Arsenal Technical High School - Arsenal Cannon Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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THE ARSENAL CANNON 11 And my uncle's got some extra pea seed that he can't use, from Ned Robinson. We've got more bean seed than we need, volunteered Paul Grant And, Say, Joe Winters fairly shouted in an effort to make himself heard, I've got some tomato plants we can set out! Bill Smith was the last of the eight boys to speak and he said, I know my ma'll let me have any kind o' seed from the store, whereupon Jump complacently remarked, Well I guess we'd ought to have a good garden-if we only work hard enough-but that's where the soldier part comes in you know. Now then-let's go out to 'our farm', said Andy, and in a re- markably short time the eight soldiers were racing helter-skelter down the Main Street when a sudden Halt! brought them to a stop. It was Andy, Say fellows, he began, we ought to have a flag an' a drum and march like real war-soldiers. Joe, you could get your fife, too. And Cy'll bring his drum and-who'll get a Hag to carry? Oh, I know where there's one, and Ned was off. Soon the three reappeared bearing the objects of their search. Andy, by right of superior age, took the command. Cy was drummer boy, Joe was fifer, and Ned, the standard bearer. Just as all had been assigned places in the line John had an inspiration and rushed off calling out, I'll be back directly. And so he was, leading a very reluctant and much puzzled older brother by the hand as he came. Dan was instantly surrounded by a crowd of noisy boys each explaining at the top of his voice, the nature of their enterprise. With great difficulty Dan at last made out their explanations and discovered that he was in demand to act as a drill master. To this he consented since he was somewhat aware of the importance of his own position. Soon therefore the natives were much surprised to see an orderly line of boys marching down Main Street to the tune of Star Spangled Banner. These strange sights and sounds aroused many disturbing thoughts in the minds of several parents but when they saw Dan at the head, all fears vanished and they could only wonder what those boys are going to do now! That evening they weren't left in suspense very long for eight boys were so enthusiastic over the afternoon's work that they bubbled over with the story of what they were going to do. Fathers and moth- ers breathed sighs of relief and felt that vacation might not be so nerve-racking a time after all. But, as one father said, They'll get tired of that before long and it will be something else. The mothers said nothing but hoped that such a prophecy, no matter how probable, would not come true. The next morning the boys were up with the sun and, according to their agreement met out by the bridge. There was Dan with two of Mr. Cyrus Newton's horses ready to plow the field for them. Hooray! and with happy shouts of laughter the fun began. Never had those boys worked so hard and never had work been so much fun. It was surprising what a short time it took to plow the entire iield. Then what fun it was to harrow and drag the ground!

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10 THE ARSENAL CANNON be inlhiers nf the bail QPrize Short Story.D A military spirit hovered over the little town, or rather that part of it near John Lincoln's house. In J ohn's back-yard it seemed to be particularly in evidence. There a group of boys were gathered about alsturdy twelve-year old boy who was lecturing them somewhat as o ows: Now, fellows, y'know my brother Dan enlisted last night an' he's goin' to iight for our country and flag. CHere John saluted the flag waving over the woodshed with a flourish-Brother Dan had just taught him how.l An' you know that we're goin' to have a big war-an'-well, I wanta help-don't you? he appealed. Sure we do, asserted the interested boys. But how c'n we? questioned little Cy Newton. Well, y'know that a lot o' men 'll 'list to be soldiers an soldiers eat a awful lot an' the papers have been full of talk about raisin' gardens and things. An' about its bein' just as paterotic to work on the farms as it is to fight the Germans an' all -John had to stop for breath and as he did so his eyes searched his small audience for signs of approval. Finding it there in abundance but mixed with a measure of questioning he continued. So I thought maybe we c'd make a army an' raise a lot o' things to send to our soldiers! John had struck a popular note for all boys delight in anything pertaining to an army and since these boys were no exception to the rule, they fell to planning with an unusual show of enthusiasm. And we'll call ourselves 'Soldiers of the Soil,' suggested Andy Jones the oldest boy. When Andy approved of any venture it was sure to succeed. The boys were perched on the benches and boxes which were ever conveniently placed in Jump's shop. CJohn was commonly known as Jump because of its apt portrayal of his character, perhaps.D Sug- gestions regarding the new idea were offered on all sides. Finally Jump said, Well, I guess the first thing to do is to find some land that we can farm. Say, my grandad said I could use his two-acre field over by the bridge if I wanted to, piped up little Cy. The tiny nine-year old lad was always known as little Cy because of his fathers unusual size. Cy, you're a brick an' so's your grandad! Let's go an' look it over right away, proposed enthusiastic John. I say 'Jump', wait a minute, advised soberer-minded Andy, we'd best talk about the seeds an' what we're going to plant iirst, hadn't we? Sure, I'd a fergot that part of it, laughed 'Jump', what will we plant on 'our farm'? Pa'll let me have a few seed potatoes, I know, contributed Harold Brown, popularly 'Hal'. So'll mine, said John.

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12 THE ARSENAL CANNON Usually when more than one boy was at work there wasn't any boy at all, as Cy's grandfather claimed, but this was certainly the exception to prove the rule for Dan's guiding head and hand accomplished wonders. By noon the field was ready for planting and then a troop of the hungriest boys anyone ever saw or heard of marched back to their homes. That afternoon drill master Dan decreed that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and therefore he would drill them for a few hours. Never were there eight such happy boys. The afternoon passed like magic and the novelty had not worn off. Indeed at the end of a week the boys were just as enthusiastic as they had been at the beginning and the parents began to wonder if it might not be truly lasting. All was progressing smoothly when word came that Dan's company might be called out within a few days. Then indeed began troublous times for the Soldiers of the Soil. With their drill-master gone would they be able to continue to the end? However Dan bequeathed his position to the now proficient Andy, and encouraged them to work hard to live up to the ideals adopted. The drilling became one of the most important and interesting branches of their work. The whole town was interested and aided the boys in planning for the exercises on Decoration Day and the 4th of July. Then came the startling news that Dan Lincoln was to leave for France on the fifteenth of June. The Soldiers began to have very mysterious secret meetings and to neglect even the drill meetings. Dan wondered many times whether his work was going to be lost after his departure. His days seem strangely empty without the lively boys ever at his heels. Nearer and nearer drew the great day and tenser and tenser became the excitement. Everyone swelled visibly with the importance of the occasion. The fifteenth dawned beautifully clear and the village was awakened with a Boom! boom! boom! of the cannon which was reserved for gala occasions. Everywhere Old Glory was unfurled to the breezeg the station in particular Haunted a large number of flags. Bunting decorated the platform and the cannon was stationed at the side of the station. As soon as their mothers would permit, eight radiant boys clad in wonderful new soldier suits, Cmade for the occasion by kindhearted sisters and mothersj, marched down to the Lincoln home and with a right good will cheered Dan again and again. SLu'prise was written on every line of his face when he appeared in the doorway and he gladly complied with their request to drill them once again. Then when they had shown him how perfectly they had learned their lessons they per- mitted him to return to his home. The boys then hustled off to the station and completed preparations there. When the train whistled at the crossing Dan, the hero, appeared on the scene. Cheers filled the air and just as he boarded the train the boys capped the climax by firing the cannon with many flour- ishes of drum and fife. The last sight of Dan left a great impression on these Soldiers and they resolved to be true to his teachings and to make him truly proud of them. ' CATHERINE A. CARR.