Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-03-09
By Will Lcvington Comfort

Lieutenant Henley was the son of Il
rich man. The lieutenant went out to
Manila in Il volunteer cavalry regiment.
When the volunteer horse reached Ma
Mia, it happened that cavalry was need
ed. The regiment was given n hundred
carbinc rations. several pounds of quinine
and snack of bacon, hard tack and cof-
fee. Then it was told to get busy seek
ing 'googiCs' to dcvour. 1t was told to
tree all the rebels it encountered and to
drive the rest on the running jump into
the China sea. 1t was old shoes for the
colonel. lie whispered glccfully to his
ma iorS:
Just my brand of splitting tobacco. I'll
take the youngsters out in some deserted
place and teach them which is the front
end of Il saddle"
a moment or two before the start was
made the colonel perceived Lieutenant
Henley approaching. The young man
was mounted upon Il fancy gray gCldng,
but his saddle was at least four inches
too far back. The colonel snapped his
teeth together with Il force which would
have broken stones and greeted his sub
ordinate this way:
Young man, do you know you sit on
that horse like Il shoemaker? Get off and
let one of your men fix your saddle. At
attention sir, when you talk to me. Now,
what do you want?"
Il just want to suggest" said Henley
at last, that | be allowed to stay in Ma
Mia for few days. There are some
things | want to get. ! would like to see
Manila too. Besides, father
'llcnlcy, if | hear another word from
you for ten days which doesn't concern
duty, and if you are not in your proper
place in the line before 20 seconds have
passed. I'll give you a chance to sec Ma
Mia through barred windows. As to
your father, he hasn't got anything more
to do with you now than a rabbit"
The regiment was broken in by proc
css as pitilcSs as the combined efforts of
the torrid sun and regular army discipline
could make it. 1t was only skeleton
Onttit after six weeks, hut this skeleton
was formed of the best bone produced in
the best bone producing country on earth.
The backbone of the frame was the colo
mel One of the little finger nails was
Lieutenant Henley. Concerning this
young man the colonel wrote the follow
ing to father Il short time after the regi-
mcnt had taken the field:
"Whcn You set about to spoil that boy
of yours. YOU buidcd better than you
knew. He is the most thoroughly spoiled
young one | ever saw. He must he born
again. | am trying to do this. but it is
difficult. | may have to hurt him, but
I'll try not to kill him for your sake"
The colonel wrote other things to IA
thor.
The regiment was riding through n bad
country in Tayabas province, lower L,i-
Zon. Icnlcy's troop was in the rear end
of the column. Up to this time the COM
pany had not been engaged in a fight. A
few bullets had scudded through one of
the night camps, but no one had been
hurt except through sickness the saddle
or the sun. This day there was every
promise of a fight. The colonel had been
told this by the trail. His brain was
deep in the game, and his soldier heart
was full of savage joy at the prospect of
action.
Suddenly Henley and his troopers heard
n scream from behind. The column was
halted. The colonel rode back rapidly.
He found Henley and his troop white
faced and staring eyed, a group of power
less things, rendered so at sight of hor-
rid thing on the trail.
"Who is it?' demanded the colonel
His voice sounded ugly in the silence
The troop horses were shifting the air
ncrvously.
"Private Connely, sir" drawIcd some
body's voice. "He dropped behind the
column to tighten his cinch. sir"
1t was the first thing of the kind these
men had scen-a hacked body. blood of Il
white man upon the trail. He had been
riding with them not a moment before.
Now his horse, carbine. bolt. life-all
were gone. And bolos arc not clean tools.
and COnncly had seen what was upon him
before he had fallen. The horror of it
was still in his eyes. His fellow troopers
were sick, afraid. They were enduring
the agony of helpIessncss. They would
march in close formation for the rest of
the day. They would dream that night.
and the scntrics would fire their guns at
dark shadows, which their brains placed
in thin air.
"Why didn't YOU halt lieutenant. until
Conncly had frightened his cinch?" asked
the colonel in a low voice.
Il didn't know it was necessary. sir"
"Do You think you are in the state of
Maine. lieutenant" the low. remorsclcss
voice of the commander went on. "Do
you know that y1u should either have
forbidden him to halt or else stlil by
him until lie was i'll the saddle again?
Do you know that you are i'll a measure
responsible for that
The voice of Lieutenant Henley was
awful with despair. If ever man looked
II coward, it was Lieutenant Henley that
moment. If Il man with sins unfOrgiven
stared into the face Of death, his features
could not have reflected terror more than
did the bloodleSs, haggard face of Lieu
tenant Henley. The young officer be-
came afflicted with an insUpportablc nau-
sea. 1t might have been the sign on the
trail. The colonel rode back to the head
of his command, and he wondered if
there was blood in the boy, as the father
had said, and if he could he born again.
The enemy was not encountered that
day, and nj night the troopers rode into
big town already garriSOned. There were
murnuringS in Hcnley's troop when it
was dark. The men spoke to each other
about the affair, as soldiers will. The
word coward" might have been heard.
1t was asserted IN whispers that the lieu
tenant was responsible for the death of
Connely. Early in the evening, while
Henley was moving through the ranks Of
his own troop, somebody struck him from
behind. Others followed the example.
No faces We're seen. An hour later Lieu
tenant Henley, bruised and dirt stained,
had made connections by wire with the
cable office in Manila, and the following
in cipher was destined To reach father the