The San Francisco call., 1910-02-12


y small consequence to Ned Has
kins until now Among the boys
OF tho village school poverty carried
no stigma OF disgrace, and Ned was as
popular as though his father was a
banker instead OF laborer along
the docks. 1t was a deserved popu-
larity' too, built up by qualities that
gain friends in schools and in other
places throughout life.
when the school cadets had been or
ganized, Ned had taken an active part
In the work and was a student OF tao
tics and regular at the drill The
cadets used sticks for guns, and, un-
der the training OF an Interested
army officer had learned the massed
marches and formations so that TREY
showed deal of proficiency and skill
The manual Of arms the use of their
pieces It had been impossible to teach
them until such time as they secured
real rifles, and their captain had de-
cided that the time had come
There was hardly boy in the
school who could not afford the small
amount necessary to buy his gun; but
to Ned 1T was a large amount At homo
there were three smaller children to
be fed and clothed properly, and Ned
knew that every cent was needed
there. SO he went to his commander
Sorry you feel that you have to
leave us" said Captain Martin you
were getting along well in the drills
and have a marked aptitude for this
sort of thing. Think it over 1t is
good training physically and In dis
cipline, so do not give it up without
a good reason"
Ned knew he had q good reason but
he told the captain no more than that
his mind was made up, and he watched
the boys march out on the campus next
day with sad heart But the words
of the captain stuck in his mind
good training physically and in dis
cipline"-and he decided that he would
not forego some part of that. -,
For reasons Of economy, Ned's pa
rents lived in O section Of the viii
lage known as Shantytown. 1t was
a district popuous in small boys, al
though Ned had never associated much
with his neighbors. Now he decided to
cultivate them, for he was sure they
needed development in discipline if
not physically.
Ned set about his labors next morn
ing, organizing the Shantytown light
cadets. His overtures were greeted
with suspicion by the boys, who were
afraid of some Interior motive to de-
prive them of their much abused lber-
ties. But Ned explained in the lam
guage which all boys understand and
got the promise of about a score to
meet with him that afternoon in Hal
lOran's COW pasture.
1t was no easy task getting 20 high
spirited boys, ready for any mischief,
into company formation, and that first
days march was more in the nature of
a riot. Ned exercised great good ma
ture and patience, and the boys all
agreed to come again the next day
after school. 1t was a big point gained,
lxnI fnIt H. laNI ~E
would disorganiZe the company before
it was started.
There were eight more boys In the
pasture when Ned called Fall in" next
day, and there was less hilarity and
more attention to the drill Several of
the most mischievous of the first day
group had stayed away, but the more
Interested had brought others, and
eight sets Of fours marched about the
lot Ned carried himself straight, with
chest thrown out and swung along In
the march with the easy stride of q
soldier, and before the days drill was
over many of the boys had attempted
imitation of his bearing. 1t was the
first big lesson for them to learn, pride
in their work, and with that accom-
plished the rest was a matter of time.
Every day except Saturdays and
Sundays-Ned worked Saturdays-Hal-
loran's field was the field of military
evolutions. Shantytown senior became
interested. first jovially, then proudly,
in 9TH cadits" At home at nights,
Ned pored over the book of tactics to
keep ahead of his ready pupils. and he
went into the extended order drill
and taught his company how to be
skirmishers and how to rally by fours,
by platoons or about the flag.
They drilled with sticks as the school
cadets had done at first, but with the
exercise OF some ingenuity and many
old broom handles donated by mothers,
happy that their boys were not being
called into court by the town marshal
as in days gone by, they had con-
structed a regular form OF arm, with a
stock of a piece Of dry goods box. With
these Ned taught them the manual,
carefully and with great pains, a few