Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-01-20
The VindiCation
of the Sergeant
By MARVIN DANA
Copmight, 1909. bp Mdruin Dana
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TAHE sun blazed down on the
white streets of Manila with a
E fury that to the perspirins sol
diCrs was more annoying than
Spanish bullets. Sergeant Flynn had
sighed gratefully as he entered the
kitchen of an English resident, with
whose cook, Bridget Maloney, he was
on terms of ardent friendship.
Be it said in Difference to the SER
geant's taste and Bridget's charms that
the damsel was not typical cook in
the matters of age and weight, only in
culinary skill. Bridget was hardly more
than twenty-five, and her face was fair
and her waist as trim as any to be seen
on the dancing green at Donnybrook.
But, though her eyes were blue as the
softest summer skies, they could, too,
dart lightnings on occasion, and soon
the sergeant found those flames dane
ing disconcertingly about his devoted
head.
"Will We have the goodness to tell me
thot ag'in?' the soldier asked plain
lively after Bridget had exhausted her
self by pouring forth a flood of elo-
| quence that was more vigorous than
lucid.
"Sure an it's mesilf as already spoke
me moind," Bridget snapped.
can yer father?" the sergeant haz-
arded.
Eyes, me father! Ye know i'm, I'm
| thinkin', an betther coachman niver
cracked whip, though it's mesilf says
it as shouldn't"
Eyes, sure an know 'im," the SER
geant assented wearily, for he had no
admiration for his prospective father
in-law. But what is the matther wild
'im?'
"Nothin' at all, at ALL" was the Wig
orous retort. "It's all thot frind av
yours, Pirate Casey be name. Faith
an thot limb av Satan dhared to can
me father drunken scalywag, an e
| thritened to knock is 'ead off av i'm.
SIre thot's rale nice thing to ave
sphoken av an agid parint. If ye're a
man, yell knock the 'ead off av Casey
fer love av me-"
But, Bridget, mavourneen," the SER
geant replied in much distress, "be me
sowl, can't do it."
AN We dhare to sit there, eatin' the
| cake l made wild me own 'ands, an
let me father be insulted be man not
alf the soize av ye! Ye're coward,
Mike Flynn"
"Sure, Pm not coward, but I'm not
goin' to lick Casey, not for nobody"
"Thin 1 repate me remarks. Mr..
Flynn, .ye're a coward, wild no more
sphunk than squeakin' rat, an ye
can whistle fer wife whin ye want
one, but it'll not be Bridget Maloney.
Pm thinkin'. She'll have no man who
'asn't 'eart to defend an agid parint."
Burst an agid parintw cried the
sergeant recklessly. He rose to his
feet and attempted to bestow chaste
salute on the damsers lips, an effort
that resulted in his being soundly
cuffed. Under this treatment his ardOr
cooled, and he retreated toward the
door, With his hand on the latch he
turned to say:
"Per'aps l niver told ye, but It's
truth Pm tellin', thot Casey saved me
loife once in fight. Casey can mop
up the floor wild thot howly parint av
yours, but I'll not lay me 'and on i'm"
"Be all the saints, never saw man
so chicken hearted; afraid to stand up
to a man no 'igher than the stomick
av ye! Sure an yer an ornament to
the army. Did we liver see the loikes
av 'im," she continued, addressing an
imaginary audience while pointing the
finger of contempt at Flynn-"a sojer
for tin years an niver scratch on the
tinder skin av i'm! Sure, If iver 'e's
touched at all, at all, it'll be in the
back av i'm" Then again she turned
to the disconso]ate sergeant:
mot word more will I sphake to
We. March out ov me kitchen, ye loaf
in coward!'
That same night Sergeant Flynn
found himself ordered to accompany
Major Howard, who was to start the
next morning on the Oceanic. an armed
launch, with supplies in tow for the
Oeste in the Rio Chico. In its way
his position was one Of Importance, an
Importance essentially increased by the
small size Of the expedition. In addi-
ton to Major Howard, there were only
two white soldiers on the Oceanic
Sergeant Flynn, who was in command,
and the engineer. There were, too, q
civilian clerk, with the major, and two
blacksmiths going up to report to the
cavalry regiment. The crew Of the
launch above and below was made up
Of Filiplnos.
The Oceanic steamed down to Aryat,
in Luzon, and there took In tow two
huge cascos of supplies. The cascos
had guard of twenty soldiers, but
this protection was rather theoretical
than practical, inasmuch as the men in
the boats were shut down beneath the
heavy bowed mats with which the
cascos were covered and were thus un-
able to fight except after clambering
out slowly one by one from the central
opening in each mat.
Sergeant Flynn understood that this
transit of supplies through the enemy's
territory was not without risks. In
deed he reckoned up the chances with
out enthusiasm. The launch was un-
protected by armor. Her supply of
guns was limited to single Norden-
feldt five barrel rapid firer. This weap-
on was wretchedly inefficient, for 1t
constantly jammed.
However. nearly the whole distance
was traversed without disturbance.
Finally the Oceanic, with the cascos in
tow, rounded the great bend at the
mouth of the Rio Chico, which from
this point circles away toward Tarlac.
Here the launch was almost In safety,
for hardly q quarter Of mile farther