The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-20

men from their position among the bells
can look down on the plaza of this
little town wherein lazy carabaos lie
putting, or tired mules, released from
the heavy escort wagons, seek sandy
spots in which to roll in half-hearted
manner.
/ But General Wheeler requires vigi-
lance and there must needs be no un-
usual excitement among the beasts or
men below to keep the gaze of the look
out turned for long away from the
roads that drag their black length from
village to barrio (suburb) over the wide
plain in our front.
Immediately upon reaching this place
the General received visits from the
head men of the village, with whom he
had what might easily have been
termed by both sides an interview The
spokesman for the visitors was the
owner of the house that We We're to
occupy; he and his family having kind
ly moved out by request.
Associated with the proprietor was
his brother, native priest, in a long
frock, or robe, of black cloth; his thick
lips and uneven teeth, dyed horrid
red with the juice of the betel nut His
little cap of gaudy East Indian work
seemed ill at ease so near the priestly
robe.
With many low bows and murmur-
ings of "Buenos dias; ell Senior Gen
era1!" to which our chief replied in his
affable, though necessarily limited
way, 'Buenos dias!" the conversation,
through interpreters, began.
Would the General be in Santa Rita
many days? Perhaps not, of course, as
ell Senior General would undoubtedly
soon move on Porac and drive the in
surrectos from out that place.
But the willy priest. already strongly
suspected of being of insurgent tenden-
cies, succeeded only in confirming sus-
picions as to his loyalty.
JOE WIDE-AWAKE.
General Joe" was not caught nap
ping by the shrewd questions, and our
visitors departed very shortly; the host
to return again and again to venture to
hope, ETC., that we would not, when we
should shortly move, take this or that
fixture or movable SO willingly placed
at the disposal of the most illustrious
Ell Senior waller"
Three days after his arrival at Santa
Rita, General Wheeler had his first
view of war as practiced by the Fill
pinos-not a lasting or we'll defined
view, for it was but an affair of out
posts, and, it being made at in the
morning, but little more than a glimpse
was possible; but the warrior flame in
the slight figure at our head as we
galloped in the thick darkness to the
outposts burned as fercely as it did
when opposing General Garrard at
Snapfnger Creek in Georgia or the
Spanish at Las Guasimas thirty years
afterward
1t was fight with him from the first
sound of shots. How time dragged it's
slow steps while waiting for daylight
to come; then, a brief telegram to the
division commander announcing his in
tention to move, and wheeler was
gone again.
Luck was. however, with the insur-
gents. Luck and timidity combined, for
as the sun came up over the tall bam-
boos we saw only the tracks of the
barefooted men who had retired as 81
lently as they had come.
For few miles we followed the
General being for a greater part Of the
time Squarely in the midst of the
point and seldom farther to the rear
than the support of the advanced
guard.
When he returned to his quarters he
been struck in the arm by Remington
To- \
boo hut during the interchange of shots
between our men and the enemy. He
could not go in too quickly to see the
suffering woman.
Taking his interpreter and surgeon,
he made it clear to all that nothing but
regret for such a result was held by any
American And, though his mind was
busy revolving a plan to catch Mas
cardo, should he again come near us.
he ordered that the woman be taken to
the hospital and be given every care.
AT THE HOSPITAL.
Later he visited the hospital and
watched by her side while the surgeons
dressed the shattered arm And 1t was
characteristic that still later he should
order that rations be furnished the
woman and her baby, even though reg
ulations practically prohibit such ac-
ton, saying, in reply to a protest made
by one Of his staff against the need of
such issue, since the woman had hus-
band:
Never mind what the regulations
say. If the account is disallowed I'll
pay it, The family must have food"
We recently secured some bits Of in
formation concerning the pay Of the in
surgents, interesting especially to
Americans, who always want to know
What did It cost?' Privates receive