The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-06-27
THE TANNING OF POLGLAZE|
|0 @S

the sergeant liked TO tell his yarn, and
his elaborate leading up To his subject
was never anything except pretense
that his stories were drawn out Of him,
rather than that they were, as was
the fact. If you touched the right tap,
poured out freely. And, perhaps, the
tap did not matter very r1uch. For,
as on this occasion, If no one rose to
the bait. the tale came out just the
same.
When we lay at Shorncliffe," went
on the sergeant. "Palgraze was senior
sergeant I'm / Company. lie was a fine
chap l don't usuillly like these big
soldiers. They eat too much, they
can't march, they go over at the knees.
and the only reasonable use made OF
them IL to lay dhem on the ground Gn
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 stone. and had no
superfluous fat on him. He was strong
and well made. all In proportion 10
his weight. And when you do get a
man like that he ought to make good
shot. for he can hold the rifle by the
upper band, and, with twenty-five solid
stone behind IL, the rifle ought 10 be az
steady as IL you put the buttplate. no.
against "A mans shoulder, but against
81. Michaers Mount. And, II there's a
wind from the right he has only To
blow along the side of the barrel a
second before he holds his breAh and
where's your wind2
"One night L was one OF the picket
under Sergeant Polglaze and we were
slowly pacing through Sandgate, when
we saw Pengelly, who was busily en-
gagged in tumbling into the gutter
Pick n up and Polglaze an Wen
take n back Z 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 overtake the best-rneanin man
now an then. But dun't by resistin'
the picket, turn IN into a discredit to
'eeself an the ID. c. l.. t.
Go Z hell gurgled Pengelly.
'All i'm good time. Come along.
dun't mind III cursin ef 'eell only
come along quietly. BE a good bwoy,
an dunt dtscredit the regiment before
all thes Holy Bwoys an Strawboots.'
"Pengelly never said a word but lay
where he had fallen.
Try again { pick n up said Pol
glaze
We tried. He made my nose bleed.
and knocked Hocken into the wall ty
kicking him in the stomach.
Us We given N a fair chance L
come quietly sad Polglaze. Us can't
let u. G. l.. l. picket be laughin' stock L
other eg'ments. Go an fall on N "One
and AL an see eff ZEE can keep n
quiet.
"Hocken and had had enough. The
others tried. For two minutes the arms
and legs were flying wildly, and no
one knew what was happening. At tho
end of the two minutes the picket held
off to get it's breath. Pengelly was in his
old place in the gutter Four of the
pickets were on Their backs I'm the road
All the rest OF them were holding one
part or other of them from their heads
TO the ammunitions. where they had
been struck or kicked. They were all
cursing Pengelly.
"'Give n frogs march, sergeant
said Trewent, savagely.
dunt Ike dom that, said Pol
glaze. TO one of our own. AN be sor-
~ tomorrow for glvini us so much
trouble
AN I'm sorry tonight. 'Tis well
'nough for you t talk. sergeant. You've
not been savaged by n. like us have.
i dun't,' said Polglaze. mind TAX
In my share of ny knocks that be
goin. Therefore. / viii now take my
turn with you rankers.' He walked up
alongside Pengclly.
Are 'ee comm quetly?"
Pengelly's only answer was to aim
kick. Polglaze simply sat upon Pen
gellys chest.
Now he said, calmly. 'ef ee bwoys
VIII come an take hes arms an laigs.
perhaps us'll get N back { barracks"
al d..
glaze got up. Then the kicking begen
over again.
Eel never get n up to barracks
said Trewent. unless zee do give N
frogs march,
I'm afeared not" said PolgIaze.
Yet dunt like et.
Pengelly let out with arms, legs and
teeth like raving madman.
Frogs march n sac PoIglaze. re-
tuctantly.
They frogs marched Pengelly uu
the hill To the guardroom. He strug-
gled good deal at first. but less and
less as time Went on. The picket was
congratulating itself on having taught
him a well-needed lesson
think we might let n walk bit
said Polglaze, AS quiet now"
Ihlnk what ct meant { get n SER
geant,' said Trewent. Better keep N
safe now us we got m
'IHdpS YOU re flRnt. But 1 don't
like these frogs march,
AS they got 60 the guard room, Pen
gelly ceased 20 struggle at all Thew
carried him I'm, and laid him on one cf
the wooden beds. The sergeant of the
guard went to- look at him, while Pol
glaze sat down, and asked whether
there was or was not any beer.
The sergeant OF the guard came over
- where he sat. and said To him I'm q
whisper:
What do'ee think 'ee've brought
here, PolglazeT
Private Pengelly. company drunk.
] wun't say 'nything bout resisting tho
picket. Look AT n. Ec can see for
'eeself what's the matter thin.
'Ee've broukht n corpse. Polglaze"
and Polglaze took all the blame on his
own shoulders. or course. he was re-
sponslble for all that happened. Equal.
ly. OF course. the inquest exonerated
him, for he had taken no strong meas.
ure with Pengelly until he was obliged
90 do so. Yet Polglaze was unhappy "a,
would have had n natural regret about
the matter had he been smoking his
pipe In tho mess all the time and had