The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-13

(copyr4sht 1s1e, By BsnI. 3. Hampten)
 RTvATE MRCFlAEL J. HARRIET is a soldier
 / but this kindly designation of mine is quite necessary to the casual observer. For one es his shoulders droeps forward outrage susfy, his mouth is great, goodhumored gash, ana his words come through one down-drawn the back of his head stands agsress1vely up like cockatco's crest, he makes wristy Atte gestures with hfs hands-lihe vaudeville teugh-and his language is beyond the pur view of formal military procedure. However. Barret is soldier. His troop number Is 52, and he witnessed the less muhnous burning et Pacleban eMunicipality of Macoior' Province of Parlac). and this Is how 1t hap pened.
 Paclosan was hideeus. parasitic little vil large of stilted~native coops. that existed upon the lives, money. and morals of the foolish boy troopers of the Nth U. s. Cavalry stationed at Camp Pacloban, Department of Luzen. Down its single tortuous street meandered muddy trickle of unspeakable water in which hollow. stomached, naked babies and sad-eyed, peak. backed pigs padded about all day, providing the chattering group of Sare-shouldered and not un. of the bamboo road-hedge, shaping the wet garments of soldiers against the washing stones in an ill-eonMdered effort at cleansing. But the blood of the life of this bayrio was bino de eays, otherwise asiedo. otherwise 'fhelLwater." This is a peculiarly sinister fluid about which folks at home knew nothing It will rob month and send him heme-if he ever sees home-a drooling idiot; ordinarily it keep, him it, broken slsulking thing, summed by his coutrymen and despised by his associ- ates save only the brown woman who came in. probably, with the second month of the bino. who is usually faithful to the chattering end. When you judge Mickey Barret. remember all this.
 For one day there was enticed to Pacloban the Pretty Boy of "L" Troop He was not called Pretty Boy in derision, for the troop loved him. from the captain to the cook. Scarcely seventeen Private Oldham when he ventured in among the filthy fesh-pots of Pacohan-scarcely seventeen, with the round blue eyes of a child and the bloom of an Illinois farm still peaehy in his cheeks.
 Three days later, "L" troops first sergeant found him face downward in the mud of the streets, his fingers dabbling in the green water and his face beaten almost beyond recognition by the brown men who had taken his monthly say. When the sergeant spoke, the thing in the road heaved to it's hands and gutturaled at him like a great ape.
 There was little talk when l. Troop saw the boy. nc raging and cursing such soldiers use when they grumble There was only an ugly stiffness tn the squad room and some minutes sf vicious grooming the line. But an hour after retreat, red tongue Of flame hcked ap toward the eastern clouds and in thirty minutes Paclobaa was en unlovely memory sf oha,reS sticks and ashes. com. piaiRing horde Of vampirish little people descended on the colenePs quarters and the great Facleban investigation was fairly ea. The natives could mention 20 naznes--nct even troope-for the mon aaa taEsn Sns insignia from thsir collars and -rufhsd the lower portion Of their faces with handkerchiefs, su. there was ss.dies who haA taken Ro part. He simply watched it sM with hugely apparent siee and :ried, over and over asa!n--so the natives said -rtSees em bc-sse. Hand fe to 'em I've bought this seorg Snres times over en the monthly payment plan aD est.s sA yours" They furths- 9seosed Sha. they had sssn this man ss. tsn Aatore and shat he eas called Msekie.
 So Mickey sEAx c watr9aa before . board .aesinscc 1te investigate &-ehe mnttnous.