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Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 7. An Old Friend In A New Guise |
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_ CHAPTER VII. AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW GUISE
The sergeant seated at a desk in the outer room, after taking a look at them, concluded to take a chance. He rose, saluted and stood at attention. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?" he asked. "Is Major Tipton at headquarters?" queried Hal. "Yes, sir." "Will you take our cards in to the major if he is not too busily engaged to receive them?" The sergeant glanced at the uppermost card, on which was printed, from engraved script, in the regular form for officers' cards:
The sergeant vanished behind the door to the next room. In an instant he came out again, halting just beyond the doorway, and announced: "Major Tipton wishes you to step inside, gentlemen." Major Tipton was standing by his desk to receive his new young officers. He was a large man, tall, with broad shoulders and somewhat inclined to portliness. His hair was iron-gray, his face rather highly colored. But he looked the picture both of courtesy and heartiness as he held out a hand to Hal. "Welcome, gentlemen," was his greeting. "Welcome to the Thirty-seventh. I can speak, with especial heartiness, for the second battalion." Hal and Noll presented themselves by name. "Be seated, gentlemen. And so you have come up from the ranks? We have many splendid officers in the service who took the same path to commissions. I had the hard-won pleasure of coming through West Point, but many of the officers who have served with me and under me came up from the ranks. Our battalion now has its full complement of officers. The two second lieutenants of the other companies are men just from West Point this year." "I think you will like the post here, especially if you are fond of the water. As you will find, when you have time to take a walk, this reservation is right on the bank of the Rio Grande River. In fact, this post is a frontier station. But that you have already gathered from maps or other sources." "We have looked up everything we could find about Fort Butler, sir," Noll answered. "You are both bachelors, I understand." "Yes, sir," assented Hal. "Good. We have plenty of room in the bachelor quarters, and no more cottages, at present, for married officers. So, gentlemen"--here the major's eyes twinkled merrily--"you will be doing me an especial favor if you do not contemplate marriage for the present." "We are wholly free from engagements in that line, sir," Noll laughed. "I am glad to hear it, Mr. Terry. A young officer should first find out if he can live on his pay, before he tries to make it do for two persons. Having been informed that you were bachelor officers I have already given orders that your quarters be made ready. We have twelve sets of officer's quarters here, and, including yourselves, only five officers to put in the quarters. And now I take it that you will want to go to your quarters after your long ride on the train?" "We are wholly at your orders, sir," responded Hal. "Then I will take time to play host in what is really Uncle Sam's house. I will take you over to your quarters myself. Pardon me for a few moments, while I do some telephoning." Calling up the quarters of Captain Goodale, Major Tipton said: "Captain, this is the commanding officer. Your new second lieutenant, Mr. Terry, is here. He will call upon you at two o'clock this afternoon, unless you have another engagement for that time. Two is all right, is it? Thank you, Captain." Major Tipton then called up Captain Foster, informing him that Mr. Overton would call upon him at two o'clock that afternoon. "Now, where is your baggage, gentlemen? At the station, I suppose." "Yes, sir." "I will send for one of the battalion quartermaster sergeant's men to take your checks and have your baggage up here without delay." A private soon entered, received the baggage checks of the young officers and departed. "Now, come along, gentlemen," invited the major, reaching for his uniform cap. "I will take you over to your quarters at once." Fort Butler looked like many another army post, in that the reservation was several hundred acres in extent; that it had well-laid, well-kept roads, a guard house, parade ground, hospital, administrative buildings, a barracks for enlisted men and other quarters for the officers. The post lay in a flat country bordering the river, and the grounds about the buildings were tastefully laid out. From the little headquarters building Major Tipton led Hal and Noll in a somewhat southerly direction toward the officers' quarters. At the extreme western end of "officers' town" lay a plain, barracks-like building, with front porch upstairs and down. "That barn will be your home, gentlemen," announced the major. "And the building just this side is the one that contains the officers' club." "Officers' club," otherwise known as "officers' mess," is a term that might be misunderstood by a civilian. The "club" is where the bachelor officers eat their meals; other officers on post often eat there, too, especially in the absence of their families. There are reading and writing rooms at the "club," and other features that make it a somewhat pleasant lounging place for young officers in their few leisure hours. While there is plenty of comfort at an officers' club there are few in which anything like real luxury is to be found. And, while the civilian may remain at his club until well into the small hours the Army officer, with his next day of arduous duty ahead of him, usually leaves his club between nine and ten in the evening, if not much earlier. Major Tipton then led the young officers to the bachelor house, explaining that he had assigned them quarters upstairs, as they would find them much pleasanter than the downstairs rooms. The two sets of quarters proved to be facing each other, Hal's on the east side, Noll's on the west side. Each set consisted of a parlor and bedroom, with bath and dressing-room adjoining. "There's room enough here, sir, to start married life in," smiled Lieutenant Overton. "Have you that bee buzzing about you?" asked the major, giving him a keen glance. "Not in the least, sir." "I have arranged for two excellent men to act as your strikers," continued the commanding officer. "Their selection is, of course, subject to your approval. At Fort Butler an officer pays a striker eight dollars a month." The two lieutenants expressed their thanks. While they were still inspecting their quarters two private soldiers came up with the baggage from the railway station. "I'll take my leave, now, and give you time to dress," said the major, rising. "I shall be at the club during the noon-time to-day, and will introduce you to such of the officers as may be present." Both young officers saluted as their commander withdrew. "Now we've got to hustle," admonished Hal. "We'll have a lot to do." "I'm busy," affirmed Noll, rising and making for the door to go to his own quarters. Hardly had the door closed when a knock came. Another knock could be heard at Noll's door. "Come in," called Hal, and a young private entered, saluting. "Major Tipton arranged with me to serve as your striker, sir, until you make some other arrangement," reported the soldier. "You've come at just the right moment, then," answered Hal. "Your name?" "Ellis, sir." "Very good, Ellis. Unpack my trunk and bags in the bedroom. I'm going into my bath." "Very good, sir." Catching up clean underclothing Lieutenant Hal retired to the bathroom. Completing his toilet with soldierly speed, the youthful lieutenant opened the door into his parlor. Private Ellis arose, standing at attention. Hal tarried only long enough to note that the striker had placed his swords in a corner, and that his revolver, belt and ammunition box lay on the desk. "Ellis has done this sort of work before," Hal told himself. Then he stepped out, knocking on Noll's door. The latter's striker opened it at once. "Lieutenant Terry is nearly ready, sir," reported Noll's striker. An officer's striker is a species of military servant, yet it is not considered in the Army that the striker's work is really menial, or in any way degrading. Some of the best and brightest of the commissioned officers now serving in the Army have been employed in the past as strikers to officers. No private soldier is compelled to serve as striker. He does it only of his own choice, and is always paid by the officer, the amount of pay depending upon the extent and nature of the services so performed. A striker's work must not interfere with his performance of his own soldierly duties. A trained striker knows just the hours when he is expected to be at his officer's quarters, and just what he must do when he gets there. Noll soon came out, presenting a striking sight in his brand-new, finely fitting uniform. "I can't rid myself of the notion that I'm liable to arrest by the guard," laughed Noll as the chums made their way down the stairs. "Why?" asked Hal. "For daring to masquerade in an officer's uniform," grinned Noll. "You'll get used to it soon," replied Hal. "You haven't been an enlisted man all your life, you know." "But I have been during all the years that I've been really living," Noll retorted. "You look out, too, Hal, old bunkie, or you'll be saluting the first second lieutenant you see." "I shall, anyway," Overton retorted. "Any other second lieutenant on the post, except yourself, ranks me, and I'm not sure but that you do." Nor had the young lieutenants taken ten steps from their room when a soldier, turning the corner, brought his hand up to the visor of his cap in trim salute. Hal was ready with his acknowledgment of the salute, but Noll started guiltily, half a second later, and hurriedly raised his own hand to return the soldier's courtesy. "I was nearly caught that time," admitted Terry, in an undertone. "Watch, out, chum. It's a grave matter, as you well enough know, for an officer to overlook a soldier's salute." Three more soldiers passed them, but Noll was looking now, and fully alert to bring his own hand up to his cap. Then the chums turned and ascended the steps to the club. Neither had ever before entered an officers' club, save on some errand of duty. Major Tipton was waiting for them inside. There were two other officers present--First Lieutenants Johnson and Sears. "Mr. Johnson is first lieutenant of F company, your company, Mr. Terry," stated the major. "Mr. Sears is first lieutenant of your company, H, Mr. Overton. These gentlemen, after luncheon, will take you to your respective captains and present you." Soon there were sounds of others entering the hallway. Then a voice was heard, declaring firmly: "You may think me a grind, but I have little sympathy with either officers or men who think too much of pleasure. The first duty of any soldier, from general down to rookie----" Now three more officers stepped into the room. "----is duty, and it should always be spelled with a capital 'D,'" finished the speaker earnestly. Noll got a glimpse of that speaker. It startled him so that he drew back, muttering: "For the love of Mike! It's our old Algy." "Who?" queried Hal, who had not caught a glimpse, yet, of the face of the officer in question. "It's Feathers--I mean, Ferrers," breathed Noll. "The officer who tried to resign because the Army was no place for a gentleman." "Mr. Brisbane," sounded the major's voice, "I want you to meet a new officer, Mr. Overton. Mr. Pratt, Mr. Overton. Mr. Ferrers, Mr. ----" "I think, Major, we have met before, sir," spoke Lieutenant Hal, turning to grasp the hand of Lieutenant Algy Ferrers, whom readers of "UNCLE SAM'S BOYS AS SERGEANTS" will well remember. "Er--ah--yes," agreed Mr. Ferrers, but it was plain that his memory had deserted him as to Hal's face. "Terry and I were sergeants at Fort Clowdry, Mr. Ferrers," Hal continued. "Oh, I remember you now, of course," cried Algy heartily, but a slight flush mounted his cheeks at mention of Fort Clowdry. Then Noll was presented to his brother officers. Major Tipton withdrew, going to his own quarters just as luncheon was announced. _ |
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