Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-02-15

admission to the ranks OF the regular
army.
A dozen regiments were encamped
quota of men. There were officers in
plenty, but of what use were they
without command? Each regiment
took on one or two men day, but at
that rate it would take year for some
of the regiments to reach full strength.
So it was that keen rivalry sprung
up between the different regiments in
the matter of enlistments. Any man
that looked like n possible applicant
was besought by dozens of men to join
this or that regiment. If he seemed
at all timid, he was pulled and hauled
and at last carried off bodily by the
biggest man in the crowd of solicitors,
unless some other regiment happened
to be represented by two or three men.
Say, Jack every strangeris Jack
in the army, don't you want to join
the Ninth, the fighting Ninth p "
shouts some one on the approach of
possibility"
y Nav, he don't. of course not"
bellows another, '"the bloody Tenth
is his game"
"The fighting Ninth, the bloody
Tenth, wouldn't that jar you Why
say, Jack, the 'scrappy Twelfth is
the only outfit around here. You
never heard of them others, did you?
OF course not"
And then cavalryman would open
up on the merits of the bronco Dustin
Sixth, and others would join in until
the poor applicant often wished the
war was over or had never started, or
that he had had sense enough not to
think of enlisting.
1t was during these troublous times
that squad of recruit-catcher one
day noticed rather peculiar looking
individual vending his way towards
camp.
Clocks like one," said Mango Pete
after critical survey of the approach
ing form.
Trouble IN the family, though, -
commented anothGr.
''How's that?"
''Pants at half mast. You never
was anything but land-lubber.
No one deigned to smile, even.
"Ah-ha," said Pete, jumping to his
feet, Il know who he is now. l was
lookin' fur him"
"Who is he?" chorused the others
incredulously.
"He, why he's the Maine Guy"
And the Maine Guy he was from
that day, although it was never known
absolutely what part of the country he
was from.
As soon as he approached within
speaking distance it was seen that he
was no youngster out for holiday.
de appeared to be about thirty years
old. His clothes were ill-fitting and
his face unshaven, but the glance of
his eye showed that he knew his bust
ness and wanted no interference.
Consequently, lie was not hard
pressed to join more than half dozen
regiments, and he went off with
Mango Pete, who had been the first
spokesman.
To the officer who enlisted him he
gave the name of ST Bender, and his
home at Jacksonville, Fla. How
ever, 1t was easy to perceive from the
manner of his speech that he was no
Southerner. He answered all ques-
tions promptly, said he never had
been in the army, had no family, etc. =,
and was then sent to the awkward
squad for drill.
The first day in the awkward squad
he had the drill sergeant swearing
mad most of the time. But the next
day he had improved to such an ex-
tent that he never made even one mis-
take, and no order given seemed to
feaze him for an instant. When
asked the cause Of his remarkable i'm
proyement he said he did not want to
stay in the awkward squad forever
and had dreamed out all the tactics
Of the regular army during the night
The Maine Guy was a good-natured
fellow, and never obiectedto his nick
name. In fact, he rather seemed to
like it, and, to certain extent, tried
to talk with a down-east nasal twana
in his voice. In this he was only
partially successful.
When the regiment had disem.
barked at Siboney it was noticed that
Bender was soon on teIms OF in.
tlmacy with several Cubans. He
would jabber at them in m unknown
tongue and they would iabber back,
and, while others could not under,
stand what was being said, they re.
allied that the Maine Guy knew
Spanish. When asked about it he
said he had been in Mexico n couple
OF years and picked up smatterine
OF the language there.
AS soon as his fluency with Spanish
became known Bender was the most
sought luan i'll the regiment. He was
wanted to bargain with the natives Oh
behalf OF one or another, and some.
times even the officers, who were sup.
posed to know everything and little
more, would condescend to ask Ben.
der to interpret for them.
Sometimes, after conversing will
the Cubans, Bender would sit dow :
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