The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-30

Being free, white and something
more than q. an orphan. with fair
education, fair health, big muscles and
no money. Francis Drake, of the North
Carolina mountain country, joined an
infantry regiment of the United States
army He did not know where he
would be sent and cared as little. Bar
racks and formative drill and three
meals day took up most of his time
and attention. When he marched TO
a train, along with thousand others,
and boarded it and saw that it was
headed westward, he supposed that he
might be called on to stand and be
shot at in the Philippines. The sup
position was correct.
He saw the outbreak of the rebel
lion and went through six months of
hell, shooting at little brown men half
concealed in tangled underground, and
lodging Mauser bullets in turn. Often
he served side by side with half-civ-
ilized wholly savage Matabele scouts.
He saw wounds and sudden death in
plenty. The work grew on him and
when his term expired he re-enlisted.
America seemed very far away and
the Homeric life was to his liking. He
never had a doubt of the result and
he felt nothing of the contempt for his
foemen of which much was said in the
newspapers. Indeed, they died so
cheerfully and in such numbers that
they compelled respect.
When Aguinaldo surrendered Drake
with dozen comrades, held an out
post in the far interior of the great
island. He heard of Funstons exploit
three weeks after its accomplishment
and he knew that the long-deferred end
was at hand. He and the other men
discussed it and wondered how long it
would be before they were called in.
The grizzled sergeant in command ex-
pressed the general sentiment in the
remark that he did not know and did
not care a domn. The surroundings
were pleasant enough, the duties light
the danger nothing at all. The reason
for this outpost was locked deep in
the brain of some thirty-third assist
ant to the assistant of the general
commanding. 1t was put there in
pursuance of the common policy to
scatter the American forces as far and
as much as possible, so that they would
have more opportunity to become he
roes and get killed off more rapidly. So
far as was ascertainable, no rebel had
showed his yellow nose thereabout for
twlvemonth All of the Filipinos were
loyal-or said they were. The name of
the village was Buwayo. 1t stood amid
rich fields. A mile away a mountain
rose solitary. The detachment occu-
pied one room of a hut on the out
skirts. In the other room lived Gre
gorio Juan Palacios, who had been ap-
pointed Mayor and wore a tin star in
token thereof; Maria Dolores, his wife.
30 years old, wrinkled and gray, and
Juana, their daughter. aged is. 1t is
of Juana that this tale is principally
made.
Her form was rounded, lssome and
light; her eyes were long. lustrous
and as black as sloes; her teeth were
pearls. her lips coral her skin of that
clear brown through which the red
blood shows in a constant peachy
glow, Small of foot and hand, of airy
step and with wild instructive grace
in every movement, her rounded vir-
gin bosom heaved and fell rapidly with
the coming and passing of each emo
ton. She was a highly strung instru-
ment which vibrated melodiously or
harshly to every breeze. She had just
education enough to read the prayers
in her small church book. but was
wise in the housewifery arts of her
countrywomen.
Every man of the squad was fond of
her, but Drake was passionately in
love. The others laughed at his ardor
and the sergeant asked him what he
was up to, but the sergeant got no
answer and the others kept their peace.
Drake had a nasty temper of his own,
and sometimes it got the better of
him. He courted her as steadily and
as faithfully as he would have wooed
one of the maids back in his own hills.
and, being young, he took no thought
of the trending of the road along
which he was Fastening. They stood
one evening near wide tobacco field.
The hum of the village quarter of a
mile away did not reach their ears. In
the edge of little stream some
draught buffaloes were wallowing in
the mud. A scraggy Filipino cock
crowed despondently near by. The
mountain cast its blueish shadow
over them. He had taken one brown
little hand in his and stroked it softly:
" 'Tis a PARKWAY country, Juana,