Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-07-22


the showering bullets, solemnly and in.
tently wigwagging to the distant Dol
phini 1t was necessary that this man
should stand at the very top of the ridge
in order that his flag might appear in
relief against the sky, and the Span.
iards must have concentrated fire Of
at least 20 rifles upon him. His society
was Mt that moment sought by none
We gave him wide berth. Presently
into the din came the boom Of the Dol
phin's guns.
The whole thing was an internal din.
One wanted to clap ones hands to ones
ears and cry out in Gods name for the
noise to cease; it was past bearing. And
-look-there fell a Cuban, a great
hulking negro, shot just beneath the
heart, the blood staining his soiled
shirt. He seemed in no pain; it seemed
as if he weA senseless before he fell.
He made no cutlery; he simply toppled
over, while comrade made q semi
futile grab ut him. Instantly one Gu
ban loaded the body upon the back Of
another and then took up the dying
mans feet. The procession that moved
off resembled a grotesque wheelbarrow.
No one needed it much. A marine re-
marked, "Well, there goes one of the
Cubans.
Under bush lay ID company pri-
vate shot through the ankle. Two COM
rades were ministering to him. He, too,
did not seem then in pain. His express
sion was of n man weary, weary, weary.
Marines, drunk from the heat and the
fumes of the powder, swung heavily
with blazing faces out of the firing line
and dropped painting two or three PAGES
to the rear. And still crashed the Lees
and the Mausers, punctuated by the
roar of the Dolphin's guns, Along our
line the rife locks were clicking inces-
sanity, as il some giant loom was run
ming wildly, and on the ground among
the stones and weeds came dropping
dropping rain of rolling brass shells.
This terrific exchange Of fire lasted a
year, or probably it was 90 minutes.
Then n strange thing happened. Lieu
tenant Magill had been sent out with
40 men from camp to re-enforce us. He
n position there, covering us. The Dol
phin swung a little farther on and
then suddenly turned loose with a fire
that went clean over the Spaniards and
straight as die for Magill's position.
Magill was immensely anxious to move
out and intercept u possible Spanish re-
treat, but the Dolphin's guns not only
hn1 IN, lrf lie ~,
hunt cover with great celebrity. 1t was
no extraordinary blunder on the part Of
the Dolphin. 1t was improbable that the
ships commander should know Of the
presence Of Magill's force, and he did
know from our line Of fire that the enc
my was in the valley. But ut any rate
in the heat and rage of this tight little
fight there was good deal of strong
language used on tho hill.
Suddenly some one shouted: "There
they go! See EN-! See 'em" Forty
rifles rang out Anumber of figures had
been seen to break from the other side
of the thicket. The Spaniards were run
ming.
The Cubops, who cannot hit even the
wide, wide world, lapsed into temporary
peace, and line of a score of marines
was formed into firing squad. Some
times we could see whole coyey vanish
miraculously after the volley. 1t was
impossible to tell whether they were all
hit or whether all or part had plunged
headloDg for cover. Everybody on our
side stood up. 1t was vastly exciting.
"There they go! See 'em! See EN-"
Dr. Gibbs, Sergeant Major Goode,
shot at night by a hidden enemy; Dun
ply and McColgan, the two lads am
pushed and riddled with bullets at ten
yards; Sergeant Smith, whose body had
to be left temporarily with the enemy
all these men were being terrifically
avenged. The marines, raw men who
had been harassed and harassed day and
night since the first foot struck Cuba
the marines had come out in broad day,
met superior force and in 20 minutes
had them panic stricken and on the gal
lop. The Spanish commander had had
plenty of time to take any position that
pleased him, for as we marched out we
had heard his scouts heralding our ap
proach with their wood dove cooling
from hilltop to hilltop. He had chosen
the thicket. In 20 minutes the thicket
was too hot for his men.
AT last it was over. The dripping ma.
rines looked with despair at their empty
canteens. The wounded We're carried
! down to the beach on the rifles Of their
comrades. The heaven born Dolphin
sent many casks of water ashore. A
squad destroyed the Spanish well and
burned the commanders house. The
heavy tiles rang down from the caving
roof like the sound of new volley.
The Cubans to the number of 20 chased
on for mile after the Spaniards. A
party went out to count the Spanish
dead. The daylight began to soften.
Save for the low murmur of the men a
peace fell upon all the brown wilder
! nnpo 10 hills