New Britain herald., 1926-12-23
to the bit about flying.

| to the bit about flying. ! He swore softly. "Why in hell are
 they so damned particular over 1 here? Oculists tell me there's noth- i ing the matter with my vision. ] had twenty-twenty in one eye and twcnty-fifteenths in another. Better than normal. Bu they said I had five degrees of esophoria or some such thing, which. when translated from the Latin or Greek or whatever it is, means, l suppose, that l have q tendency to be cockcyed at long range.
 "Over in France they take any body. Look at this fellow Guynomer. He was q consumptive, I'm told. and look what he did-thc greatest ace in thc war"
 The army. Jim agreed, was a pc cuIiar institution. Many q guy who wants to go can't, on account of flat feet or something. and many a fel- low who'd be perfectly content 10 lct the other guy do the scrapping is uldlttI anu lulll'N llllb tl tetNdli y man because his father raised mules"
 You said it," corrobated an undersizcd soldier who chose that moment to flop down on Jinl's bunk. Look at me. l was worllin' behind a quick lunch counter in Cleveland when I got the urge to sign on the dotted line. You'd think they'd made a mess sergeant out of mo, a man who's cooked up as many short orders as l have. But l aint even had a taste of K. r."
 You can do my trick for mo to-
 morrow, Burns" said Simmon | quickly
 No, thanks. I ain't askin' for if. I'm merely offerin' evidence to prove
 that tho damn army's unscicntific. Gimme a Cigaret." It seemed Burns went on, that
 over in C Company the boys were out of luck. The commandin' off Ger over there learned the boys had
 a big crap game. Somebody told, some dog rohber The old boy hauled in half dozen of the fellows an
 asked them to spill the beans. Even | asked each one to tell how much | he'd lost and won. An when he i added up the figures an found that ! the accounts didn't balance, he or dered the whole barracks put under arrest. Seems these six or seven ! fallnVIc h, burt1RI i'm took o1
 blame an said they were the only ones in the game He knows they're | holdin' out, but they won't tel! on the others,
 I'm sorry for 'cm. They're gonna put the whole gang of 'em on fla tigue. The C. o. musta he'd bad ! night or somethin. Hes gott1 dis position like an ingrown toenail" | Jim offered his sympathy such" he observed, are the fortunes of war"
 "Yeah,' agreed Burns. Who's got he dice? I've got twenty bucks that's burnin' g hole in my pocket" IL could burn, said Simmons. He l wasn't anxious to share ( company's tough luck.
 "Waitll We get to France" Burns said, teclngly. 'I guess they won't be so particular over there. I won der how in the hell long we have to stay in this place. anyway. Why don't somebody inform the War Dc partmcnt that the wars over in Eu- | rope and not in lndiana2"
 When We do get over. there" Simmons remarked, "we1l probably be doing K. r. and setting up ex- ercises behind the lines, That's"
 A loud voice rang out through the barracks. 'privatc Elwen."
 Right here," Jim sang out, scrambling off his bunk
 "Front and center!"
 Jim came a-runniue. "Youre wanted at Headquarters, the orderly told him He had a sheet of paper in his hands. Stay right there" he ordered. until l see whore these other dudes are. Private Garnett! Private Kelly. Cor poral smith," He went on down the short list.
 "All of you birds arc wanted at headquarters pronto."
 "How comc?" someone asked.
 The orderly srinncd. "l ain't sup posed to know nothiu' l gotta round up a lot more yet If you ask me" and he winked, "G think you're gcttin' travel orders"
 Corporal Smith took command of the little. detail and marched them over in military fashion 10 head