The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-12-14

y
once did for yours. He is good lad, but he
needs friend now as he never did before. "
And this was the reason why, after the
transport had cleared Honolulu and was
or the last tack for Manila, that John Sloan
found himself detached from his company
and Oh duty in the officers quarters, where,
much TO his surprise, a certain captain
often spoke kindly to him and gave him en-
enlargement
Il have watched you enough, Sloan, to
know that YOU are MORALLY afraid of what
we are going into. You are bundle OF nom
sensieal nerves; but whatever Is gong TO
happen when we are on shore, remember
this, Sloan, don't run.
Men pray even in these hard days, and
John Sloan prayed that night for strength,
prayed as only man can who knows that
he is a coward. yet is determined to fight to
the end. In the morning, while looking over
his kit, he came across North Western
railroad folder, which was the only one re,
naming of several he had provided himself
with when starting from home, and some
how it gave him cheer and comfort TO read
the old familiar names in the states, and to
know that back there many were thinking
and living for him.
The landing was rough. Their transport
had passed up the harbor by the Olympia,
the Raleigh, the Boston, flags flying, bands
playing, and the great admiral on his Drlage
bowling and raising his hat as the troops
cheered, which had come to his and Even
Sloan forgot his fidgets, and waved hls cap
high in the air, and yelled:
"Hurrah, Dewey"
Manila was still in the hands of the Span
ish. Aguinaldo was seeking to secure recog-
milton from the United States, and at the
same time to capture Manila and loot the
city. Dewey was holding the insurgents
in check and preparing to take the city. Inc
Tenth Pennsylvania was landed at Cavlte,
and then marched to the trenches at Malate
in front of the Spanish outposts. Active
service was commenced at once. Inc nrst
duty that came to Sloan after the regiment
was in the trenches was that OF picket HIS
post was on the edge of thicket, scarce a
mile from the Spanish line. The tropical
rains had commenced, and the fever
was already upon some OF the men
He was given particular instructions 10
watch out for surprise, the Spaniards hav-
ing displayed great activity during the day
along the front of their line.
Wrapped in his rough weather coat, hold
ing his gun underneath 1T to keep 1t dry,
Sloan paced up and down his post, splashing
in the water, wondering at the brlliancy OF
the lightning, and shivering in dread an
ticipaton of trouble. A flash of lightning
showed him figures on the plain, in front OF
him, moving toward him.
Only the enemy could come from that dl-
rection. Sloan stood still as if welded to the
ground His hair rose on end. lie yelled
and fired in the direction of the advancing
foe.
Strange, is it not, that that shot-fred by
John Sloan, coward-gave to the American
army its notice of the advance OF the
Spaniards at Malate, defeated the enemy,
and made a hero of trembling, frightened,
half-boy, half man!
Sloan, after firing, ran back towards his
own lines and stumbled or fell at the feet
of that captain who had first encouraged
him to do his duty. He jumped up out OF
the slush, saturated, and was ordered to take
position with his company. Twice during
the battle did Sloan have the widest desire
to run. But, as it has done many times be-
fore in the worlds history, that name
MARY" held him to his place and duty.
When morning came and it was realized
that American pluck and valor had won the
day, it was Sloans captain, who, sending for
him, said
s.You knew your duty last night. You
have placed yourself in line for promotion.
The colonel knows of your service as picket.
Then, out of the boys heart rushed all
those years of misery and doubt; all those
unnamed fears that held manhood back and
kept him the child. There came messages
from PARKWAY home. At the end of his
mothers letter there was peneiled line:
"The Dodd boys have written home of
your bravery at Malate. We hear you may
be promoted. Keep up, John. Mary Carr"
That kind of love letter would not sat
| sfy all men, but it did satisfy John Sloan,
who tucked it away in his blouse and read
it many times in the days to come. He
would sit in the shade of his tent, read the
short lines from Mary Carr over, draw out
his Northwestern railroad folder, and on
the ground work out the Typographical map
| of the long range of country from the Golden
Gate to the Juanita region.
Other soldiers came to watch his self-ap-
pointed task. SoIae suggested the outlines
| of the Missouri valley, others the location OF
Ames and Clinton, still others the topo'
graphical building of that beautiful sweep
of Illinois from Clinton to Chicago. The
little time table and folder from which they
drew their general plan was preserved as
though priceless in intrinsic value. Nos
talgia that dread disease of all armies call j
in the German "Heimweh," in English
"Homesickness fought off with this
strip of printed paper and these rough trac-
ings on the face of the earth, time and time
again.
There was not much soldering to be done
after the July fight until late in Deem
| ber Hostilities with the insurgents com
menced shortly afterwards, and by February
real war was again raging on the island of
Luzon. The day and the night Of Feb uary
4 will be remembered by Sloan so long as
he lives.
During the day of February insurgeLt is
kept creeping up on the American outposts
and there was desultory firing That nigh,
| Sloan was stationed on picket duty, perhaps
200 yards from Chinese hospital in which
were several hundred Filpinos. The op-
presisve darkness of an oriental evening had
already settled down when a number of these
insurgents attacked the American lines or
outposts at the point where Sloan was
| placed. At the first scattering volley that