Show h UHE HE PA RIO ROOKIE He came to the company along with a batch of other recruits in July ul y 1899 while we were bushwhacking after around on the south line His hat was full of sweet admirers' admirers pins hat-pins and md it was flanked by y volunteer crossguns and militia badges of honor On his breast were conspicuously displayed a a. a Fifth Army Corps pin a State badge of Missouri Missouri given given to her heroes a county badge and a bronze medal given medal given to him by his patriotic towns people He had barely halted when he informed informed- us he was a out mustered-out patriot from Missouri and had re entered in the regulars regulars regulars reg ulars to fight for love of humanity and andI I to uphold his country's c flag He was He-was was rigged out in in- ina a me hand-me-down blouse that fit like a mother hubbard a pair of patent leathers cloth cheese-cloth trousers trousers trousers trous trous- ers yellow leggins and a faded militia h J o t J hat Apparently he didn't know the straight government from the goo goo-goo y call call to to He answered to the title of Eze riah Poodle and had never been outside outside out out- outside out out- side his native county until a recruiting recruiting- sergeant took him to St. St Louis to join the Missouri volunteers t Though only two twenty-two he had had so so he said said been been a lawyer a doctor a music professor and a school teacher and he confessed to running a Missouri land bad-land farm before he was ten years old His favorite song was Ill Seek a Death Death where the Bullets Fly He never tired of singing it over and over to an admiring circle of veterans that soon collected around him The plaintive wail of that gloriously touching song barely died away when retreat was sounded 1 Before night the cooks and kitchen kitchen police had divided his clothes and the they fatigue squad had traded to the goo 1 goos for bananas all his badges except the Missouri honor medal That they had hung surrounded by black crepe up upside upside up- up side on n the inside of the door That night the tog sergeant and the theother theother other non non-coms mysteriously disappeared disappeared- At eight sharp while while Poodle draped in a en enraptured enraptured en- en l en-l blanket and surrounded by enviously sly bloodcurdling bloodcurdling blood rookies was telling curdling tales of San Juan uan he was suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly seized and carried into the orderly room before the company cc summary court i You are aie read the clerk of court accused 1 i of treasonable utterances int in that you claim to be a patriot 2 conduct unbecoming a regular and a gentleman you Lyou you assert you fight for love of county count y yand and in the name of humanity 3 actions I contrary to the spirit of the army good 1 order and military discipline Look you folks i interrupted Poodle Im tired Shut up I roared the judge youre not allowed to talk before this holy tri tri- bunal Ei 0 Youre You're lucky luckyJ to even be present at the trial Poodle the patriot continued continued contin contin- tied the judge youre found guilty and sentenced to dig five ten-foot ten ditches you around the twice are to quarters A Adaily daily for one month you will condense the company drinking water until further orders ciders you will appear at sick call every morning and take a dose of quinine and you will be blanketed daily until properly ro erly mustered in as a member of coI company pany RI RIG R RG G Ri R The court is dismissed ho howled led Tom- Tom t th lins Tins an ex The sentence of the court was as can care S Sout out but to the letter as it always is in the army As an old soldier put it six months of f that sort of ration would make a pretty good od recruit out o 0 him him if if he didn't desert desert desert de de- sert or commit suicide BEEB BEEBE E. E |