Volume 2 — The Roosevelt Bears visit WEST POINT

The day was fine and the Bears were free

To take a River boat to see

The Palisades and Tarrytown

And to view the Hudson up and down.

A request had come from a young cadet

Of West Point school, whom the Bears had met,

To dine at the West Point Army Mess,

And to see the boys in their army dress,

And to sleep on an army barracks cot,

And to try their luck at a target shot,

And to ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute,

Or to join a band with drum and flute,

Or to hear good stories of army fights

After taps are sounded to put out the lights.

So they sent a wire to the cadet to say

That they would call that very day.

XL

“To ride bare-backed in the hurdle shute, or join a band with drum and flute.”

XLIThey made the trip with but one mishap:

The wind blew off a newsboy’s cap

As he walked around on the steamer deck

Calling out the news of a railway wreck

And selling his papers and chewing gum

To the crowd of tourists “going some.”

TEDDY-G made a jump as he saw it go

And he and the cap went down below.

Like a diver he struck the water right

And quick as a wink was out of sight.

“Man’s overboard,” was called aloud;

And a cheer went up from the tourist crowd

As they saw in the water in a little while

The face of a bear with a pleasant smile.

The boat was stopped and a rope thrown out,

And in answer to the captain’s shout

TEDDY-G called back, “The water’s fine;

I’ve got the bait; pull in your line.”

XLII

Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc. “Dressed and ready for hours of fun, With cavalry horse or battery gun.”

XLIII

“Like a diver he struck the water right and quick as a wink was out of sight.”

XLIV

It didn’t take them long to get

TEDDY-G on board, all dripping wet;

The children laughed, he looked so queer,

With the newsboy’s cap hung on his ear.

He bowed to tourists left and right

And said something about his appetite.

He asked the steward to bring on some meals

As the steamer band played “Silver Heels.”

XLV

“The children laughed, he looked so queer, with the newsboy’s cap hung on his ear.”

XLVI

At West Point landing the Bears were met

By a double carriage with the young cadet

And a cavalry mount to escort them round

To see the buildings on the ground.

They drove about for an hour or less,

Then went to their barrack rooms to dress

In soldier suits for the evening mess.

TEDDY-B said he’d be Colonel’s aide

And inspect the boys on dress parade,

While TEDDY-G said he’d march or stand

As leader of the soldier band.

XLVIIThe parade dismissed and the supper through,

The Bears had nothing else to do

But to roll themselves in barrack wraps

And to put out the lights at the sound of taps.

At reveille at six next day

They were wide awake and bright and gay

And dressed and ready for hours of fun

With cavalry horse or battery gun.

The boys had fun when TEDDY-B

Rode a cavalry horse down a shute to see

How to jump the walls and the hurdles take

Without a tumble or balk or break.

The horse was tricky, but the Bear was game

And he made him clear each thing that came,

Whether wall or water or brush or bar.

TEDDY-B would have tried a railway car

Or a barn or a tree or a load of hay

Or any old thing that came in his way.

The finest riding, the officers say,

That was done at West Point for many a day.

XLVIII

TEDDY-G took his turn at soldier fun

When he loaded and fired a battery gun.

He charged in powder and cannon ball;

“So simple,” he said, “it’s nothing at all.”

He asked a cadet his hat to keep

Till he stepped to the muzzle to take a peep

To see if the ball was in all right,

And if things in front were out of sight.

What happened next no one can tell,

TEDDY-G was lifted in air a spell

XLIX

And whirled around so quick in space

He didn’t remember just what took place.

“I caught that ball, all right,” said he,

When the officer questioned TEDDY-G;

“But I don’t like catching balls like that;

My place I think is at the bat.

Next time you pitch don’t throw so quick;

You struck me like a load of brick.”

Said the officer, “For bravery shown

We’ll give you a title all your own;

You can drop your Harvard L and D

And be known as Colonel TEDDY-G.”

The boys got out the fife and drum

And made things all around them hum

As they marched ahead of the Roosevelt Bears

In army step down the flight of stairs

To take the ferry at half-past four

Across the river to the other shore,

Where a train was waiting to take them down

The eastern bank and back to town.

“Let us go to-morrow,” said TEDDY-G,

“And a first-class game of baseball see;

That ball they pitched at West Point school

Had hardly time enough to cool;

It struck my paws so fiery hot

I thought for a minute that I was shot.”

LI