The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-05

up from the edge OF the ditch that blew
dust from those ports. and woe to the
dark head that appeared above. The
colonel ran out onto the bridge and
across the timberless structure. Behind
him were his picked men. The miss
Ing span was on the enemy's side. but
the boys hoped along and came to the
end, only to see their colonel whip off
his riding boots and Jacket and slide
down 4 bamboo pole into the water.
He went clear out OF sight In that
plunge. but came up sputtcrlng, within
five feet OF the broken span. This
helped him along. and before tho Inst
man was down the pole Colonel Funs-
ton had his hands on n native canoe.
IN the men .clambercd. and with bullets,
ilylnS over them In both directions,
padded across.
Squad by squad the Kansans went
across under cover OF their reserve fire,
and when enough We're there to make n
company they went up the bank around
the edge and sent a tlankinE fide down
along the bamboo embankmcnt The
fi!lpinos fled towards General Hale, and
the Colorado boys and Colonel Funston
held the trench-the first man across
the river Of Quingua and the first man
Into the Filipino stronghold.
Where the reserve lay. as this Is writ
ten on the 25th day Of April. the ground
!! covered with empty shells, and Cap
tain Russell. OF the signal corps. has
his tent pitched where one firing squad
pumped lead He had to push the
shells to one side to make Il comfort
able place to spread his blanket. So It
Is In every depression along that front.
ana Wherever DIT OF protection offered
t,ta
Is n trail OF shells across that field of
growing corn.
The Flliplnos fled. and left bombprooc
retreats which did not show the mark
OF bullet. They fled before those
Kansas boys from trenches which n
civilized army never would have left,
mud would have held against mighty
force. But Fllipinos do not fight that
way. They nre building trail OF
Dreastworks far into the north, and re-
treat from one to the next as they
must.
After all was over, ard General Hale
and the Nebraska boys had plunged
through the river at the sight. and had
taken possession OF the rnfics OK Garth
works along that side the KANSAS COL
onel thought he might put on dry
clothes. So he slid down the Iron g,rder
OF the broken span, swung his boat
around as n ferry, and climbed IN TO
the bridge and Il crowd Of admirInr
friends. There waa no hand .clupplng
and no Misunderstanding Just then. i, is
true the colonel looked as though he
had been pulled out OF q watcry grave
somewhere. "a
Here's your boots nm orderly said
An, thank you. No use to put 'en
on, though. What need Is socks"
II have Il dry pair here for YOU"
Good boy. They must be yours"
There was no reply. Some one sug-
gcstcd dry clothes.
NO." was tie reply. "rhcy will
be dry In q little while now, and they
feel good"
Then this little man, who some pco-
pie VIII call n hero. sat down there in
the sun and took on the wet socks and
put on the dry oncs. and then pulled on
his boots with their brass spurs.
How did It feel going across there,
colonel" some one asked.
Kind o. ticklish like. / rcckon-eh.
boys?" addressing some more wet mem
bcrs of the party. who, by the way, hnd
no dry socks offered to them. "Thcy
are poor marksmcn Come TO think or
II. bullet might have knocked OF n
piece OF this iron bridge ard caused
damage. That would be accidental
shooting" And with this the colonel
gave the hand Of the chaplain n hearty
shake. and walked on to Join his reri
ment. which had been dcploycd In n
long line to the left.
The incident seemed to be forgotten.
II was not ~ much commented on M
n goal from field or n hard dash and n
touchdown In n Thanksgiving day foot
bnll game. But history has yet to be
written.