The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-22
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t AWar Office Secret I
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"XMALLINGFoD shoot?" said
w Sergt. Harding. "Of course

every day. Even you could shoot un-
der such--well, perhaps not you, for
you never know what you can't do un-
Al you try. Do | know the school of
musketry? l do know it--lock, stock,
barrel and cleaning rod, or, / should
say. in these Lee-Metford Gays, clear
ing rod, for the cleaning rods as dead
as Queen Anne or the pigtails for
which the Welsh fusileers still wear
the flash though the powder and
pomatum from which the flash 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 to see the rights of
all improvements in the army-in
men, in tools, in the handling of either.
They notice a new explosive or a new
drill movement, and if the horse
guards gave me a commission I reckon
they would notice that, aud 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, l remember when cordite
came out how one of the continental
war offices sent gunner officer over
here-they said to learn English. I
know the man at Woolwich who gave
him the cordite, and how much he got
for it. ! know the Englishman who
found the man at Woolwich who
would do the job. | know how much
more he got for it. But would |
breathe the name of that continental
power, to make international compli-
cations? Not me. | know better
what's due to my country. All which
leads up to this: When ! was at Hythe
qualifying for two guns and crown
over my three stripes there was a
great mystery about the Maxim; in
fact we who were undergoing instruc-
tion as instructors were never shown
the mechanism of the block. The in
structor of the Hythe staff used al
ways to take that out of the gun and
hold it behind him while he eX-
| planned the other parts. And that was
what made me curious to see the block.
was working very hard in the even
ings; v"t for my healths sake | had
to walk now and then into Folkstone
and along the Leas. And there | met
I a young foreign person, who told me
/ she was lady's maid. How did l
make her acquaintance? If you don't
know 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 I. Then, just to show her what
clever fellow l was, l began to give
her a full account of all the difficult
things we had to do. And, of course
among other things l spoke of the
machine guns.
"'Those are the horrid things that
go crk-crk-crk-crk, are they not :?
asked she, as she initiated perfectly
the venomous spit of the beasts.
"'That's it,
"'Tell me about them. think they
are wonderfully interesting. How well
educated a soldier has to be nowadays
to understand such things'
cts quite true that frst-class
certificate of education, which a ser
geant is now bound to have, is not got
for the asking Then / went on to
tell her of the mechanism of the
Maxim.
"'But the funniest thing about II al
is that they won't let us see the work.
of the block, although we are to quail
ify for musketry instructors
"'And of the most important par
of the gun you know nothing?'
"I have general idea
"'A man who is as clever as You IL
mechanics and mathematics ought t,
know all about it. should be curious
to know if i were you
II could easily find out al about /
IL cared to take the trouble
""Trouble! What is trouble to
scientific man? If were you | shoul'
think nothing of any little trouble
. Now, I will spur you for your owl
good and to advance you in the serv
ice. l am curious, for your sake, T.
know about this gun. I'll bet yo,
what you like you don't explain III
mechanism of the block to me With,
: a month. Your explanations max
/ even dry old figures interesting
} "'And can l name the stakes?'
"'Certainly.'
"A Kiss, then
"I can't bet you thatY
/. "'But i was TO name the stakes
n "'Oh, couldn't think of it,
"'Theres no need for you to thin
l.. of it, ma 'mselle. You've only to do Il
have your word, you know. If yo
are honorable
"'Sir!'
"'Then the bet is off?'
"'No, give you my word. 1t is al
MOVING But | will keen nv word