching for him to pipe
off Devine. AS soon as he clapped
eyes on Devine, saw him give the
slightest possible start-Devine was
standing like a statue and looking 1C
PAGES ahead-and then he went on
calling the roll. 1 knew he had got
next to Devine.
"'Devine will fall out said the
captain, when we were about to be
ordered to march to the quarters, and
1 said to myself: 'Devine, you'll dc
your little three years at Fort Leaven.
worth for mortal cinch.' About 1C
minutes later Devine came strolling
into quarters. l nodded him over into
corner bunk.
"'How do you happen to be loose P
I asked him.
"I told you he was a square old
geeser,' said Devine. He said to me
"s"Your names Devine, you say ?'
"'"The same," said l, giving him a
No. 4 salute, and holding my face as
If I'd never clapped an eye on him.
""And you never saw me before,
did you, Devine ?" said he.'
""I've got bum memory, SIR
said L.
"'"Um-you never saw me before,
Devine," said he.' ''I'm certain ol
that. Um-very well. Now 90 to
your quarters. And if the idea should
ever enter your head TO desert, Devine,
why-well, 60 to your quarters.
"Devine did his five years, and he
was sergeant-major of the regiment
when he got his honorable discharge.
But he surely did take a chance on a
flat term at Fort Leavenworth when
he went to Fort Assiniboine.
"Deserters from the navy take long
chances, too, once in a while. / was
down in Honolulu harbor on my last
ship. There was II coal passer from
San Francisco named White in the
black gang. He was dissatisfied and
he got TO be u seu lawyer quicker than
any man l ever was shipmate with