The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1903-09-25
REDDY'S PLUCK


"a EVERAL of us were seated
~ around a table in the Manila
Club, talking about war and
feats Of daring. as men are wont to
talk when some Of their number are
still in khaki and campaign hats, with
the smell Of powder on their clothes.
Although there was still plenty of
fighting going on within a few miles
of Manila, the stories were mostly Of
days long gone by, and had acquired
a certain unnatural luster by dint Of
frequent usage. 1t is curious how
men will crane their necks and strain
their eyes toward the past in order to
find proof of the hardness which
every day they pass by unnoticed in
the men around them. One man went
so far as to suggest: There isn't any
chance the way we fight nowadays
for man to show any individual
nerve; he is simply a machine, and
medals are distinctly out Of place"
Medals may be out of date, old
man." said Captain Oldsborough, but
the sort of thing that won the med
ais is happening all along the line. l
had a young corporal in my company
when was on duty down in Tayabas
Province, who had the kind of sand
that one doesn't even read about Of
ten. lie was n boy about u years
old from a factory town in Connect
cut, where l think he worked in a hat
shop. There wasn't one bit Of ro-
nance or dash about him; he had
washed-Out red hair and freckles,
stood about five feet four in his shoes.
and weighed about one hundred and
twenty pounds He never had any
thing to say for himself, and l
shouldn't have noticed him except for
his silent manner and the quiet, thor
ough way in which he attended to all
his duties. can't remember his name,
but the men all called him 'Reddy'
I'VE had been in the field about
three weeks. and the fighting had all
been with small bands of guerillas,
who kept us constantly on the alert
The rainy season had come on, and
several Of the men were suffering
from dysentery; the cholera made us
very cautious of what we ate, and
even mangoes and bananas were for
hidden fruit. We were far from COM
Portable, and If man had any yellow
in him, promise you 1t showed. Well,
Reddy' was never known to kick
about anything; several times l knew
Of his doing work for his 'bunkle.'
I'VE had been harassed for several
days by small band Of natives who
had been following us at a safe dis
lance and taking a chance shot at any
who happen to struggle 1 decided
that it was best to detail a squad Of
reliable men to follow this party, and
once for all rid ourselves of their I'M
welcome presence. Accordingly l Sc
lected sixteen men under a sergeant,
placed 'Reddy' second in command,
and sent them off with a few hours
provisions. They had with them two
native guides who soon got on the
track Of the enemy, and weary
march Of five hours began. Part Of
! the way me Winning was luIOuSu
very heavy underbrush and bamboo
forests, so dense in parts that the men
had to walk in single file, and an I'M
expected bolo' rush would probably
have finished the whole party before
shot could have been fired. Part of
the way lay through deserted rice pad
dies and tobacco fields, where the trop-
zeal sun burned fiercely when the rain
was not pouring down in torrents.
With the exception of one small viii
lage, whose inhabitants professed
themselves Amigos and a few stray
'carabao,' they saw not a living thing.
Finally, toward dusk, the party
came on a small creek, whose banks
were covered for some fifty yards on
both sides with a heavy dense growth
of reeds and broad-leafed palms. No
sooner was the middle Of this creek
reached than the men were surround
ed by the band they were in search
of. Instead, however. of finding TWEEN
ty-five or thirty guerillas. as they had
expected, the enemy numbered about
100. Order was given to charge for
the open. A short, sharp fight fol-
lowed. and my men found themselves
in the open, pumping away for dear