The Washington times., 1904-03-06

u - xSR9ZI element over the
4 sCNNfSSTU advent of a new
4 OK 81 @ bath of rockies
~ For a reason not
known at head
quarters. however wen understood at
Fort Niobrara. Nebraska, d Troop OF
the Nineteenth, was periodically In
need of a much larger draft OF recruits
than the other companies stationed at
. the post Explanatory in way, yet
apparently without special reason, was
the fact that each new draft assigned
TO this troop, was followed. within
thirty days or less. by a high percent
age of desertions, in numbers not to be
explained by the proximity of the gold
fields of the Black Hills or other ord
mary causes.
With rare exceptions. these assertions
were confined to the new recruits. IL
Lieutenant Denton, in command OF
Troop d, shared the ignorance of head
quarters. ne was either wilfully blind or
lacking in the curiosity and perspi-
natural to man.
Indeed, there were those outside OF
the Forty who thought him neither one
nor the other. What the Forty thought
but. then, private soldiers are sup
posed not TO think, or II they 90, TO
keep their thoughts to themselves. The
Forty understood this, and other things.
man might pass the rigorous ex-
animation of the most particular re-
- cruiting officer in the service, and yet
fail in that presided over by Brown,
.'top sergeant of the Forty Thieves.
The latter event was uniformly followed
by the delinquent's name being forward
ed to Washington with 'Deserter" at
tached. And, oddly ,'naugh, no one of
the many from d Troop who earned
this unenviable distinction was ever APP
pretended.
this, supplemented by a knowledge Of
the cause that the entire brotherhood
Of the Forty Thieves were engaged In
critically overlooking the eighteen re-
cruits who had arrived at Fort Mo
brara that morning.
A forlorn looking lot they were.
Drawn from city. country, mountain
and plain; esl-laborers, ex-farmers, eH-
sailors. ex-gentlemen. ex-all walks Of
life. representing no one knew what
romances or hitherto colorless lives
nondescript fish caught by Uncle Sans
K1uullE COlOItu mes. eoOliN lAch SOu6hN
the soldiers life for the sake of the ex-
element they hoped 10 find in 1t; others
were drawn to Il in the quest OF obliv-
ion. There were stolid looking Ger
mans. 1.-THE and muscular Irishmen. lank
mountaineers, uncouth farm boys,
swarthy Latins, white-faced metropol-
tans. standing in an awkward double
file, ready to be licked into shape by
grinds slowly, but grinds exceeding fine.
The fact that uniforms had been issued
to them at the Eastern station failed.
as clothes by themselves must always
fail in making the man. to give them
military appearance.
A civilian may put on regimentals and
be clothed. but only a soldier can wear
a uniform. Especial emphasis OF this
was given when Sergeant Brown, glanc-
ing I'D from the list In his hand, and
with an Intonation which is peculiar to
regular army sergeants, CALCULATED,
''Costigani"
The response came from the far emo
of the rear rank in a mild voice. al
most apologize in tone, II the owner
-Aof the name. while acknowledging pos
session. took no great pride in his iden-
tity. It would have taken a man OF
much greater self-asseTtion than Costi-
gan was master of to desire any atten-
ton. however slight, being called to a
figure that. or all its covering OF blue,
was as unsoldierly as only n new recruit
can be when the quartermaster's CLERK
has issued uniforms according to supply
rather than to the physical require
ments OF the men who are TO inhabit
them. Just why quartermasters clerks
should be universally devoid Of all idea
of sartorial fitness or the relation OF
men 10 clothes is one OF the unsolvca
mysteries Of the service.
Costigan. VINO could not have weighed
over I25 pounds, and measured a scant
five feet seven. was draped in a No. 4
blouse that hung Imply from its only
points OF contact, the shoulders; his legs
were swathed in trousers OF the same
number that would have had to button
on opposite hips were II not for strap
that was cinched about the numerous
pleats and folds around the mans
waist. while shoes. leggins and cap were
of like disproportionate dimensions, the
lower edge of the latter standing out
about Costigan's thin and pale face like
the rim Of candle snuffer. 1t was only
saved from extinguishing his eyes by
several editions OF Chicago newspapers
folded within the sweat band.
Most forlorn of that forlorn aggrega-
ton, both face and attitude speaking
OF detection and humility, he was an
unpromising material from which 10
construct a soldier as could possibly
be imagined. Why, thought Sergeant
Brown. CHANGING contemptuously at the
recruit, even a "doughboy'' company