The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-16


adventure. Curious interest at first on
her part; thenslove. The Drowned soldier
of Cuban Eatlefieldssc apitulated to Cupid.
They did Their Counting between bugle
calls, with the long swell of taps of the
parting good night. Gen. Merritt at Ma
Mia was asking for immediate reinforce
ments; the troopships lay at the wharves;
the Twentieth Kansas was ready for the
call. The next day was set foc sailing.
That evening after 'colors" had been
sounded and echoed across the bay they
were married But no wives were to ac-
company the officers Orders from Wash
fngton. But strategy, which won him VIC
tories in war, served Col. Funston in love.
They should notsbe parted. orders or no
orders. A plan was hastily evolved Fun
ston was schooled against surprises in the
Cuban jungles. The bride should become
a trooper; should wear the blue of the
Twentieth Kansas United States volun-
teers. She went aboard as a bugler the
following day. and every volunteer sailed
for Manila with a lighter heart knowing
there was bride aboard.
But the honeymoon was brief. A slow
troopship can't outfoot a swift liner even
for love. Gen. Otis. brigade commander.
heard Of the incident soon after the regi-
ment sailed He couldn't overlook the
breach Of army discipline. Orders were
sent By the first steamer which would
overtake the Twentieth Kansas at Homo
lulu to send the bride back. The colonial
lowed him a few days later In a sailing
vessel. She reached Manila before the
fighting.
And with the sweet-faced little woman
in Manila watching, nay. inspiring him,
Col. Funston went on and performed ex-
ploits Of valor which made him the great
fighting hero. 1t was he who swan the
ll-O I, E,-0 L
twenty volunteers put the rebels to flight
1t was he who was the first American
into Malolos. No such story of love and
daring has developed in the campaigns OF
war The details which follow are facts
that are stranger than fiction.
History, now being rapidly made by the
gallant nephewS of Uncle Sam, presents
to the attention of all readers of contem-
poraneous chronicles hero vested with
all the dash AMI daring of a knight-er-
rant and lover who challenges the at
tention of the romantic. And this hero.
this lover, is Col. Fred Funston. of the
Twentieth Kansas, now fighting beneath
the stars and stripes at Manila.
His age? Thirty-three.
His height? Five feet four inches
His weight? One hundred and fifteen
pounds.
His deeds? 1t would take a volume
to relate them.
How many battles has he foughtss Only
twenty three bloody battles In Cuba and
six in and near Manila.
Has he suffered d wound :? His left arm
has been mutilated by the fragments of
a she'll; his lungs have been pierced by
Mauser bullet; his thigh has been crushed
by horse falling on him In battle, and
he has suffered the fortunes of the Cuban
fever.
| Has he ever been near unto death? He
was sentenced to death when a prisoner
In the hands of the Spaniards: he
wrestled with death In the ley waters
of the Yukon river, and afterward almost
persisted of pneumonia within a short
distance of the Arctic circle
Has he ever been in love? Yes, short
| and decisive his love making. He met
/ her at San Francisco on the eve of his
| departure for Manila, won her, defied tho
red tape of the war department., made a
| Steed of the troopship and carried her off
| to Manila a la young Lochinvar
| What was his last exploit? Only this
| When the enemy burned the bridges
across the Mariiao river. on March rs.
with twenty volunteers he swan the
| swift, muddy current, fought his way
| to the opposite bank and captured eighty
rebels That's all. only 1t was a swim
| that outswims Leander!
Truly a picturesque parsonage, this Col
Funston, of Kansas
CHAPTER L.
When, some twenty years ago. there
came to Kansas from Springfield, O., a
! small family that had harksned to the
| cry Westward ho." the older settlers did
not know that a certain small boy In that
| family, with very black eyes and very
red hair, would some day challenge the
attention of every man of the state That
! boy was Fred Funston He was q very