The Washington times., 1917-04-21
SCREAM OF ROOKIE
STABS THE NIGHT
Bill, Meandering About Girls
Camp, Frightened Out of
Mood to Purr.

The soft shadows Of a perfect April
evening had come and gone. A hush
had fallen over the camp OF the ma
tional service school. on Conduit road.
Only the croaking of the frogs and the
chirping of the crickets, and the sub
dued unurmur OF the river below. with
an occasional suppressed Whisper broke
the silence OF a military camp after
taps. Two minutes before, uniformed
marine had stepped to the front OF his
tent, and placing his bugle to his lips
had blown the long. melodious call
the signal that the days work was
over. and that stiffness must reign.
Well fed, good humored, Bill
stretched himself in his tent, rose,
walked to the flap and stared into
the cleaning. Bill Is a good fellow.
For years he has been with the Ma
rines, and the best sign that he Is
good fellow is that he is one of the
most popular OF the sailor-soldiers
who have been assigned to the camp
OF the girl rockies"
Bill Goes Abroad.
Perhaps II was Just the desire to
roam which made Bill leave his tent.
Bill, you understand, is a big, black.
sleek cat, the pet of the Marines.
Anyhow, Bill stalked out Of the tent,
walked across to a long row OF quiet
canvass shelters, which looked for
all the world like the tent he had
Just left, and nosed around a bit.
There was one tent which appeal
ed to Bill, and without hesitation he
entered.
why not7 Ever since Bill had been
adopted by the Marines he had had
the liberty of any tent. Bill enter
ed, walked a few PAGES, and lightly
leaped to the foot Of a cot. He
landed.
There was a shrill scream. A light
flashed, pillows were brought into
use for the first time as barricades,
and the covers were drawn over the
heads of the rockies, who had not
quite gone to sleep
Mighty Odd Marines. &.
The scream stopped abrutly. The
screamer was too scared to give vent
to her feelings more than once. Silence
reigned in the tent, and poor BIZ,
sitting at the foot OF the cot, looked
in Amusement at thee furore his en-
trance had created.
What sort OF marines are theseT
he asked himself.
There was a low moan, a pillow
was raised a tiny bit. and a very
frightened. very towseled rocky
peeped out
There was Bill, sitting sedately on
the foot of the cot, his dignity. his
pride, and his training suffering alike
from the greatest shock he had ever
received.
"oh, a catr' said the rocky. A
pillow was discarded as q barricade
and, put into use as a missile 1t bare
ly missed Bill as he made hurried
exit from his nearly conquered terri
tory, and the inmates OF the tent
shamefacedly doused the light. un-
covered their respective heads, and
waited.
Keep IL q secreti
But the officer of the day hadn't
heard the sound. She didn't visit the
source of the outburst, and the
rockies solemnly swore never to
breathe a word of their midnight de-
Lfeat-and later victory.
1t leaked out. though. Bill still Is
in camp. A very insulted. very digni-
fed Bill, who keeps strictly to his
own tent, eats his meals three times
a day-and stays at home nights.
There are q good many rather sore
footsies in the camp this afternoon.
The rockies went on q walk-NOT
HIRE-to Cabin John bridge In the
forenoon, and returned Just in time
for dinner. Nothing of Importance
took place on the walk, and every
thing is quiet along the upper Po-
tomao at the end OF the first week