Abilene weekly reflector., 1901-08-01
Thief and a RObber.

This happened years ago, when
there was no war to hurry promotion
and to cause raw boys to be hustled
out to Africa, with commissions. to
lead seasoned soldiers, after a train
ing or two in the militia or yeoman-
ry. or a few months at Sandhurst.
There were limited vacancies and
plenty Of competition, while the in
yention of rules of thumb for the se>
lection of fit soldiers to serve Her Ma
jesty afforded scope for the ingenuity
Of examiners and saved trouble.
TITS no bally use, Tommy; | prac-
tIcally cant see a thing with my left"
The Hon. Harold de llochepied JOS
ynghamo had been looking at a card
covered with black lines and spots,
arranged in various groups and coz
hgurations; he had held it at all sorts
Of distances from his face and at
all sorts Of angles, and had closed his
right eye as he did so. He added a
word not taught by army examiners
at least not in their curriculun--
nd spun the card across the room
where 1t fell at the feet of Tom Smith
who looked at 1t without interest and
ghed.
Il am awfully sorry, old chap" said
his bosom friend, in a tone tha, lard.
y seemed to convey quite all The
,ympathy friends tone should He
must have been conscious of it, for he
,dded apologetically: SIN awfully
sorry, you know, but I'm in the SAME
box. There's no help TO; it, we ,an
| rass the beastly exam. We could have
passed into Sandhurst six months
ago straight from school as far as thu
work goes, but we've got to pass the
medical in less than six hours from
now, and we cant either OF us do 1t,
that's all, We can't"
It's harder on me than YOU" Tht
Hon Harold Josypghame looked OF
The point Of tears; after all. II he wa
.ix feet high he was practically {
hoy and, If you took into considera
tlon the De Hochepied interest at tn,
Horse Guards, had career befor,
him. 81 could see with both eyes
"ear ago, but YOU have always been
QCabby little beggar,"
Mr.. Thomas Smith walked to tn,
window and looked out moodly O,
PiCcadllly, They were in the smoking
oom of a club that gathers in man,
Dung men of bameless records an,
public school education. and vel
comes them with open arms If thei
athletic repute has arrived befor
them. They had breakfast early an
had the room to themselves.
Dunno said Tommy Smith, still
| Inclined to be unsympathetic a
YOU will take on a coal HEAVIER, yol
can't be surprised that he plugs vo
In the eye, OF course, It's deuced ba
luck II the injury turns out perma
nent, but you shouldn't have done T..
"The brute was licking woman,
'etorted the Hon. Harold Josynghamt
and you'd have done the same"
"Of course | should, but. then.
am to short for the army by a goo
quarter Of an inch, I've never bee
licked yet, and II | had got under hi
guard"
Then his wife would have fetche
A fire shovel and taken you in tn
rear, as she did me, the ungratefl
beastl No, Tommy, you're as har
as nails and as strong as a bull an
have thick head, but you'd hay
been done, too"
mo good arguing about IT," eal
Tommy, still downcast, and added
:. thought you couldn't draw the weigh
sither Too light for your heigh
. eh?"
! "Ob, settled that all right sal
/, his friend. ~ left off riding for thrt
|. months. and took to a fattening die
j I've put on nearly a stone. I'm not
/. hard as | was. Of course, but | sha
! satisfy the regulations as far
weight goes"
Did II hurt much at the timer
"The eye? Pretty well; but WI
; 50 sore all over | hardly knew. an
Rot" said Mr.. Josynghame. al