Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-11-11

w VOL Ct WILL WA.
The event which cost Gritf his aural
appendage, and obliged him to rely on
the artifcer to restore his physiognomy
to normal appearance, happened in
the summer of '9S, when the roar of
cannon shook the sodden hills of the
Pearl of the Antilles and the roll All Il
rattle of musketry filled the island.
1t was the first of July, half al
hour after the charge on San Juan
Hill. The soldiers, using bayonets as
entrenching knives, were throwing up
temporary earth work in desperate
haste. The scene was one of intense
excitement and activity when an off.
Ger, running along the line of the
Tenth Infantry, suddenly stopped and
shouted:
Corporal Griff!"
"Here, SIR" responded soldier,
jumping to his feet and coming to at
tention.
''Take detail of twelve men, go
down on the bottom there, and clean
out few OF them sharpshooters."
Every well, SIR"
"And don't come back again till
you've So. least half a dozen of EN-, ;"
continued tho officer. savagely, az
Griif salutcd and started off to pick out
his detail.
Long service in the Apache country
around Fort Sill and Prescott Bar
racks had made Griff Indifferent to
danger, ana he experienced only n
strange thrill of savage delight at
having been selected to lead this
squad OH the hunt for human game,
where no quarter would be asked and
none given, and every man would
shoot to kill.
The bottom referred to was broad
plain across which the soldiers had
Just charged in reaching the hill.
Tall, thick grass covered it from end
to end, and it was dotted here and
there with bread -fruit trees, in whose
bushy tops were concealed many Span
ish rifemen.
just after dusk that evening Griff
again encountered the officer on top of
the hill.
"Well," said the latter as the cor
poral touched his hat. edo you want
to see me?'
81 jest want to report, captain, an
ask fur another detail"
"What d'you want?" began the Of
dcer, and then peering intently through
the gloom moment said sharply:
"Griff, what's the matter with your
carp
"Nothin', sir, nothin', as I know
Of, !" was the laconic response.
"Nothing Why, it's all blood; your
left ear is gone!"
"Oh, I thought you meant my ear,
sir, SEEM as I only have one now.
That and Griff pointed to the side of
his face, "that's where the last Teller
missed me-"
eyes, he did miss you, and pretty
close, too," said the captain grimly.
"Well, you 60 back to the hospital
about as quick as you know how and
get that wound dressed"
but first off, sir, I'd like another
detail fur little while"
"What d'you want EN- for?"
"To bury the first detail, SIR
"What!'
The captain jumped as though shot.
''That's right, sir"
Griff's voice trembled little as lie
made answer.
Corporal, tell me about it," said
the officer sadly as he sat down in
half-tinished treuch and buried his
face in his hands.
well, sir, y'u see it was this way:
picked out my men-all old hands
'cept Slocum took 'em down t. tn
foot O. tn hill, an deployed 'em two
PAGES apart, Shorty Smith on tn right
an me on tn left. Then we advanced,
meanin to fire into tn first 'spicious
lookin' tree we struck.
"We hadn't gone forty yards when
Yonngs, next t me, says:
" 'Shorty's down.
""Thats rough luck says I.
"'Right through tn head, toe, says
$50 1 halted 'em an walked over to
tn other end of tn line, an there he
was, dead. sure enough.
"Well, we held a little confab,
tryin' to determine where tn bullet
come from. But 'twan't no use, fur
they was trees on all sides an in front
an so much firm on the hill that wc
couldn't tell II single shot on tue bot
tom. Sc. tellin' 'em to keep sharp
watch out, ordered another advance.
"We Jest started off when Youngs
went down like log, never maxim
sound. But 1 didn't stop 'em then.