Captain Jinks, Hero

tle of

others, that he had surrendered and that the army was about to take peaceable possession of the islands. Meanwhile Sam's position in the 200th Infantry was most unpleasant. Foster was a popular man in the regiment, and he had set all the officers against him. I

hing. The colonel will see to it that I am out of the way if th

id Cleary. "I'll fix you all right. Just

s eyes. The general was believed to weigh some three hundred pounds, but he looked as if he weighed nearer five hundred. He was dressed in a white duck suit with brass buttons, the jacket unbuttoned in front and showing his underclothes. He was suff

ned you to duty on my staff. Report here again to-morrow at ten and have your th

old enough to be a retired field-marshal. The three indulged in whiskies and soda, and Sam to

did you do i

A. C. L.,"

e w

ny, Limited. What do you suppose?

eyes. "I was beginning to think that my whole life was a failure, and here I am just

t first it all seemed to him to be a maze quite without a plan, and he hoped that in time he would begin to see the outline of a system. But the more he observed the less system he saw. Everything that could be postponed was postponed. Responsibility was shifted from one

w, called Sam aside and asked him for a half-hour's conference. They went off tog

riotic fellow who cares more for his country than his

ed at the prospect of an oppor

it's rather a compliment to you to be selected for the job. The fact is,

at happen?"

honor of the army is at stake. Civilians don't understand us. They don't appreciate our standards of honor. And if

ve hardly got anything left of my pay, but

e army contractors, and have a confidential talk with Banks. Tell him you must have $3,000 at once. Here's a letter of introduction to him. He will see that you represent the people that run things here. Tell him that his contract

a," said Sam, ruminating. "

nt piece of work. You're a new man on the staff, and we wanted to pay you an honor and give you

am. "Are you sure that it's

tter of business arrangement

all right, I su

a noble act to protect the c

"I'll do it. I'll call and see h

rders? There's to be a conference of brigade and regimental commanders here

ree men hastened to the headquarters' roo

t on a magnificent gilt table in the middle of the room in which Sam had first seen the general, and most of the officers bent over it stu

ething, and the question is, what to do. Burton," said he to his ass

to explain a general advance in the direction of the enemy. He pointed out

ts will keep the same order that they're in here at Havilla. We can't make the final arrangements until we get the

?" and he began to question all the general and field officers present b

art for this line here to-morrow

ll ass

d the general, and the conference resolv

ents went as best they could and selected their own roads, finally choosing the positions that seemed most desirable to their commanders, who took care not to leave too great an interval between regiments. The men were set to work at once at putting up the tent

at for?"

," answered Majo

Why on earth doesn

irst came here. He mounted it on a step-ladder, and the beast came down on h

e-fields, some covered with water and others more or less dry, which sturdy peasants were busy harrowing with buffaloes. On the road they saw many two-wheeled carts drawn by single buffaloes, the man standing in the cart as he drove. At last they came to a halt on rising ground at the edge of a piece of woodland, and Colonel Burton, the adjutant-general, rode up beside the general's carriage and dismounted, and the two began to study the map again. After a long discussion the procession moved on again and finally stopped at the crest of a ridge, where the general alighted and soon selected a place for his tent. An hour had passed before the tents and baggage arrived, but notwithstanding the delay the tents were pitched and supper ready by sundown, and Sam found himself actually in the field on the eve of a battle. The eve, however, was somewhat prolonged. Severa

id Garcia; "that is, those of us who know your history, bec

"Cleary, I was sure that all the se

liberty, equal

we do," s

ty doesn't interfere with obedience. Our whole army here is built u

what?" asked Ga

o-yes, liberty to do as

Garcia. "And then

each us not to misunderstand the kind of equality that we believe in. There's one at East Point for the army. This gentleman and I were educated there. We weren't allowed even to look at our superiors. There's another institution like it for the navy. And then

aternity?" a

ast Point we got a blow in the jaw if we showe

have heard some of your people explain libert

ry, and the people at large do not understand the army and navy. Luckily for you, the islands will be

," said Garcia, r

men in the ranks, mere non-commissioned officers, to apply for commissions? If they pass it, it will be the end of th

, and Stroud whispered to him that they had heard that Gomaldo would take the offensive the next morning, and that consequently a general advance was ordered for daybreak in order that they might forestall him. The general was rather taken by surprise and his final plans were not ready, but it was ar

re not quite re

s," replied Str

e livelier and quicker," said Sa

mperial. "Oh, he'll do very well. He's a good solid point to rally round and fall back o

, and whisky. Sam felt unaccountably sleepy, and he thought that all the rest looked sleepy too. It was five o'clock before Burton had the orders ready for the various subordinate commanders, telling each of them in which direction to advan

slept a wink last

, but then was obliged to turn into a branch road which led through the woods, and which soon became a mere wood-path. Before long he heard firing in front of him, and soon he recognized the sound of whistling bullets above his head. He found

Beyond to the front he could see a line of troops firing at the enemy from behind a wall. Of the Cubapinos he could see nothing but the smoke of their guns and muskets here and there. Shells were falling in another part of the field, but nowhere near him. Bullets were flying thick thr

ith this damned smokeless powder they can pick us all of

oments a dense smoke rose above th

under cover of the jungle, and told him of a path that would take him there. Sam was not slow to follow his directions, for just then a shell exploded close by. He soon found the general surrounded by his staff on a partially wooded hill,

t pass between the hills there on the left, and now I'm ordered to take the fi

, s

a bluff to keep his plans from leaking out. Tell th

to his surprise saw a battalion of the enemy at a short distance from him. He turned his horse, stuck his spurs into him, and went back along the path to the rear at a full run, while a shower of bullets fell around him. He still kept on working to the right in the direction of the firing which he heard in front of him. At last in a hollow of the jungle he came upon a Red Cross station, one of those advance temporary relief posts where the wounded who are too much injured to be taken at once to the rear are treated. Twenty or thirty men were lying in a row, some of them on their coats, others on the bare gr

the head," said one of the m

ors looked at t

mn you, what do you mean

the doctors, who were overtasked, so he dismounted and tried to find a wounded man well enough to answer his que

let, fell on his face. "You'd better lie down here, sir; you'll be

down by

aven't seen him for hours. The lieutenant-colonel is down with fever. I think the major's in command. You ought to find him

e ran toward the front. He found many soldiers skulking along the path, and they di

r orders. I understan

. "The colonel's in comman

re i

ow. I haven't seen h

your regime

s. It's p

me running up from the front

there. Won't you come up and take cha

feeling well. You fellows can stay here if you like. I shan't order the regiment back, but I'll go back and get ready for them

to do? Our officers have given out, and we're a new regi

would behave much better than the major, but here

o," said he. "Let's se

to keep on to the front until they arrived before the t

en are," said Sam. "W

companies of the 72d-I don't know where they came fro

e and more encumbered with men, and the bullets came thicker. Sam was thoroughly scared. He could feel his legs waver

his huge drumstick with all his might. Sam began to feel happier, and so did the men about him. One of the musicians suddenly fell, struck dead by a bullet, and just then a shell burst over them and two or three men went down. With one accord the soldiers began to curse and swear in the most frightful manner and to insist on speedy

ptain. "We must push them back or they'll have us

y does in front," said Sam, drawing his revol

to creep back, saw the revolver and dr

ion. "Come up to the front, all of you, and extend our line the

behind the line with the captain, both of them standing in a

captain. "You've no business

sir?" said the cap

, if you'll be good enoug

rward in this way successively three or four times, and the troops were now thoroughly encouraged, and some of them even asked to be allowed to charge. Sam, however, postponed this final act as long as he could. It was not until he saw the captain whom he had met in the woods mangled and instantly killed by a piece of shell that he became so

that they were in this morn

t, and Sam saw his soldiers bayonet the last two or three of them in the back. There were a good many dead in the trenches, all of them shot through the head. It was a proud moment for Sam when he stood on the edge of the trench and

ed man I see," he thought. "It must be r

ir way they came across other bodies of troops who joined them, and it so happened that no one came forward of superior rank to Sam, and consequently he retained the command. Before they came in sight of San Diego he had quite a brigade under him. He halted them in front of the town and sent out a scouting party. There was no sound of firing now except in the distance. In an hour the scouting party came back and reported that the place had been vacated by the enemy, who for some reason had been seized by a panic. Sam ordered the advance to be resumed, and late in the afternoon found himself in po

eived him with

t at a critical point there on the right. I shall mention you in despatches. You may d

upper when Cleary ca

you did this morning. But didn't I tell you, you were the stuff? Wh

th, I didn't kno

, you

l planned every

at home. How's this for headlines?" and he took some notes from his pocket. "'Great Victory at San Diego. Captain Jinks Turns Defeat into Victory. Hailed as Hero Jinks by the Army. General Laughter's Plans Carried Out through the Young

Sam. "They were way off on the left, an

der fire before. They kept up pretty well with the regulars, and fortu

fine cavalry char

any horses, and it's lucky they didn't. They had th