Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-21

| their proper column.
| The Start.
AT 7:3O o'clock the men were notified to
| be in ranks at g Exactly on time the COL
umn started. 1t had been raining most of
| the afternoon. The night was as dark as
night could be The rain came down as
though the heavens had opened it only
car in this country. All were as wet as
possible in about one minute. Ponchos were
as nothing to protect one against such a
doWnpour The regular road for long
stretches at time was covered with water,
ankle deep and in places knee deep. The
men could not see the holes familiar to those
Who have travelled in this country and
plunged and splashed into water and deep
mud Notwithstanding all these difficulties
splendid progress was made for the first
SIX or seven miles until we left the road
where We first encountered series of
flooded rice fields, through which the men
Waded IN water of almost any depth from
knee to waist, scrambling over embank-
nlents only to plunge into the ditch on the
other side or fall. in some instances going
entirely under. Then long stretches of wild
cane We're encountered, with deep mud
which. being partially packed by those who
ilad gone before was almost slippery as
ice for those who followed.
Getting into the foothills of the noun
tains another variety of difficulties was met
with. The ordinary small rivulets had be-
come mad torrents. Many Of these We're
say, about fifteen times, in water waist
deep. with current so strong that it was
with difficulty that the men could at times
maintain foothold. At other times the
underbrush was impenetrable. making 1t
necessary to follow the bed of a swollen
stream, sometimes in water waist deep,
then the next instant humping up against
n rock to be climbed over then a slide
down on the other side not knowing where
the end would be.
the jungle.
after entering the jungle the night was
as black as ink. The hand one foot from
the face could not be seen at times. The
rule was that each man should hold on to
the man in his front as constantly as pos
sible, and each man was required to keep
in communication with the man in his rear
by touch or voice, not speaking louder than
whisper. In this manner the men We're
with difficulty kept together Lieut.. Mes
bit marched al the head of the column and
Acting Assistant Surgeon William l.. Whit
tlngton at the rear. with Instructions to let
no man get behind him, when he was
at the end of the column it was known that
ell Wera present CommuniCa ton from the
head to the rear Of the column was had by
passing the word in a whisper and worked
very well after some practice.
At the Rrigands' STRONGHOLD
In this way. with an occasional halt to
close up the column. we marched until 3
we We're near the base of the mountain,
which it would be impossible to climb until
daylight. We therefore rested until 4
o'clock, day commencing to dawn at that
hptr The men in the meantime drank
their coffee and ate the bacon. The hard
bread, being saturated with water was in
about the same condition as before il was
baked, ana was Shiny mass Of dough AT
: CLOCK We commenced the ascent of the
mountain steep at first, and then getting
Md ,rrls /,
marching and was now climbing instead
root by foot the men pulled themselves up
.+pN% roots and small trees. Any
thing to hold onto or upon which the foot
could rest was taken advantage Of and
Htp>ihS III this way Tor ten or fifteen wards
al! would stop and rest. Not a word was
spoken. The men seemed to appreciate
mat the most trltting unfaVorabl incident
might cause all our hard work to go for
nothing, and it seemed almost incredible
mat 50 many men could climb a mountain
side 80 quietly. Slowly but surely going
up We came 10 within about twenty yards
~ the summit at about 6.15 o'clock / was
AT the mead of the column and Lieut. Mes
Pllt was with me, and after stopping for
Il lew minutes to get our wind. We started
accompanied by about four or five men. TO
recpnnViter ahead of us the guide indicat-
ing by a significant motion of the hand
tiidt the object Of our search was not Tar
distant.
Attack the Bandits
We ci!mDed to The top Of The hill and
locking cautiously over Were astGai,n4I 10
lind one Of their bIockhouse, and oIser-
Nai"h towers not over fifteen or tyy-n.v
yards away It had u commanding view
81 he valley and all the trails in that
vicinity, nut not Of the route We came.
some 81 the bandits were cooking breakfast
III perfect ignorance OF our presence We
instantly rushed upon them, and before
u-'Ne IN and around The house had realized
81 nat ma opened seven % The heal