Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-09-09
IN UNDRESS UNIFORM,
H. H.
BY II. H. BENNETT.

up there; this is headquarters" said
the other sergeant.
Headquarters indeed. You can get
passed up there to go into the town and
get bath. You don't have to loaf
around in an atmosphere of coal dusc
all the time. And they have barrel
Of ice water in the camp"
What! Ice water! You don't mean
it?"
Eyes, l dol" grumbled Bob. "The
majors orderly told me so when he
came down here. He had bath yes
terday, a regular swim, with plenty
of water. We have to tramp a quar-
ter of a mile to get drinking water.
and not much of that! tried bathing
in one of these bitches. Stcc1 in a
wash basin to keep from sinking In
the mud. 1t wasn't success, and I've
got clean things in my knapsack, too.
By George, we always get the toughest
detail of the whole lott"
"Oh, quit your growling!"
''It's all very well for you. You're
not duty sergeant, and don't go on
guard"
mo; but have to stay here, and it's
Sergeant do this, that and the other
all day. Then there are the reports
and requisitions; and every time one
of You fellows wants to grumble you
come to me. Yesterday you wanted
to know why l did not give you coffee
after dinner!"
Il didn't! I just asked you If you
pynppta1 RI oil
the time. Say, we got fired on three
different times at the bridge last
night"
"Any one hurt?"
mo"
did you shoot any ope!"
Don't know. We fired back, but |
guess We didn't hit anything. Speer OF
Company H, night before last, shot a
man who tried to run the line; at
least, that is what Speer reported in
the morning; but l notice that Com
pany HIS eating fresh mutton, and the
commissary hasn't issued any, either
Why can't one of our fellows shoot
one of Speer's men? Lazy beggarsi"
Bob" said the other sergeant, I'm
dead broke, and my credit is not good
at the store over there. They don't
know me, and'
'They do know you." chuckled
Sergeant Bob.
Keep still AS l started to say,
have no money, and I'm tired of the
food myself. l want to buy some
crackers. Now if you have any cash,
and will get box of crackers, I'll tell
you where you can get bath, wash
your clothes, and feel like man and
brother once more"
Sergeant, the crackers are yours.
Where is that corner of paradise"
Hold on! Don't be in such a hurry.
You go up an persuade the commissary
sergeant to give you bar of that i'm
ported yellow soap, while l go and
use my influence with one of the hos
ptal corps to get couple of big tow
els"
Your influence! You've got about
as much influence as a lance-corporal
and that's nothing. Besides, l have
towel"
"So've /; but we want to do this
thing in style. Well take our blan-
kets for togas, and do the Roman SEN
ator while our duds are drying. And
my influence is all right, because the
big towels are hanging behind the hos
pital tent. and the fellows are at the
surgeons tent. hearing a lecture on
bones. Skip along after that soap.
now"
Where is this place you're talking
about?"
Robert, you pain me! Can't you
take it on trust? There is a we'll"
Yes, at home. And | wish l had a
barrel of water from it now"
Don't interrupt my eloquence.
There is a well. a deep well, with
clear, cold water. on hillside near
ruined log house. By that well is a
quarter section of hogshead, once
used for watering cattle, now convert
ed by my genius into bath-tub. A
big elm spreads its outrageous arms
over soft grass, where"
THAT will DO! I'm going for the
soap on rum" and Sergeant Bob
struggled into his blouse and de-
parted.
An HOuT ldJSE Two DlduhGl-uIdDcu
boys lay on the grass under the elm.
The camp was out of sight behind
shoulder of the hill. On fence near
by various garments were drying.
Flecks of sunlight struggled through
the leaves overhead. and made goll
and green patchwork OF the grass. A
barren corn-field, with last years
stalks cut close to the ground,
stretched away up the hill to fringe
Of bushes. the advance guard of the
forest. An old we'll, with a rotting
shed above a rough stone curb, was
near the tree. Against the well-shed
lea=3d two rifles. with bayonets, belts
and cartridge-boxes hung on the ram
rolls.
"Now this is luxury" said Sergeant
Bob; "bTt if that fat lieutenant of the
guard caught us outside of the lines,
we'd get into trouble"
This is worth it, isn't it? AS some
one said once Won cannot take aWay