St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-10-17

was some foundation for their claim,
the boasts ruff1ed the spirits of the
men of F company, because they also
laid claims to superiority.
One day a recruit came to F COM
pany. He was well-built fellow, and
it soon leaked out that he was fleet
of foot. F company took him out on
the prairie, measured off hundred
| yards, started him with a blank car
fridge, and timed him with the best
watch in the company. Then they
| danced back to the barracks and
laughed E company in the face. And
E company jeered back at them, and
sent F company challenge-the men
to run for all the money the two COM
| panies would draw on their next pay
| day This was more than F COM
pany had bargained for, but they had
confidence in their man, and the chal-
lenge was accepted.
The garrison never forgot that race.
Like unleashed hounds the two run
ners shot from the mark; not a breath
was drawn by either E company or F
company as the contestants tore down
| the track side by side. Then mighty
cheer went UP from E company as,
at the finish, their man forged ahead
and won by a yard! How they
screamed and Rugged each other! And
they carried Private Johnson back to
barracks; they thought too much of
him to allow him to walk.
The cinder track origin of. the feud
had been all but lost in larger and
more comprehensive rivalry, when one
fine morning the colone1s pretty niece
| arrived at the post for visit. Twenty
four hours after her arrival her heart,
hand, and dainty smile were all VIC
lently besieged by the respective
second lieutenants of companies E
and F.
And then the company fight found
fresh inspiration, and was waged for
all it was worth.
When the F company second lieu
tenant was allowed to take her sweet
ness to the first post hop following
her arrival, the hearts of the men who
slept on iron hunks in F company
were full of rejoicing.
When the second lieutenant of E
company stood highest in favor, E
company at once proceeded in a body
to the canteen as consequence.
But this is not a story of the loves
of two second lieutenants. Absorbing
as was the competition into which
these officers of E and companies re-
spectively had entered, and ardent as
was the passion that inspired it,
neither have more than an incidental
interest in this tale.
One October morning, the sentinel
in rear of officers line saw flames
bursting from the roof of the colonel's
quarters.
Fire, number three!" he yelled, at
the same time firing his rife.
The stiffness Of the autumnal morn
ing was gone. Bugles blew, the re-
veille gun was fired, soldiers tumbled
out of barracks, officers dropped their
cards or their babies The deserted
parade was at once alive with men and
Uttered with fire buckets, with hose
carts and with ladders.
The second lieutenants of COM
panies e and F rushed out of the
colorers house together. Between
them was Miss Wilckens, but which
one carried her, or whether neither
or both of them enjoyed this privi-
lege, not even the colonels cook could
tell. They left her reluctantly on the
sidewalk, and each, with a parting
look of undying love, fairly flew across
the parade to conduct his own COM
mand to the scene of danger. The
first sergeants met them half way
with the hastily formed companies,
and back again they madly raced to
the burning house, easily beating all
competitors in a dead heat for first
place.
In every well-conducted garrison
each company is assigned fire duty.
Some bring the ladders, others the
hose, and others, still, fire buckets.
For the latter duty were detailed
Companies E and F; but finding no
water for their buckets, they were
ordered into the quarters to carry out
the coloners belongings. With F
company rushed its second lieutenant.
A moment later he hurried forth bear
ing divan pillow under each arm,
and his eyes caught the second lieu
tenant of E company not only calmly
standing on the sidewalk with Miss
Wilckens, but actually wrapping his
cape around her. A moment later
the girls pretty shoulders were Gov
cred with another second lieutenant's
cape, and from that time on COM
panies E and F worked without their
junior officers.
The colonefs quarters were old, and
the puny streams of water that were
thrown upon the blaze seemed but to
double the anger o. the flames The
in spite of all effort to subdue it, I'M
til the attics were a seething mass.
Black clouds of smoke poured from
the second story windows, and a regi-
ment of men stood by, anxious. will
ing, yet poWerless-Company E and
Company F close to the building, each
longing for a first chance at anything.
Among Miss Wilckens possessions
was maid, and just as the second
lieutenants of Companies E and F
simultaneously asked to be allowed to
do something -anything-in her be
half, Miss Wilckens suddenly ex-
claimed