The Penn's Grove record., 1896-10-16

The troop numbered twenty men all
told, drawn from every one Of the An
gio-Saxon races of the planet. There
wers Americans, Englishmen, Cana
dams, Australians, and South Afri-
cans, and they had come from the ends
Of the earth to take part in such a row
as promised to follow when Cuba Lib
"a set up her flag against that Of Spain.
Their leader was a virginian, there
was not q Cuban or a Spaniard In the
company, and the name of Skaters
Troop was a name Of terror to the
government forces from Pinar del Rio
TO Sagua la Grande.
To see them thus encamped no one
would have supposed that they were
engaged In one Of the most daring raids
that had been adventured since the
war opened in '95. The oficers-there
were but two-sat democratically on
the ground among their men; there was
q tinkling OF banjos, and a mingled
sound of confused talking and of jovial,
tree-handed profanity. The shadows
Of the men doomed big on the back
ground Of tropical vegetation, where
this red fire light flashed ftfully from
time to time, and now the form Of a
tethered horse, and nov the figure of a
sentry leaning against a smooth coated
palm.
1t was NO small affair that these men
we're engaged in--nothing less, in fact,
than a raid on the "trocha" itself. 1t
10 not the policy Of the Cuban leaders
to risk a pitched battle, g to arouse
the enthusiasm of the men. and at the
same time keep the enemy on the alert,
such expeditions are undertaken from
time to time.
They have encamped some fifty miles
from the Spanish lines and the attack
wal fixed for the next night. A dash
across the country, a stealthy advance
on the fertilization, another dash, sa-
bre and revolver, and a triumphal re-
treat-this Was the program that sla
tsr's Horse proposed to itself.
Next morning they rode up and down
the rolling hills In the early dawn for
two hours, and then rested for the
heat Of the day in q cool and very Sc.
Guided grove, where they would be
screened from any wandering gueril'
las. Late at night they saddled again
and rode cautiously forward till they
were not more than forty rods from
the trocha itself. They could see the
watchires on the further side Of the
great redoubt, shining between the
strands Of the barbed wire fencs
stretched along the brink.
Between them and the trocha lay a
dangerous obstacle, an ingenious de-
Tense, composed of a number Of wires
Ora wn six Inches apart and a foot above
the ground. This formed a network
over which 1t was impossible to ride
and as Its width was uncertain, wa
dangerous to leap. Slater knew of tlA
impeachment, however, and had made
his plans accordingly. Half q dozen
then dismounted In silence, and taking
each q pair of nippers from his saddle
bags, crept forward into the darkness,
Ths rest of the troop sat silently on
horseback hardening to the sounds and
voices from the Spanish camp. and to
the occasional clicking noise right
ahead where their comrades were cut
ting the hostile wires.
In the course of half an hour the
men came back, and In whispers re
ported the way clear, The wires had
been u and dragged aside, so as to
Leave q road of sufficient width for the
passage Of the troop, wen In the hur
risd retreat which must follow. The
whole party than dismounted and led
the horses stealthily forward, till al
most at the very brink OF the trocha
The Spaniards on the other side werl
clearly visible, while they themselves
were hidden In deep shadows, and ths
rest scrambled into the ditch and W
che other side.
% quietly was all this done that the
whole performance passed unobservet
till Slater sprang upon the parapet anG
began slashing at the wires with hii
u,achete. Then there was a shou'
and shot from the nearest Spaniard
followed by a miscellaneous rattle o.
rides along the lines. The troops
swarmed out, and saw a string of mel
hacking furiously at the wires witt
n hand and plying a revolver will
the other. In the dim freight theii
numbers could not be ascertained.
At this amazing spectacle the soldier
ared a volley-that Is, discharged thei
rides In the general direction of thu
foe. When the smoke blew of, thi!
operation seemed to have produced n,
effect on the invaders, who had nov
cut and torn the strands apart an,
were actually within the Enclosure
They bore down In the line on the Span
the other. No soldier-marksmen wer,
they, but men whose lives had oftel
and often hung upon a pistol shot, ant
now their enemies felt the effect. Il
ten seconds thirty Of the gray uniform
were writhing on the sod, and the re
mainder beheld the machetes flashing
In their faces. The Castillians are no
without a proverb that teaches that dis
erection Is the better part of vafor; the,
drew back. Their shots seemed h
have no effect on these madmen, who's
pistols emitted a continuous stream o
IRE. The withdrawal became retrea
the retreat a panic. They crowded to
gether and ran for me tents-a hun
dred men routed by seventeen. Slate
did not pursue them further, The lon
FOIL was sounding up and down tn
lines, and the firing would bring dow
g dozen regiments in ave minutes. II
had done all that was necessary, haI
cut up the enemy's lines with a SINAI
quarter of a company, and withou
loss. so that It was time to retreat a
swiftly as he had made the attack.
A torch was thrust into the neares
cluster Of tents, the Maxim guns With
reach were tumbled into the aitoh, an
the ptis ban% Hsas hAaA - te@ ~