CHAPTER XV
IN UNIFORM
“Um! Oh! Smell that!” cried Bob, as he hurried out in answer to thefirst mess call of the day. “Bacon, or I’m a sinner!”
Breakfast call was sounded at 6:15 and half an hour was allowed for it.
As soon as the mess call had sounded each man, acting under thedirections of his squad leader, got his mess kit, consisting of plate,cup, knife, fork and spoon. Later the boys needed no instructions inproducing these implements of “warfare.”
The signal being given, they marched to the kitchen where there wasdished out to each one what was to be the first meal of the day. Thisproved to be steamed rice and milk, bacon, scrambled eggs, friedpotatoes, buttered toast, bread and coffee.
With this as a starter the boys marched into the mess hall and sat downat long tables to eat.
“How goes it, Chunky?” asked Ned, as he noticed his stout chumbeginning to eat.
“Tell you better when I’ve had my second or third helping,” was thesomewhat mumbled reply.
“Talk it out, Chunky,” advised Jerry. “Don’t scramble your reply; leavethat to the eggs you’re sailing into.”
“Huh, I’ll sail clear through these, and then some.”
“Can you have as much as you like?” asked a rather timid lad next toNed.
“All you want, son, and more,” answered the squad leader, who waswalking about, and who had overheard the question.
As each one finished he took his mess kit down to the end of the hall,where there was a kettle of scalding water, and washed his cutlery anddishes. There are no official dishwashers in the army, save those whoserve in the officer’s mess.
“Well, do you feel better?” asked Ned, as he and Jerry filed out withBob.
“Lots,” was the answer. “What call’s that?” he inquired, as anotherbugle note blared out.
“Sick call and fatigue,” answered Jerry, who was learning the armyorders and regulations.
This call came at 6:45 and gave opportunity for such as were physicallydisabled in any way to escape drill for the day. If a man is notfeeling physically fit in the morning he so reports to his firstsergeant, who places the name on a list. Then, when the proper callcomes, and all who are in need of medical attention are collected, anofficer marches them to an infirmary.
Of course, this applies only to those slightly “under the weather.” Incase of a very ill recruit the doctor goes to him, instead of havinghim go to the medical man. If a man is taken ill, or feels the need ofmedical attention at any time other than the official sick call, anofficer is detailed to take him to the doctor, or the doctor comes tohim, at any hour it may be necessary.
Fortunately there were very few who responded to sick call the firstmorning in Camp Dixton. When it was over, at 6:50 o’clock, came thefirst call for the day’s drill. Five minutes later came the assembly,which meant that every man, not excused, must be in line. Then thedrill began. It was to last an hour.
There were six drills during the day (or were at Camp Dixton), besidesguard-mount in the late afternoon. Between the drills came dinner, ofcourse. But the new soldiers were impressed with the drills. There wereso many of them, and when there was no drill there was a school ofinstruction.
Drills, or the assembly calls for them, came at the followinghours: 8:15, 9:30, 10:45, 1:00, and 2:15. At 3:30 came a school ofinstruction, which lasted an hour. There was guard-mount, too, whichis another sort of drill, at 5:00. This lasted half an hour, andmess call for supper sounded shortly after 5:30, followed by retreat,meaning that the main part of the day was over.
From supper time till the call to quarters, which sounded at 9 P.M.,the recruit was allowed to do about as he pleased, though sometimesthere was instruction in the evening. The call to quarters was thesignal for all lights to be out in the squad room, though it was notnecessary for all the soldiers to be there at that hour. They were,however, expected to be there at ten o’clock when taps were sounded,this being a bugle call for all lights to be out, and every one in bed,except the officers and sentries.
“Well, I don’t see where we’re going to have an awful lot of time toscrabble around and have fun,” said Bob, in a half-growling tone, ashe looked over the printed list of the camp schedule. “We have fromfour-thirty to five-forty-five with nothing to do, if we’re not in theguard-mount stunt, and then we have time after supper. But that isn’tmuch.”
“Say, what do you think you’re on--a vacation?” asked Jerry.
“Well, no, not exactly,” answered Bob slowly.
“Not exactly! I should say not! Most emphatically--not! You’re here,and so we all are, to do our duty and beat the Germans, and if it takesall day I’m willing!” went on Jerry.
As has been mentioned there are many kinds of drills in the army, butthe new recruits, such as Ned, Bob, and Jerry, found, according totheir squad leader, that the physical drill was the most importantone for them at first. Later on would come rifle drill, drill inthe trenches, bayonet practice, machine gun drill, rushes with handgrenades and so on. There seemed to the boys to be no end to it.
The boys of course, began at the very bottom to learn about army work,and one of the first things they were told was in regard to differentformations, or units. The squad is the smallest unit of the infantry,to which branch of the service the three chums were attached. A squadconsists of eight men, seven privates and a leader, who is, generally,a corporal. This squad is the foundation of the army, and the membersof it generally stay together, sleeping, eating and fighting in unisonwith other squads.
After the squad comes the platoon, which is made up of from two to sixsquads, and the men are in charge of a lieutenant with a couple ofnon-commissioned officers to help him. Four platoons make a company,and this is in charge of a captain, with two lieutenants to aid him.
The battalion of four companies comes next and a major commands abattalion, while three battalions usually make up a regiment, which iscommanded by a colonel, with a number of staff officers to advise andaid him. It takes two regiments of infantry to make a brigade, whichis in charge of a brigadier general. Next comes a division, which isthe largest group in the army, and is made up in various ways, frominfantry and artillery and machine gun battalions.
“I wonder what’s up?” said Ned, as he walked with his chums to thedesignated place. None of them was in uniform, as yet. That would comelater.
“What do you mean--up?” asked Jerry.
“I mean it looks as though we were going to listen to a speech,” wenton Ned.
And this was just what was going to happen. The captain of the companyto which they were temporarily assigned, had gathered the recruitsabout him.
“I want to tell you a few things before we begin the physical drill,”he said, “so you will appreciate the importance of it. If I did not,you might think that some of it was of little use. But I want to saythat it all has a value that has been tried and proved.
“You know the army that is to help whip Germany is just like a bigmachine. You are all parts in that machine, and every part, no matterhow small, must work in perfect unison with every other part, or therewill be failure. To begin with, you must be physically fit to standmuch hard work, and this drill is to get you in good condition.
“Some of the motions you are made to go through may seem foolish toyou, but they are all for some good purpose. You have muscles which,ordinarily, you seldom use. It is to bring out these muscles, and makethem fit for service, that certain motions and practice are necessary.You’ll be surprised on finding what a little exercise will do forcertain weak and flabby muscles that you have. They will be waked upand made to do their duty.”
And the boys found, before the day was over, that their captain spokethe truth, and with a knowledge that could not be questioned.
“Oh, look who’s here,” said Bob to Ned in a low voice, as they had alittle respite from twisting and turning and stooping and rising.
“Who?” asked Ned.
“That Pug Kenned
y we had the row with in the train. They’re going toput him in our squad, I’m afraid.”
“That’s bad,” said Jerry. “But still it won’t do to kick. This is onlytemporary, and he may be changed, or we may. Don’t give up the shipnow.”
Pug Kennedy was, indeed, put in the squad with the three Cresvillefriends, and his unpleasant face grinned at them as the drill went on.
Pug Kennedy lived up to his reputation. He was a “scrapper,” and hedid little but growl at every new order. He did not see any reason forthis, nor sense in that, and only the fact that he did his growling ina low voice saved him from being disciplined. The officers did not hearhim.
It was three or four days after the arrival of Ned, Bob, and Jerry atCamp Dixton that Bob came hurrying up to his chums with a pleased lookon his face.
“What is it, Chunky?” asked Ned. “Have you managed to squeeze anothermess call into the day’s program?”
“No. But we’re going to get into uniforms to-day. I just heard ourcaptain say so,” answered the stout lad. “Now we’ll look like realsoldiers!”
Bob was right. A few minutes later came the call for the recruits toline up and proceed to the quartermaster’s department to be measuredfor uniforms.
“Now this is something like!” exclaimed Bob.