The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1911-11-02
THE PRINCIPAL.
WINNER
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Aaso.
citation, 1911.


far froR the road.
That evening in camp Captain Tim
berlake was chatting upon the events
or the day with the adjutant and the
major of his regiment. talking about
who had been killed, who wounded.
how the Spaniards fought and how
they had the advantage Of the Amer
leans i'll the matter of arms and smoke
less powder, when Timberlake spoke
of the strange sight of a coffin living
beside the road.
If men have not the curiosity of w0-
men, and the statement has been de-
MED by the latter, they have a trait
equally peculiar Men, especially those
who lead eventful lives, are prone to
bet about everything which is a mat
ter of opinion or hazard The ques-
ton came up between these officers
whether there was a corpse in the cof-
fin or whether there was not One of
the party had noticed cemetery on
the way not far from the line of
march and suggested that a funeral
had been interrupted by the fight. the
mourners had fed and the coffin spilled
out of the hearse. There was doubt
less an unburied corpse in it.
Now, the outcome of this suggestion
did not result, as might have been ex-
pected. in the burial of a corpse, but
bet. The major made the suggestion,
and Captain Timberlake offered to bet
&ha+ -,
empty.
The stakes having been put up, Cap
tain Timberlake called Pat Mulcahey. a
recruit picked up just before leaving
the States. and told him to go back
half a mile and look out not far from
a bridge over a creek for coffin. He
was to discover whether it contained a
corpse or whether it was empty.
A full moon stood about an hour
high and made all nearly as light as
day. A desultory firing was still going
ON, but had nearly died out Pat
crossed the bridge and about a hun
dred yards beyond saw the moonlight
reflected from a number Of points on
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 a dead body in 1t
at night in a lonely spot did not appeal
to him. He was wondering how he
could determine what he had been Or
dered to discover without getting any
closer to the casket when the lid seem
ed to lift of itself, and the moon light
ed up a white face.
''Howly motherr' cried Pat, crossing
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 the
marrow in his bones. The corpse was
coming with it's coffin on its Shout
der
Pat tried to run, but for a time his
legs refused to carry him. 1t was only
when the specter reached the hither
side of the bridge and seemed to be
coming right down on him that his ter
ror had a different effect, and with
howl he set off like the wind for camp.
Captain Timberlake, the major and
the others were sitting in a circle wait
ing for the decision Of the bet when
Pat approached. AS he drew near
them the soldier reasserted itself, and
he slowed his steps till he came down
to walk. Approaching the group. he
saluted.
''Well, Pat said his commander,
"who has won"
eff We Place, sir, what's the bet?"
"The major bets the coffin has a
corpse in it. I bet that it is empty"
''The corpse was in it when 1 whit
there, and now it's out of it."
"What do you mean"
'"The corpse got out when I was
lookin' at the coffin, and now he's COM
in with it on his shoulder"
There was a burst of laughter.
"Oi got me pay in me pocket" pull
ing out a roll of bills. "Oill bet it all
that he is.'
Several men standing about. ready to
take advantage Of the greenhorn, COW
cred his money 10 to 1. The bets had
barely been made when a man with a
coffin on his shoulder approached and
asked half in Spanish and half in Eng
lish where he could get pass.
There was another burst of laugh
ter.
The captain looked around for Pat.
He was nowhere to be seen.
give won and Pat has won," said
Timberlake. "Now We'll hear this mans
story. But first let me tell you some
thing happen to know The poor
class of Cubans hire collins for their
dead The body is placed in the coffin
before the funeral and taken to the
cemetery in it. There it is removed
and buried without any covering
Since the lid is not screwed down they
use hinges. This man was not going
to funeral; he was carrying the cas-
ket away from cemetery after the
corpse had been taken out of it."
"You are right" said the Cuban. .I
was carrying the coffin from the GENE
terry when the battle began. To escape