WHEN Si Klegg went into active service with Co. Q of the 200th Ind. his ideas of drill and tactics were exceedingly vague. He knew that a "drill" was something to make holes with, and as he understood that he had been sent down South to make holes through people, he supposed drilling had something to do with it. He handled his musket2 very much as he would a hoe. A "platoon" might be something to eat, for all he knew. He had a notion that a "wheel" was something that went around, and he thought a "file" was a screeching3 thing that his father used once a year to sharpen up the old buck4 saw.
The fact was that Si and his companions hardly had a fair shake in this respect, and entered the field at a decided5 disadvantage. It had been customary for a regiment6 to be constantly drilled for a month or two in camp in its own State before being sent to the front; but the 200th was rushed off to Kentucky the very day it was mustered7 in. This was while the cold chills were running up and down the backs of the people in the North on account of the threatened invasion by Bragg's army. The regiment pushed after the fleeing rebels, but whenever Suell's army halted to take breath, "Fall in for drill!" was shouted through its camp three or four times a day. It was liable to be called into action at any moment, and it was deemed indispensable to begin at once the process of making soldiers out of those tender-footed Hoosiers, whose zeal9 and patriotism10 as yet far exceeded their knowledge of military things. Most of the officers of the 200th were as green as the men, though some of them had seen service in other regiments11; so, at first, officers and non-commissioned officers who had been in the field a few months and were considered veterans, and who knew, or thought they knew, all about tactics that was worth knowing, were detailed12 from the old regiments to put the boys through a course of sprouts13 in company and squad14 drill.
One morning three or four days after leaving Louisville, word was passed around that the regiment would not move that day, and the boys were so glad at the prospect15 of a day of rest that they wanted to get right up and yell. Si was sitting on a log, with his shoes off, rubbing his aching limbs and nursing his blisters17, when the Orderly came along.
"Co. Q, be ready in 10 minutes to fall in for drill. Stir around, you men, and get your traps on. Klegg, put on them gunboats, and be lively about it."
"Orderly," said Si, looking as if he hadn't a friend on earth, "just look at them blisters; I can't drill to-day!"
"You'll have to or go to the guard-house," was the reply. "You'd better hustle18 yourself, too!"
Si couldn't think of anything to say that would do justice to his feelings; and so, with wailing19 and gnashing of teeth, and a few muttered words that he didn't learn in Sunday school, he got ready to take his place in the company.
As a general combustion20 of powder by the armies of Buell and Bragg was hourly expected, it was thought best for the 200th to learn first something about shooting. If called suddenly into action it was believed the boys could "git thar," though they had not yet mastered the science of company and battalion22 evolutions. Co. Q was divided into squads23 of eight for exercise in the manual of arms. The man who took Si's squad was a grizzled Sergeant24, who had been "lugging25 knapsack, box and gun" for a year. He fully26 realized his important and responsible functions as instructor27 of these innocent youths, having at the same time a supreme28 contempt for their ignorance. "Attention, Squad!" and they all looked at him in a way that meant business.
'right Shoulder Shift--arms!' 067
"Load in nine times—Load!"
Si couldn't quite understand what the "in" meant, but he had always been handy with a shotgun, to the terror of the squirrels and coons up in Posey County, and he thought he would show the Sergeant how spry he was. So he rammed29 in a cartridge31, put on a cap, held up his musket, and blazed away, and then went to loading again as if his life depended upon his activity. For an instant the Sergeant was speechless with amazement32. At length his tongue was loosened, and he roared out:
"What in the name of General Jackson are you doing, you measly idiot! Who ordered you to load and fire your piece?"
"I—I th—thought you did!" said Si, trembling as if he had the Wabash ague. "You said for us to load nine times. I thought nine loads would fill 'er chuck full and bust21 'er and I didn't see any way but to shute 'em oft as fast as I got 'em in."
"No, sir! I gave the command according to Hardee, 'Load—in—nine—times!' and ef yer hadn't bin16 in such a hurry you'd 'a' found out what that means. Yer'll git along a good deal faster ef you'll go slower. Yer ought ter be made ter carry a rail, and a big one, for two hours."
Si protested that he was sorry, and didn't mean to, and wouldn't do so again, and the drill went on. The master went through all the nine "times" of "Handle—Cartridge!" "Draw—Rammer!" etc., each with its two or three "motions." It seemed like nonsense to Si.
"Boss," said he, "I kin8 get 'er loaded in just half the time ef yer'll let me do it my own way!"
"Silence!"' thundered the Sergeant. "If you speak another word I'll have ye gagged 'n' tied up by the thumbs!"
Si had always been used to speaking right out when he had anything to say, and had not yet got his "unruly member" under thorough subjection. He saw that it wouldn't do to fool with the Drill Sergeant, however, and he held his peace. But Si kept thinking that if he got into a fight he would ram30 in the cartridge and fire them out as fast as he could, without bothering his head about the "one time and three motions."
'fix--bayonets!' 069
"Order—Arms!" commanded the Sergeant, after he had explained how it was to be done. Si brought his gun down along with the rest like a pile-driver, and it landed squarely on the foot of the man next to him.
Brought his Gun Down on the Man's Foot 065
"Ou-ou-ouch!" remarked the victim of Si's inexperience.
"Didn't do it a'purpose, pard," said Si compassionately33; "'pon my word I didn't. I'll be more keerful after this."
His suffering comrade, in very pointed34 language, urged upon Si the propriety35 of exercising a little more care. He determined36 that he would manage to get some other fellow to stand next to Si after that.
"Shoulder—Arms!" ordered the Sergeant, and the guns came straggling up into position. Then, after a few words of instruction, "Right shoulder shift—Arms!"
"Don't you know your right shoulder?" said the Sergeant, with a good deal of vinegar in his tone, to Si, who had his gun on the "larboard" side, as a sailor would say.
"Beg yer pardon," said Si; "I always was lefthanded. I'll learn if yer only gimme a show!"
"Silence!" again roared the Sergeant. "One more word, sir, and I will tie ye up, fer a fact!"
The Sergeant got his squad down to an "order arms" again, and then, after showing them how, he gave the order, "Fix—Bayonets!"
There was the usual clicking and clattering37, during which Si dexterously38 managed to stick his bayonet into the eye of his comrade, whose toes were still aching from the blow of the butt39 of Si's musket. Si assured him he was sorry, and that it was all a mistake, but his comrade thought the limit of patience had been passed. So he confidently informed Si that as soon as drill was over he was going to "pound the stuffin'" out of him, and there wouldn't be any mistake about it, either.
When the hour was up the Captain of the company came around to see how the boys were getting along. The upshot of it was that poor Si was immediately organized into an "awkward squad" all by himself, and drilled an extra hour.
"We'll see, Mr. Klegg," said the Captain, "if you can't learn to handle your arms without mashing40 the toes and stabbing the eyes out of the rest of the company."
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1
tribulations
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| n.苦难( tribulation的名词复数 )；艰难；苦难的缘由；痛苦 | |
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2
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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3
screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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4
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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5
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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6
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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7
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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8
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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9
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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10
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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11
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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12
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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13
sprouts
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| n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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14
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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15
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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16
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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17
blisters
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| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
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18
hustle
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| v.推搡；竭力兜售或获取；催促；n.奔忙(碌) | |
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19
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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20
combustion
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| n.燃烧；氧化；骚动 | |
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21
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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22
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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23
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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24
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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25
lugging
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| 超载运转能力 | |
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26
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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27
instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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28
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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29
rammed
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| v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
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30
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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31
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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32
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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33
compassionately
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| adv.表示怜悯地，有同情心地 | |
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34
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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35
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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36
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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37
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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38
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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39
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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40
mashing
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| 捣碎 | |
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