Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-12-29

LIE IAO OotlaNhS. Inc NOAlAAioAihdAs
was sitting In a 6 by 8 room before a
table, IN which were papers. Ferguson
said:
Il received a telegram this morning
from the department headquarters Or
dering me to inspect this post and rem
der any information or assistance you
might need. l am Lieutenant Charles
Ferguson of the -th cavalry"
81 am very glad to see you, lieuten-
ant" replied the officer. Had you an
nounced your coming or even appeared
In uniform you would have been re-
ceived with military honors.'
UNFORTUNATELY, l was visiting a.
friend when l received the order,'' re-
piled Ferguson, land l never wear a
uniform except when on duty. My
baggage being q hundred miles away.
l was obliged to report here in mufti,.
with the exception of this cap, which.
l use for auto driving
The captain asked to see Ferguson'sf
order to inspect the post. He had sent
himself a telegram to that effect while.
on the mainland, and now pulled it out
and handed it to the officer. Whether
or not she was satisfied, she appeared
to be so and, leading Ferguson out on
to the parade, gave an order to turn out
the company for inspection. The com
mand was drawn up In line, the rear
rank marched three PAGES to the rear,
II the Inspector, in company with the
captain, walked along both ranks,
each soldier handing him her gun for
inspection. Ferguson had seen an In
%spection, SO he cooked every piece and
now and then wiped the metal with
his white cambria handkerchief. When
the inspection was over he returned to
the captains office, and the latter began
to ply him with questions.
"We are weaker" she said, 'in the.
matter of guard duty than anything
else. l should like to have you mount
a guard and instruct us upon the.
duties of the sentinel"
"The guard replied Ferguson, '1s
mounted at any hour of the morning
that the commandant directs. Tomor-
row morning l will be happy to per-
form the ceremony for you"
Ferguson did not propose to be w
the island the next morning unless in
his true character. He couldn't mount
a guard for a potato patch.
"Who mounts the guard" asked the
captain.
"The officer of the guard"
(Which guard-the old or the new?''
1.-THE new guard hazarded Ferguson
Now Contnj, NTahaI o+1Nr;r.to -,
knew that the guard is under the Or
der of the officer of the day. Further
more she knew that there is no officer
of the guard, which is In command of
q sergeant. But she said nothing. Fer
guson would have preferred that she
would say something rather than wear
the look which appeared upon her face.
However, this look soon passed from
her face, and, rising, she said:
New that we have had some Of your
instruction. lieutenant. | propose that
we should relax from military formal
ity, and shall be happy to introduce
you to my officers. and If your ideas
of the distance between officer and pri-
vate are not too rigid I will introduce,
Joo W oCiAC VI ~ inttNl L lCloC wall
here while | the introduce
ton. You must remember that though
soldiers We are still women, and a wo-
man always desires to make herself
%presentable when about to be pre-
sented."
Leaving the room, she soon returned
with her lieutenants n several pri-
Yates. After a little conversation one
by one the soldiers retired, except a
lovely girl with eyes like a summer
sky, who, when the others were gone,
brought them to Deal on Ferguson in a
way that made him doubtful whether
he was on earth or In heaven.
But presently this. happiness was
brought to an abrupt and humiliating
end. The captain returned with a SER
geant and a dozen privates, whom she
halted in the hall, six beyond the door
and six in rear of it. The captain adj
vanced to Ferguson with the dignity of
a soldier and said:
Lieutenant, I'll trouble you to take
position there" pointing to the inter
val.
Ferguson's face fell. He knew that
he had given away his ignorance of
military matters and was about to be
elected from the post as an impostor.
A sergeant placed a feather over each
ear, and a drum and fife corps struck
up the rogues' march. The order "For-
wardl' was given, and, the captain
marching beside him, Ferguson was
escorted to the dock. There the cap
tain asked him If he could swim. He
admitted that he could.
The Eveline had sailed boldly up to
a position near the dock, cast anchor,
n her crew were waiting the result
Of Ferguson's maneuver. When they
saw him coming with a feather behind
each ear to the well known tune Of the
rogues' march the sight was too much
for their gravity. If the captain had