Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-07-06
THE VOLUNTEER.
A Sketch OF the Cuban War.

force of furnace heat upon the unshel
tered spot in front of Santiago, wher
lay grievously wounded America
soldier boy. The wide, tortured eye
of the youth stared fearfully upward T.
the glazing zenith, past the foul bird
watching his suiferings with calculat
ing vision and waiting for their human
feast which seemed sure to come. III
thought with sickening brain OF hi
northern home-the green hills, The
running streams, the dear mother
Tears welled up into his aching orbs
and the hot drops crept down biz
cheeks. He did not try to wipe then
away. He could not. A Mauser bullet
had struck him in the thigh, another
in the right arm and another in the
left. He was helpless. But what mat
ter! The dead could not see, and the
mother would probably never know
how he had nobly fought even to the
gates OF death. At his feet lay the
dead body of Cuban, black and burly,
slain by tn, bullet of Spanish sharp
shooter For these Cubans he was dy-
ing, for them he had come to help free
the island from the tyranny of Spanish
rule.
Then he recalled the events of that
day at San Juan hill. The American
troops had been on their feet since day
break. There was scapty breakfast,
and rs the men ate it there were indi-
cations of the coming clash of arms.
The files on the march to the firing
line were closed up. Every sense was
alive. The bugle sounded, aud then
came the order TO advance. The tenn
pest of musketry and shrapnel through
which they moved forward drove like a
storm of steel into the faces of the men,
but nothing could resist the imperious
advance, and the first line of the enemy
was swept away.
The battle grew. Here aud there a
soldier went down, but the column
stood firm. The officers marched close
by the men. Sometimes through the
smoke they caught glimpse of the
colonel leading on in front
The din increased. The earth seemed
reeling underfoot. Shells burst with
horrid shrek and flung out quick
death. Still the men pushed on. An
officer picked up the gun of manlwho
had fallen and spoke IA CHEEKY word.
The Spanish artillery and the far
reaching Mausers swept within GER
tain. limit every inch of ground, but
with firm and rapid step that unflinch-
ing column moved forward.
Louder grew the tumult, and thicker
came the angry messengers. A sharp
cry of pain, and one of the men is help
ed to the rear. The bullets came hotter
and faster from the Spanish in the
trenches and from the blockhouses.
More comrades stretched out quietly
with the death mark on their faces.
There. was no time for words -onlys
mad swelling of the heart and throb-
bling of the brain. A deadly thirst for
blood dried up all other feeling Us an
other man was lifted back.
Suddenly a cool voice they had heard
before rang out an order: "Come on,
boys! Charged And the thin line
rushed through the smoke and ad-
vanced up the hill. With cheer they
answered the fiery blast that swept into
their faces with sudden fury. The air
seemed instinct with leaden life, and
volley after volley pealed forth from
the deadly rifles
For one awful moment the men fall
tered! Groans of agony and hoarse
commands mingled, and all around
American soldiers lay down to die
But the check was only momentary,
and on into the jaws of death the col
umn went. Every man leaned forward
as though breathing heavy wind
From right, left and front they felt the
pounding of the enemy's guns, and
shrapnel swept through the ranks like
hail.
On the summit of the hill the block
house swarmed with the foe, dimly
seen through putting lines of smoke
from our guns The Spanish were in
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in the open. But
never mind! Forward And soon the
foreign foe was driven back and the
stronghold captured.
Half way down the slope, as the vic
tors pursued the flying enemy, a with
ering blast of Mauser bullets swept
across the open ground, and the boy
who now lay dying in the open space
in the tall grass fell forward with ball
in his thigh. a comrade ran to his as
sistance, and he made his way painful
ly to the rear, but as he passed along
another Spanish bullet struck him in
the right arm, and presently he was
wounded in the left. Then his day of
battle was DONE and the black hours of
Inconsistencies followed.