Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-12-23
A YANKEE
TAR
And the Many Deaths That
Hung Over Him In Mexico
By JOHN Y. LARNED

NC was Oue VI luOSe UOyS WIZ nave
passion for adventure. His father sent
him to college, and since he could get
his lessons without much study he de-
voted his spare time to mischief. Be
fore the close of his sophomore year
he was caught laying a fuse to set off
a cannon cracker under the chair of
one Of the professors and expelled.
Going home under such circum-
stances was not to Jacks taste. So he
enlisted in the United States navy.
But, exciting the antagonism of a petty
officer, his life on shipboard was not a
happy one. One evening when the of
1cer was giving him a tongue flashing
Jack knocked him down and jumped
into the water. The ship was lying at
anchor at Vera Cruz, and under cover
of the darkness that was coming On
Jack swan ashore, and, although a
posse was sent after him, he was not
found, and his ship sailed without him.
This was at the time when Madero
was deposed. from the presidency of
Mexico and General Felix Diaz was
making himself prominent in the af-
fairs of that country, famous for it's
revolutions. Jack enlisted under Diaz,
was captured in arms and with num-
Der of others set apart to be shot. Be
ing an American citizen, he would
have had an excellent chance for his
life by applying to the American con-
sui to interfere in his behalf. But by
this course he you'd be turned over to
the United States navy to be punished
for mutiny and desertion, either one of
which was a pretty serious offense.
But Jack, who seemed born for trou-
BILE, made more for himself. Just be-
fore the prisoners were to be shot they
were given an opportunity to enlist in
the federal army in the service Of
Huerta, and Jack availed himself of
it, thereby again becoming a deserter.
The new recruits soon found them
selves in the City Of Mexico, where
Jack lived the life of an inactive sol
der. During this time he picked up
enough knowledge Of the Spanish Ian
guage to be able to converse in it. His
disposition for hairbreadth escapes
rendered his stay at the capital irk-
some, and he persuaded himself that
the Constituencies were the true
friends of good government, and their
activity also attracted him.
Fortunately as he considered it, he
was sent out with his regiment to op-
pose General Villa and at the first OPP
pOrtunity deserted to join the forces
of that chief. adding one more to his
Offenses punishable with death. This
was Jacks last desertion, for he was
captured with Il number of others in
arms against the Huerta forces and
again ordered to execution.
Jack, now being in the interior.
thought he might claim to be an Amer
lean citizen without being turned over
to the navy, so he sent in a protest
against being executed on that ground
An order came for him to- be taken to
the commander of the force that CAP
tured him, and he appeared before that
officer for examination. During the
questioning Jack incidentally referred
to his having been a student at a uni
versity in the United States At this
the officer pricked up his ears and
asked if he was competent to prepare
a boy for college. Jack said that he
was. The officer asked him to repeat
something in the Latin language, and
Jack gave him the first few lines of
VergiPs "Aeneid." This appeared to
satisfy the officer, who said to the
guard who had brought the prisoner to
him:
Leave him with me. He is a Unit
ed States citizen"
When the guard had departed the
general told Jack that he had a son
sixteen years old who desired to enter
one Of the United States universities
and if Jack could get him ready to do
so within a year his life would be
spared; if not he would be turned over
to the Mexican army officials to be shot
for desertiOn.
Jack. who had not been so far from
death since he deserted from the Unit
ed States navy, accepted the terms
gladly. Besides, a year was a long
while for Mexico to remain under one
government, and quite likely Huerta
would within the period give place to
another.
The general turned Jack over to his
orderly. who was ordered to take him
to his hacienda, not far distant. On
reaching the hacienda the prisoner
tutor was received by the major domo.
Ramon Casio, crafty looking man, of
half Spanish, half Indian, blood. He
introduced Jack to the family, includ-
ing his pupil.
There was no need to watch the tu-
tor for fear he would add another to
his many assertions. The moment he
set eyes on the generals daughter,
Rosa, two years older than her broth
er, Alfonso. the candidate for college
he was perfectly satisfied to stay
where he was. Rosa was a dark eyed
beauty, with an olive complexion
tinged with red and mellifuous
voice. 1t was not long before she
learned just how many executions the
tutor had hanging over him. and she
loved him for every one Of them sep
arately. Indeed, she loved him SO