The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1916-08-31
Ambitious Guardslllen
Victims Of Huge Hoax

Mercedes, Texas, aug. 2l.-OMcers
and non-commissioned officers of the
First North Dakota regiment are still
ehuckling to themselves over one OF
the warmest jokes ever perpetrated in
q military camp.
Although it took place last week, the
victims are still in Ignorance of the
zeal facts and believe themselves to be
bona.6de candidates for duty in the
UNITED States scout service"
About a dozen "picked men" were
selected from the Third battalion to be
placed ON trial" To be sure-enough
army scouts was the height Of their
ambition, and scores of privates and
even some "non-coms" volunteered to
give their services in that thrilling
and hazardous branch of the army.
Private Berrian, former regular and
veteran with the U. S. army when the
uprising in Nicaragua was put down,
acted as chief of scouts" However,
The ambitious young North Dakotans
who were so anxious to emulate Croc-
kett and Bowie, were not aware of the
fact that Berrian's job was self-ap-
sointed
"Chief Scout" Berrian was ably as
sisted in holding the gruelling trials
by Sergeant Major Oscar Truman, OF
The Third battalion. The boys were
told that they would have to pass an
awfully rigid test and the same was
forthwith put through.
1t was done in the dead of night in
the densest jungle and widest piece Of
country the "chief scout" could dis
cover in order to test "the real metap'
of the men. -.-.. w..
A line of outposts was stationed and
Che scouts" sent out in the woods
with instructions to pass this line and
TO prepare maps and data regarding
the location Of "the enemy"
Crawling half a mile on their bellies
over cactus plants, through all but i'm
penetrable brush, swimming creeks
with all their clothes on, and suffering
the torments Of an inferno from the
onslaughts of mosquitoes and other
living things, some of the scouts" got
np to the line and few even wriggled
by in true Indian fashion.
Most of the scouts, however, gave
up before they had gone very far, and
came in crestfallen and out of breath
announcing that they could not make
It,"
The willy woodsmen who made a
more creditable performance were a
sight to behold. They were excitedly
selling of their experiences and the
wild birds and beasts they ran across
while roaming through the jungles.
Splattered with mud from head to foot
and proudly exhibiting cactus-stung
hands and feet, they presented a spec
tacle which touched the hearts of the
arch conspirators and almost moved
them TO tears (of laughter).
However, the whole thing was too
tragic to even talk about very much
and to this day not word of enlight-
enment has been passed on to the
promising scouts from North Dakota.
A few additional tests have been
pAs TSP to the scouts, such as creeping
stealthily up to the farmhouse of some
ansuspecting and innocent Mexican
family and drawing plans and speci-
Ications of both the interior and ex-
terror. Most important of all, it has
been pointed out to the scouts, is to
bring back an account Of the numbers
of the enemy and this has been faith
fully dome in each case.
For the past week, the "chief scout"
and sergeant major have been deluged
with maps of imaginary foes and are
at loss as to what to do with them.
TMay dare not burn them up and they
dare not return them to the clever
makers.
One thing is troubling the "scouts."
They have been told that they would
each be furnished with an army mule
instead Of a horse, and none of the
1ag:eared mounts have been given to
them as yet. They simply can't under,
stand and from the looks Of things
they won't until they read the papers
from home.
". n. Van Camp was in the city on
Ir;1or from Ahordaen g D.