"Well, only that Terry drinks an' Ryan never does. I don't think his verse-makin' will interfere with his duties; it hasn't hitherto, an' if he doesn't make good, we can try some one else." "Have it your own way, then. The way you run this troop is scandalous. There's not another T. C. in the army who gets bossed by his Top the way I do." And off went Shorty chuckling, having decided two days before that Ryan was to be corporal, and well knowing that Stone would defy even the colonel before he would run counter to an order given by his adored captain. * * * * * Two nights later Stone and Whitney were again together. "Well," said Whitney, "I've just seen the new co'poral goin', in all his glory, to the little Cora girl's. He didn't take long to get his stripes an' chevrons." "To _get_! What you talkin' about? He had 'em all ready. Stevens saw him take 'em out of his locker already fixed on a new suit." "That's what I call befo'handed. But the little cuss is so blame happy over it all." "Yes," said Stone; "happy, an' wooin' the Muse again, too. Hope he don't mix her up with his Cora. Will you look at this? And the length of it? It's an ode to the troop, an' he hasn't left out anybody. Wonder where he got the time to do it all! Read the first three verses an' then the last; they're all you need to waste your time on." So Whitney read: OAD TO J TROOP Come comrads come your carbeans load While neer and far I sing my oad. There never was a troop like owers It does deserve all bueateous flowers. Ower Captain in the army is the best But he doesent give you any rest And sergeants Stone and Whitny is very fine to, The best sergeants who breth ever drew. And now I come with unwiling pennence, To tell you about ower 2 lootennence. Lootenent Burns a Prints could be, But Spurs isent neerly as educated as me. * * * * * So galopp on my gallent troop, Let no one to a bob-tale stoop, Its prayses sound from East to West For all agree J troop is best. Signed, Corporal T. Ryan Poet Lariat of J troop 18th U. S. Cav. "Lariat! Gee! Wonder he didn't put 'an' picket-pin.' The second line of that last verse is mighty ambiguous. Do you s'pose he means a hawse or a dishono'able discharge?" "Don't know," said Stone. "An' look at the last two lines: Its prayses sound from East to West For all agree J troop is best. Sounds like a soap advertisement to me. An' up there about the lieutenants. Wonder if an' 'unwiling pennence' meant a reluctant pen 'cause he didn't care to mention Spurs an' had to have a rhyme?" "It's likely. But look yere, Jerry. Yo' an' I don't breathe. Our breath draws _us_." "Pretty strong breath it must be, then." "Hush, man! Yo' goin' to show these to Shorty?" "I was thinkin' maybe he wouldn't like to think Ryan was still writin', now that he's a corporal."