The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-07

Copyright. 1902, by Robert Howard Rus
SELF
For The Post.
While I've had a good many headaches
In me time" remarked old Sergeant Mac,
MINUS. leaning his chair back against the
wall, ''but never nothin' TO compete with
the outrageous fury o. the little potbellieo
Niger. Perhaps ye may hev nenrd o. the
little fcller who run amuck mp near Dagu
panf' he asked casually Of the listening
group. Tit men shook their heads, for
they we're new lot just out from the
states, and as green as grass In sprin9time,
The sergeant had had his hands full trying
to beat some OF his discipline into them
before their going up country, where the
rebels would put the dainty finishing
touches. Occasionally, however, he would
prop himself back In a corner OF the white.
washed barrack, and hold forth to the re.
spectful attention of an entire company.
Well. then we may take me word that
DO was wondcrous terror. lie stood on'y
icur an half In height, an ne was quite
lengthy boat the waist, but for all tnat,
DIS movements were equal TO a West luJian
lhlrycane IN motion. I've had me hands
dipped Into three wars--the great big anal.
hack Ia the COS, a fierce nttlu one out an
outer down on the Chllan coast. an tnls
IuH'pus, winch 10 ny no means a gentle
argument, but the lump sum Of II an
wouldn't balance the worry caused by that
roaming lunatic.
I'VE first heard the news that he were
loose from the Dsgupan, where ne had
most Killed four men an had been chased
through the jungle nigh onto mile py
half a regiment Nov from 0Ruupau 10
ean Fernando, where happened 10 be
along with the Seventh, was some thirty
tldy miles, an every yard o. the way TINT
escaped hyena did som'tnln atrocluus Hy
me time he had gone half the distance
the whole country was In state of viii.
hin, on sight.
Nos people Jus thought he was an or
ulhury mnddcned native taat somoou. had
wateicured gently Tor the sake a, his ,'iu,
but knew better, me lids nm th,re Worn
ltW people who know as muCn "a. mtsou
ahout That little mutter.-uu'y four otbrrs
well say five thcu, cause there was tnr
woman. The Rear Rank kn w o. II m,
the cap'eu, who startled .' Y'li a''
lf the rear rank knew IT," sail Young
iiehow. there mnst have been more lhan
-FOUR IN the secret. "
All, not so fast laddy. not so inst Til.
RSar Rank as ma mos every ono Else
calied II. happened 10 he three men. an
wy we spoke OF en- as the Rear Raus.
uoh Know. cause there was thrcn
Dutchles, Maine const Yankee AM nm
other tcllar IN the same line but inc IN a
t tbce r. cHnntcd EN- IN thc matter Dt all. To
me regiment thore wns u.. tl.a. "H
tae rear rank, an all OF them was irish
fc could tel tho brand us soon ,is ~
SSanusht en- fair TO toe eve. They WIZ,
Kerrr, one IN q Ya,yt an t'atbo. jr t,e
SCUBA S!ogdaG' but for all that, they was lris6
IN InIoush, le would never contest
me argument q snrroundin' Influences inter
ye ,heard the Soudan breed talk onct He
6 S%G ~ OF broad broguc like Dau'el
~ al came about IN the usnoI v,ov
Which Is aS ye al know, through a woman,
Wv isnmtn, IHus. are dangerous plnvthings
a. hs{tr9nEe c,ountry-l'd advise We to select
hnythb, on the list, from toddy 10 lead
IN yc u ole easier. II happened hy some
nuke or other, the cnp'cn nm lie was a
young man so We can't blame him overly
uuch, tell into shlndy along with nl-
i've woman. Now, when | saw a nntive
woman, Young greeneared prlvateg. Jnu'f
70 s Tor 70 turn yer noses 60 nigh cause
.nan VINO says the cap'en didn't have good
taste. | seen her moron onct nuu Know
q nr good thing when ! see Z She was the
lev ,wimmen IN the states 10 equal her
ne ne nave TO 20 back to the green sod for
~ Mlm@en fashioned ne she was, me lads
inc cap'en-she was married,
but 10 come mex 10 the rayin' niger
bnia,tnn, e a caGse o his frenzy. We were
Sah fernanuo place squat on the rnil.
road, an not far from the fghtin' at pa
Suphn, An Just outside o. San Fernando
was the wife O. a potbclilrd Niger mnr
rhant, who, by the way had moro money
than the nay roll % the army which In
hnd made by squcezln' Chinese coolies Sh,
wed III a beautiful gurdculikc Dlnco filled
win servnntS. an flowers an birds I'M
~ tho res, % things that an UGLY man
mllhkS VIII mako q pretty womun love him
me on'y blight on the lHndScape was mo
owner, VINO was also her hushnnd an
answered To the name % Beultn Flores
seems he had subsidized hcr fnthcr when
shc was kid, an 0ccordln' To- theIr
hoNIhen customs, she belonged to him for
good an all worse luck ar none How
ever she sccn the cup'cu, an I want to roll
" the capen was somcthjn' to sec nm
nfter hArln' that choice bit ~ San Pern1n.
q" nlgger poispni0 the atmosphere, I cnn
HNfdlN ma II In me soul io ulnmr the III.
re woman. AnywaNN after hnvin one
snort little conversation with the rap'en
rnsuol Ike, It became the hardest sort ~
lah"r FOR him to shake that native woman
An not thnt she was bad woman mini
ye, Tor she were not-but she didn't know
any better she We're troplc am tropiCs
are Jnecred natured folks as yc'lI nd
THE cnp'en told me all nbout II ons
night. An the reason he told me- youns
men. was cause ] saved his life onrt In
Ihe Wild country, an then besides he knew
! WAS tho oldest and best senslhled man
IN tho regiment, an he knew he could count
ON me- An this Is how the whole thing
The regiment came troopin' by her
garden one day, an he stopped 10 get n
urlnk o water hearin' a fountains splash
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