The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-22
ORDEAL OF the
NEW RECRUIT
The Initiation of an Embryo
General.

ed. There was babel of voices at
the junior mess, all raised in protest
against this invasion of a prerogative
of the peerage. One man sat quietly
listening without a word, but he was Il
younger son of a baronet who bad
made money in trade and had been ad-
mitted to the sacred circle of titled
people because he had given his for
tune to the poor.
Its very easy to get wild of these
common intwuders," said Lord Hart
hey. "All we have to do is to fweeze
'em out"
"Just So" assented the Hon. Mr..
Maxcey.
"But suppose their beggarly natures
are too obtuse to see what's meant by
the tweatment we give 'em," put in
the Earl of Harrowby.
"In that case," Hartley explained,
"we'll appoint a committee to visit
their rooms and smash their furni-
ture."
"a very effective measure" re-
marked the Hon. Mr.. Maxcey.
"Twotter," said Hartley, you don't
seem intewested in the matter at all"
"Tm not"
"Oh, Twotters not been one of our
kind long enough to be intewested!"
sneered Harrowby.
That's just it," replied Trotter COM
posedly.
At this point who should walk into
the messroom but the subject of the
discussion, a well built, florid young
Englishman, with faxed hair and blue
eyes.
"Good evening, gentlemen" he said,
taking a seat and helping himself "Pm
glad to be one of you"
There was dead silence around the
board for some time, during which
Hunkins was satisfying his appetite.
The silence was broken by the Hon.
Mr.. Maxcey. Turning, he brought his
monocle on the newcomer and said:
81 say, isn't your father brewer"
"He was" replied Hunkins imper-
turbably.
swell, then, why didn't he bring you
up to the business?"
"Isn't your father Lond Bungleried?' p
eyes"
"Well. why didn't he bring you up
to be u gentleman"
Some of the mess smiled, but those
who had been most active with their
tongues then and there resolved that
the brewers son must be frozen out.
But Hunkins appeared to be too OBJ
tuse to see their intentions or too good
4n box no
solved upon more strenuous means. A
committee went to his quarters and
smashed some chinaware which he
greatly priced. The next evening he
visited the quarters of three men he
suspected and smashed whatever he
could find that was easily breakable.
When the officers of the junior mess
assembled for dinner that evening
there was a worse hubbub than when
they had discussed the new appoint
ment. In the midst of it in walked
Hunkins.
"Gentlemen," he said. I've been
obliged to retallate for the breaking of
my china without being sure of the
men who did it. If / have made any
mistake I'm ready to apologize and
replace what l have damaged. If not
Pm ready to give satisfaction after
dinner on the tanbark in the riding
hall"
1t appeared that he had made no
mistake, for Hartley, Harrowby and
Maxcey, whose articles he had broken
all claimed the privilege of knocking
him out Hunkins undertook to salts.
fly these gentlemen in the order nam
cd. He had good muscle and was u
fine boxer. Hartley was soon put out
of the fight, but HarrOwby was not sc
easily disposed of. Hunkins had need
for all his skill and endurance. He
finally knocked out the noble lord. but
when he had done so he was next tC
knocked out himself. The best man
Of his three enemies still remained,
BEG pardon" said Trotter, stepping
forward. "It wouldn't be becoming OF
us as gentlemen to permit a newcomer
among us to fight three men on the
same evening. I'll take Mr.. Hunkins
place with Mr.. MaXcey."
"There's no quarwel with you, Twot
ter" Hartley protested.
"Cewtainly not" said HarrOwby.
But Englishmen respect courage, and
the others present thought that Hun
kins in fighting two men had done all
that could be expected of him. Max
cey proved that he was not disposed
TO take advantage of winded adver
sary and consented to meet the sub
stitute. The fight that followed was a
long one The disputants were evenly
matched, and neither could get the ad
vantage of the other, When it was
found almost impossible after the
twentieth round for either to come uE
to the scratch the fight was declared
off, and the incident of smashed furni
ture was a thing of the past.
And so was the objection to Hun
kins. He had won his way into the
most aristOcratic regiment in the Brit
ish service by simply pursuing {
straightforward course Hunkins is
now a general. having won his princi
pal promotion during the Boer war
Trotter has long been member OF