The sun., 1909-06-28

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mud Of the most adhesive sort. Every
body piled out and tried TO push the car
along, but there were no results. The
country was secured for horses then,
but none could be found.
just when all hope had vanished and the
sergeant was wondering how far he would
have to run with the medoin team OF
oxen was discovered peaoetully ploughing
in a nearby field. And then that high
powered, shiny automobile suffered the
lndignity Of being pried out OF the mud
by pair of humble beasts OF burden OF a
bygone day. But they pulled 1t out all
right, and quick enough too to save Sergt.
jacques from being reduced to the ranks,
which dire fate Capt. Meyers was seri
ously contemplating when the relief ex-
pedition arrived.
That afternoon after m ess all the men
in the camp sat along the stone wall
across the road from the farmhouse,
which is the headquarters OF the battery,
and the officers draped themselves around
Capt. Hunt and lieut.-Col. Fisk and
Majors Landon and Mclean and listened
while the mornings work was oom-
mented upon. On the whole il had been
fine, said Capt. Hunt. but there was still
room for Improvement. The main thing
do his little allotted duty, said this army
man. He had found one sentinel who
was supposed to watch things in a GER
tain direction worrying about whether
the commander in chief knew that he
WAS being attacked on his right flank
He suggested too that signalling by means
Of handkerchief tied to a stick was
when they were trying TO sneak up on an
enemy. Why they hadn't worn twigs in
their hats to disguise themselves as
underbrush and why no spies had climbed
trees were other things which bothered
the army Captain.
All the time that he and the others were
talking the men sat quietly listening and
formation. 1t was evident that these
commissioned and commissioned
officers who had volunteered to take
day and half from business to learn a
few more things about fighting before
they 60 10 the August mantuyres weren I
going to miss anything. Capt. Hunt
didn't waste much time commencing M
actions. and that seemed to be what
they wanted. you're q part OF the
machine. don't forget that was the
text Of the talk he gave them.
Later in the afternoon they went
through the problem OF attacking an
imaginary enemy on the hilltop above
the camp. and it was mostly a game in
was to be found. After mess Saturday
night Capt. O'Ryan talked for q while
about the manipulation OF field guns
and the field telephone. and his men
hoped around in the darkness and
demonstrated everything as he talked;
His discourse was punotuated oS the
yelps of approval emitted by Sergt
Foolish from beneath the field gun. Sergt
Foolish is fox terrier and up to few
wears ago was called the mascot OF the
First Battery. Then something hap
pened and it was necessary after that TO
spell it mascotte. The four little mas
cots which jSergt. Foolish presented to
the battery were christened Idiot. I'm :
becile, Asinine and Nonsense. and that
was all right as far az II went. But tais
summer the First Battery has run out OF
SYNONYMOUS names.
Nothing was on the schedule after that
and the mess hall was jammed until
taps sounded. Half hundred more men
had come up from the city in the after
noon, and they brought with them a num-
Der of men who could do wonderful things
in the way OF pounding out ragtime on
the piano and monologues and story
telling. But when the call OF the day
was given things quieted down imme..
diately and everybody seemed to be glad
TO crawl into the little dog tents, and catch
euAi ihipo eA"s N-'
during the camp. There wasn't need
for them at any time.
Yesterday morning Major Landon took
the whole battalion through the woods,
where the theories Of keeping in com
munication by the field telephone. by wig
wagging and by whistles was put into
practice. When they came out on the
far side. 1000 yards from the imaginary
enemy. they opened fire. adva n cling by
rushes.
The Major galloped up and down the
lines, giving his commands by signals
almost entirely. and it was only the Cease
firing call that saved the hostile stone
wall from receiving the worst defeat 1t
ever experienced. Going back to camp
they marched in the rear guard formation,
reversing the order Of the outward trip,
and when they got back there was an issue
of field rations waiting for them.
Yesterday afternoon they hiked back a;
TO catch train at O'Clock. When they
reached the city and marched to the
armory that was the end Of the first ex-
perience at field maneuvrlng which the
Seventh has ever had.