The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-30


over the line Of lntrenchments. Accu-
racy OF range and rapidlty of fire made
short work of the artlllery's prellmln-
airy assault, and then came the real
work Of the day for the mud splashed
boys of the line. u a storm of metal
from the enemy's trenches. which even
the artIllery's splendid execution could
not abate. these fellows advanced.
platoon at a time with a will and
steadlness which seemed wonderful,
These natives loop hole their trenches
with railroad Iron. so that even the best
placed shells fail to make an impress
sion, but no defense was ever construct
ed in the Philippines which has with
stood a spirited infantry assault.
Before the final charge was ordered
the enemy was deflorallzed. and at the
last plunge every man able to run was
In fun retreat. Destroying what We
could of the enemy's shelter and NUM-
lions of war, the entire American d.
vision moved by the flank to the center
OF the fan where the railroad leads
from San Fernando to the north. In
stead Of. resting, the tired warriors
moved forward along the tIeless and
railless roadbed. this time in loose sand
to their ankles. When the rear guard
Of Agulnaldo's main army was over
taken, the column was again deployed
as skirmlshers, the line reaching for a
mile to both right and left of the track,
Then came a steady advance--an adj
vance which seems Ike horrible night
mare now that 1t is a thing of the
past, but one which: showed the metal
Of this tattered army of the Philip
pines. g
Always Forward.
Without a wink of sleep the night
before, and having been on the march
for eight hours and under fire for six.
these fellows plowed on, silently. dog
gedlv but always forward. The rice
swamps were terrible, but the endless
| cane fields were worse. Higher than
western corn this cane grows, but un-
like the former II is neither plant
ed in rows nor cultivated during this
season. :. wilderness OF damp, heavy
cane stalks confronts you and to so
through It ygu lower your head and
simply butt Il passage. Black mud is
/ underfoot, too-mud TO your shoctops
ut every step and water covering II TO
your knees. NOta breath of air stirs
| in the cane and perspiration fairly
blinds you. Native ponies have to be
| abandoned, artillery oorses reel and
fall; even the eaBy-going water buffalo
Of the wagon train can't be urged for
ward another step but the fellow with
the rifle goes on. It's dlscouraginS work,
too. this advancing during the rainy
season. The brown fellows ahead OF
you stay In one place only long enough
/ to fire q vOlley and then change posi-
lions so rapidly that 1t Is almost use
| less to return the fire even II the cane
permits you to catch glimpse Of them.
| A wide stream OF water to ford or
swim Is welcomed. II takes you out
OF the wilderness for few minutes and
| 1t gives fellow chance to dlspel the
black spots before his eyes by bathing
his temples. Up the slippery bank the
wavering line goes ana into a mile of
! rice paddy beyond. How scaldlng hot
| the surface water seems after your
| Splash In the creek! Yet men drink 1t
and go on. More black spots swim be-
fore yOu.and you Eoncfude' that you can
never reach the fringe OF bamboo In the
distance. But 1t is either keep up or die
| In. the scalding water Until the over
worked hospital corps reaches you so
| you choose the lesser evil and plow on.
| At . o'clock In the afternoon. twelve
hours after you have tasted anything
! to eat. the bugle sounds halt"
Ia a., coll NFft1t IN
! fall out" You simply, splash down In
! the nearest rice ridge and try to get
! rid OF those annoying black spots. Then
/ some practical neighbOr reminds you
| that you are carrying can OF saimOn
| in which he has Joint Interest, Reach
! ing for It you discover that you have
carried q haversack half full of winter
| for the last four hours, and that your
hard tack has swelled TO the size Of a
small loaf OF bread,
| The brown fellow up ahead has stop
I ped for dinner. too; but he doesn't seem
| TO care about eating as much as hr
should a big reloaded Remington
slug wasn't on the menu of squad
near me, but 1t was added, neverthe-
| less. II anybody could hurl mon
| key wrech with Incredible velocity II
wouldn't make any more noise than
| one Of these nearly spent pieces OF
/ metal. The hlghkeyed Mausers swish
| past like stroke OF Invisible lightning.
| but these cnpper-coated "Rems' seem
awkward In their flight and sound Ike
musical tops OF coarse make. a Pitts
burgher in this peaceful squad had par
/ taken of the first course OF hard tack
and was waiting patiently for his turn
at the salmon can when one OF these
4 things came along. No one noticed II
I in particular until It stopped suddenly
and the patient PlttsburgEer went
down with a splash. Everybody knew
/ that he wasn't seriously hurt from the
sound the Remington made, for all OF
US have been under fire enough TO know
that the business bullet is silent affair
and the spent one, like barking dog,
makes more noise than II does dam
age.
The Pittsbnrghcr.
Reaching for his can OF salmon. the
Pittsburgher arose. The neavy havcr-
sack strap at his shoulder had prevent
ed the bullet from doing more than
making nasty bruiSe, but like every
one else who has stopped one" his de-
scriptiOn OF being hit seemed the sen
satlOn of having been struck by the
Hat side OF n good-siLed board welded
by some unusual power, With hunger
partly satisfied, the desire to sleep
seems uverpowerIng Men roll over In
the wet grass fast asleep with perhaps
meuthful of hard tack stu uRdisposeA
or Nobody seems to have energy
enough left to even hunt a shady SPOT.
The bugle call an hour later seems like
dream. but the fellow who has rolled
over next you splaghcs mud In your
face and explains that Il Is a terrible
reality II you only lu,d your own feet
back agnin Is the tirstl thouEht--sure1y
someone has exchanged with you and
cheated you In the bargain. a cane
field lust nhend reC1llS the earlier