Spencer High School - Spencerian Yearbook (Spencer, IN)

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S.H.S. SPENCERIAN 1923 Target Practice ' HITE RIVER was up-that slow sluggish stream that needed only a little sympathy from the clouds to make it leap to life, and become l l the greatest enemy of the farmers along its banks. As field after field was covered with the foaming waters, the little creatures that occul- pied the lowlands fled to the hills. Even the people began to move to higher ground. Company D, 112th Infantry, lately recruited from among the farmers around Rayville, dragged themselves from their blankets, and looked out upon another dreary morning. Would the sun never shine again? They didn't like the prospect of marching through the drizzling rain to the target range, a mile north of towng nor did they like the idea of lying on the wet ground, and firing at the same old bull's eye time after time, They enlisted to fight, but they had been here a week, always drilling, always firing at a dead target. It did not make them feel any better to have the captain tell them that they were the best marksmen, for recruits, that he had ever seen. They wanted to fight. Fall in! The order fell on unwilling ears. Had they not heard that same command at eight o'clock every morning for the last week? Had they not stood at attention every morning for fifteen minutes and listened to their captain's instructions ? Right, face! Forward, march! snapped the captain. The result was equal to a circus, for despitea week's training, the men faced every way but the right way, and it was fifteen minutes before the officers had them in hand. Up Washington Street, past the school building, they toiled, and entered the alley, leading to the target range. Little fury creatures, disturbed by the flooding of their homes, shot in and out among the briars, and sat up to watch the passers-by. When private Pat O'Keen stepped on a tuft of grass, out shot a rabbit completely upsetting him. This was too much. He calmly took a shot at the cause of his discomfort from where he sat in the middle of a puddle of water. A shot rang out from the other end of the line, and then another and another. That settled it. With a whoop of joy the whole company broke rank and scattered. The captain was furious. He bawled orders in a tone that would have made a sober company shake with fear. But these soldiers were drunk with joy, at once more being free, and the orders fell unheeded on their ears, as they ploughed up the sides of the hills in search of living targets. Within five minutes the captain and his two lieutenants were all that were left of the company. What the captain said would not do to repeat, but the gist of it was that all the Irishmen in the world were worth less than a day's wages, and that Pat O'Keen was the worst of the lot. 1261

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S.H.S. SPENCERIAN 1923 Now we have an army, and now we don't, said Lieutenant Fox with a chuckle. With a wry face the captain turned and marched back to town. Meanwhile the rabbits were being slaughtered by. the dozens. As the firing spread, the people in town questioned each other as to what the sol- diers could be doing, since there was enough noise for a real battle. About one o'clock the firing gradually ceased, and as the men began to trudge into town the mystery was explained. Some had one victim, some two, and some were empty-handed, but they had, in all, one hundred twenty- five rabbits. The hunter soldiers were all gathered around the barracks when the captain stepped in. You did well, boys, you certainly did! he said as he glanced over the pile of rabbits. All shot through the head! Well! Well! There was something like a twinkle in his eyes as he said, That's next week's rations, and then left the room. The thought of eating rabbit and nothing but rabbit, for a whole week caused grumbling long and loud, but before taps it was all forgotten. The next morning the men went about, singing and joking. It was marvelous what one day of freedom had done for them. When the order came to fall in, they obeyed with alacrity. The captain looked them over before speaking, and then came such a lecture on discipline as they had never heard before. He ended by saying, Your punishment for yesterday's occurence will be according to the number of rabbits you killed-one day K. P. for each rabbit! But since the whole company is involved, and this is the first offense, I will revoke the sentence. Don't let it occur again. There was a sigh of relief, and then such a cheer as was never heard before, The captain sent in the following report: Target practice, eight-fif- teen o'clock. Two rounds of ammunition fired at moving targets. One hun- dred twenty-five dead center shots. I beg to add this is an extraordinary achievement for raw recruits. I also recommend Private Pat O'Keen for promotion to the rank of sergeant. Robert Ellis, '24. When violets peep, and birds are here, And all the world is fresh and green, And Bluebird's notes are in the air, That is the time to welcome spring. -27--