*Reprinted by permission of the author.
It was in the autumn of 1904 that the Colonel told the story; Colonel
M----, who, with his seventy years, his snowy hair and imperial, was
yet as ruddy of cheek and as gallant of bearing as when in the old
days he led the --th Cavalry through the deserts of the West. Since
his retirement his home was at the Army and Navy Club, where his
charming little dinners and his unfailing wit and eloquence as an
after-dinner speaker made this courtly old warrior the most sought
for man about the capital.
We had dined with the Colonel that evening, and as we entered the
club smoking-rooms we overheard fragments of an animated conversation
between two naval officers, who were debating the probable movements
of the United States battleship squadron in case the feud between
Japan and Russia should involve other nations. The relative strength
of the Japanese and Russian navies, both as to material and
personnel, was also under discussion. In support of some claim as to
Japanese superiority, one of the navy men took up an encyclopedia,
from which he read the following:
"'_Samurai_--A term designating the feudal or governing class of old
Japan; the ruling families from which the fighting clans were
organised; a fighting man.'"
We found seats in the farther corner of the room and, after a few
moments of silence, the Colonel remarked, in the musing tone which
always promised a story:
"Boys, I once knew a Samurai; two of them, in fact; one to the manner
born, the other a Samurai by adoption."
"Unlimber and get your range, Colonel, we are ready," remarked
Sanderson of the Artillery, who would talk shop.
The old man smiled indulgently, and settling himself deeper into the
big leather chair, replied:
"Well, then, if you youngsters really care to listen, and will allow
an old fellow to tell his tale in his own fashion, you shall hear of
the Samurai I have mentioned, two of the bravest men I ever met, and
I have known several.
"At the close of the rebellion, after being mustered out as captain
in the Tenth New York Cavalry, I re-entered the service as a
lieutenant in the Fourth Regulars, and was at once ordered to Fort
Sill. This was in '65, and for the next fifteen years we earned
every dollar Uncle Sam paid us, and incidentally rode our horses over
some millions of square miles of his territory, between the Brazos
and the Big Horn. It was scout and fight, winter and summer; no big
affairs, you understand, but a row of some sort going all the while,
for the Indians were ugly and required lots of licking to keep them
on their reservations. April 5, 1880, I was transferred to the --th
Cavalry, and, as ranking captain, assumed command of Fort Huachuca,
Arizona, a three-company post only a few miles from the Sonora border.
"It was a favourite pastime of the redskins, for small parties of a
dozen or twenty, to break from the reservation at night and, after
raising sundry and divers varieties of hell, to slip across the
border and take refuge in Mexico, sneaking back to their tepees after
the flurry of pursuit was over.
"It was the first day after I assumed command that I took my own
troop out on the parade-ground, put them through their paces, and
gave them a thorough looking-over, to see what sort of an aggregation
I had inherited. They were a rollicking lot of lads, not pretty to
look at, but comfortable fellows to have at one's back when going
into a scrimmage, as I learned upon more than one bitter day in the
months that followed. After a few evolutions I felt, rather than
saw, what they needed: they wanted a master; wanted a leader whose
word should be to them the law and the gospel, from Proverbs to
Revelations, and by Gad, sir, they found their man right there and
then. Half of them didn't seem to know how to obey a command, and
the other half didn't appear to be in any particular hurry. My
subalterns, too, were apathetic, and inside of ten minutes I knew
that my work was cut out for me, if I expected to make anything of
Troop C.
"The only man in the company who seemed to know the game, and wanted
to play it by the book, was the First Sergeant. I spotted him at
once, and noticed that he not only understood and instantly obeyed a
command, but that he mentally anticipated it, which showed me that he
was letter-perfect in tactics.
"I didn't waste a great deal of time in letting them know the lay of
the land. As they wheeled into line by fours, the order was 'Halt,
Company front!' and then, riding very slowly, I passed down the line,
and over the head of his motionless horse I looked squarely through
each trooper's eyes and down into the subcellar of his immortal soul.
At the end of that slow riding I knew my men, and they knew that I
knew them.
"From that moment began the upbuilding of Company C, and before six
pay-days had passed it was the best drilled, best natured, hardest
fighting troop that ever swung the sabre or followed the guidon.
"As the Company broke ranks I could see that the men were speaking
eagerly among themselves, evidently discussing their new 'Old Man.'
I had my eye on that First Sergeant, and after stables that evening I
sent an orderly for him. A few minutes later he strode up to the
open door of my quarters, saluted and stood at attention, waiting
while I looked him over from end to end. He was a soldierly-looking
chap, square-shouldered, well set up, long of limb and slender, and
looked as hard as iron. But it was at his face that I looked
longest. It was not a happy face--some great sorrow or great
disappointment had left its shadow there--but it had character
written all over. Prominent cheek-bones, a good nose and chin, with
deep-set gray eyes, that looked at a man, not past him. For a full
minute he stood quietly returning my gaze, with never a flinch nor
the tremor of an eyelid.
"'What's your name, Sergeant?'
"'Reynolds, sir.'
"'How long have you been in the service?'
"'Nearly three years, sir.'
"'Step inside, Sergeant, I want to have a talk with you.'
"As he passed the threshold he removed his hat, and right there his
Captain came very nearly committing an unpardonable breach of
discipline, for the impulse came over me to get out of my chair and
offer the gentleman a seat. For Sergeant Reynolds was a gentleman,
as one could see the instant his hat came off and that magnificent
forehead appeared in evidence. His was a splendid head, and every
line of his face and brow bore the unmistakable stamp of intellectual
force and honesty of purpose. Why was such a man as this serving as
a private soldier in the regular army? I was distinctly rattled for
a minute, and in the little silence which ensued I found myself
speculating as to what queer turn of Fate's fickle wheel had brought
him there. Such cases were not infrequent, and many an interesting
identity lay concealed under Uncle Sam's army blue.
"Whatever had been his past, I felt sure he was the one man in the
company who could be of most assistance in bringing the troop up to
concert pitch, so I went straight to the point:
"'Sergeant, Troop C requires some good, hard drill and better
discipline. The men need a little ginger and soldierly spirit
infused into them, and a man in the ranks, who has his heart in the
work, can prove himself of invaluable assistance to his officers in
bringing about the desired conditions. I had an eye on you this
afternoon and, if I am not mistaken, you know your business. Your
Captain is going to depend on you to help him round the troop into
shape, and, willingly or unwillingly, you're going to give him that
help. I sent for you to tell you this and to know whether you will
do it because you want to, or because you have to.'
"Quick as a shot came his reply, 'Both, sir.'
"There was a faint smile on his lip and a pleased look in his eyes
which told me that my First Sergeant was mine. I dismissed him
without further questioning, for I felt intuitively that no casual
inquiry would secure Sergeant Reynolds' real history, much as I
wanted it. A few minutes' private and pointed conversation with each
of my lieutenants that evening, and I was ready for the siege of
drill which began the following day. Lord! How I did work those
fellows for the next week or two! The men grumbled and kicked, as is
the soldier's prerogative, but they worked. Hennessy, the biggest,
brawniest trooper of the lot, probably voiced the general sentiment
when one hot afternoon he unburdened himself to Reynolds.
"'What do yez make av it, Sargint? Is this a rest cure that the dear
Captin is thryin' on us? Bedad, I'd rayther be diggin' post holes in
the stony corner of hell than workin' as a hoss sojer unther that
man! Sure, me liver is jolted loose and the seat of me panties is
wored out entoirely with this ridin' and chargin' up and down the
landscape from mornin' till night. I've dhrilled and dhrilled till
the damn thing has gone to me head, and I find meself dhrillin' in me
slape. There's wan good thing about it, thank Hivin, the ould divil
is takin' his own medicine, for he's dhrillin' wid us.'
"And so it was. I took my share of the drudgery, but it paid, for
the troop began immediately to show improvement. Reynolds' influence
in the ranks was soon apparent, the men showing more and more
interest as the days went by.
"One evening an ambulance from Benson brought in the long delayed
mails, and as the leathern pouches were tumbled out the men gathered
about, eager for news from the San Carlos Agency, where a break was
rumoured. On the seat beside the driver sat a young man in civilian
dress, unmistakably a foreigner.
"'Who's your friend, Bill?' sang out one of the crowd.
"'Recruity,' answered the driver, with a grin; 'a gent from Japan who
is stuck on sojerin' and has come out here to get some.'
"A delighted yell came from the boys, as they closed in and began
reaching for the newcomer.
"'If the lady wud put her fut in me hand, I'd be proud to assist her
to land in Huachuca,' said Hennessy, as he grabbed the stranger by
the coat collar.
"The little fellow laughed at the reception, and without an instant's
hesitation stepped into Hennessy's hand, then to his shoulder, and,
springing lightly over the surprised trooper's head, landed safely on
his feet. It was neatly done, and his evident good nature caught the
crowd.
"'Bully for the Mikado!' 'Hooray for the Jap!' chorused the men, as
Hennessy, nowise abashed, took the newcomer by the arm and moved off
toward the quarters. Several others, scenting a lark, hurried
forward to take a hand, but Hennessy waved them off. 'Lave go,' he
said, 'I saw it first.'
"I beckoned the driver to me and inquired concerning the stranger.
"'Don't know nuthin' about him, sir, 'cept he tackled me as I was
leaving Benson, and finally made me understand he wanted to come
here; offered me a five-dollar gold piece to let him ride, and here
he is. Says he wants to learn to be a 'Merican sojer, but he don't
savvy United States, not a little bit.'
"I turned to Reynolds, who stood near, telling him to give the
Japanese something to eat and then bring him to my quarters. It
would never do to leave him with that lot of unredeemed pagans who
had him in tow, as they would haze him mercilessly. I mentally
decided that he would be sent back to Benson by the ambulance
returning next morning.
"An hour later I saw Reynolds and the Jap coming up the company
street, the little fellow trotting along beside the tall trooper,
talking excitedly and smiling as if thoroughly delighted with the
situation. As they reached my veranda, Reynolds saluted and said,
'Here he is, sir.'
"'Who is he, and why is he here?' I asked.
"'Izo Yamato, sir; been in America only a few weeks, and came from
San Francisco here to enlist. Says he wants to be a cavalryman. He
is twenty-three years old and belongs to a distinguished family.'
"'How comes it that he has been able to tell you so much? I
understand from the driver that he speaks little or no English.'
"'He speaks very little English, sir; his conversation with me was in
his own language.'
"'In Japanese? Where in God's name did you learn Japanese?'
"'I lived in Kobe for several years, sir.'
"'Um! well, you understand, of course, that he cannot enlist here.
He must first go to some recruiting station and pass an examination,
which he couldn't do, both on account of his size and his lack of
English. Take care of him to-night, Reynolds, and we will send him
back to Benson to-morrow.'
"All this time the Jap had not once taken his eyes from my face,
eagerly watching every movement and gesture I made. Suddenly, as he
seemed to understand that I had refused his request, he stepped
before me, and drawing himself up to his full height, he declared
proudly, 'Me Samurai.'
"I looked at Reynolds for an explanation.
"'He says he is a Samurai, sir, which, translated into English, means
that he is a fighting man.'
"I laughed outright, while the smile on the little Jap's face
broadened perceptibly, as he spoke a half dozen quick, snappy
sentences in Japanese to Reynolds.
"'He says he doesn't expect to draw pay, sir; he has ample funds, and
only wants to learn American soldiering.'
"I couldn't do anything for him in that line, and told Reynolds so.
A quick shadow of disappointment passed over the youngster's face, as
Reynolds translated my words, and I really felt sorry for him. He
was a handsome little chap, about five feet four, deep-chested,
stocky, and muscular, a sort of a big little man, when one came to
look him over. He had jet-black hair, laughing eyes, and, while his
features were of course after the Oriental type, he really looked
more like a Portuguese or some south Europe breed than a Japanese.
After some further talk I dismissed them, fully determined to send
him out of camp the following morning--but he didn't go.
"Just before taps Reynolds came to me again to ask that his new
friend be permitted to remain at the post for a time, explaining that
the Jap would furnish his own equipment, and that the government
would be reimbursed for the rations he consumed. He urged the case
so strongly that I finally inquired what personal interest he had in
the matter. At first he seemed loath to explain, but it finally came
out.
"'Frankly, sir, I want his society. I haven't a real friend in the
troop; of course, I get on well enough with the boys, but they are an
illiterate lot, and it's fearfully lonely here at times, having no
one to talk with. Young Yamato is an educated gentleman, and it
would afford me infinite pleasure to have him with me, to teach him
and to have him as my friend.'
"'But the men will devil the life out of him, and you will have a
constant fight on your hands if you propose to protect your friend.'
"'I don't think they will trouble him much, as they come to know him
better, sir, and he will require no protection.'
"'Why, Reynolds, that big Hennessy has already marked him as his
victim. He will surely haze the life out of the little cuss.'
"'That's Yamato's affair, sir. I trust you will permit him to remain
at the post; if he can't stand the gaff, then he will leave.'
"'Reynolds, I want to ask you some questions altogether foreign to
the subject in hand; questions you needn't answer unless you see fit.
You are a man of education and refinement; you know more about
matters military than a man in your station is supposed to know; you
are more familiar than your officers with the latest text-books on
tactics. Were you ever at the Point? How came you to be a private
in the service? What is your history, anyway?'
"It was brutal, the manner in which I fired those questions at him,
taking a mean advantage of his position as petitioner to pry into his
private life. I was ashamed of it as I put the questions; I was more
ashamed when his answer came.
"Quickly the colour rose to his cheek, then gradually receded,
leaving him deadly pale, as he slowly replied.
"'Captain, the rehearsal of a most unfortunate and unhappy history
could not in any manner be of interest or profit to you. I have
never been at West Point, and my training has been more naval than
military. I am here because it appears to be the best place for me,
and while here I have tried to perform my duties faithfully. That's
all I care to say, sir, and I trust you will respect my reticence.'
The grey eyes were looking fearlessly into mine.
"It was a merited rebuke, delivered like a gentleman.
"'Right, Sergeant, your history is your own property. You may keep
the Jap, and if you need a friend, come to me.'
"There was a suspicious brightness in his eyes and the faintest
tremor in his voice as he wrung my proffered hand, saying, 'Thank
you, Captain, I'll not forget this.'
"So Yamato remained at the post, the ward and pupil of Sergeant
Reynolds. The men attempted some horse-play with him the first day
or two, but as Reynolds let it be known that the Jap was his friend,
no one cared to carry the fun-making beyond prudent limits. They
were very curious, however, and asked the Sergeant all sorts of
questions concerning his protégé, to which they received evasive but
good-natured replies. Big Hennessy finally cornered the Jap, and
proceeded to catechise him.
"'How ould are yez, Chink?'
"'Me have of the years twenty-three,' replied the lad, with his
everlasting smile.
"'Twinty-three! Sure, 'tis a big boy ye are gettin' to be; if yez
kape on growin' at the prisint rate, yez will be a full-grown man in
thirty or forty years more,' and the Irishman guffawed uproariously.
"'Well, me big man, what did yez do for a livin' in the ould
counthry? Did yez wheel the baby waggin and do other light
dhry-nursin', or was ye head push in a laundhry?'
"Not understanding, the Jap shook his head.
"Hennessy tried again.
"'What business were yez in? What did ye work at?'
"Extending himself to his full height, with great dignity the
Japanese replied:
"'Me no work; in my countree me gentleman; me Samurai.'
"'Samoory, eh? What particular sort av a bug is a Samoory, anyhow?'
"'Him no bug; Samurai ees one man of the fight.'
"'Whoop!' yelled the big trooper derisively; then raising his voice
till he could be heard from end to end of the company street, he
shouted,
"'Oyez! Oyez! all ye fighters come a-runnin' with yure hats in yure
hands, and do riverince to a rale live Samoory from the Far East.'
"Then as the boys quickly gathered about, he made a profound
obeisance before the surprised Jap, and resumed.
"'Gintlemen, dhrunkards, short-card min, and sojers! 'Tis me
pleasure to inthrojuce to yez me distinguished frind and
contimporary, Mister Samoory, av Japan, who has confidentially
imparted to me the information that in his own counthry he was known
as a fighter from way back, a hell of a feller, so to spake; and be
rayson of his ability as an all-roun' scrapper, the King gave him the
title of "Sammy, the Fightin' Man." All mimbers of Troop C will now
take warnin'! Yez will plaze kape off the grass when Mister Sammy is
awake. Hospital accommodations will be provided for them as forgit
themselves. Form in line now, ye divils, and extind the right hand
of fellowship to Mister Sammy, who has thravelled all the way to
Americky to be showin' us the fine points av the game.'
"The Jap looked puzzled, but as those overgrown children lined up,
each in turn extending his hand, the smile broadened and the black
eyes fairly beamed with pleasure. This ceremony ended, the boys gave
three rousing cheers for 'Sammy, the Fighting Man,' the fun was over,
and henceforth he was 'Sammy' to one and all.
"When Reynolds returned later in the day, Sammy delightedly told him
of Hennessy's kindness and the great honour conferred upon him by
Troop C. Reynolds did not disillusion the boy, but, later on,
quietly told the men that while they might guy the Jap and have fun
with him, it would not be wise to carry it too far. They assumed by
this warning that Reynolds would resent any undue imposition upon his
friend; not once did it occur to them that Sammy was amply able to
care for himself. Their enlightenment was yet to come.
"Sammy's fitting out and equipment furnished no end of fun for the
men. He wanted everything necessary to a ''Merican Soldier of the
Horse,' and, as he was amply supplied with gold, he soon had his
tent, blankets, and weapons. From some unknown source the boys dug
out an old, rusty cavalry sabre, which he hailed with evident delight
and which he at once proceeded to scour and polish till it shone like
silver. Then he ground and whetted and sharpened the old blade till
it was keen as a razor. In vain the men explained that the laws of
war prohibited a sharpened sword. 'Me want him for cut,' was his
only reply, as he went on whetting till the old steel would have
split a hair. Then he took his sabre to the blacksmith and requested
that he file off the basket, or hand-guard, leaving a plain,
straight, unprotected hilt. 'Me like him better; same like in my
countree,' he explained.
"It was in securing a horse that he had greatest difficulty. Not
being an enlisted man, he could not be permitted to use a government
mount, nor could he purchase a horse from Uncle Sam. After a private
conversation with Mexican Joe, the proprietor of one of the low
groggeries just outside the lines, Mr. Hennessy announced that he had
heard of a fine saddle horse for sale by a Greaser a few miles down
the valley, and, if his friend Sammy so desired, the horse should be
brought up to cantonments on the morrow. Next day a Mexican led a
piebald, white-eyed broncho into camp, and within five minutes
departed hurriedly with fifty dollars of Sammy's gold in his pocket.
It was a bay and white pinto which Sammy had acquired; round-bodied,
long-barreled, with flat, muscular legs and a depth of lung space
indicating great staying power, but with a Roman nose and the
restless white eyes which told unmistakably of a 'spoiled' saddle
horse. Evil lurked in every movement of the slender, pointed ears,
and looked boldly out through those wicked eyes. He was one of those
untamed and unbreakable specimens of horseflesh occasionally found in
the great West.
"'Come, min,' said Hennessy briskly, 'lay hold and help the gintleman
to mount his new calico horse,' and taking the rawhide lariat in his
hand, he advanced toward the pinto's head to adjust the bridle; then
leaping suddenly back, as the brute's teeth snapped together
dangerously near his arm, he swung overhead the bridle with its heavy
bit, landing it with considerable force between the white eyes.
"'Whoa! ye murdherin' divil, have ye no sinse of dacincy? 'Tis yure
new masther, the fightin' man av Japan, who is to ride yez!'
"A dozen willing hands assisted in getting the bridle and saddle in
place; then Sammy, who probably had not been astride a horse a dozen
times in his life, stepped forward and clambered into the saddle.
"'All set!' shouted Hennessy, as Sammy took up the reins; 'lave go!
the Arizony circus will now begin!'
"Begin it did; for no sooner was the maddened brute released than he
lunged wildly into the air, alighting with a sickening jolt upon his
forefeet, while his hinder part shot skyward. Sammy's hat flew in
one direction and his six-shooter in another, as he clutched
frantically at the saddle and endeavoured to recover the stirrups
which were sailing about his ears. First to the right, then to the
left pitched the horse, the men yelling in sheer delight, 'Stick to
him, Sammy!' 'Go it, Calico!' etc. It lasted less than ten seconds,
during which time Sammy was all over that pinto horse, travelling
from end to end with each sudden unseating; first behind the saddle,
then in front of it; clinging desperately first to one side and then
the other, as Calico swayed to and fro, like a drunken ship, in the
effort to discharge his shifting ballast. The rider had lost the
reins, and the horse, without guide or hindrance, his head far down
between his forefeet, his back bowed into a squirming knot of muscle,
landed with a particularly vicious jolt that shot Sammy into the air,
where he somersaulted to a landing in a bunch of bristly soapweed,
the breath completely jarred out of him.
"For a half-minute he lay still, and then as the laughing soldiers
gathered about, he slowly straightened up and started toward the
pinto, who stood with ears perked forward, suspiciously eyeing his
fallen rider. The boy was badly shaken; a thin line of blood from
his nose showed red on his white lips, as he unsteadily grasped the
rope and warily edged his way to the horse's head. Once within reach
his right hand clamped the panting nostrils, while his left gripped
an ear; there was a quick, downward pull, an inward push, a sudden
upward twist, and Calico lay floundering on the ground with Sammy
sitting on his head.
"So quickly was it accomplished not a man of them could have told how
it had been done. Sammy was smiling again, as he sat quietly till
the beast ceased its struggles; then, getting up, he allowed Calico
to scramble to his feet. The white eyes were blazing now and the
horse swung his head and squealed angrily as the Jap moved in. Again
that iron grip upon nose and ear, the sudden pushing twist, and once
more the horse fell heavily, his hoofs impotently threshing the air.
"Twice more the pinto was permitted to rise, and twice more he was
ruthlessly thrown, the last time that awful grip holding to his nose
till poor Calico was well-nigh dead for want of breath. When Sammy
arose the fourth time the horse lay still, and it required a vigorous
kick to bring him to his feet, his legs trembling unsteadily beneath
him, and for the first time in his life those white eyes showed
abject fear. Sammy walked straight to his head, patted the dusty
neck, put the reins over, then deliberately and awkwardly climbed
into the saddle and rode slowly down the street. Calico was licked!
Licked to a finish! You should have heard the boys cheer the little
Jap as he rode back a few minutes later.
"Reynolds had seen it all yet no word escaped him till after the
horse had been stabled; then he patted Sammy on the shoulder and
spoke a few words in Japanese, which caused the boy's face to light
up with satisfaction and his hand to seek Reynolds' with a quick grip.
"The two were inseparable; and under Reynolds' careful tutoring Sammy
made rapid progress in English, though some words he never did get
straight. He learned to ride, too. When the men were at drill he
watched every evolution, listened to every order. He begged so hard,
and seemed so anxious to learn, that I finally allowed him in the
ranks, a soldier serving without hope of pay or preferment, but as
gallant a soldier as ever drew rein, as you shall hear later on.
"He got on famously with the men. Of course, they guyed and chaffed
him, all of which he accepted good-naturedly, so long as they kept
hands off. He would permit no one to hustle him or indulge in any
horse-play. One of the men attempted to manhandle him one day, when
Sammy grappled with the fellow and threw him over his shoulder so
violently as nearly to break the man's neck. After that they
respected his edict of 'hands off.' His thirst for knowledge seemed
insatiable. Like a shadow he followed Reynolds; ever his eager
questions, sometimes in English, more often in Japanese, as to why or
how, receiving the tall trooper's reply in kind. It was about three
weeks after his arrival that Sammy had his first trouble, which came
about in this wise.
"Hennessy, who was a roistering, good-natured fellow when sober, but
a quarrelsome brute when in his cups, had spent the afternoon at
Mexican Joe's dive, and returning to camp in the evening, was
fighting drunk and hankering for trouble.
"It so happened that the tent occupied by Sammy stood at one end of
the adobe building in which Hennessy bunked, and the latter, to reach
his door, must pass within a few feet of the little Jap, who sat
cross-legged on the ground at the open flap of his tent, tinkering at
his equipment. Some evil spirit prompted the drunken Irishman to
bait the Japanese, for he stopped, and with an ugly leer commanded
the boy to get up and get him a cup, as he proposed to initiate all
stray Orientals about the camp into the mysteries of American
tanglefoot.
"'Get up, ye sawed-off haythen, and bring me the cup, before I spit
and dhrown yez.'
"Sammy smiled and went on fixing his buckle.
"'Didn'tyez hear me, ye naygur? I've a mind to take on a body
sarvint in me ould age, and as yure so dam purty and so smilin'-like,
yez have been elected by a most overwhelmin' majority as striker to
the Honorable Tim Hinnissy, and I'll start yez in proper by fillin'
yez up on this,' and he swung the bottle dangerously near Sammy's
head.
"Still smiling, Sammy shook his head. 'No want him, those drink; him
make for me pain of the head.'
"Hennessy scowled angrily.
"'Don't want it, don't yez? Well, 'tis time ye were larnin' that
whin yure boss gives ye an ordther ye are to move, and not sit
squattin' like a cross-legged toad, argifying. Git up, now, or I'll
kick a hole through the basement of yure pants!' and he touched the
lad none too gently with the toe of his boot.
"Sammy looked surprised, but still shook his head and smiled.
"'No want him, those drink; no geet up.'
"Hennessy's big foot swung back, then forward, as he landed a vicious
kick squarely amidships; Sammy rolled over, without doubt the most
surprised and the maddest Japanese in the Western Hemisphere. He
sprang to his feet, his eyes ablaze, but as Hennessy raised his foot
for another kick, Sammy ducked under the tent flap and disappeared
within.
"Hennessy howled derisively and stepped forward with the evident
intention of following, but just then his head rocked backward from
an awful smash dealt him by the youngster, who stepped out of the
tent and faced the furious Irishman. It was the hilt of that old
cavalry sabre which had halted Mr. Hennessy's advance. Full and
square in his teeth the blow had landed, and as he spat the blood and
a couple of floating teeth from between his lacerated lips, he
yelled, 'Ye son of a scutt! ye wud play wid the tools, wud yez?' He
sprang into the open door of his own quarters, snatched up his sabre,
and, leaping out, sent the scabbard clattering to the earth as he
strode toward the waiting Jap, who seemed to have forgotten his anger
and was now smiling expectantly.
"The blow had instantly sobered the big trooper, but it had also
wakened the devil in him, and it was evident to the men who ran
flocking to the scene that Hennessy meant to hurt the boy, possibly
to kill him.
"'Now, ye haythen toad, I'll show yez how to use the business end av
a cheese knife! I'll just slice off wan ear as a sooveneer an' then
I'll spank yez with the flat av me blade; but if ye are nasty about
it, by God, I'll take the two av thim,' and with this he made a
vicious cut at Sammy's head, the blow slipping harmlessly from the
waiting steel.
"Two of the men started to rush Hennessy from the rear to prevent a
killing, but Reynolds interfered, saying, 'Let him alone; this isn't
your fight.'
"'But Hennessy's crazy drunk and will kill him!'
"'I don't think so,' calmly replied Reynolds. 'Hennessy will
presently see a great light, and, if I mistake not, will be a very
sober man when he finishes his job.'
"And it was so. For the first few moments Sammy seemed content to
parry the strokes which were rained upon him with all the strength
and fury of the enraged Irishman. So furiously did Hennessy press
home his attack, and so steadfastly did the little Jap hold his
ground, that again and again the blades were engaged up to the very
hilt, and it seemed that Sammy's unguarded sword-hand must surely
suffer; but each time a deft turn of the wrist put aside the danger.
The boy's enigmatical smile, and the ease with which he parried each
savage cut and thrust, seemed to drive the big trooper wild, for with
a fierce oath he redoubled his effort and sought by sheer weight to
break down his adversary's guard.
"Then Sammy's tactics changed, and within ten seconds the spellbound
men realised, as did Hennessy, that with all his bulk and strength
the big fellow was but as a child, absolutely at the mercy of that
smiling, youthful foe, while the sword-play which followed was the
talk of many a campfire in the years that followed.
"Stepping back a pace, the Japanese suddenly set his sabre whirling
in a peculiar wheel-like movement, which opposed a circular shield of
steel to Hennessy's weapon. Swifter and swifter whirled that shining
thing, its sibilant hiss growing more and more venomous, menacing,
and deadly. Utterly confounded, Hennessy paused, his sword-arm
extended, too dumbfounded to give ground or to drop his point.
Suddenly the guardless sabre shot out, and, engaging the Irishman's
blade, tore it from his hand and sent it flying over the heads of the
crowd, to fall harmlessly fifty feet away. Then, as his arms dropped
limply, the grey of a great fear stole over Hennessy's face, not the
fear of a coward, but the fear of a brave man who looks into the eyes
of a death he cannot parry,--while that silent serpent of steel
darted through his hair, between ear and skull, first on one side,
then the other; passed like lightning within a hairbreadth of his
jugular; then under each armpit, or flicked a button from the bosom
of his shirt, as if seeking the most deadly spot to place its fatal
sting. Yet no harm came to the Irishman; not one drop of blood did
he lose.
"In a minute it was ended. Sammy swung his sabre upward and brought
it down flat-side, landing with a sounding whack just above
Hennessy's left ear, knocking all the sense out of him for five
minutes. Turning to Reynolds, the boy laughingly said, 'Me no hurt
him; him no Samurai; him big boy, not know how for make those fight.'
Then he sat down before his tent and resumed the repairs on his
buckle.
"That settled it. Sammy had made good as a fighting man, and from
that day he was the idol of the Company. Hennessy was thoroughly
whipped, and, like a real man, he knew it and bore no malice. After
an hour he emerged from his quarters, and walking up to the Jap,
grasped his hand.
"'Sammy, yure the boss. God knows ye should av kilt me for the
dhirty cur that I was, but ye didn't, and I'm yure frind. If yez
want a striker to clane yure horse, or to be doin' yure maynial
wurruk, it's meself that's lookin' for the job, for ye are the
biggest man I iver hooked up wid, if ye are put up in a small bundle.'
"Sammy's smile broadened, as he warmly shook the Irishman's hand.
"'Hennessy one fine boy, when he no make of those drink; it is good
for be friends.'
"Hennessy spent ten days in the guardhouse for his drunken folly, and
it was Sammy who regularly carried to him tidbits from his own mess.
"We had enjoyed a season of comparative quiet, but the long expected
break came early in July. The entire Apache nation, which had for
months been seething with unrest, now broke into open revolt with the
usual campaign of murder and pillage.
"At dusk one evening a courier, who had ridden seventy miles since
noon, brought orders from the Colonel to intercept a war party of
seventy or eighty Tontos, who were reported raiding up the San Simeon
Valley, bound for Sonora. Company F, at Fort Bowie, would cut them
off from the outlet at the upper end of the valley, when it was
supposed the reds would swing to the westward and, skirting the
hills, would cross the Divide at or near Dragoon Summit and make for
the Mexican border through the foothills to the west of Dos Cabesos.
By hard riding it might be possible to intercept them at Hanging Rock
Springs, a favourite camping-place for such expeditions.
"Hurried preparations were made, and at three o'clock next morning
Troop C filed out from cantonments on its long ride. As men and
horses were fresh, we rapidly put mile after mile behind us in the
cool morning hours. A hurried breakfast as the sun came up from
behind the distant Dragoons, and then began the dreary ride across
the desolate stretch of hill and plain which lay between us and
Hanging Rock, the point at which I hoped to bag our game. Mile after
mile we jogged under the blazing Arizona sun, the rear of the little
column hidden in the blinding alkali dust, which rose in clouds from
the dry, parched earth. Far to the front, with the flankers, rode
Reynolds, and with him Sammy, who had entered upon this man-hunt with
all the enthusiasm of a boy.
"At noon we halted for an hour, to rest the horses and eat our
slender ration; then on we pushed across the barren wastes toward our
destination. At mid-afternoon the heat became terrific, the horses
suffering severely and many of them beginning to show evidences of
the twelve-hours' stretch. Hanging Rock, fifteen miles away, was now
in plain view across the valley, but it began to be questionable
whether the command could reach it before dusk, and it would be most
imprudent to scale the hill and enter that rocky den after the sun
had gone down.
"Nature, in a freakish mood, had pushed the long shelf of rock out
from the summit of the divide, and most strange it was that there,
high up above the plain, should bubble forth from beneath the hanging
scarp of stone, a great spring of clear, cool water. The ridge was a
wilderness of giant boulders, a jungle of ragged rocks, thick strewn,
as if scattered by some Titan hand in the far-off days when earth was
young.
"Suddenly the left flankers, a half mile in advance, drew up, and
Reynolds' signal told me that something unusual was beyond. A moment
later we saw a single horseman emerge from one of the numerous blind
cañons on the left and ride rapidly toward the waiting soldiers.
Reaching them he seemed to confer for a moment, then Reynolds wheeled
and dashed back toward the column, waving his hat and shouting some
unintelligible message. As I rode forward to meet the flying
horseman, his white face warned me of evil tidings.
"'Captain, a scout from Fort Grant says that the Colonel's wife and
his two little children, with a detail of six men, left Grant at
noon, to meet the Colonel at Huachuca; two hours after they left the
post, news of the break reached the camp, and Captain Dunlap sent
this scout after the Colonel's wife to bring her back. He ran into a
band of Apaches who were following the trail of the ambulance, and he
thinks they will overtake it at Hanging Rock. Unable to warn the
detail, and with another band of Indians between him and Grant, he
cut around and was making for Huachuca when he spied us.'
"God! It was fifteen miles to Hanging Rock, and even now the little
detail might be surrounded. And a woman, too! It meant swift
action; so, turning to the command, I told the men the situation,
explaining that the lives of our Colonel's wife and children, and of
the six troopers, depended upon our reaching Hanging Rock before the
reds could complete their devilish work. As many of the horses were
exhausted, it would depend upon those who had the best mounts to make
the rescue, so I ordered each man to do his best and started the
entire troop upon a free-for-all run for the Rock. Within ten
minutes Company C was strung out for a mile across the desert, the
better horses forging to the front, the weaker falling to the rear.
"Fortunately, my horse was in fair condition and carried me well to
the front. I rode hard, but far in advance of all raced Reynolds'
big bay and Sammy's pinto. An hour, which seemed an eternity, had
passed, when less than a score of troopers reached the foot of the
ridge a mile from the spring. As one after another of the horses
dropped back exhausted, I wondered how many would be with me at the
finish, and if we should be in time.
"Suddenly from the heights above came the far-away bang of a
Springfield, then another, while the faint puff of rifle smoke
floating from the summit told us that the Tontos were at work. Up
the slope we went as rapidly as the reeking horses would carry us;
far to the front, now disappearing behind the rocks, rode Reynolds
and Sammy. The reports of the Springfields came ever clearer to us
as we toiled up the rocky slope, and now and again we heard the
exultant yells of the savages as they pressed their attack.
"A quarter of a mile from the spring my horse wavered, then stumbled
and fell, unable to carry me another rod. Snatching my pistols from
the holsters, I ran on, hoping against hope that we might be in time.
A louder chorus of savage yells and a popping of the Colts told me
that Reynolds and Sammy had reached the scene. Breathless with the
uphill run, I finally turned a giant boulder, and the little
amphitheatre about the spring was spread out before me.
"To the rear of the water hole stood an ambulance, the mules all
down; just behind the spring, and cowering against the overhanging
rock, was the Colonel's wife, with her helpless little ones; while
lying about were five motionless figures in faded army blue, which
told the story of brave men who had battled to the last and had died
the soldier's death. Beside the praying woman knelt a wounded
trooper, calmly shooting into the horde of savage figures who were
darting and dodging amidst the rocks; while to the left and in front
stood Sammy and Reynolds, their Colts spitting viciously at the
Indians, who were evidently surprised and disturbed by the unwelcome
re-enforcements. The men were directly between the Indians and the
woman, and as the savages hoped to capture the latter alive they were
not using their guns, but had attacked the Jap and his comrade with
knives and war clubs.
"As I looked, the wounded man went down, and, casting aside their
empty weapons, Reynolds and Sammy drew their sabres and stood between
the kneeling woman and the two score of yelping beasts. A moment
later Reynolds toppled backward from a murderous thrust in the side
and a blow from a war club upon the head, delivered simultaneously,
and Sammy was alone, confronting that swarm of naked cut-throats. A
half-dozen of my men now came running up the trail, and in an instant
their Springfields were roaring as they pressed forward, shooting,
and shouting encouragement to the boy.
"And then, startlingly clear and vibrant, above the din of the
yelling savages, above the shouts of the men and the banging of the
Springfields, rose in a foreign tongue a strange, weird chant, full
and sonorous as a trumpet-call. It was the battle song of the
Samurai,--Sammy's answering challenge--the war-cry of his fathers.
About him shimmered and hissed that impenetrable circle of steel, and
though they hacked and stabbed in frantic haste, not once did a
hostile thrust reach beyond that matchless guard. Like a thing of
light, the shining weapon darted here and there, claiming with each
touch its tithe of blood.
"The leader of the redskins, a hideously painted buck, seeing the
rescuers near at hand, made a sudden feint and, dropping upon one
knee, attempted to stab the boy through the abdomen. It was his last
stroke, for as Sammy sprang back his blade whirled downward, the
savage hand dropped to the earth, lopped clean at the wrist as with
an axe, and the next instant a life went out through an ugly gash in
the dusky throat. Louder rose that rhythmic chant, while ever, like
some thin flame, the slender blade played swiftly about the swordsman.
"Reynolds struggled to rise, but was too badly hurt, and sank beside
the prostrate trooper. Never pausing in his song, Sammy stepped in
front of his fallen friend, and as the steel told on its fateful
tale, high up above the din of strife the sonorous words rang out:
"'Heed me, oh mighty ones, my fathers of the past! The spirit lives
within thy son! See! the arm is strong, the hand is sure, and with
each stroke the life wine flows! To the sacred annals of our house I
add another deed. Hail to ye, oh mighty dead! Hail! heroes of
Yamato's line!'
"Swiftly and more deadly flamed that gleaming brand, as Sammy,
seemingly endowed with more than human strength, now took the
offensive and pressing into the struggling band, made a sudden,
swinging side-cut which swept a head completely from its moorings,
then plunged a foot of steel into another naked breast.
"It was more than the Tontos could stand, and they gave way before
the Jap's sudden onslaught, taking refuge behind the rocks. A dozen
troopers were now in action, their fire soon causing the Indians to
scatter like quail along the rocky ridge, where it would have been
foolhardy to pursue.
"As the Indians fled Sammy dropped his dripping point, and turning,
ran back to Reynolds, and was in the act of lifting him when an
Indian, who had paused in his flight, rested his rifle barrel upon a
boulder, and, taking deliberate aim, shot the Jap through the body.
The little fellow pitched forward and lay so motionless we thought
him dead; but as the boys tenderly lifted and turned him he smiled
faintly, as he said, 'Me all right; help Meester Reynolds.' Then the
mercy of unconsciousness came to him, and he lay white and still as
one whose earthly cares were at an end.
"It was the wickedest little fight I've ever seen; five troopers were
dead and three were desperately wounded, while there were eighteen
good Indians to balance the account, seven of them Sammy's. But the
woman and her babies were safe, so the sacrifice had not been wholly
in vain.
"The surgeon shortly reached the scene and hurriedly examined the
wounded men. To my look of inquiry, he replied, 'Reynolds and the
other man will pull through, but Sammy is booked, spine broken.'
From the troopers gathered close about came a half-suppressed sob,
which told, more eloquently than words, how the lad had won them.
"Throwing out a strong picket, I made quick preparations for the
night. Within an hour the remainder of the command had struggled in,
the Colonel's wife and children were housed in the ambulance, supper
was cooked, then the stillness and the grandeur of an Arizona night
was upon that blood-stained bivouac.
"Reynolds, his head bandaged and the long cut in his side dressed and
stitched, slept fitfully, muttering incoherently of unknown people
and places. For Sammy, nothing could be done; his hurt was mortal,
and within a few hours the great Silence, the Nirvana of his faith,
would be his. Presently the moon came swinging up into the
cloudless, starlit sky, driving back the shadows, toning the rough
outlines of the rocks, and making beautiful the rugged amphitheatre
about the spring. By ten o'clock it was as light as at early dawn,
while the surgeon and I sat beside the now conscious boy as he lay
upon the rough blanket bed.
"'Sammy,' I said, as I took his hand, 'you are badly wounded and it
may be that you will not again return to your people. Will you tell
me of your home, and will you give me some message for those who are
dear to you?"
"There was wondrous strength in the grip he gave my hand, and his
voice was steady as, in halting, uncertain English, he told me of his
birthplace in far-away Japan, his beautiful Japan that he would never
see again; of his father, the 'grand man' who had sent him out into
the world that he might learn the ways of the 'Merican Soldier,' and
thus be of greater service to his country in some day of need. He
told us of the great palace upon a hill, which had been his home, and
spoke reverently of the little mother who waited for his return. He
was most anxious that his father should know he had fallen in battle,
and that many men had felt his steel before he went down.
"'Me Samurai,' he added, simply; 'it is good that Samurai should die
in those fight.'
"Reynolds, unconscious and feverishly moaning, lay a few feet
distant, and Sammy asked that he be moved so that he might lie beside
his friend. Just beside his bed the moonlight showed a tiny desert
flower, a flower not born to blush unseen, but destined, thank God,
to brighten the dying hour of that home-hungry little Japanese. He
plucked the flower, and lifting it to his lips, he said, 'Many
flowers in my countree.' After this he lay very still, gazing
steadily up into the limitless, jewelled space, as if trying to
fathom the eternal mystery of life and death. It was nearly midnight
when I noticed that his hands were growing cold, and found that the
respiration was growing very laboured. The surgeon, after feeling
the pulse, beckoned me aside to whisper that the hour was come.
"As we bent over him, his eyes sought mine and he said, haltingly,
'Captaine and that doctor man are been verre good to Sammy.' Turning
his head, he noticed that the blanket had fallen away from his
comrade's shoulder; with great effort he reached out, and pulling the
blanket in place, patted the shoulder lovingly, and laid the desert
flower upon Reynolds' breast. 'Him my friend,' he whispered; 'him
Samurai, too; him 'Merican Samurai.' For a few minutes his pulse
fluttered intermittently, when I saw that his lips were moving, and
bending low, I caught the faintly murmured words, 'Nippon! Nippon!
Samurai!' Then the brave heart was still forever, and we knew that a
gallant soul had passed.
"So died a Samurai; giving his young life in defense of the helpless
ones of an alien people, a people who regarded him and his kind as
pagans. Surely, in the final muster, the Great Commander, making no
distinction as to race or creed, will reward soldiers such as he.
"It was a sad returning to the home camp. Reynolds, raving in
delirium, was conveyed slowly in the ambulance, and it was not until
after poor Sammy had been buried that he regained consciousness. A
fortnight later he emerged from the hospital, gaunt and haggard, with
deep lines on his brow from this last sorrow, for he had loved his
little comrade with all the strength of his great nature.
"The men came in a body to request that Sammy should be given a
soldier's funeral. The Colonel, who had arrived, and had heard how
the boy died, cried like a child as he told the men they should have
their wish.
"At sunset we laid him to rest, with full military honours. The
salute was fired; then, with tears coursing down his bronzed cheek,
the bugler stepped to the head of that lowly grave and sounded
taps--the soldier's 'good-night.' Sweetly and sadly those mournful
cadences floated out over the desert, Troop C's farewell to little
Sammy.
"Two days later a message came from Department Headquarters inquiring
if one Izo Yamato, a Japanese, was at Huachuca, and if so to extend
to him every courtesy, etc., etc., by order of the War Department. I
replied, briefly detailing the history of his death. I also wrote
the Japanese consul at San Francisco, telling him all.
"A month slipped by, when an ambulance and escort arrived from
Benson. Sammy's father, Count Yamato, a distinguished man of middle
age, had come to take the body home. Through an interpreter and
Reynolds he heard the story of Sammy's gallant fight and death. He
was much moved and, though his eyes were dim with unshed tears, he
gravely saluted the Colonel and myself, and declared himself content,
since his son had died as befitted a Samurai of his rank.
"Through the interpreter, we told him of the great friendship between
his son and Reynolds. It was after a long talk with the Count next
day that Reynolds sought the Colonel with a strange request. He
explained that, as his three years of service would expire within a
month, he desired the Colonel's influence with the Department in
securing his immediate discharge. The Count had offered formally to
adopt him as his son and, having no ties which bound him to his
native land, the Sergeant had accepted. Count Yamato seconded the
petition, stating that having lost his only son, his heart had gone
out to the gallant young American whom he now desired to make his
heir. It was easily arranged, and two days later they started west
with Sammy's remains.
"Within a week or two after I, too, was in San Francisco, ordered to
duty at the Presidio. As I crossed the ferry from Oakland, we ran
close under the stern of a great Pacific liner bound for the Orient.
On the after-deck stood a tall figure, and Sergeant Reynolds' voice
came to me across the waters, 'Good-bye and God bless you, Captain.'
The Count stood beside him, and I knew that below decks little
Sammy's body was going home to sleep beside his fathers. Into the
splendour of the sunset which lay beyond the Golden Gate, to the
far-off land of flowers, sailed the mighty ship bearing my two
Samurai, the living and the dead."
The Colonel paused in his story, and taking from his pocket a letter
postmarked Tokio, Japan, May 1, 1904, he read the following extract:
"'As a military man you are, of course, interested in the war. Here
in Japan we hear little of events at the front save the official
dispatches, with which you are already familiar. Yesterday, however,
I witnessed an event of more than passing interest. During the
recent desperate fighting between the Japanese torpedo flotilla and
the Russian battleships about Port Arthur, a lieutenant-commander of
the Japanese navy, in command of a destroyer, made a daring and
successful attack upon one of the enemy's vessels. He was killed in
the action, and his body brought home for interment. Never have I
seen so splendid a spectacle nor so impressive a service. In
attendance were the Emperor and the entire Imperial Court, as well as
the highest officers of the Army and Navy, all ablaze with gold lace
and jewelled decorations. The body rested upon a magnificent
catafalque of purple velvet, bearing the national arms and draped
with the battle-flags of his ship. It seems that the officer had
been a Samurai, a member of some noble family, and, in recognition of
his gallantry in action, a part of the ceremony was the conferring by
the Emperor on the dead man of the Order of the Golden Kite, thus
marking him as one of Japan's national heroes. After this ceremony
was ended, an old, white-haired noble, said to be the dead man's
father, took from an attendant a package, which proved to be a silken
American flag, with which he reverently covered the casket. Then the
crowd slowly filed out, leaving the dead hero alone under the folds
of Old Glory. It is said to have been an event unprecedented in the
history of Japan, but I could learn little concerning it. Those I
asked either didn't know, or wouldn't tell. Strange people, these
Japanese.'"
The Colonel folded up the letter and replaced it in his pocket. As
he rose to bid us good-night, he said:
"I have since learned that the daring commander who gave his life to
Japan, and whose body lay in the old temple, shrouded in the American
colours, was Sergeant Reynolds of old Troop C, one of my Two Samurai."