The Afro-American advance., 1900-11-03
/ A War Office Secret


"
wv Sergt. Harding. "of course
be can. 4 man on the staf at Hythe
has a rife in his hand all day and
every day. Even you could shoot un-
der such-well, perhaps NIT you, for
you never know what you can't do un-
I'll you try. DO know the school Of
musketry? | do know it--iock, stock.
barrel and cleaning rod. or, I should
say. in these Lee-Metford Lays. clear
ing rod. for the cleaning rods as dead
a. Queen Anne or the pigtails for
which the Welsh fusileers stHl wear
the Hash though the powder and
pomatum from which the Rash pro.
tected the coatee has been gone for
the best part OF century.
''Now. you all know why foreign
military attaches are in England.
They are here 10 see the rights of
all improvements In the ermy-in
men. In tools. in the handling OF either.
They notice q new explosive or n new
drill movement, and IL the horse
guards gave me a commission reckon
they would notice that. and would tell
their respective war Offices that they
had better look out now. Our mill.
tary attaches are abroad for the same
purpose. They're just spies in peace
time. Why, | remember when eordlte
came out how one of the continental
war ofiices sent . gunner officer over
here--they said to learn English. I
know the man at woolwlch who gave
him the cordlte. and how much he got
for II. l know the Englishman who
found the man at Woolwleh who
would do the Job. know how much
more he got for II. But would
breathe the name Of that continental
power. 20 make international eompii-
eations9 Not me. I know better
what's due TO my country. All which
leads up TO this: when ! was at Hythe
qualifying for two guns and q crown
over my three stripes there was q
great mystery about the Maxim; In
fact. We who were undergoing instruc-
tlon as instructors were never shown
the mechanism Of the block. The i'm
structor Of the Hythe stan used al
ways TO take that out of the gun and
hold Il behind him while he ex-
planned the other parts. Ard that was
what made me curious to see the block.
l was working very hard In the even
ings. - for my heaith's sake had
to walk now and then into Folkstone
and along the LeaA. And there met
. young foreign person. who told me
abe was a lady's maid How did I
make her aequaintance7 II you don't
know n simple little thing like that.
you ought to. We learn in the army
the art Of mixing gracefully In female
society. And the young foreign per-
son. who spoke English beautifully.
said TO me one evening as we were
sitting In quiet spot away from 9th.
er people and from gas lamps;
"I do love TO hear about all that
concerns you, Tell me all about what
you do at the school OF musketry.'
"'oh. it's all very simple, ma 'mselle.
said !. Then, Just 60 show her what
clever fellow was. began TO give
her n full account of all the difiieult
things we had to do. And. Of course.
among other things spoke OF the
machine guns.
"'Those are the hsrrid things that
go crk.erk-crk.crk. are they not p
asked she. as she initiated perfectly
the venomous spit Of the beastL
"'That's it.
""rell me about them. think they
are wonderfully interesting. How we'll
educated a soldier has to be nowadays
10 understand such thingsl'
"'It's quite true that hrst.elass
certificate Of education. which a ser
geant Ia now bound TO have. 10 no, got
for the asking Then I went on 10
tell her Of the mechanism Of the
Maxim.
~'But the funniest thing about Il all
Ia that they won't let us see the works
Of the block. although We are 10 quail.
ity for musketry instruction.
"'And of the most important part
Of the gun you know nothingr
al have y general idea
"A man who Is "a clever as you Ia
mechanics and mathematics ought to
know all about e. should be curious
TO know II were you.'
"'T could easily fnd out a.. about II
II cared 10 take the trouble
Trouble, What Is trouble 10 q
scientific mans II were you should
think nothing Of any little trouble.
New. ! will spur you for your own
good and to advance you in the ssrv.
Ice. ! am curious. for your sake. to
know about this gun. III Be-. you
what you like you don't explain the
mechanism Of the block TO me witAin
. month. Your explanations make
even dry old hgarea intsresilne.'
"'And can l name the Etake4g
Certalnly'
"a siss. thea
can't bel yoa thatT
Hut I was TO name the stakes