The roundup record., 1911-10-06
THE PRINCIPAL
WINNER
By F. A. M!TCHEL
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

w luN .AAltlINuh NiVOk'S WSAS
fighting their way across Cuba. Cap
tain Timberlake. commanding party
uf bankers. noticed coffin lying not
far from the road
That evening in camp Captain Tim.
berlake was chatting upon the events
of the day with the adjutant and the
major Of his regiment. talking about
who had been Killed. who wounded
how The STaniards fought and how
they had the advantage of the Amer
leans il the matter Of arms and smoke
less powder when Tilnberake spoke
Of the strange sight of a coffin lying
beside the road.
! If men have not the curiosity Of wo-
men, Hld the statement has been de
MED hy the latter. they have u trait
equally peculiar. Men. especially those
who lead eyentfni lives. are prone to
bet about everything which is mat
ter of opinion or hazard The Ques-
tion came np between these officers
whether there was corpse IN the cor
fin or whether there was not. One or
the party had noticed cemetery on
the way not far from the line Of
march and suggested that funeral
had been interrupted by the fight. the
mourners had fed and the coffin spilled
out of the heurse There was doubt
less an unburied corpse I'm It.
Now, the outcome of this suggestion
did not result, us might have been ex-
pected In the burial Of Il corpse. but
a bet The major made the suggestion.
and Captain Timberlake offered to bet
him $40 even that the coffin was
empty.
The stakes having been put up. Cap
tain Timberake called Pat Mulcahcy.
recruit picked up just before leaving
the States, and told him to go back
half a mile and look out not far from
bridge over a creek for coffin. He
, was to discover whether 1t contained
corpse or whether 1t was empty.
A full moon stood about an hour
high and made all nearly as light as
day. A desultory firing was still going
r on, but had nearly died out. Pat
crossed the bridge and about hun,
dred yards beyond saw the moonlight
reflected from number of points on
r the brass ornaments on the coffin Pat
went on till he got near enough to see
what the object was, then stopped. A
coffin probably with dead body IN i
! at night in Il lonely spot did not appeal
: to him. He was wondering how nc
! could determine what he had been or
dered to discover without getting any
closer to the casket when the lid seem
+ cd to lift of itself, and the moon light
ed UP white face.
"Howly mother! cried Pat, crossins
himself, and, turning, beat hasty re
treat. Reaching the other side OF The
creek, he paused for another look be
hind him What he saw froZe thu
marrow in hls bones. The corpse was
coming with its coffin on its shoul
der.
Pat tried to run, but for time hi!
legs refused to carry him. 1t was onl,
when the specter reached the hithe
side Of the bridge and seemed to b'
coming right down on him that his ter
ror had different effect, and with ;
howl he set off like the wind for camp
Captain Timberlake, the major ant
the others were sitting in circle wait
Ing for the decision Of the bet whel
Pat approached. AS he drew nea
them the soldier reasserted itself, ant
he slowed his steps till he came dow
to n walk Approaching the group h
saluted
"Well, Pat" said his commander
"who has won?'
III We PLACE, sir. what's the bet!'
"The major bets the coffin has
corpse in it. bet that 1t IS empty"
"The corpse was in it when | win
there, and now it's out Of It,"
"What do you meanT
"The corpse got ont when ! wa
lookin' at the coffin and now he's con
IN with it on his shoulder.
There was burst of laughter.
"Oi got me pay IN me pocket" pnl
Ing out roll of bills "Oi'll bet il a
that he is
Several men standing about, ready I
take advantage Of the greenhorn, COY
cred his money 10 to l. The bets ha
coffin on his shoulder approached an
asked half in Spanish and half in En-:
lish where he could get pass.
There was another burst of laugi
ter.
The captain looked around for Pa
He was nowhere to be seen.
"Ive won and Pat has won." sal
Timberlake "Now we'll hear this man
story. But first lot me tell you SOM
thing l happen TO know. The poo
class Of Cubans hire collins for the
dead. The body is placed in the coli
before the funeral and taken to II
cemetery In it There II IS remove
and buried without any coverin
Since the lid Is not screwed down the
Use hinges. This man was not goin
to q funeral: he was carrying the ca
ket away from a cemetery after Il