The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-02-25


enlisted men Of the regiment. He was a
Philadelphia boy and his right name was
something else. While the regiment was
at Tampa he insinuated himself into the
GOOD gra>,es Of one of the village bellies
After couple Of clandestine meetings
on the streets he received an invitation to
visit the young woman at her home. He
went accompanied by a non-commissioned
officer as a sort Of chaperon and guaran-
tee Of good faith. His summons at the
doorbell was answered by the young
woman's mother III person. She invited
the callers to take seats In the parlor and
shrteked shrtlly up the hall stairway:
"A-a-a-aggie! Two soldiere!'. p
The non-com used to initiate this si1rill
summons capitally and ever after the
private wss known throughout the regi-
ment as Aggie. ." r.L@
From the day that the regiment left its
armory to the afternoon of July !, when
he limped of San Juan hill with half g.
dozen bullet wounds in his body. Aggie
was the life Of his company. His first
exploit was at Lakeland, Fla Strict or
ders had been issued that no enlisted man
sha'uld visit the village without a pass
and passes were not easy to get. There
were reasons, the principal Of which was
q pretty brunette, why Aggie particularly
desired to pass an evening In Lakeland.
After all the excuses he could invent had
failed, says the New. York Sun, he decided
to resort to stratagem to get through the
guard lines. The army Transfers either
In wagons or on mule back, were an ex-
ceptiOn to the otherwise rigid rule, and
were permitted free exit and entrance.
So at dusk one evening Aggie stole mule
from the corral and rode boldly up to the
guardhouse. Unfortunately, the officer of
the guard was on the spot and recognized
the pseudo teamster.
Halt that man, he called to the sem
try as Aggie tried to ride boldly by. Then,
hurrytng up he shouted:
"Disnnount from that horse, sir"
Aggie sat silent and motionless.
"Dismount from that horse" repeated
the officer.
Not a word or motion came from the
impressive Aggie.
DO you mean to disobey me, sir?"
shouted the now indignant officer
Aggie gazed down at him and meekly re-
piled: mo, SIR
Then, sir,"~ roared the officer, why
don't you dismount from that horse:'
Because, SIR responded Aggie, with
impressive elaboration, 1T isn't a boss,
but a mule, sir!"
It was too much for the officers funny
bone. From fit of screaming anger he
went into a paroxysm of laughter And
through his intercession on the following
evening Aggie secured the coveted pass.
Aggies first trick at guard duty was on
board the transport Vigilancia on the
voyage to Santiago. He was on the Sec
ond relief and on duty from to 10 in
the evening. His post was In narrow
gangway on the second cabin deck.
There was nothing there to suard-not a
thing to do for two long hours but stand
like a fool and fiddle with musket.'
Right beside Aggies post there was
stateroom and in that stateroom a game
of penny ante was in progress. Now, If
there was anything in the wide, wide
world moro than another whose blandish-
ments Aggie could not resist it was the
seductive game Of draw. The stateroom
door stood open and the chink of the
pennies and nickels and other echoes of
the game titillated Aggie's ears. Finally
one of the players spied him and invited
him to sit in. The temptation was too
great Aggie put his gun down just out
side Of the door, stepped into the state
room and set in for just one hand. Then
he stayed for another and another and
another.
A dark figure stole noiselessly up the
dimly lighted gangway. It was the OFF,
Ger of the guard for that day, the worst
martinez in the regiment. He took in the
situation at a. glance. and without be-
traying his presence grabbed Aggie's gun
and slipped down the gangway. He might
have arrested his man on the spot. But
he had him dead to rights, and there was
something of the feline nature in him.
He wanted to play with his victim as a
cat does with q rat. He would give his
man full play and gloat over him while
he told futile lies and then confront him
with the gun and the facts. For be it
known that the number of each soldiers
gun is registered In the first sergeant's
books. Moreover, this was no laughing
matter. In the regular army men are
sent to prison for the term of their en-
nstment for exactly this offense. For a
moment the favorite Of the regiment was
unconsciously in a very tight hole. Then
some presentiment warned him. He
jumped up from the game and glanced
out of the stateroom door just in time to
see officer and gun disappearing up the
stairway to the first cabin deck. There
was no time for plans. It was a moment
for action. Kicking off his shoes, Aggie
followed his enemy Fortune favored
him, for it was q dark. rainy night. Ar
rived on the upper deck, the officer did
not go to the guardhouse but to his own
stateroom. And before entering it he
made fatal mistake. He put Aggie's
gun down outside the door. Two min
1tes later Aggie was patrolling his post,
his gun on shoulder, the picture of an
alert and faithful sentry. At the same
moment the officer of the guard was in
structing the corporal of the guard to
arrest him Duly arrested, Aggie was
escorted to the officers stateroom.
Corporal said the officer sternly
when Aggie confronted him. .'put this
man in the guardhouse to await trial for
neglect Of duty and losing his gum
"Bur he had his gum" ventured the
corporal. &c..
For moment the officer looked stag
gered and then said contemptuously:
1T is some other mans gun"
''It is my own said Aggie firmly.
do not add lies to your other crimes
exclaimed the officer sternly. Corporal,
bring the first sergeant of this mans
company and his gun record
The first sergeant came. #Rt
Sergeant" said the officer what Is
the number of this mans CUR? ~
''Steen hundred and 'steen, SIR"
Corporal, what Is the number OF the
gun you found In this mans possession
when you arrested him." | E
Steen hundred and 'steen, SIR"
The officer gasped. He compared the
numbers himself. Then he glanced out
side the stateroom door. Then he sat
in a chair for awhile and fddled with his
fingers. Finally he said:
'gMy man, you may go back to your
post But beware, sir, beWare!
you see,'' said Aggie, later, .'he
couldn't afford to admit that he had been
as bdg. chump about the gun as had.
Whenever he meets me now he looks
4 ct me with a red-like and inquirin' eye''
Ths only iced water on the V1gtlanGda