Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-07-10

"GOsh" were some of the expressions
that went up around that fire while the
men began their supper, some using
spoons instead of knives and forks.
Oftcnest heard, however, was, "This
Ycminds me of home" or Doesn't it re-
mind you of homer Had | ever be-
fore been asked to name our national
dish | would have hesitated between
pie and pork and beans, but since
that great evening | have believed that
I'm competitive contest the pancake
would receive more votes than beans
and pie combined, besides being pre-
eminent among Catables as "thC tie
that binds" n touch of nature" and
more of that sort of thing. As we ate
those cakes everybody began to talk
of home. Even big Pat Callahan be-
came so absorbed in home rCminis-
Cences that he forgot to curse the gov
crnment for not giving us butter to eat
on our cakes.
But nobody, no matter how full Of
home memories, stopped eating that he
might talk. The first issue disappeared
from the plates in n minute, and two
or three men who apparently hadn't
any homes to think of returned so fire.
Quently for more that we agreed to
form a circle each man to receive n
cake and some sugar as he passed the
cooks table. 1t was an odd spectacle,
apparently, TO men of other compa-
nies-that company of about so men
marching slowly in circle and eating
as they walked. But we were not at
all concerned about our appearance
just them. We were having private
man took the cake" Our officers
heard of it from their servants, and
the captain came down to look on.
won't you try one, captain?" asked
Hamilton, offering n clean plate and
fork. The captain accepted, tasted,
exclaimed "GraciousW and said no
more until he had finished the cake.
Then he remarked as he stepped into
a gap in the line:
"Just let me see how 1t feels to tramp
around in n circle little while"
He didn't lay aside his plate and
fork either, but twice took his turn
and cake--like the commonest of his
men, believing, evidently, that the PAN
cake, like love, levels all ranks. When
he departed, it was to bring the colonel
over to see the fun and also to see
company which was well fed. My
place in the circling line brought me
near enough to the two officers to hear
the captain tell the colonel how ad-
mirably Phil managed the company
commissarat A minute or two later
the couple passed through the line, and
the captain astonished us by saying:
Sergeant Hamilton, can you spare n
sample cake for the colonelW
Any other man in the company would
have felt awkward at coming face to
face with his colonel while holding a
pan greaser in one hand and n cake
turner in the other, but Hamilton sue
ceeded I'm throwing his implements in
to one hand and in saluting; then, with
another salute, he passed plate to
the colonel, and all the while he looked
rs manly and self possessed as If he
were 1ust entering one of SummertOn's
best parlors l did wish my cousin
May might see him Just then. A mo-
ment later l was glad for Brainard's
sake that she couldn't The colonel
went through the motions of tasting
the cake. 1t would have been undig-
nified for him to eat all Of it, though
every man knew he was dying to. Then
In his clearest dress parade voice he
said:
Sergeant Hamilton, will make you
lieutenant as soon as q vacancy oc-
ours. a man who knows how to feed
soldiers well has in him the stuff Of
which good officers are made"
Hamilton again saluted, but with the
air of a man to whom lieutenancies
were offered daily. The remainder Of