The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-29


As we had ZONE along We had met or passed
many men coming from or going to the
trenches. All carried rifles or cartridge belts
or boxes. There was no system or orRaniza-
ton about It. Apparently they came from the
front or went to It as they liked. and they
marched like the old woman's geese, two alone
and one togethers When a man In the trench
got tired or hungry he went home and slept or
ate. When he was rested or fed he went
back TO the trench. The whole country ia in
arms. Every native is an insurgent. and 80 are
all his relatives, particularly his sons. There
is no regular organization. but there are so
many lighting men that there are always
soldiers, enough in the trenches. When we
halted at the barricade where the big guns
were these men were marching by us both
ways. They saluted and went on, paying no
attentlonto what was going on there. and en-
tirely unconcerned about the Spanish shooting.
Somewhere ahead we knew there was q Span
fish trench, for the rifles were cracking all the
time. and occasionally wo heard the sing OF q
bullet over our heads. or . bamboo twig was
cut and fell down near us.
Now Noriel refused to go further or to let us
90. It was very dangerous, he said, and It
would never do to have one OF the Americans
get hurt. It might make trouble for AGuinaldo
with the American commanders. But the Fill
pinos were going In and coming out without
the least concern, and some OF us insisted that
we could 30 too. Besides, the risk was entirely
our own.a and there could not possibly be any
trouble II we got hurt through our W reck-
~lessness. At last the General said we might
go on on our own hook. buthe would not be re-
sponsible for the result. He himself would re-
main behind. Lieut. Col. Cables said he would
stay too. He looked very serious and shook
his head ominously. AT last FIVE OF us started.
We marched straight mp the road, and a couple Of
F~flipinos went along. too. About 700 yards in
front Of the barricade that stopped the guns
was another one. which completely blocked of
the view of the country beyond. To the left OF
this barricade the country was comparatively
open, and we could see q black line where the
insurgents breastwork ran down to the beach.
When we were half way between the two barri-
cades there was q roar OF rifles somewhere in
front and to the left. One OF the Filipinos
grinned. The Spaniards had fired q volley.
Half o minute later there was the whistle Of
bullets over our heads. and some twigs came
down from the tops OF the bRmboos along the
road. In q second or two came the report Of
another volley. We marched along pretty
lively. but before we reached the barricade
another volley was fred, harmless as the first
two.
Behind this barricade to which We now came
were fifteen or twenty Filipinos. As we came
up they scrambled out in line. and som one
said, Present arms" In frst-rate order and
with nice precision the command was executed,
but the appearance OF the soldiers was enough
to make q clown laugh. Some were tall and
some were short, some were Rray-headed
and some were boys not as long as the guns
they carried. Some wore white shirts and blue
trousers. some wore blue shirts and white
trousers. There were combinations Of white
and red. blue and red. brown. white. red.
blue and striped. Some wore straw hats.
some white caps, some black derby hats.
and some had no hats at all. The only
thing that all had was bare feet. Not q man
had boots except the officer who commanded
them to salute. and that was the only distin-
gushing feature of his uniform. The barri-
cade where they had been resting was COM
posed OF two thatched huts set in the road. with
a breastwork thrown up in front Of them.
Pieces of thin bamboo. interlaced to form a mat.
had been set up on edge. backed by bamboo
poles. They made Two parallel fences i've feet
high and about four feet apart clear across the
road. Between them dirt had been piled and
packed down. It settled arder with every rain
and made a ~irst-rate earthwork. Behind the
two houses thatohes had been put up. and I'M
der these the Flipinos sauatted on benches or
sat on their heels and ate roasted corn or |
chewed sugarcane.
At last we were at the front. Nearly the
nAiOL uuy hau Occu put III BoJLluB LueEe, anu IL
was far too late to think OF getting back to
Cavite that night. The Spaniards had tired of
volley firing and were taking a siesta or some
other kind OF a rest behind their trench. 1t
was thoroughly peaceful. From the barricade
a good-sized trench ran west a hundred yards
across an open field Of fairly high ground. The
trench was about three and a half feet wide.
and, as l have learned since. four feet deep;
but then there was 80 much water in it that it
was impossible to tell its depth. The dirt
had been thrown out in front OF the
trench. forming a very good breastwork.
at intervals pieces Of attap thatch were thrown
over the trench. one edge resting on the
and the other supported by short
stakes set up behind the trench. Wherever
the trench was thus rooted. stools, chairs and
benches were gathered for the comfort Of the
In one place a bed had been set up
under the roof. a good place for a tired man to
sleep. but in rather an awkward position for
use as a field hospital. A hundred yards
from the road the field was divided by a thick
row OF bamboos. Then there was another
field similar to the first with Just such
trench. The edge OF this second field
almost at the beach line. Bamboos were
thick there. TIL trench continued to the
edge. On the sandy beach old boats
had been filled with dirt and sand and piled up
to mako a formidable work. This was the most
place along the trench. for the beach
clear all the way to the Spanish work
about 200 yards away. and in plain sight OF the
men behind the insurgent work. As we stood
behind the barricade in the road wondering
when the row would begin again the Filipinos
we're walking up and down with absolute
behind their trench. spaniards
might shoot IL they pleased. these fellows
care. In front OF the trench about
Iorty yards ran a line of bamboos, very thick at
the west end. but thinned out a great deal
near the GAMMA. Why Eoriel did not dig his
at that line Of bamboos in the first place
there was no explanation. Why he did not ad-
vance 1t there any night was similarly unex-
planned. The bamboos afforded excellent cover
'or either side. and the only reason apparent
why the Spaniards did not crawl up to them in
he night and take the insurgents unawaresa at
is that the Spanish do not fight in that
unu Nathan Erannh nnMld haro nIood ona snaa