Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-24
A Philippine Counting
Gross Dog Wins Heart Where the
World is Topside Down.
E7ENSASzS7N7

LIE WAS the ugliest 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 L.
years in the army and was at that point
in private soldiers career where he
realizes that he has lost the knaek of
earning livelihood in civil life, but
still yearns for its freedom For It is
only after about 10 years of service and
numerous failures at civil vocations
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 thrashed or been
thrashed by nine-tenths, of the regi-
.ment, and was ready at a seconds no.
Stice 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 Gross Dog was afraid, and
that was woman. "Shure," said Pri-
waite Sevenspot, "av Cross Dog liver loved
;awoman he'd be scared so he'd cuss her
to death and thin elope with recruit
ing sergeant" Back in the states it
1T had been a fortunate thing for Cross
Dog that he was not susceptible to the
charms of the fair sex, for his personal
dty was not an attractive one and his
conversation was a jumbo of cuss-
words and growls. But in the Philip
pines the world is topside down, as
Ghinaman calls it. and curious things
happen. And it>was in the Philippines,
;at the Hacienda.de Sevilla, near Isabel
Ia, Negroes, .thatCross Dog won avon
ans heart
a company OF dhe 'Steenth infantry
was stationed at Isabella and n detach-
ment of five men, in charge Of Private
SeVenspot, was sent to the hacienda to
protect property IN that region from
the raids of Papircio bandits who
.swarmed in the nearby mountains.
Cross Dog yeas one of the detachment.
The Hacienda de Sevilla consisted of a
big sugar mill, the hlackened 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 a popuia-
!tion 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,s
little detachment. During the day they
worked in the cane fields and at night
}huddled together IN the mill around
which tho six Americans stood guard.
Luisa, the woman In the case, for girls
Yof Ia are women where the world is
topside down, lived in a six-by-six nipa-
shack built in the box of a two-wheeled
cart that stood beneath the shelter of
the sugar mill roof. On the evening
that Sevenspot's detachment arrived at
the hacienda old Pedro was absent.
Old Pedro was Luisa's father. His
,crony, old Jose, in the next village ND
the river, had received a months paw
from Senior Holijos that day and Pedro
had gone to pass the evening with him
and help drink bucket OF tuba. ALL
O'Clock he came sauntering homewar6
with unsteady but catlil1e steps, In bliss
full ignorance Of the fact that the Amers-
ycanos were In possession OF the sugar
mill.
Pedro's brown hide was chock Of
tuba and his soul was filled with great |
Joy. In fact, he was so happy that he
yearned to butcher something-an old |
woman or baby or a lame dog. AS
oae came through the trail In the cane. |
brake he slashed at the young stalks |
and grimaced blissfully as in imagina-
lion he neatly clipped the leaders of |
nnarmed foes with his bolo-sword.
Cross Dog was on post, too, al the.
upper entrance to the sugar mill. The |
FIRST night on guard at a strange post |
with small detachment and in q coun- |
try swarming with treacherous foes is |
Q great trial TO mems nerves. Especial |
~ 80 when it Is next to impossible to |
distinguish friend from foe. Moreover,
Gross Dog had been unfortunate in his |
"details tor Q week back, and had been