Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1907-01-03
In THE FIGHTING
COUNTRY
By FRANK u. mtlooN
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Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. COL

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Copyright. BY Daily Story Pub. COL
Major Tracey,a opinions OF the
Treaty OF Paris, which gave the Phil.
ippines and their ten million brown
heather over to the civilized infiu-
ences of American arms, would hardly
have borne repeating In the presence
of his superior ofiicers OF the War
Department at Washington. d. c.. as
he mused In front OF his attempting
quarters in the enervating afternoon
heat OF the little island village OF Ma
Jon.
Lieutenant. Captain. Major. Colo
mel. General" the major kept repeat
ing. Well, he unused. he had reached
the halfway mark of the Ave grades
at very decent season Of life. the
other two being. more often attained
by age than by merit.
In Manila the majors battalion had
found life endurable. There were
means Of entertainment. II one could
call II by that name. In the Philip
pines anything that diverts ones at
tention from the humdrum round Of
daily existence Is termed entertain
ment; but after sufficient time has
elapsed, everything fails to turn the
mind from its wearying contemplation
of the eternal sameness. Then II is
that q man goes out into the bush and
musters himself out Of service. The
official records are generally kind
enough to lay It to the natives.
The major looked past a clump OF
bamboos and saw Captain Manson
lounging lazily on the ground, which
was baking around him IKE the clay
moulds In brick kiln. Captain Man
son looked intolerably old and ugly.
He was smoking misshapen Filipino
cigar. He had been In the Philippines
seven years. He had come as q sec
ond lieutenant. appointed from civil
life, with one Of the first companies to
cross the Pacific In leaky transport
after Dewey's memorable May cele-
bration in Manila Bay. After all, re-
fiected Major Tracy. fortune had been
more kind to him than to Captain
Manson. Had not DIR. Carey whis-
pered only the day before that the
captains hchances Of living another
twelvemonth were slim? The cap
tain knew It, too. A weak heart la
BILE to be aggravated by excitement
Is not nice thing to have inside ones
ribs in a country where one is liable
to be popped at from the scraggy bush
at ary moment. like jackrabbit.
i've nothing to go home for. II l
had had, I would have gone long ago.
II I've got to die soon, Id as lief 1t
would be here as anywhere" Captain
Manson had said.
DIR. Carey had told the story to the
major with an unfeeling brutality that
had Jared upon his nerves. rendered
tense and irritable by the internal
heat OF the sun.
Assuredly, thought the major, he
did not like this DR.. Carey. who had
come from no one knew where. DR..
Carey never volunteered any informa-
ton about his past life. His appoint
ment to the army, It was known, had
been due to civil service and a pri-
vate pull in congress. DR.. Carey was
undeniably handsome. He had an
air Of refinement which the major ad-
mitted to himself jealousy, no one
else In the battalion could acquire: II
was something to be born in one. DR..
Carey had cut wide swath among
the bellies of Manila, and his evident
chagrin at having to depart therefrom
had been the one consolation the
other officers of the mess had found
for coming to Majon.
And now Major Tracy's thoughts
went back to the day from which he
had ever since computed time-the
day he had met Rita, who later had
become his wife. Rita was slender.
city-bred girl OF the East with face
exquisitely feminine In the Puritan
delicacy of its outlines and expression.
Her father was the descendant Of q
family which had acquired the found
alton OF its permanent fortunes by re-
ceiving and vending the wares OF
smugglers in Colonial days. He had
married favorite cousin.
His thoughts Of Rita alone in Ma
Mia took effect that evening, when he
preached the subject uppermost in his
mind to Captain Manson and DR..
Carey, telling them Of his intention to
write the next day for his wife to
come out into the hill country and
Join the battalion.
She'll break up this deadly ennui
that's come over us ALL" he con-
cluded.
aren't you afraid to have her come
out here?" objected Captain Manson.
"The little brown devils are most
dangerous when things appear most
quiet on the surface"
81 guess they'll leave US alone until
the rainy season." replied Major Tracy
easily. Were in such force that ]
don't apprehend any trouble before