The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-05-16

The army was In an exposed pos
tion. The enemy had every advaf
tagc. The general commanding ha
given orders to maintain the strictes
discipline. Any man caught plumber
ing must be shot without mercy. II
the midst OF this tension private o
the Seventeenth regiment was march
ed under guard to the colonePs head
quarters. re was black eyed young
fellow. scarcely above the limit Of
height at which recruits are accepted
and not a sign OF beard on his rosy
cheeks.
what is 1t, sergeant?" asked the
colonel Of the noncommissioned off,
Ger who had the young recruit in
charge.
"The captain ordered me-" replied
the sergeant, saluting, ITO bring him
here to you, sir, and say that hes been
pillaging."
whats your Manner asked the colo
mel of the prisoner.
perkins, sir"
ibid you break into house?"
mo, sir. After the firing yesterday
and our advance we came upon a
dwelling that had been deserted dur
ing the scrimmage. went In and
saw bracelet took It."
"Took a bracelet! What did you, a
soldier, want with a braceletw
There was no response to this. Pri-
vate Perkins looked everywhere ex-
cept at bis commanding officer.
"WelI, Perkins, do you think IL let
you off this time you can leave pillag-
Ing alonep
(. I'm try, SIR"
swell, you can 60 back to duty; but,
mind, II you're caught another time
Ill have to shoot you. That's the or
ders, and must obey orders as well
as you. Nothing demoralizes an army
so much as pillaging. We need all our
discipline to stand against the enemy.
Now 60. and don't let me hear Of your
uiSUUeyIuS TUE uTueT again.
The next day there was more fight
ing. more shifting of position. more
houses deserted The scrimmnge had
barely ceased when the colonel, stand
ing under tree talking with an Of
ficer, saw man marched toward him
between two of his comrades. The
colonel's brow darkened. for when the
three came near enough for him to see
their faces he recognized the center
man as Private Perkins. What trou.
bled the officer was that IL Perkins
had again been caught pillaging he
didn't see how be was to avoid shoot
ing the boy.
"Pm ordered By the captain to bring
this man to you. sir. and say that he's
been pillaging again"
You're the man." said the colonel
to the prisoner. II told yesterday that
If you were caught plllaging again l
would have to shoot you"
"Yes, sir"
swell, what did you pillage forr'
Couldn't help it. sir; things came
too handy"
"What do you meanT
sAfter the fight several of us went
into a deserted house, and things were
lying all about"
"What did you takeT
"a necklace"
IA necklace. What in thunder could
you do with a necklacep
No answer.
'You know what told you"
ayes. SIR"
"And despite that and your prom
Use not to offend again you entered
houses and took gewgaws. There's
no use letting you off again. You'd
be cabbaging pair of jeweled garters
next time. Sergeant. 60 to your cap
tain and tell him to send me firing
squad"
The sergeant saluted and was about
TO leave when the colonel called him
and whispered to him:
TELL the captain to have the guns
loaded with blank cartridges. don't
wish to shoot this little fool. I'm only
going to scare him"
Aye. aye, SIR"
When The firing squad arrived the
colonel said to Private Perkins:
by order of the general command.
Ing I'm going TO shoot you for pIllag.
ing. ! let you off once. This time
deem It my duty to carry out the gen.
erals order. Where are the articles
you have takenT
The recruit put his hand in his peck.
ct and pulled out. In addition to what
he had confessed to appropriatlng,
turquoise finger ring, lady's lace
handkerchief, pair of silver slipper
buckles, a hatpin and three bangles
and a.
For heavens sake," exclaimed the
colonel, "have a soldier I'm my COM
mand so utterly lost to all sense OF
manllness as to get himself shot for
these feminine baubles?"
Private Perkins looked on the
ground. His lip quivered.
Stand up there" said the colonel,
placing the culprit with his back
against a-tree. The firing squad were
aligned to face him. He was a pitia-
BILE object, evidently without. enough
sense to make plea or protest for
his Hfa Tho vynrdo aDon1x,v uu,1