Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-05-27
SANTIAGO STORIES.
Two Marksmen Who Siienced a Span
iSh Gun.
Mule Drivers Who We're Heroes Work o
Spanish Sharpshooters.

The Second Infantry stationed in
! The Angle" We're much bothered by
| an old muZzle-loader which the Span
| lardS had been firing from the nearest
| corner Of Santiago. Every now and
/ then a hot shot would be dropped close
to the trenches of the Second. and the
men who had to dodge didn't like it..
Through their glasses they could easily
see the Spaniards, who We're standing
around and evidently chuckling over
their work. 50 they sent to the left of
| the regimental line with a request that
Lieutenant Muir and Gun Sling Jack"
| be sent TO pick off the Spaniards from
the gun that was worrying them.
! The Angle was a sharp bend in
4 the trenches, the nearest point in the
lines of the Second to the big black gun
across the plain. Lieutenant Muir and
Jack came UP. Just as they reached
the corner a solid shot buried itself in
the hill slope ten feet back of the line
I The lieutenant regarded dubiously the
hole made by the Spanish ball.
II was thinking of lying right about
there for a sighting shot or two. How
ever. lightning never strikes twice n
the same place; come on, Jack" he
said.
Lieutenant Muir holds army records
for shooting. so does Gun Sling Jack:
the latter of course, under his right
name. What that name may be few of
US could say without look at the first
Sergeant's rollbook. For one man that
knew Jacks real name there We're a
dozen at Santiago who knew him only
Nv r1fa
and the enlisted man lay down togetn-
er fiat on their backs. Then securing
their krags between their crossed feet.
they threw the left hand under and
across the back of their heads. i'm this
way holding their rifles firmly in place
This is called the Texas grip ana il in
variably used in long distance shoot
ing. After some preliminary squint-
ing and two or three tentative shots
the lieutenant asked.
What do you make it, Jack?"
Eleven hundred yards. sir"
That's about it. Let it go at that"
one Shot which came while they were
sighting and threw dirt over the pair
almost disturbed their equanimity. but
, they soon paid the enemy wen for that.
AS a Spanish soldier was getting ready
|
muZzle pointing their way. the Amer
lean marksman cut loose. The Span
lard over the way Wavered for mo-
ment. let slip the shot as if reluctant
to part with it. and then toppled over.
Dead. | guess. | don't know which
Of US got him. but he's landed all
right" said the lieutenant.
, Quickly another man lifted the shot
3, l.,
ly dropped. Six others tried to load
that gun from time 70 time. They were
picked OFF as fast as they stepped up.
TO the men behind the American guns
it was like target shooting.
Eleven hundred yards, 4 Texas grip
ana fixed target-this is easy" OBJ
served the officer. pleasantly.
It's cinch-iust like Sea Girt =
grunted the private, while he waited
for the next man to court death.
But the next man never came Eight
good men lost. ana the certainty that
more would go the same way com
pletely discouraged that Spanish OUT
| fit That night. after long. lone de-
liberation, the Spanish captain of the
big gun retired to a side room in 4 cafe
in Santiago and blew hole in his
head. He could see no other way out
Of it. The lieutenant and Jack hovered
around the Angle all the next day to
See that the big muzzle- loader was not
again brought into the game. Then.
getting no action from across the way,
the pair marched back to the left of
the regimental line and went about
their usual duties.
That gun was never again used by
the Spaniards. 1t is now in possession
Of the United States. among those
which are to be made into bronze
medals they say, for the Santiago vet
Grams. While they are stamping them
out they might mill out couple of
good-siZed ones for Lieutenant Muir
and Gun Sling Jack. This would be ap-
> proved by the men Of the Second. at
least.