Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-18
ONLY A SUBALTERN = BY

1NHEY made Bobby Wick pass an exami-
nation at Sandburst He was gentle
before he was gazetted, so when
the Empress announced that "Gentleman-Cadet
Robert Hanna Wick was posted as Second
Lieutenant to the Tyneside Tail Twisters AT
Crab Bokhar, he became an officer and gen
tleman, which is an enviable thing; and there
was Joy in the House Of Wick and all the llttle
Wicks fell upon their knees and offered In
cense to Bobby by virtue OF his achievements.
Papa Wick had been a commissioner In ms
day, holding authority over three millions OF
men in the Chota-Buldana Division building
works for the good of the land and doing his
best TO make two blades of grass grow where
there was but one before. OF course, nobody
knew anything about this in the little English
village where he was inst old Mr.. WICK ana
had forgotten that he was a companion OF the
Order of the Star of India. He patted Bobby
on the shoulder and said
We'll done my boy
India said Papa Wick is the place I've
had so years of it and begad, I'd like to go
back again. When you join the Tail 1Wlsters
you'll be among friends II everyone hasn I
forgotten Wick of Chota-Buldana and lot Of
people will be kind to you for our sakes. The
mother will tell you more about outfit than !
can; but remember this stick 10 your regi
ment, Bobby-stick to your regiment. Your
men all around you going into the Stat
Corps, and doing every possible sort OF duty
but regimental, and You may be tempted 10
follow suit Now, so long you keep within
your allowance and | haven't stinted You
there, stick TO the ne-the whole line and
nothing but the line Be careful how you back
another young fools bill and If you fall in love
with a woman 20 years older than yourself
don't tell me about it, that's all
With these counsels and many others equally
valuable did Papa Wick fortify Bobby ere thai
last awful night at Portsmouth when the OH
GERS quarters held more inmates than We're
provided for by the regulations, and the liberty
men of the ships fell foul of the drafts for
India and the battle ragged long and loud from
the dockyard gates even to the slums of Long
port, while the drabs of Fratton came down
and scratched the faces of Queens officers.
Bobby Wick, with ugly bruise on his
fieckled nose, a sick aud shaky detachment
TO maneuver in-ship and the comfort of 30
scornfu females to attend to, and no time to
feel homesick till the Malabar reached mid
channel when he combined his emotions with
a little guard visiting and a great deal of
nausea
The Tail Twisters were a most peculiar
regiment. Those who knew them least said
that they eaten up with side. But
their reserve and their internal arrangements
generally were merely protective diplomacy.
Some five years before the Colonel command
ing had looked into the fourteen fearless eyes
of seven plump and juicy subalterns who had
all applied to enter the Staff Corps and had
asked them why the three stars should he,
Colonel of the line, command dashed nursery
for double-dashed bottle suckers, who put on
condemned tin spurs and rode qualified mokes
at the hiatused heads of forsaken black reg
ments. He was a rude man and terrible.
Wherefore, the remnant took measurers with
the half-butt as an engine of public opinionl
till the rumor went abroad that young men who
used the Tail Twisters crutch to the
Staff Corps had many and varied trials TO en-
dure. However, regiment had just as much
right 10 its own secrets woman.
When Bobby came up from Deolali and took
his place among the Tail Twisters, II was gent
la it,I Ia hat
ment was his father and his mother and his
indissolubly welded wife, and that there was
no crime under the canopy of heaven blacker
than that of bringing shame on The regiment,
which was the best shooting. best drilled, best
set-up. bravest. most ilustrious. and in all
spects most desirable regiment within the com
pass of the Seven Seas He taught the
legends of the Mess Plate, from the great grin
ming Golden Gods that had come out OF the
Summer Palace at Pekin to the silver mounted
markhorn SNUFF null presented by the late
C. O. Che who spake to the subalterns)
And every one OF these legends told him of
battles fought at long odds, without fear as
without support; of hospitality Catholic as an
Arabs OF friendship deep as the sea and
steady as the lighting line: OF honor won by
hard roads for honors sake, aud of instant ana
unquestioniug devotion To the regiment-the
regiment that claims the lives of all and lives
forever.
But best of all was the occasion when he
moved with the Tail Twisters in review order
at the breaking of November day Allowing for
duty men and sick the regiment was one
thousand and eighty strong and Bobby be.
lonced 70 them for was he not a Subatcru of
the line-as the tramp OF H1G0 sturdy amuui-
ton boots atteStedr lie would not have
changed places with Deighton of the Horse
Battery. whirling by in pillar of cloud to a
chorus of Strong Right" Strong Left" or
Hogan-Yale of the White Hussars. leading his
squadron for all 1t worth with the price