Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-01-18
IT, - -
L--.Z. -.

lie was able to
pass the required physical and men
tai examination, and in the second
place Uncle Sam had sent out orders
to recruit every available candidate,
and any one was considered available
who had one lung and could see out
of one eye.
Thus did "Hayfoot" Harry become
member of the Ninth shortly after
war had been declared.
OF course he was not "Hayfoot"
Harry when he entered the service.
That beautiful and euphonious sobri-
quet only came with time-a very
short time, in fact. He was sent to
the awkward squad Immediately on
his enlistment and there he remained
until the Captain lost his religion, the
First Sergeant threatened suicide and
the ranking Corporal became a raving
lunatic.
And all this because he did not
know which was his left foot and
seemed unable to learn. The more
he was coached on it the worse he be-
came, until at last the drill sergeant
in desperation and despair cried out:
Say, you, you club footed Shang-
hal, if you lead right foot again I'll
hayfoot you. Do you hear?"
And promptly on the next order of
"Forward, march" Harry led off
with his right and was duly hayfooted.
That operation consists In showing
good-sized wisp of hay down the out
side of the left Logging. 1t shows
which foot is to start first OIL the
march. AS long as it was there Harry
got along fairly we'll, and he was
never without it until the regiment
was packed on transports and started
for Cuba. Then the hay was re-
moved; not so the name; that stuck
to him forever and he is known by it
to-day.
But Harry was not stupid-not by
any means. In the manual of arms he
was as proficient as the oldest man of
his company. And he was a crack
shot, too. Up to 1900 or 1900 yards
he could make as good a score as the
best sharpshooter. Like all men he
had his virtues and vices, about an
equal quantity of each. But he was
genial, generous, whole-souled lad
and well liked by all. In Cuba he
showed the stuff he was made of.
"Holy catl" he exclaimed when the
regiment landed in hot fire from the
Spaniards. ''Holy cat, this is some
thing like it. This is the real thing.
I shouldn't be surprised if we saw
tightin' down here. Maybe We'll git
all that's comm to us.
Which, as after events proved,
showed that he had the true spirit of
prophecy.
Shortly after the landing Harry was
detailed to the pioneer squad. This
is body of men selected from the
different regiments to precede the
army and build bridges, roads and
fords. 1t is headed by an officer with
three or four n-commissioned off
GERS who take charge of detachments,
liking on half dozen different
Jobs at the same time, the whole pro-
ceedlng IN regular order and never
getting very far from one another.
One morning the detachment in
which Harry was working was de-
tailed to construct ford over a
stream. 1t was at bend of the river,
hemmed in on all sides by dense jun
gle. AS the work was proceeding
rapidly every one thought to have the
job finished by noon, when suddenly
a Kissing Of bullets filled the air and
two men fell, mortally wounded. In.
stantly axes and shovels were dropped
and the squad made rush for the
road. They were going it helter-
skelter, the Sergeant in the lead, g,
when they were arrested by sharp
command:
"Halt!"
Every man stopped and turned.
Harry had given the order and when
they realized it were about to proceed
again when he called out: