The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-05-19
Fate Of a
Scapegrace
From the Guard House to An Hon.
orable Death Engaged in
Perilous Duty.

FeTuOuS Outy.
Private Justin w a scapegrace.
At least so the Colonel, the Adjutant,
and few others had informed him
and not being of a very combative
disposition he had eventually accept
ed this authoritative testimony as fl
nal and believed it. Being scape-
grace has, of course, many draw backs,
but it also has some advantages. For
instance, no one expects scapegrace
to be conventional or dignified and to
tell the truth, Justin was neither.
Soldering was to him business, or
a job, to be more explicit, which he
had accepted in the absence of bet
ter occupation. He was not in love
with it. The uniform, with it's trap
pings, bothered him. The parades
and domineering demeanors of the
Non-Coms grated on his nerves, till
eventually his detestation developed
into Indifference to them both.
Finally after a series of escapades
more or less serious he was court
martialed and sentenced to one hun
dred and sixtyeight days Of rigorous
imprisonment in an establishment
called the Chicken Coop, p,anothername
for Military Reformatory wherein
shot drill, the crank and other forms
of calisthenics are in vogue. At the
completion of his sentence he was
sent to an outlying station, where his
regiment with others had been mob
ilized preparatory to departure for
scenes that promised something live
lier than the evolutions of the drill
parade.
We'll, inquired his Colonel, when
he presented himself for orders,
think you'd be any good on active
service?"
Couldn't say" responded Justin,
it's matter in which | have had no
experience"
We'll, you'll have chance now to
gain experience and plenty of it..
That'l do
Justin returned to his company
and few days after the regiment
embarked for the scene of action, up
in the Perekokee mountains, to battle
with the Sikhomoks, the cruellest and
most crafty of all barbarians. TT e
expedition had been launched in mid
winter. The mountains were cover
ed with from three to five feet of snow
in places where the troops were COM
PEELED to pass. During the day a
moisture-laden wind drenched them
to the skin, and at n ig h t it froze.
Men died, as the saying is, like
Sheep" though sheep don't die as
easily as men. Reinforcements were
hurried from the base depot as quick
ly as they could be recruited, but still
the active force was below strength.
And to make matters worse nothing
after two months disastrous war
against nature had been accomplish
ed, but a thinning of the rank ensued. .
At length after great deal of use
less parleying it was decided to make
general advance upon the Sikho-
moks' headquarters.
1t was dangerous undertaking
| both on account of the numbers OF
the enemy and the inadequate knowl-
edge of their country. The regiment
to which Justin belonged. having
gained favor with the Commander OF
the Forces, was detailed as advance
guard to the main body. Justin had
proved to be very useful kind of a
scapegrace when something more
than blarnery W as needed and as a con-
sequence was sent forward as the
commander of a recommending pa
troll. All went we'll until toward
nightfall. When nearing the spot
destined for the night bivouac, they
came to an abyss, some forty yards
in width and of a depth incalculable.
This b m had previously been
spanned by a bridge, which the Sikho-