The National tribune., 1900-01-25
RESPECT FOR A RECRUIT.
Raw One Forced Lieutenant to Wade Across
a River at Night.
Chicaq0 Tribune.

Sometimes raw recruit will put up
with all sorts of abuse, and sometimes he
will wiggle and squirm and turn upon
his torment0r and make the tOrnentor
sorry. The tormentor in this instance was
a Lieutenant who did not like raw recruits.
He did not see why such pests should
ever be permitted to get into the army.
When they shot each other IN the foot, or
invariably fired a salute at guard mount
when the command open chambers and
ant rejoiced, because then he could de-
scend on them like storm out of the clouds
and fill their young lives with gloom.
1t was on the Calamba expedition, and
the dismounted cavalry regiment had been
alternately fighting and hiking all day.
First they would hike for while through
rice puddles and across bamboo jungles.
Then the enemy would bob up and they
would pause and fight. At night they
were tired. About three-fourths of the
command were raw recruits, and the day
had been a trying one on raw recruits.
At night they We're almost too tired to
lie down and sleep. and some would have
slept standing up if their friends had not
pushed them over, so that they lay upon
the ground. One of the recruits, the small
est and newest man in the regiment, had
been told off for post duty and sent to keep
watch on the edge of q river that flowed
some 600 yards away from the camp.
Across the river, somewhere in the dense
jungleS Of bamboo, were the insurgents,
and the outpost had to move quietly and
speak in whispers, so as not to become too
popular with the sharpshOoters hidden in
the mysterious blackneSS across the stream.
At . o'clock the officer Of the day came
around inspecting the outpost. The re-
cruit was sitting on the bank of the river
holding his feet straight out i'll front OF
him. The Corporal had told him that if
he sat with his feet held up he would not
40 r1a hrrC,,
holding out his feet that he did not sec
the Lieutenant who scorned raw recruits.
The recruit finally realized that the Off
Ger of the day had come up, and he arose,
clumsily enough, and tried to look as sol
dierly as the rest of the men. But the
officer of the day looked at the little boy
in the khaki soldier clothes with contempt.
Then he glanced across the river, and "A
happy idea struck him.
Sergeant" he said to the non-commis-
stoned officer at the outpost, you ought
to have man across the river. If they
come in on us there we could be forming
while they We're coming across, if we only
had man over there to give the alarm.
"Yes, sir, said tie Sergeant.
you go over there, said the Lieutenant
to the shivering little recruit. Get be-
hind the bushes and watch close If the
guguss start for us, fire once, anyhow.
Then you can drop over the bank and
come back to the outpost'-the Lieutenant
paused for moment and then concluded
-"maybe."
The little recruit shivered so that his
teeth ratified, and to hide his fear he merely
sal:tcd and hastily waded into the cold,
dark river, and across. The current was
swift and at one time the water came up
to his armpits, but he got safely over,
and then, alone in the enemy'S country, he
sat shivering through the night, trying
to make out the fantastic shapes that
lnp,naj in tho 1a rSp
About midnight he heard some one
walking along the beach on the American
side of the river He raised his rifle and
challenged Halt" The figure across the
river halted.
who's there?" asked the recruit.
"Officer OF the day." came back the re
sponse in the unmistakable voice of that
individual.
advance, officer of the day." COM
manded the recruit, with all the dignity
of n Brigadier-General ordering the for
nation Of his brigade. land be recognized"
'Oh, that's all right, my man" said
the officer of the day. Il can't advance
across this muddy river, you know. How
is everything over there?"
Advance, officer Of the day." came
be recognized" Then followed q peculiar
click, such as is; made when the safety
catch is throwa back so as 10 permit the
firing OF krag-.ioigcnsen rifle.
The officer of the day hesitated no longer.
He plunged into the cold water and wadcdI
across. He stepped into hole and went IN
over his head. He walked ashore so wet he
could have been wrung out by hand. The
recruit looked at him.
IT'S all right" he said, tossing his gun
70 port. Il recognize you. Everything is
quiet, sir"
Then he stood waiting FOR the officer of
the day. 10 empty n vial of wrath upon
his head. But nothing Of the kind hap