Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-12-13

burden to me afterwards. took on
| in another regiment after 1 skipped
from the Seventh, but luck was
| against eme. We were sent to Fort
| Meade. and there was a gambler IL
| DeadNood, Sackettoby name, who had
| been a few months in the Seventh, but
| got bob-tailed out for some dirty
| work, and he knew me at once and
swore he'd give me away if I didn'
| steer fellows up against his game
after pay day. I had to do it, but
| Capt. Ray got onto it all and broke up
the scheme and ran Sackett off the
| reservation, and then he blew on me
and I had to quit ugain. He shot a
! man over cards, for he was a devil
when in drink, and had to clear out.
and we met again in Denver. Each
could give the other away by that
time said he9 and SO we joined part
nership."
| OThe rest was soon told. Sackett got
a job on young Fosters ranch and fell
| into some further trouble. But when
the war came all of them were ENLIST
ed, Foster and Sackett in the regulars
and he in the First Colorado, but they
discharged him at Manila because lie
had fits, and that gave him good deal
of money for a few days, travel pay
| home, and all that. Then who should
turn up but Sackett with money to
burn" and a scheme to make more.
| They hired a room in Ernita, and
next thing he knew Sackett and some
sailor men held up and robbed a SOL
| der. and Sackett was in a tearing
rage because no money belt was
l,i,,,
letters, that little photograph and
perhaps $40 Mex The photograph
he recognized at once-his former
captains daughter he begged
for it and kept it about him until one
evening" he was taken with another
fit, and when he came to the picture
was gone.
That night he found Sackett nearly
crazy drunk at their lodgings in Err
mita. They had Filipino boy to wait
on them then, and Sackett had told
the boy where he could find money and
jewelry while the family were at din
ner around at Col. Brent's.. The boy
was willing enough: he was an expert
But he came back scared through;
said that the soldiers were close after
him. He had some 3ewelry and a pref
ty revolver. Sackett told him to keep
the jewelry, but took the watch and
pistol, and that night the sentries and
patrols were searching everywhere,
and Sackett and the sailors said they
must get away somehow. They drank
some more, and finally thought they
had good chance just after the pa
troll left, and the sentry was talking
to an officer on the Gale Real.
They sneaked downstairs and out
into the Faura, and there Saekett ran
right into the soldiers arms. There
was short, terrible battle, the sol
der against Sackett and his sailor
friend. The sailor got the sentry's
gun away, and Sackett and he wres-
tied as far as the corner, when there
was a shot; the soldier dropped all in
a heap and Sackett and the sailor ran
for their lives around the corner@the
last he had ever seen or heard of them
up to this moment. %
SD that was how0pooF Maidie's pistol
had happened to be picked up on the
Gale Real and why one or two assert
i've officers lately connected with the
provost marshafs and secret service
departments concluded that it might
be we'll for them to try regimental
duty awhile. That was how it hap
pened, too, that Lieut.. Stuyvesant was,
prevailed on to take short leave and
run over to Hong-Kongo But he came
back in n hurry, for there was need
of every man, and trouble imminent
sat the 'front.'
The dawn of that memorable Feb
| ruary day had come that saw Manila
girdled by the flame Of 10000 rifles
and shroudcd in the smoke that drift
| ed from the burning roofs of Outly-
ing villages from whose walls, win
| dows and church towers the insur-
| gent islanders had poured their pitt
less fire upon the ranks of the Amer
lean soldiery.
| In front of stone-walled Enclosure
bordering the principal street in an
| eastward suburb two or three officers
| were in earnest consultation. From
| the ambulance close at hand the at
| tendants were carefully lifting some
1 Sorely wounded men. Up the street
| farther east several little parties com
| ing slowly, haltingly from the front,
| told that the incessant crash and rat
tie of musketry in that direction was
no mere feu-de-joie, while every now
and then the angry spat of the steel
clad Mauser on heCstony road, the
whiz and whir about the ears of the
| few who for dutys sake or that OF
example held their ground in the high
| way, gave evidence that the Tagal
marksmen had their eyes on every
| visible group of Americans.
In the side streets at right angles
to the main thoroughfare> reserve bat
talions were crouching, sheltered
| from the leaden storm, and awaiting
the longed-foF order to advance and
sweep the field at the front. From
the grim, gray walls of the great
church and convent which for weeks