SERGEANT OVERTON AND DISCIPLINE
JUST how it all happened Private Hinkey was never afterwards able to
figure out to his own satisfaction.
Instead of his blow landing, the soldier found himself on his own back
on the grass--and he fell with a bump that jarred him.
"You chevroned cur! I'll make you eat that blow!" yelled Hinkey, beside
himself with rage.
Then he leaped to his feet, fairly quivering with the great passion that
had seized him.
"Slosson! Kelly! Take hold of Hinkey! He's under arrest," announced the
boyish sergeant.
Hinkey made a dive at Hal, but the two soldiers, hearing themselves
summoned, and knowing the penalties of disobedience, threw themselves
between the sulky brute and the sergeant.
"Let me at him!" screamed Hinkey, struggling with the two comrades who
now held him.
"Be silent, you fool!" warned Slosson. "You'll get yourself in stiff
before you know what you're about."
"What do I care?" panted Hinkey. "The cur coward! He doesn't dare face
me."
"If the sergeant came at ye once wid his fists, ye'd know better--as
soon as ye knew anything," jeered Private Kelly.
"The sarge is a scrapper--few like him in 'ours' when he turns himself
loose," supplemented Slosson.
"Then let go of me, and let the cur turn himself loose," pleaded Hinkey,
fighting furiously with his captors. "Let him show me if he dares."
Into such a passion was he working himself that Hinkey seemed likely to
tear himself away from the two soldiers who sought to restrain him.
But Hal had sense enough to keep his own hands out of the affair.
"Meade, get in there and help," he directed.
Then, with Hinkey growing rapidly angrier and putting forth more
strength, there was battle royal.
When it was over Hinkey had a bleeding nose, a cut lip, one eye closed
and his uniform all but torn from him.
But he panted and surrendered, at last--a prisoner.
"What's this all about, Sergeant Overton?" demanded First Sergeant Gray,
hastening to the spot.
"I've placed Hinkey under arrest, Sergeant, for disrespectful speech
against an officer, for disrespectful answers to myself and for
insubordination."
"You wouldn't act without strong cause, I know, Sergeant Overton,"
replied First Sergeant Gray. "Hustle Private Hinkey down to the guard
house, then."
"Forward with him, men," ordered Hal.
Hinkey would have started the fight all over again, but he realized the
weight of discipline and numbers, and felt that it would give his enemy
too much satisfaction.
So, with much growling and many oaths, Hinkey submitted to being marched
down to the guard house.
To the sergeant of the guard Hal explained the charge. The sergeant of
the guard promptly sent for Lieutenant Hayes, of C Company, who was
officer of the day.
Mr. Hayes listened attentively to the charge preferred by Sergeant
Overton. Hinkey, too, who was behind a barred door in one of the cells,
listened with darkening brow.
"It's all rot!" raged the arrested soldier. "It's all a personal matter,
and Overton has vented his spite on me."
"Silence, my man!" ordered Lieutenant Hayes sternly. "And when you refer
to Sergeant Overton, call him by his title."
"I won't shut up until I've had my say!" raged Private Hinkey, gripping
with both hands the bars of the cell door. "Lieutenant----"
"Silence, or you'll have disrespectful language to the officer of the
day added to the other charges against you," warned Lieutenant Hayes,
stepping over to the cell door. "Not another word out of you, Hinkey."
In the old days the prisoner would have been locked up until the next
general court-martial convened. But in these newer days the plan is to
have as many offenses as possible tried before summary court.
A summary court consists of one officer, who must, when practicable, be
of field officer's rank.
So, at nine the next morning, Private Hinkey was arraigned before Major
Silsbee. All the necessary witnesses were there, too.
Hinkey, of course, claimed that it had all been an affair of personal
spite on the part of Sergeant Overton.
This claim Hinkey was given a fair opportunity to prove, but he failed
to do so.
"I commend Sergeant Overton for his soldierly attitude in the matter,"
declared Major Silsbee when summing up. "Sergeant Overton behaved with
an amount of decision and of moderation that is remarkable in so young a
non-commissioned officer. Sergeant Overton thereby demonstrated his
fitness to command men. Private Hinkey's conduct, from start to finish,
as testified to by the witnesses, was gross and indefensible. Such
conduct in a soldier of the regular Army is nothing short of
disgraceful."
Then followed the sentence.
For disrespectful allusions to Lieutenant Ferrers, uttered in the
presence of other enlisted men, Private Hinkey was sentenced to forfeit
fifteen dollars of his pay. For disrespect and insubordination, as
evinced toward Sergeant Overton, and for resisting arrest, he was fined
twenty-five dollars more of his pay.
Thus Private Hinkey would be obliged to work for the United States for
nothing during nearly the next three months of his service.
Further, he was sentenced to one week's confinement at the guard house,
and to perform fatigue labor on the post.
Then, still under guard, Hinkey was marched back to the guard house.
His sentence, which, of course, the fellow regarded as tyranny pure and
simple, filled his heart with black hatred against the boyish sergeant.
At first sight it may seem strange, but the outcome of the whole affair
was to raise Hal Overton considerably in the esteem of his comrades at
Fort Clowdry.
As his service in the Army lengthens the soldier acquires a trained
sense of justice.
A non-commissioned officer is never allowed to lay hands in anger on any
man beneath him in rank, save to restrain a drunken or crazy man, or in
defense of himself or of another non-com. or officer.
But Hinkey had struck at Hal, and the latter, had he been so inclined,
would have been justified in leaping upon the private and beating him
into submission. Instead, he had ordered disinterested soldiers to bring
about the submission and the arrest.
More, Major Silsbee's comments on the case had been repeated by the
witnesses to other comrades in barracks.
A soldier soon comes to realize, if he is a reasonable man, that his
officers always endeavor to work out impartial justice. Therefore, Major
Silsbee's comments had greatly strengthened Hal's reputation among his
soldier comrades.
This does not mean that all suspicion against Sergeant Overton was
forgotten, but the men now remembered that Hinkey had been the most
active and bitter poisoner of minds against Hal. So, now, reaction had
its natural effect--somewhat in Hal Overton's favor.
The fourth day of Hinkey's imprisonment Sergeant Hal had charge of the
guard that controlled the seven prisoners, in all, who were now working
out guard house terms.
Hinkey now managed to come close to the young sergeant in command of the
fatigue party.
"You may think you've won out," growled Private Hinkey.
"My man," spoke Hal almost kindly, "I've no desire to see you get into
more trouble. Attend to your fatigue duty!"
"You may think you've won out," repeated Hinkey. "But wait!"