Whenever a soldier or an ex-soldier is found slandering the Army service it is invariably safe to set him down as a man who, through very poor soldierly qualities, or actual viciousness, got "in the bad books" of his officers. There is every desire on the part of regimental and company officers to make it pleasant for a truly good soldier, and to keep him in the service until he has reached retiring age.
The man who gets into bad company when away on leave is the soldier who has the most difficulty in getting leave another time.
On the other hand, the soldier of good conduct can have much leave during the month. It is a practice at many posts, when a man has a trade, and can get small jobs to do near the post, to allow him as many half days for that work as may be granted him without injury to the service. In this way handy men or mechanics among the soldiers often add many dollars to their pocket money.
As Private Bill Hooper went away to clean up his uniform and shoes, Hal blithely kept at work putting his rifle in A 1 order.
Both were interrupted, half an hour later, by the bugle call for separate company drill.
Private Overton was among the first on the drill ground. His clothing looked as though it had just come from the tailor"s; his rifle had the appearance of being fresh from the a.r.s.enal.
"There"s a man for you, Hyman," spoke Sergeant Hupner, in an undertone.
"If the kid keeps on as he has started he"ll be a winner."
"I"ve had my eye on him," nodded Private Hyman. "He seems to be good all the way through."
"Is he ever a little bit fresh in the squad room?" continued Sergeant Hupner.
"If the kid is," replied Hyman, "I"ve never happened to be around at that time. But he stands up for himself when he has to. I suppose you"ve heard, Sergeant, how he trimmed Bill Hooper off?"
"Yes," nodded Hupner; "that sort of thing won"t hurt Hooper at all, either."
"Hooper may lay for a chance to accuse Overton of something in the squad room that the kid didn"t do."
"I"ll have my eyes open for Hooper," replied Hupner dryly. "I haven"t anything against any of the other sergeants in this battalion, but I really wish some other sergeant had Hooper in his squad room."
"B Company fall in," sounded the voice of Captain Cortland.
First Lieutenant Hampton and the sergeants hastened to their posts, while the corporals and privates went to their places in the ranks.
The command for open order was given, after which Captain Cortland commanded:
"Inspect the second platoon, Lieutenant Hampton."
With that the company commander himself pa.s.sed behind the backs of the men of the first platoon, looking each man over keenly.
"Private Hooper, fall out!" ordered Captain Cortland sharply.
When the captain had finished his own work, and Lieutenant Hampton had reported all men in the second platoon to be soldierly in appearance, Captain Cortland turned to Bill Hooper with a look of disapproval.
"Private Hooper, this is the third time within a month that you"ve failed to report in neat and soldierly appearance. Who is in charge of your squad room?"
"Sergeant Hupner, sir."
"Sergeant Hupner," resumed the captain, "what have you to say to this man"s appearance?"
"I ordered him, at least a half an hour ago, sir, to clean himself up."
"Keep right after Private Hooper, Sergeant. If he fails again to keep himself as a soldier should, report him to the first sergeant."
Hooper"s face burned darkly. Even honest Sergeant Hupner flushed. A shiftless soldier is a sore trial to the sergeant responsible for him.
Now, at the brisk command, B Company moved off in column of fours. A long practice march followed. While out, the company was halted and drilled searchingly. It was a hard morning"s work, B Company returning just in time for dinner. In the afternoon there was another drill.
Parade wound up the day.
On his return from parade Lieutenant Wright, the adjutant, found in his office mail a letter that caused him a good deal of astonishment.
"Watch Private Overton, B. Company, if you want to find a man who knows a lot about the robbery the other night. He has been acting suspiciously, and I have it from a man in his squad room that Overton sometimes talks in his sleep in a way to show that either he was one of the robbers, or else that he knows who they are.
"A FRIEND."
CHAPTER XIX
A SECRET COWARD
IF any official notice was taken of that lying anonymous note the rascally writer thereof did not have the satisfaction of discovering it for some time to come.
Duties in the battalion went on, as usual, at Fort Clowdry, the next day.
Late in the afternoon, however, came a brief battalion drill, followed by the glorious spectacle of dress parade.
After the regimental band had played the colors down the line, and the other ceremonies had been observed, Adjutant Wright took his post to publish the orders.
These were few, and the reading did not occupy long. As the officer returned the papers to the breast of his coat the men expected to see him step back. Instead, however, the adjutant sharply called:
"Battalion, attention! I am directed by the battalion commander to make an inquiry. Each man will pay close heed, and answer if he is able. Has any non-commissioned officer or private in this battalion heard, at any time lately, any man in the same squad room with him talk in his sleep in such a way as to indicate that the man talking in his sleep had any knowledge concerning the men who recently broke into and robbed the battalion commander"s quarters? Any man having such knowledge will fall out."
There was a tense silence, but the ranks of the first battalion remained intact.
"If there is any non-commissioned officer or private who did not fully understand my question, he will fall out," continued the adjutant.
Still no man fell out.
"If the man who addressed the anonymous letter to the battalion adjutant is present he will step out," continued Lieutenant Wright.
Still the ranks remained unbroken.
Being at "attention," each man in the four companies was looking fixedly ahead. But curiosity was running wild under all those blue fatigue blouses!
"An anonymous letter has been received at battalion headquarters,"
continued the adjutant sternly. "This letter accuses a soldier, who is named, of having guilty knowledge concerning the perpetrators of the robbery of the other night. The writer of this letter a.s.serts that other men in the squad room have heard the anonymously accused soldier talking in his sleep in such a manner as to implicate the accused in the robbery.
"No man present has acknowledged having heard such talk. Either some soldiers now in ranks have lied in denying having heard such talk, or else the writer of the anonymous letter is a liar. I am directed by the battalion commander to state his belief that the writer of the anonymous letter is the liar.