Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-05-03
JAPANESE SOLDIERS GUESSES
IorIrinal.l

Il
| When the Russo-Japanese war broke
out Ishero Hitomi, young fellow Of
Tottori, on the western coast of the is
| land Of Japan. was obliged TO leave his
mother ami a young girl. oklki. whom
ie loved aud who loved him very dear
In. to 60 ami fight the Russians
MY son win never come back Ia
meried his mother.
"aut. mother think how proud my
tncestors will be Of me in the othc.
/ world if | fall with my face TO the
/ front"
Gkiki. who was young and full OF
Youths optimism. was inclined 10 take
/ a different view. Rather let us think,
size said that Ishero viii come back
IN officer. Perhaps he may be a cap
tim"
No hope Of That" replied the moth
/ ar. "He has never been fond OF fight
ing. He has always been a thinker,
| forever hunting cause for every ef-
| feet"
! lshero. bidding his mother be Of good
cheer ana charging okiki to comfort
Etr while he was gone, marched
aboard steamer with gun On his
| shoulder and was transported to Man
/ churia There he campaigned with his
regiment, but since he was not drawer
/ than the others there seemed no chance
4 for his promotion. Indeed. be took IT.
tie interest in killing people. II he saw
a bird flying over his head he would
I stop firing TO wonder how il supported
| itself in the thin air So he soon came
10 be regarded as dreamer by his
comrades
| one day the brigade of which he was
a part was standing on a river bank.
! the general fretting and Tuning be-
cause he could not get his men across
to participate in il fight in progress on
the other bank 1t so happened that
Ishero stood very near the general,
Ishero had something to say to him and
! finally mustered courage to say it.
Il think. general" he said. that
there is bridge or "A ford about mile
| below"
The general looked at the little pri-
vate who dared thus address him.
NOV W. y va hA4ON stHANAs
Il don't know. only think So"
Turning to one of his staff, the gen
eral ordered him TO ride down the bank
and find out the truth of Ishero's sur
mise The officer did SO and returned,
/ stating that there was narrow bridge
capable of crossing Tie men In single
/ file. The brigade was marched down
/ there, crossed the river. came up In
rear of the enemy and turned defeat
into victory. When it was all over the
general sent for Ishero.
What made you guess there was a
bridge below he asked
/ I saw clump of houses on either
bank and guessed that the inmates
would have some means of visiting one
| another
| HIM" grunted the general. "Slnce
You are so good at guessing. you may
remain at these headquarters.
80 Ishero remained with the general
AM WAS made az officer.
Later the general was ordered to
| japanese force that had been cut OF
from the main army and was about to
be overpowereI by superior numbers.
| The brigade started at evening guided
solely by the sound Of firing. but after
| dark the sounds ceased. and the gen
eral did not know which way to go. II
was moonlight. the ground was Hat.
| the woods were dense. and no one
could see u hundred yards. The gen
erai called for Ishero. can you guess
which way we are 10 go?'' he asked.
Ishero looked at the sky. then point
| eli eastward.
That's not the right way" said the
general.
Il think it is, general
How do you known
Il see specks circling in the air
They must be birds lowering over the
dead"
The general gave the order to change
directions, marched till . O'Clock and
at dawn fell upon the Russians. The
two Japanese forces combined drove
them OF the field.
For this shrewd guess Ishero was
Made colonel, aud, his general hav
ing been promoted to the command ci
an army. the young officer occupie.
a very responsible position. He was
called the guessing aid. and the gen
eral used him solely for his faculty fol
tracing effect from cause
| One more guess made Ishero a gen
eraL His commander was following
the Russians on retreat, and they wer,
burning the bridges behind them
Coming to river over which this
bridge was down, Ishero saw eottoI
bale floating down the stream and no
ticed its remarkable buoyancy.
General" he said, Il can make yoy
guess as to how to get across th'
river"
"How?'
You see that cotton bale floating
Well. l guess where that came from
there are more. Get them, incase then