_Marcus Antonius._ Cæsar dear, is there no way this troubling my
dear little plebeian sentinels can be stopped?
_Cæsar._ There probably is, but we have not found it yet.
--_Colour Line Tragedy of 1890._
Nor yet. And so, year by year, for a time, the new fourth classmen
worked out pretty fairly Lowell's lines:
"Mis'ble as roosters in a rain,
Heads down, and tails half-mast."
Magnus Kindred was speeding along through camp one morning, thinking of
home, when he was hailed by an upper classman.
"See here, beast, what's your name?"
Magnus made answer, with what composure of face and voice he could call
up at such short notice.
"Where did you come from?" And again the reply came with fair coolness.
"Got so few men out there, they give 'em long names to stretch out and
cover the country. Who was your pred.?"
"Mr. Dunn, sir. He resigned, sir."
"Good example for you to follow in November," said Mr. Seaton, "but
you've got to be taken care of in the mean time. Wipe that smile off,
sir! What's your technical name?"
"Haven't got any, sir."
"Well, if anyone asks you that again, tell 'em it's Lorenzo Monkey,"
said Seaton, and walked away.
Magnus shook his fist at him (mentally), but what can a pleb do? And
so to the next inquirer he answered (pretty ungraciously, it must be
owned):
"Somebody said it was Lorenzo Monkey, sir."
"Can't have a monkey without a tail," said Mr. Danby. "Now remember,
beast, you are technically called: 'Lorenzo Monkey; and the name is not
fame.' Take your eyes off me, sir!"
Well, the tail grew--naturally; and every time the name was called for,
to amuse one man or a dozen, somebody would add on a word, and then
Magnus was bid to rattle the whole thing off, amid shouts of laughter.
He was required also to write out his technical name in full, and hand
the paper in under the guise of an official document: a half sheet of
paper duly folded, and inscribed as follows:
Camp Hard,
West Point, N. Y.,
July --, 18--.
Kindred, C,
Cadet Private. Co. "A." 4th Class.
Subscribed Copy of
"Technical Name."
Within, it ran thus:
Camp Hard,
West Point, N. Y.,
July --, 18--.