Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-03-15
A Philippine Counting
Cross Dog Wins a Heart Where the
World Is Topside Down.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

TIE WAS the ugnest man in the
'Steenth infantry. And he looked
It. So the men called him Cross Dog,
and save on the payrolls he knew no
other name.
Cross Dog was in the prime of life,
butlooked older. He had put in about IL
years in the army and was at that point
in a private soldiers career where he
realizes that he has lost the knack OF
earning a livelihood in civil life, but
still yearns for Its freedom. For 1t is
only after about IS years of service and
numerous failures at civil vacations
that the average enlisted man ceases TO
VOW that he will never take on again
and settles down to soldering for life.
Cross Dogs temper was peppered
dynamite. He had tbrashed or been
thrashed by nine-tenths of the regi-
ment, and was ready at seconds no.
tice to begin again. His tongue matched
his temper, and his face was scanned
with surliness.
There was only one thing in the world
of which Cross Dog was afraid, and
that was woman. "Shure," said Pri-
vate Sevenspot, "av Cross Dog iver loved
a woman he'd be scared so he'd cuss her
to death and thin elope with recruit
ing sergeant" Back in the states 1t
it had been a fortunate thing for Cross
Dog that he was not susceptible to the
2 4 e. fnr. hic !
itv was not an attractive one and his
conversation was a tumble OF cuss-
words and growls. But in the Philip
pines the world is topside down, as a
Chinaman calls it, and curious things
happen. And it was in the Philippines,
at the Hacienda de Sevilla, near Isabel
la, Negroes, that Cross Dog won wom-
ans heart.
A company of the 'Steenth infantry
was stationed at Isabella and detach-
ment of five men, in charge of Private
Sevenspot, was sent to the hacienda 10
protect property in that region from
the raids of Papircio bandits who
swarmed in the nearby mountains
Cross Dog was one of the detachment
The Hacienda de Sevilla consisted of q
big sugar mill, the blackened ruins OF
the plantation house burned to the
ground by the Papircios, and six native
nipa-shacks scattered along the west
ern bank Of the river Balinbagan. But
this little hamlet supported popula'
ton of 800 native amigos, most Of whom
burned out of their homes by the Papir
clos, camped in the big sugar mill under
the protection of Private Sevenspot''
little detachment. During the day they
worked in the cane fields and at nigh
huddled together in the mill around
which the six Americans stood guard.
Tulsa, the woman in the case, for girl
of IA are women where the world Il
topside down, lived in q six-by six nipa
shack built in the box of a two-wheelet
cart that stood beneath the shelter o.
the sugar mill roof. On the evening
that Sevenspot's detachment arrived a.
the hacienda old Pedro was absent
Old Pedro was Luisa's father. Hi
crony, old Jose, in the next village VI
the river, had received a months pa,
from Senior Holijos that day and Pedr'
had gone to pass the evening with hin
and help drink bucket of tuba. At 1
o'clock he came sauntering homewar'
with unsteady but catlike steps, in bliss
fulignoranceo of the fact that the Ameri
canos were in possession of the suga
mill.
Pedro's brown hide was chock o
tuba and his eoul was filled with grea
Joy. In fact, he was so happy that h
yearned to butcher something-an oil
! woman or q baby or a. lame dog. A
he came through the trail in the cane
brake he slashed at the young stalk
and grimaced blissfully as in imagina
ton he neatly clipped the leaders o
unarmed foes with his bolo-sword.
Cross Dog was on post, too, at tn
upper entrance to the sugar mill. Tn
first night on guard at strange pos
= with a small detachment and m couI
try swarming with treacherous foes
a great trial to mems nerves. Especla
= ly so when it is next to Impossible I
distinguish friend from foe. MoreoveI
Cross Dog had been unfortunate In III
details for q week back, and had bee
! marched on an average of IS miles eac
day through muddy rice fields, whlc
is equivalent to 40 miles day on
American highway. Consequently
Cross Dogs temper, usually pePpere
dynamite, was now saw-edged hgh
0 ming. Sevenspot had posted him wit
the information that native amigo
were not supposed to be abroad afte
: nine o'clock, and left the rest to b
discretion.
Cross Dog hacked with his ba! one
!. at the dried mud on his leggings an
). stared across the narrow clearing b.
tween the mill and the cane tel'
, There came just the semblance OF
! rustic from the cane-brake and eros
- Dog stopped hacking and drouped SUI