Morris tribune., 1899-06-24

again.
"Beg your pardon, sir. Can't we sa.
nothin in our own defense, sir? shrill
ed Jakin.
"Heyl Whatf Are you going t.
argue with me?' said the colonel
mo, sir, said Lew "But if mar
come to you, sir, an said he was goir
to report you, SIR, for avin bit of 6
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.
THAT was what that measly jarnwal
there did, sir, an ed "a done it, sir,
if we admit prevented i'm. We didn't
it i'm much, sir. E admit no, manner
o. right to interfere with US, sir.
don't mind bein fiogged 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 of laughter shook 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 oficial-the only
soul in the regiment whom the boys
feared-''they do everything but lie,
sir
lis it like we'd GO for that man for
fun, sir?' said Lew, pointing to the
plaintiff
"Oh, Observation-Disclosures!
said the colonel testify, and when the
boys had gone he read the bazaar ser
geant's son a lecture on the sin of IN
profitable meddling and gave orders
that the bandmaster. should keep the
drums in better discipline.
eff either Of you comes to practice
again with so much as a scratch on
your two ugly little faces, Numbered
the bandmaster, ''I'n 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 a 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
ly was musician and had often in
his more exalted moments expressed a
yearning to master every instrument
of the band
There's nothing to prevent your be-
coming a bandmaster, 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 | 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 wet e would say. When I've put
in my boys service-it's a bloomin
shame that don't count for pension
I'll take on privit Then I'll be a
lance in a year-knowin what l know
about the ms an outs O. things. In three
years III be a bloomin sergeant. |
won't marry then, not l. I'll old on
an learn the Off GERS ways an apply
for exchange into a reg ment that
doesn t know all about me. Then III be
bloomin Off Ger Then I'll ask you to
ave a glass O sherry wine, Mr.. Lew,
an you II bloomin well ave to stay in
the hanty room while the mess sergeant
brings it to your dirty 'ands.
IS pose I'm goin to be bandmas
ter? Not I, quite. I'll be d OFF Ger too
There nothin like takin to a thing
an stickin to it, the schoolmaster says.
The reg ment don go ONE for another
seven years I'll be lance then or
near &c.
Thus the boys discussed their futures
and conducted themselves with exem-
plary piety for a week That is to say,
Lew started a Irritation with the color
sergeant's daughter, aged 13-"not,
as he explained to Jakin. with any in
tentiOn O matrimony, but by way
keepin my and in - And the black
haired Girls Delighan enjoyed that firta-
ton more than previous ones, and the
other drummer boys ragged fdriously to-
gether, and Jakin preached sermons on
the dangers of ''bein tangled along 0
pettic0ats
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 1.-THE
war Of the lost tribes.
The barracks had the rUmOr almost
before the messroom, and Of all the 900
men in barracks not 10 had seen a 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
formally blessed by an archbishop in