a fine
young fellow, straight as a lance, walked round the seated men, and also
stepped upon the platform. Though much slenderer than the other, the
newcomer was a good inch taller. A roar of applause came from the
regiment, and the first man, understanding, laughed and stepped down.
Then he turned back and spoke to the younger man, evidently asking his
height. "How tall? How tall?" demanded the crowd, and the young fellow
held up six fingers, indicating six feet six. A similar scene occurred
for the shortest man, a thin little fellow getting the honor; then a
third aspirant, being evidently taller, was laughed back. But what struck
me was the reception given a head-headed, round-headed, roly-poly little
mustached fellow, who hesitated near at hand. The crowd instantly
nicknamed him. "Come on, Cupid, and measure yourself." But Cupid had his
doubts, and so retired.

The lecture being over, luckily so was the rain; but the captain took us
out on that rolling country that flanks the Peru road, and gave us a
fight with an imaginary enemy, through wet bushes, across a dump, over
and among little sand and gravel pits, finally ambushing with great care
an innocent Catholic cemetery. As we did this badly, on our advance
exposing ourselves to the fire from the ornamental statuary, we had to do
it over again. It was difficult practice, keeping in line; but it was
fairly exciting to throw yourself, at command, flat on your face wherever
you happened to be. I thus gained intimate acquaintance with a pile of
tin cans, a scrub hard pine, and a big hill of black ants. As the proper
method of moving sideways, when in skirmish line, is to roll, I rolled
away from the latter position, not to the betterment of my poncho.

This afternoon, again in rain, we marched to the gymnasium once more, and
the building not having been ventilated, found the air very oppressive
after our hearty dinner. The captain talked to us of the rifle and its
use in target shooting; but conditions were against him, for it was a
very sleepy crowd that listened. I found myself drowsy, men were nodding
all about me, and Corder declared that he had 247 distinct and separate
naps. But it was necessary to rouse when we were required to adjust our
slings and take position for snapping at a mark. The sling is the strap
of the gun, which when fitted to the upper arm, and the arms and body
braced against the pull of it, in some mysterious way gives steadiness.
Our calisth