Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04
NO Time for Sergeants.
By MAC LYMAN
copyright, 1854. by Mac LYMAN
CHApTEp xTY

CHAPTER XIX
So they argued and took on for while
and I seen that the party was about over
with everybody hopping everybody, so the
next time little P. j. came sailing by I
reached out and grabbed him, and then
pulled Pollettie out of the booth and took
them outside; then went back in and found
Chris under one of the tables and got him by
the collar and pulled him out; and then had
to 60 back in to get Sergeant King who was
tied up around a table and couldn't get loose.
Anyhow, I finally got them all out and prod
ded them down the street, holding little P.J.
by the collar because he kept kicking at
everybody along the way, until we finally got
to the car But then little P. j. got down off
my shoulder where was having to tote him
by that time, and decided 20 attack the car.
and begun kicking at the tenders and max
ing all kinds of noise. So tried to stop him
from that because I knowed how Sergeant
King felt about his car. But it didn't seem to
bother HMM fact, it seemed to make him
mighty happy because he said now they
would have to wash it again. tried to talk
them out Of that, but they was all for it then,
and went to piling in the car, and finally the
only thing to do was just to get in with them
and keep them down as best I could.
But they was the widest bunch ever
seen by that time. We went driving through
the town with them falling all over the place
and making all sorts rackets, and then Ser
geant King drove off the road and went
webbing across the field with the car bucking
this way and that. and come out on the beach
and drove down there while from one side
to the other. And about that time somebody
said that was the best place they knew to
wash a car, and Sergeant King said he
thought So too, and so he headed it right out
for the water. said, Sergeant King don't
think I'd do that: you know what you said
about salt water on a car and all :. :" but he
never paid any attention; we hit the water
going right fast so it splaShed out in big
sheets and slowed us down some, but then
he got the car in second and drove along a
bit that way, saying, Listen to that power.
boy. Listen to that power" and kept going
that way until the water was about four feet
deep. Then the car just sputtered and stopped
there. and they opened the doors with water
pouring in from every side, and then they
piled out yelling at each other, and then they
took off their shirts and begun to wash. And
in little while, they seemed just as happy as
they could be with Sergeant King whistlng
and singing and all the others joining in on it.
Little P.J. was setting on the top and he was
singing too, only every once in while. ne
would get mad and start trying to kick every
body and fall off and splash around in the
water. And they kept it up that way for don't
know how long until got right tired OF it and
I couldn't get comfortable there with it so wet
and soggy; so got out again and tried to
talk them into going back, but they still
wouldn't do it. They whopped and hollered and
kept on washing and made quite racket out
Of it; and in a little while this car come down
on the beach shining a spotlight this way and
that, only he never thought to shine it out in
the watef. guess, and little P. j. wanted to
attack it too, so we had to hold him a while.
But that didn't stop them neither; as soon as
it had passed, they went right back to work
again, singing and whistling to themselves
So after while got right tired of it
and said, "Aint yall about ready to go now?
We got inspection in the morning and got
to get that latrine all fixed up, and yall got to
get your stuff up too because the Colonel 80"
But Sergeant King said "Will, you go on
OF and leave us alone. You amt doing any
thing but spelling everybodys fun"
But you said that salt water warnt much
good for your car nohow and :"
There amt nothing better for It," Ser
geant King said. Good for the paint"
Get off your shirt and wash" Chris said.
"Yeah," Sergeant King said. IF you
don't want to help. go on back
II don't mind helping It's just that we
got to get back for inspection and was going
to fix up the latrine special this time because
1t might be my last time and . :"
"You do that" Sergeant King said. "You
60 on back and fix up the latrne. We're going
to wash this car and do it up good"
So there warnt any way of talking them
out of It, stood around bit longer, and
took off my shirt and washed for while
too, but finally got tired of it. And then I
tried to talk them into coming on again,
but they wouldn't do it, so finally just left
them there. slipped back across the beach
after the car had passed with its spotlight
going up and down, hearing them singing
and splashing around even three blocks from
the place, setting up the worst racket you
ever heered in your life. A..
So headed on back to the barracks and
started work on the latrine right away. What
I DONE I took this long piece of wire had
and run it from seat to seat, because they
are all in line, you know, and then pulled
it around to the back of each one so you
couldn't see the wire, and then I run 1t over
to the door so I could get grip on it. had
to hitch 1t to each seat with tacks under the
lid, so 1t took me quite while to do it.
guess it was nearly two O'Clock when I'm
shed, and Sergeant King and them still
warnt in. fgered they would make 1t sooner
or later though because Sergeant King warnt
going to miss an inspection If he could help