"
"I'm one, sir," said Private O'Brien, quickly stepping forward and
saluting.
"Go in that office and get orders for this train."
"Yes, sir," replied O'Brien, and in a minute another bluecoat was
helping the train on its way. If Captain Stillings had wanted a Chinese
interpreter he could have gotten one--any old thing. The train had no
further mishaps, because everything necessary to run a railroad was
right here in one company of sixty-two men belonging to the regular
army.
July slipped away and it was well into August before we returned to our
posts and the old grind of "Fours right," and "Fours left."
CHAPTER XXIV
EXPERIENCES AS A GOVERNMENT CENSOR OF TELEGRAPH
The few years succeeding the great strike were ones of calm, peaceful
tranquility. Each recurring November 1st, brought the initiation of Post
Lyceums at all garrisons, in which the officers were gathered together
twice a week, and war in all its phases was studied. We didn't exactly
know where the war was coming from, but, still we boned it out. Old
campaigns were fought over; the mistakes made by the world's greatest
commanders, from Alexander the Great to Grant and Lee were pointed out;
Kriegspiel was played; essays written and discussed, recommendations
made as to ammunition and food supply; use of artillery in attack and
defense; the proper method of employing the telegraph in the war; and a
thousand and one things relative to the machine militaire were gone
over.
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