The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-05
HAvln1 FUN UNDER PIRE.
Amusing Incidents Of the YrAaeo-Prss-
si.a war and Risi Rebellion.

Amusing incidfnta OF tha AF@aN
.i.a war and RisI Rebellion.
From the New York sun; A retired
major Of a foreign service was talking
the other night Of experiences under
FIRE. He declared that II was cot all
serious work. He said: Il have had
fun when soldering. and that, too. IN
der FIRE on the skirmish lize. ! re-
member once In France during the
Franeo-German war. when We we're
with BOurbah AZ Montbeliord, was
surprised 10 hear some o. my men
laughing when we we're about 400 yards
from the Germans and while We we're
lying on dirty. damp ground and with
just the smallest incline In our front 70
protect ~ from the enemy's IRE. We
we're hungry and cold. and we're oblig-
ed 10 hug the dirty ground In order TO
get cover. II was no place for hilari-
Gus amusement. and yet the men kept
laughing. and they laughed 20 loudly
that am sure the enemy heard them.
| could not stand up with any safety.
and the only way I could reach the
men was 10 crawl. which did. and
after. crawling about twenty yards /
found myself In a good-sized depres-
sion In the ground. whore there was
fair shelter and there I found out the
cause Of all the amusement. We had
been out on our post eight hours. and
had used up a good deal OF ammunl-
ton. and had ordered the men 10 keep
what they had left for an emergency
that ! expected any minute This
gave the men leisure 70 gTumble or
make fun. just o. they thought best
and In this case Il was all fun. They
we're playing ninepins With the enemy
And they aid IL this way: They made
nine piles Of mud In the form and about
the size Of sugar loayes. and they plae
ed these az distances Of about a yard
from each other Then they made bet
as 10 which pin would be first hit. Of
which would be hit the most times. ant
as each pin was biz there was a laugh
but ! found that each pin was name
after some unpopular member Of tn
battalion. and when one Of the pin
vas shattered the men would laugh an
say: There goes Long Legs or Saw
bones q over or 'Fly-by-Nlght IL dis
emboweled.' and 80 on. stopped N
game. ! remember an amusing insI
dent during the Rlel rebellion IN "a
Canadian northwest IN 1855. The In
+, dlans and half-breeds had dug pits a
Batoche. and we were pounding AZ tibet
I, FOR three days with little or no effec
During that time our men were on n
, sklrmish line al day. and AZ night the
retired 10 the corral We had built In
mediaicly In our rear. But the hal
2 breeds and Indians were evidently ha'
+, ing fun AZ the expense o. our youni
s;ers OF oour-e. even our milltiams
we're prepared for the old ruse abol
!. putting a cap on the end % stick. b
= the Indians made dummies. and th'
4 would suddenly expose a part Of tho
= dummies. the head or shoulder. or u
p side. or In one case the feet. and thu
our young fellows would begin an 8
J. dependent firing rapid enough 70 resi-
4 a charge Of cavalry. But the best pa
J. Of the joke was that a great many
a the youngest soldiers who fred AZ q
e dummy we're sure to say. I hit hin
II I hit him. while there Is no dou
y even the stoical Indians In their p
G. were laughing. and !. too enjoyed {
p Joke. for had an excellent field gla
81 snd could zee the dummies very plat
rs ly."