The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-26
The COr77-
pany Feud
BY VIM. n. Wassen, d. S. A.

When Private Murphy of + com
pany was backed mp by his followers
TO race with Private Johnson of f. |
company, no one dreamed of the com
plications that were to follow. For q |
long time Johnson had been the fleet |
est man in the garrison, and + com.
pany had gloried In his powers. They
boasted about him; they smiled indul. |
gently when man of another com
pany was spoken of as runner. They
said that II company was the best
company in The regiment; and as there
was some foundation for their claim,
the boasts ruhled the spirits of the
men of f company, because they also
laid claims to superiority.
One day recruit came to + com
pany. He was a well-built fellow, and
Il soon leaked ont that he was feet
of foot. + company took him out on
the prairie. measured of a hundred
yards, started him with a blank car.
fridge, and timed him with the beSt
watch Ia the company. Then they
danced back to the barracks and
laughed Il company i'm the face And
Il company jeered back at them, and
sent + 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 II 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 rum
ners shot from the mark: not a breath
| was drawn by either T. company or Il
company as the contestants tore down
| tho track side by side Then o mighty
cheer went up from II company as,
| at the finish, their man forged ahead
+, and won by yard! How they
screamed and hugged each other! And
they carried Private Johnson back to
barracks; they thought too much of
him to allow him to walk.
+ company paid their bets like mon.
but they remembered their old score
and lived in the hope of settling It,
for company pride Is not TO be laid
low without thought of the morrow
Day by day + company racked its
brains to get ahead of Il company, but
+ company was always on the alert.
The spirit of rivalry soon spread up
ward and entered the hearts OF the
respective captains and first lieuten.
ants OF the two companies.
The cinder track origin of the feud
had been all but lost In larger and
more comprehensive rivalry, when one
fine morning the colonel's 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 Il
andsF.
/ And then the company fight found
J a fresh inspiration, and was waged for
all II was. worth.
When the T. 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 II
company stood highest in favor, +
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 Il and + companies re,
! spectively had entered, and ardent as
{ was the passion that inspired It,
c neither have more than an incidental
I interest In this tale.
One October morning, the sentinel
in rear Of officers line saw flames
d quarters.
6 Fire, number thrce!" he yelled, al
the same time firing his rife.
a The stiffness of the autumnal morn
ing was gone. Bugles blew, the re
, veille gun was fired, soldiers tumbled
: out of barracks, officers dropped thelI
c cards or their babies. The deserted
s parade was at once alive with men and
Uttered with fire buckets, with hose
|. carts and with ladders.
II The second lieutenants of com
d panies II and + rushed out of the
, colonels house together. Between
= them was Miss Wilckens, but which
d one carried her, or whether neither
O Or both of them enjoyed this privi
r, legc, not even the eoloneps cook coulC
c tell. They left her reluctantly ON the
II sidewalk, and each, with parting
- look OF undying love, fairly iow across
the parade to conduct his own com
mand to the scene of danger I'll,
. first sergeants met them half way
!. with the hastily formed companies
|, and back again they madly raced II
v the burning house, easily beating al
l. competitors in a dead heat for frs
g place.
3. In every well.conducted garrison
q each company is assigned fire duty
d Some bring the ladders, others In,
a hose, and others, still. fire buckets
o For the latter duty were detailed
(. Companies 4 and f; but finding nt
!. water for their buckets, they wer,
e ordered into The quarters TO carry on
The colonel's belongings. With l
IS company rushed its second lieutenant
A moment later he hurried forth bear
, ing a diyan inflow under each arm