Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-10-17
THELICHTERS SIDE OF ARMYLIEE


BEGINNERS IN every business form
y the but for many jokes Of comrades.
but the army recruit IS especially not
ed for the east with which he Is made
the target Tor pleasantries and the ef-
fectiveness with which he responds %
the efforts Of the ickers Of hts COM
pany. Before the. present day Of the
balanced ration with its Jams. prunes.
butter. etc, rev rockies escaped the
time-honored play whereby he was
sent to ask the grim Isl sergeant Tor
a supply Of butter checks. That joke
was Always q huge success. Rnt some
times the luck ef the humor breaks
fayorably for the late arrival. Il -
true that the new man Is most often
unconscious OF the situation produced
by himself and that heightens the ei-
feet OF his innocent contribution 10
the general gaiety. One such yarn.
whereby Johnny -come-lateIy Is made %
appear as real .humorist. is that told
|of the olden DAYS when posts were
small and nearly All duty-the dull
routine OF guard. close order and gem
eral fatigue. Ibis newcomer N the
army had arrived at q point In his ca
reer at which he was thought qualified
to go for duty aud had. In conse.
uuence, been detailed for guard. With
guard mounting az 10 O'Clock. the third
relief in which this youngster found
himself caught, the hours OF walking
post was from 2 to and to 10. The
daytime tour OF the relief brought no
unusual experience 20 the rookie; nor
when night came. and the sentry duty
between the hours or and 10 fell to
his relief IN order. did aught occur pc.
yond the ordinary. Coming Of post
At ID o'clock ut Night the old soldier
promptly takes Is the bunk provided
+ in the guardhoise and gets IN 9 good
" snatch or slumber IN anticipation 81
the next turn ON post, which he knows
comes at the unreasonable hour Of
in the morning. Our new man did moi
realize the need FOR sleep. Things
we're strange il q measure: The nov
city Of his new duties made him wake.
ful and besides the sergeant Of the
guard was an entertaining person IN
MS stories or "reminiscences. And so
Mr.. Rookie Just sat about the guard
room fire with eyes and ears open and
slumbered not at all When midnight
approached the sergeant yaWned fro
quently and remarked upon the fact
that Captain Blank was fortunately
the officer of the day and that By that
good fortune the after midnight IN
spection Of the guard was certain to
take place within d few minutes after
12 and then I'VE can all turn In" for,
as before stated, this tour Of guard
was IN the days of the old routine.
When the guafdhouse clock showed
midnight and the second relief had
gone on post the sergeant made sever.
n trips to the front door to look off
over the parade ground IN the direc'
ton OF the quarters Of the officer Of
the day. Remaining with increasing
emphasis after each Of these visits that
no light was to be seen h those dis.
tant quarters whereby mad sucn light
been visible Il might be judged that
CAPTAIN Blank was making ready for
the trip ol inspection, the non.com
grew quite bitter IN his comments IS
to the delay now long drawn oslt. Ins
deed. when I o'clock had arrived he
stated emphatically that he'd be blank
ed II he'd ever heard Of such thing
since he had been In this branch Of the
service. why he growIed, that old
fellow has never been known to be
later than 4 quarter past II IN bis In
speetions.. Hanged II can under
stand IT." But when / 80 had passed
and then was near at hand the
sergeant was most certainly hostile,
and that to q degree. Whoever heard
OF keeping 4 guard waiting until this
hour, he grambled. and then he IN
dulged in various other forceful com
ments. some OF which applied to the
recreant officer and some we're mere
declaratory as to what ought 70 be
done in such cases. The new member
OF the third relief was most profound.
~ impressed BY his SUPERIOR remarks.
particularly by those portions that
were specific in nature as TO the gem
eral standing of officers that kept UQr-
thy sergeants out OF weIl-earned Stun.
Der. especially when this particular
sergeant had, according to his own
statements. marched on guard worse
than 20 bucks behind the game and me
with no sleep. looking all night for
snaturals. So wnen By the clock.
but no; officer Of the day had arrived.
the recruit knew. and that II his own
mind, Just where THIS certain Captain
Blank stood with his sergeant FAB