The times., 1898-11-20
A PORTO RICAN INCIDENT.
A Skirmish Line Messengers Griev.
GUS Mistake

1t is hotter than the sand dunes OF
hades, said the litter volunteer TO his
big comrade as he lay beneath a mango
tree munching that forbidden fruit AMI
SO 1t was, for they were in Porto Rico.
marching to capture its capital. says ths
New York Sun. The day was p,rfeet
save for the heat. For two days it had
not rained, and the sun was pou. ing from
a sky as blue as the Caribbean Sea. ex-
cept to the northward among the noun
tains. where a belt OF heavy clouds en-
braced the green peaks. The military
road wound along through the lowIands.
smooth and white. but dusty. from tie
crunching of the army wagons wheels.
which were grinding its macadamize
surface into the finest powder. Along its
sides stretched the tents OF Ernst's +
gade OF Wilson's division. the vanguard
OF the invading army. Teey were scat
tered over three or four miles. the Six
teenth Pennsylvania at the front and the
Second and Third Wisconsin supporting
them.
Juana Diaz had been passed without
| the firing of a shot and Coamo was the
next objective point. Here the Spaniards
were said to have massed their forces for
resistance. but none knew certainly of
| their intentions. They had been falling
\ back and falling back, always unheard
and unseen, so that up to this time the
citizen soldier had not smelled powder
nor felt that flush of fear that comes to
! every man. be he hero or coward. when
| the bullets of the enemy begin for the
| first time to chant a hymn Of death
above his head. The Americans had been
| going very leisurely, for there was no need
| of haste. They were bidinS their time
and preparing properly for every con-
| tingency. The comma ander-in-chief was
bent on avoiding errors that brought to
/ death many men in the siege Of Santiago.
| So this fine hot morning the army was
| not moving, but was watching. Who
| knew but that the tricky Spaniards
I might come swOoping down that road in
! force and become the pursuers instead of
! the pursued! Watchfulness was essential
and far up the road, at least two miles
I beyond the main line, was a company OF
! the Sixteenth Pennsylvania doing out
| post duty. A skirmish line was out be-
| yond, spread through the fields and the
woods, anxioGsly peering about for signs
/ of the foe The greater part of the COM
pany was stationed on a little rise in the
road commanding good long sweep
down which the Spaniards must come IL
I they attacked in front There they lay
beneath the mango trees, with rifles
ready. telling weird tales of Spanish
| cruelty, discussing the possibility of i
! battle, and making uncomplimentary re-
marks concerning the weather
Yes. said the big volunteer in reply
| to the man by his side who~aad made the
comparison between the heat of hades
and .f EE.Ff
| liable to be hotter than this II these Sptn-
iards ever make stand
| His companion made no reply. because
| ne heard the honfs of a horse as they
! came pounding down the road from the
/ direction Of CoamO. He got up OF his
! knees and saw in the distance an Ameri-
/ can soldier squirting and whipping a na-
! tive pony as though Captain General
| AiaciIs himself were after him with the
| whole Spanish army at his heels As the
| furious rider came abreast OF the captain
commanding the company. he sprans
painting from mis- horse and stood at sa-
| iute- His face was purple with the heat.
| sweat was bursting from every pore in
| his body He looked both hot and scared.
for his eyes told as plainly as words that
something terrible was happening up the
road
Captain" he exclaimed. as soor as ne
coming. They are driving in cur pickets.
There are 200 in advance and a whole
battalion following
| The captain acted Immediately on this
| rather alarming information He pushed
| MS men forward half a mile on the dou-
oIe-qulck, securing a more advantageous
! position. and sent back word to the Colo
! nei OF his regiment that ne needed sup
| port Then he waited grimly for mis-
! pickets to come in, ready and willing To
| 90 his share Of the lighting right there.
1 told you. Bill. il 'u'd be hotter
| said the big volunteer with more or less
| satisfaction The other man only erunted.
Ihey were both very much interested and
| probably triie scared but 1t was the
klnd oil scare that makes men fight right
| Where they are until orders come for
| them TO go forward or to retire The
| company waited and waited with their
| nands on their rifles and their ewes
| strained ahead, but no hot, painting pick
| cts came tro0ping back. Instead came
| three native muchachas (silI-J aughin.
| merrily and eyeins coquettishly the SOL
dados Americanos. This didn't lsok like
war IN the least, unless Cupid was the
| assaultins commander, and the impa tient
pennsylvania captain advanced with sew
| eral men to make a personal reconnois-
| ance. In short time he came uDou his
| pickets- They appeared most unconcernei
Tor men who Were being attacked by 200
Spaniards forming the advance of a whole
| regiment
They had their eyes open. but it was
very apparent that they hadn't seen any
| Spaniards. The captain demanded to
know what the trouble was Why had
they sent back this melcdramatic courier
with his tale OF an attack? and in answer
they gave hint most beautiful fllustra-
tion of the ordinary war r,mor. One of
| the pickets had met a native who told
nm that he had seen several Spanish
soldiers in the woods several hours be-
lore and 1t was therefore surmlsed that
there might be others somewhere about.
| so it was deemed best TO notify the or
| tain of the company of the information
thus gained. The natives horse was bor-
rowed for the purpose, and the Young SOL
dier selected to carry the news was in
structed to say that Spanirds were re-
ported TO be in the neighborhood. This
was enough for him
Perhaps he was really frirhtened- nor
haps the rush and the roar of mis- horses
hoofs stimulated his imagination; per
haps the memory of the hero of the wa
drama who dashes onto the srage uant NJ
and dust-covered came tac. TO Linn as h
rode through the enemy's country and
| lifted him from the realm of prosaic
truth to the realm of romantic fetiou
Whatever 1t may have been which catIs al
his deviation from the truth. it rot only
shocked and angered his captain but il
sent more or less Of a shiver ali down the
line. When word of the alleged attack
reached the Sixteenth Pennsylvania reyi-
mental headquarters a battalion was Sc Il
ord to .grN 10