Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-10-01

80 S1S
plications that were to follow. For a
long time Johnson had been the fleet
est man in the garrison, and e COM
pany had gloried in his powers. They
boosted about him; they smiled indul-
gently when a man of another COM
pany was spoken Of as a runner. They
said that E company was the best
company in the regiment; and as there
was some foundation for their claim,
the boasts ruffled 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 q well-built fellow, and
it soon leaked out that he was feet
of foot. F company took him out on
the prairie, measured off a 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
& company jeered back at them, and
sent F company a 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 lever forgot that race.
Like unleashed hounds the two run
,ore phnt frOrn tho mani. nnt n hrnath
was drawn by either e company or F
company as the contestants tore down
the track side by side. Then a 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 a larger and
more comprehensive rivalry, when one
fine morning the c%olonel's pretty niece
arrived at the post for a visit. Twenty
four hours after her arrival her heart,
hand, and dainty smile were all vio-
lently besieged by the respective
second ~lieutenants of companies E
and f.
And then the company fight found
a 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 a story of the loves
of two second ~lieutenants. Absorbing
as was the competition into which
these officers of E and F 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 colonels
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 theil
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 l%ieutenants of com
panies Il and + rushed out of the
colonels house together. Between
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 coult
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 tt
the burning house, easily beating al
competitors in a dead heat for frs
place.
In every well-conducted garrison
each company is assigned a fire duty
Some bring the ladders, others thu
hose, and others, still, fire buckets
For the latter duty were detailed
Companies E and F; but finding nj
water for their buckets, they wer'
ordered into the quarters to carry GU
the %colonel's belongings. With !
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 lieu
tenant of e company not only calml.
standing on the sidewalk with Mis-
Wilckens, but actually wrapping hi
cape around her. A moment late
the girls pretty shoulders were GOV
cred with another second lieutenant
cape, and from that time on CON
panies E and + worked without thei
junior officers.
The %colonels quarters were old, an,
the puny streams Of water that wer
thrown upon the blaze seemed but t
double the anger of the flames. TIL
little tongue Of fire on the roof grey
in spite of all effort to subdue it, ur
til the attics were a s%eething mass
Black clouds of smoke poured fror
the second story windows, and a reg
ment Of men stood by, anxious, will
ing, vet powerless-Company Il an,