Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-08

it tings by much as a victim would
at the words of a death warrant. My al
most irresistible impulse was to get up
and run from the entrenchment, but by
sheer mechanical effort 1 soldered myself
to the mud. l gave up hope of getting out
alive. 1 ceased to think Of anything but
the condition of the lock of my gun. MY
had been rendered, my books
We're closed, and l calmly awaited the de-
cision-of the Mauser bullet.
1 had heard that a Mauser bullet so
pierces a man that often he does not
know he is hit. AS before, l had a dozen
predicament came. Am 1 wounded
or am l not? Am / alive or am l dead?
And is this the after life? 1t seemed
feasible; for people who know all about
such things say we still pursue our old
vacations in the future life.
A man who was previously unreligious
remained SO throughout. l did not meet
with a single case of conversion If a
man was humorous he remained always
so. One man, laughing away as he fired
his gun, would pick up pieces of mud
and slyly throw them at his captain. who
crouched cold-footed in a corner. I no.
tlced, also, that the toughest man, the
man with the guard house record, ex-
celled any other man in battle. I noticed
no changes in mems natures during or
before a battle.
AS the days went by 7 found my ideas
radically changing concerning the origin
and functions of war. When I enlisted
I was honest in my belief that had
Joined a crusade, not a piratical expedi-
ton. l felt | was on the wrong course.
TO be so subordinated and to sacrifice my
life for the sake of what seemed some
trade interests greatly eXasperated me.
L knew l was to die the neXt day: no
doubt of it. The Spaniards had refused
to give up their city, and, consequently,
we all expected a two days battle. Cali
fornia was to be placed in the van. so
why shouldn't I be killed? Then deep re-
morse and disappointment came upon
me. Seeing the collapse Of my castles 1
~undervalued life and scoffed at the idea
of saving it. l., too, came to believe in
the words which had become a dictum
among the soldiers, You might as we'll
die now as at any other time.'
After mess hat night we ran down to
the beach and prepared for our nightly
swim. The mountain peaks around Cor
regidor shone out boldly in the sunset,
and the beautiful tropical sky was deco
rated in the %softest, yet the richest, col
ors. The rays of the new moon zig
gagged through the waters. Here a
group of men were yelling in ecstacy and
rushing INTO the surf. Here were some
sitting down on the sand with their ell
bows on their knees and their heads be
tween their hands. others were walking
alone down the beach getting a nearer
view of the city they must take by force
tomorrow. This is my last night to
live. How beautiful for a last ONE"
Beauty calms one. 1t made me feel holder.
1t made me upbraid myself for caring
for trivial life. MY last night to live"
thought |, and with q defiant yell l
jumped into the sea and swan out, out,
five times further han I dared ordinarily
go. My last night to live" / kept re-
peating. and ] rolled and swan and
dived around, strongly imagining my
self no longer a human being. but some
thing born of the sea. Morning came,
but the exhiliration of the night before
had left me. Deep disappointment over
my expected death again came on. Dis
appointment shook me, not fear of death
or contemplation of pain-which came
but once, n that was at the sight of a
dying pony.
The task of taking the city proved to
be easy. 1 began to think I was destined
to live. Our march through Malate was
almost unimpeded. I surveyed myself
with surprise, for was I not scheduled to
be dead before this time? N ow I should
try to live. Once I almost gave up, for
the heat was unbearable and my baggage
heavy. I shuddered at the idea of being
overcome for no one would have time to
pick me up: besides stray Spaniards
might finish me. That settled ii. I cOuld
walk as far as the mouth of the river, at
least. That we forded, and I revived
myself by taking a plunge, giving my
gun to a comrade.
The joy that follows distress must needs
be exuberant as the distress must be
great While we We're marching down
Malate's streets l suddenly realized that
the unapproachable, impenetrable walls
of Manila were yet before us, and that
thousands of Spaniards with their deadly
Mausers lurked behind them.
What fool undertaking are our Off
GERS entering upon now" I muttered, as
they led us toWard the great parade
ground that could be raked by the Span
ish fire. T lost faith and hope. I felt
called Upon to take charge of affairs my
self, but it was too late, so, dog-like, I
followed them out upon the plain. But
what was that | saw? White flags hang
ing limp from a dozen poles, and thous-
ands of Spaniards at ease by their guns.
And the conquered, what shall we say
of him. For aught else we could discern
they sat perched up IN their walls with
mute establishment. Right here it must