Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-26

ippines begins for the soldier at the
front.
First the tent leaks. Even the re-en-
forced tents of the veteran leaks, for no
canvas has yet been made that will
Withstand these driving rains. Water
hangs around the extra poncho which
wraps the dry clothes of the owner. The
tobacco must be put with the matches in
a tin box and the box wrapped with OIL
cloth. Generally what is known as a
Filipino bed is in the tent. and on this
bed the soldier sits, well up from the
ground, but under the steady leak of the
canvas roof. The recruit at first has
faith in his roof, which seems to with
stand the floods, the water pouring Off
into the shallow gutter at either sides.
He laughs at the WING as it pushes
against his canvas house and the walls
and roof tug like bellying sails at the
ropes. He watches the water race off
and is sleeful. smoking his pipe n call
ing in jolly tones to his neighbor across
the way. But the end comes to his joy.
A little stream Of water trickles down
beside him. and he discovers that his
tent roof leaks-is sagging down. in fact.
Then. if the recruit has not been taught
better. he takes his hand and pushes up
on the sagg1ng part, making with his
fingers a path for the water to the
caves. Then along that whole path the
water comes through i'm streams. The re-
cruit moves his bed and bumps his head
against the roof. Immediately there is
another leak. At last the tent is leaking
like a sieve. and the bitches around it's
walls are running over with water,
which comes in and silently steals under
the soldiers bunk and covers his foor
and creeps up the legs of his primitive
bed. He discovers his feet hanging in
the water and realizes that his shoes are
cno 1yircs ,-o% ..~l 4l-~A
through the roof has soaked his back. He
has no place to go, and the song and
CHEEKY words have long since stopped.
h cook. who knows what to expect,
for he is an old campaigner, drums away
on his dishpans and thereby
dinner. He has few guests. Those few
come in, splashing water with their bare
feet and with dripping ponchos and hats.
1t takes a very wet and disagreeable day
to get the cook out of h umor. The SOL
der who can face the elements for his
bacon. beans n coffee is greeted cheer
fully by the chef and draws an extra
portion as Il mark Of distinction. The
roaring fire is comfortable to look at,
though it splits and sputters at the rain
which falls upon it's blazing logs. So
the soldier eats, perched upon a box of
canned tomatoes, and cracks his jokes.
about the weather and the "rookies," as
the raw recruits are known.
There is a let-up in the rainfall at
shutdown and the sky becomes purple
and crimson and all the shades between.
The soldier comes forth like the robin
after the storm. and he is gleeful again,
though he is wet. The supper is eaten
with greater appetite than the monday
meal. At night the wind and the rain
come again and remain throughout the
dark hours. Perhaps the tent falls, for
the ground becomes soaked and loosens
the tent pegs. Then away goes the
affair. c%ollapsing in clammy des-
upon the head of t he unfortunate !
who would not take advice and
drive his tent pins farther into the
ground.
Whore the outpost stands the rain
falls and the water rises, but an eye
must be kept on the enemy's lines, !
it is wet or dry. In getting to
their posts the soldiers often go with
trousers rolled up to the hips. The out
post splashes out and the officer with it.
Sometimes the latter rides IN horseback
and again he walks.
The story is told of one captain who
asked the majors permission for his men
to go barefoot. The next morning the
appeared barefoot and bareleg-
ged, for his trousers We're rolled up to his
hips, a poncho and hat completing his at
tire. When the soldiers fell in to splash
thelr way to duty, every man wore the
regulation uniform shoes, leggings,
coat and hat. Some wanted to
at the queer appearance of the
captain and some did smile. But the eX-
peiience of that day told them that the
captains was the most comfortable style
of Dire. next day the men wore the
garb of the officer and set a style that
has been followed all over the camp.
When once in the fields of bamboo
thickets there is nothing to do but to
and wait, sometimes waist deep
in the Watef-tWo hours on and two
off for tWenty-four hours and twelve
hours in reserve. The reserve finds a
dry place. usually a nipa hut, and wraps !
itself up in comfort to wait and sleep i
till the hour comes for duty. Probably
the outpost has the hardest time of it.
lie must go out regardless of the wealth.
er or condition of the roads. At more
than one place in the region of the lake
the shelters are under water to thei.
caves and new shelter places have to be |
formed. generally nearer the enemy''s
line and closer to danger. 1t seems i'm
to carry on a campaign in this
kind of weather, and officers consider it
impracticable to move troops over the |
roads and across the fields in their pres
emit condition..