The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1908-09-30

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 unlcashed 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 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 a larger and
more comprehensive rivalry, when one
fine morning the colonels 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 + 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 a consequence.
But this is not story of the loves
of two second lieutenants. Absorbing
as was the competition into which
these officers of e and F companies re-
srectively had entered, and ardent as
WIS the passion that inspired it.,
neither have more than an incidental
interest in this tale.
Une October morning the sentinel
in rear of officers line saw flames
bursting from the roof of the colonels
quarters.
"Fire, number three!" he yelled, at
the same time firing his rifle.
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 Z and F rushed out of the
them was Miss Wilckens, but which
one carried her, or whether neither
or both of them enjoyed this priv
lege, not even the colonel's 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 We're
ordered into the quarters to carry out
the colonel's belongings. With F
company rushed its second lieutenant.
A moment later he hurried forth bear.
ing a divan pillow under each arm,
and his eyes caught the second la,,
tenant of E company not only calmly
standing on the sidewalk with Miss
Wilckens, but actually wrapping hts
cape around her. A moment later
the girls pretty shoulders were GOV.
cred with another second lieuteuant'c
cape, and from that time on CEN
panies e and f worked without thel:
junior officers.
The cOloneIs quarters were old, aD
the Duny streams of water that were
thrown upon the blaze seemed hut to
double the anger of the flames. "te
little tongue OF fire on the roof grew
in spite of all effort to subdue it, TN
til the attics were seething lrass
Black clouds Of smoke poured from
the second story windows, and = regi
meDt of men stood by, anxious, will
ing, yet power'ess-Company f. and
Company f close to the building, each
longing for. first chance at anything
Among Miss Wilckens' possessions
was a maid, and just as the second
lieutenants of Companies E and +
simultaneously asked to be allowec tc
do something--anything Aer he
half Miss Wilckens suddenly ex
claimed:
ooh, where's Baker? Where's Bak
er?'
Miss Wilckens' maid!" chOrused
the second lieutenants.