Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-24
Stirling as a prospective soldier 70
Uncle Sam.
Trifies Did Not Worry Him.


a jealous disposition. Stirling was
rather remote from Gen. Zapata' S
headquarters when the colonel-in-
enbryo conceived the brilliant idea Of
the long hoporcd steer for
,hr long haired Mexican bandit. 80
he left his boss, Big Jim Hubbard
ranchcr, ''fat on the lot" as they
say in circus parlacc, and bctook
himself 10 the bad lands" wher.
Tor some four years past he has had
ample opportunity to cultivate kim
drrgartcn bandits AT close range.
Il went down in 1914" admittcd
Private Harris. after much persistent
inquiry at Fort Slocum, recently
Yes, ! enlisted with Zapata. You
see, had been reading some books
on military tactics and had an
idea / could help drill the men down
there. was wrong. In the first
place. TIE McXicans don't enlist
they Just ride in and join the outfit
and after they have eaten up all the
good grub. they smoke cigarette
and then start in 10 play fan TAM.
Some soldiers. Playing a Chinese
gambling game with Il Mexican game
OF cards was one of the things about
tactics | hadn't learned in
the books. Well. drilling a bunch
like that is like trying TO teach Il
whcclbarrow TO sit up on its hind
I:,forc they got their weapons they
wouldn't drill so long AZ the fan
tan game was going or they could
steal Il rooster and teach him things
no scIf-rrSprcting chicken ought to
know about the London prize ring
rules.
after they got rifle il was worse.
by that time they had large grudgc
;t";IinS, some other so-callcd soldier.
either on account Of the fan tan game
or because their rooster was weak in
the knees. So the first lighting most
ui them did was to hide out behind a
cactus or II wild rubber plant or take
began to get prcvish myself. How
was | to get all that good book stun
! made up my mind TO
try. was just Il sergeant then. The
first tim" drilled squad and broke
up the cock fight a guy with Il John !.
Sullivan rooster took Il poke at Inc
| said: AT case Then they made
me Il lieutenant. The next time they
stuck me | was promoted to be n
captain. The third time ! was knifcd-
old Zapata came around and said:
Good morning. colonel. How do you
feel?
Wondered at Title.
81 wondered" said Private Harris.
How | got TO he a colonel, and asked
him. Amy man. says ne. that can
stand three knife wounds from his
own troops is entitled to become a
of the general staff. Besides.
you have good ideas about military
discipline Then nc looked over at
three graves where the men who had
helped to promote me had been
buried. That's the way | got to bc
called Col. Calic.' Gallo isn't chilly.
you know"
Did you lead the troops in any
hattle?" Private Harris was asked.
-"".Xon might asll them that that -sHar-
pose" said Private Harris. rubbing
down the groove of his bayonct, "for
there was quite some shooting, and
not such bad shooting for MeXicans
They got me three different times
with three different bullets. but none
OF them amounted to much. After
the third one. got newspaper
which wasn't any older than n man
| know who is still voting for Horace
Greeley. II was the first newspaper
I'd seen in q long, long time. read
Il little about this Will-hcll- what's
his name"
"W'ilhclm-the kaiscr?"
you said ii. Then | said to my
self: Why play pcnny-antc when
there's n big table stake game goin'
signed up"
What do YOU think of the army
Private Harris was asked
Wen, there amt so many roostcrs
in this army as there was in the last
one ! was in." ne returned. "and then
YOU drill little too. ] amt got my
clothes yet. but when I do"
He did not finish the sentence. The
polishing of the bayonct was now
Private Harris returned
il Ia its sheath after careful in
sIrction. Then he wiped the pcrspi-
ration from his forehead.
Mister" hr compliance "you had
me plumb scared when you rompcd
in on me that-a-way n while back.
Scared worse than all the penny
ante battles ! was ever in"
"Why were YOU frightcncd?"
The moon faced kid with the wat
ery-bluc eyes passed a frcckled hand
through his thin sandy hair.
II thought you was a spotter and
was goin' to git me canned out OF n
regular army" said he. naively. Gee.
I'd hate to 90 back to chewin' cactus