CORPS MAKES TRIP TO BRAZOS.
(Continued from Page 1.)
a country store about four miles from
College. At the store a halt was call
ed for refreshments. There was con
siderable consumption of cracker-
jack, cakes, soda water, and hard
cider.
Captain Washam engaged his
brother officers in a game of seven-up
on the lawn in front of the store. He
was winning all his opponents’ crack
jack when the order for the advance
came up from the rear.
Some of the men showed a tendency
to flirt with the dusky maidens that
grew by the roadside, but they were
kept closely in ranks, and no one
made any particular hit.
There were few incidents to break
the monotony of the march. Few peo
ple passed the corps in eithfer direc
tion, although occasionally some col
ored brother, on his way to town,
stopped his wagon by the roadside
of a swim, and hiked for the; sand bar.
Others voted a camp fire, and the slop
ing bank was soon dotted with small
fires, around each of which a small
group of men sat playing mumble-peg
or rolling a friendly game at a nickel
a point. The atmosphere was filled
with the odor of cooking barbecue, and
at every fresh puff of wind a hundred
noses were lifted to get a sniff of the
spicy odor. The empty feeling under
the belt began crying louder and loud
er for attention.
Mess call sounded at 12 o’clock. Im
mediately there came a yell ,such as
has not been heard in Brazos bottom
since 1912. From all directions there
came a trampling of feet and a crash
ing of underbrush as the hungry cadet
came to his hash. In less than two
minutes every cup and pan in the regi
ment were clashing together with a
joyous din. As the regiment passed
through the “kitchen” in suigle file,
each pan was loaded with barbecued
beef, mutton, pork or boiled ham, salad,
bread, cake, potatoes and an apple for
cush. The expression on each face
PART OF TttE DINNER.
and stared with awe-struck eyes at the
ragged soldiers marching by. During
the last halt of the trip a smoke was
seen coming up from the rear. He
was riding a casual mule which loped
along, kicking up more dust than a
whole regiment. The coon beat step
with his heels on the mule’s ribs. He
carried half a dozen rifles, which had
been loaded on him by men further in
the rear. As he drew near it was ob
served that he more a broad grin,
which occasionally contracted into a
savage expression, as he remarked,
“Come up, mule,” the grin coming on
again just before the “mule.”
As he passed by the company he
was asked, “What’s his name?”
“Name’s Stellaa,” replied the ink.
“Come up, mule.” And he rode on
past, his heels overcoming the mule’s
tendency to stop for further conversa
tion.
On arriving in camp, each company
immediately stacked arms and was
dismissed. Every man made a bee line
for the river ot test the temperature
of the water. Some decided in favor
changed from anxious longing to in
tense satisfaction, as the corps mrach-
ed across the little twenty-foot strip
of ground in front of the tables. As
the men were served, they scattered
among the trees, and presently the
sounds of mastication succeeded the
clash of empty cup and pan. The
dinner was quickly demolished and the
mess kits cleaned. Then back to the
sandy bank for an after-dinner smoke
or nap, or possibly a swim or a nickel
crap game around a revived camp fire.
At 1 o’clock the band gave a con
cert, the first of the season. The
music lasted about three-quarters of
an hour and was enjoyed by every one.
The inventive genius of Runt Han
son discovered that a man picking
something from the bottom of a barrel
offers an excellent target for a hickory
limb or a reg. belt. He also discovered
a barrel which contained a couple of
dozen cakes left over from dinner.
Runt and a few kindred spirits began
distributing cakes. The Bull, Sgt.
Smart, Major Day, Cap. Watkins, and
various other prominent men were in
vited to partake of the refreshments.
MORE DINNER.
While all this was going on, one of
our visitors the Hon. P. B. Metcalfe, Sr.
of San Angelo and the Legislature, was
making himself popular with the
bunch. Primrose, Sr., was seated on
a log regaling a gang with humorous
stories and ice cream cones, when he
was discovered by Prexy. He was in
stantly hauled upon a stump and or
dered to make a speech. Mr Metcalfe
told of the work he was doing for the
college in the Legislature. He urged
all cadets who were over twenty-one
to vote for separation from the Uni
versity and also for another bill which
he had had put before the people. This
bill is to enable each county to vote
a small tax for the purpose of raising
money which is to be loaned to any en
terprising young man or woman who
is willing to bind himself or herself to
make good. After talking for several
minutes on these political questions,
the speaker told a number of stories
on some of his friends in the Legisla
ture. At the conclusion of his speech,
which lasted something like thirty
minutes, the corps gave a few yells
for “Primrose’s Dad,” and called
Prexy to the platform. Dr. Bizzell al
so urged that every one who was of
age vote for the resolution put forth
by Mr. Metcalfe. Just as the President
finished speaking, first call for the re
turn was sounded. Stacks were
quickly broken, and the homeward
march begun. The return trip lasted
from 3 to 5 o’clock.
COMIN’ HOME.
A 'AOMG k//(K
— ^<9 7- / rFFfr A /P Y—
The scene of the final act of the trip
was the natatorium. Five minutes
after the ranks broke the scrubbery
was the scene of furious activity.
Looking on from the outside, one was
reminded of the entrance to the Fair
Park, Dalasi, on A. & M. day. Every ca
det and his brother wanted a bath, a
cold bath and ice water for his feet. Ye
gods! But it was luxury to step under
a shower and lean against the cool
marble while a stream poured down
our backs and soothed the blisters on
our aching feet. The hike ended here
with the splash of water and the rasp
of Turkish towels over the weary
bodies of the first regiment of infantry,
A. M. C.
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CAMP SCENE.