Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29


the ceaseless cracble OF rifle Gre could this I
be determined for with heir smokeless ,
powder and their Indian-Ike skill in con /
cealmeut nothing could be seen Of their /
array over TO the westward on the PLACID /
waters of the bay the huge Moradnock was I
driving she'll after she'll mo he dense TN .
derbrush across the abandoned rice fields /
and the marshy flats that lined the shore. /
over to the east resOunding cheers and
crashing voueys. puuctuated by the sharp |
report OF field guns, told thaj the omradc |
brigade was heavily engaged and, apparently, |
driving the enemy before them. To the
right and left the volunteer supports we're !
banging into the brush with their heavy
springhalds; and sim there seemed no
symptom OF weakness along the immediate
front no sign OF yielding. II anything the
fury Of the insurgent volleying increased
as the sun climbed higher, ard all along
the blue-shirted line men grit their teeth
and swore as they crouched or lay a. full
length along the roadside. peering through
the flmy veil that drifted slowly across
their front-the smoke from the Spring
| fields of the volunteers. To lie there longer
| with the bullets buzzlng close overhead or
biting deep into the low emblnkment, some
times tearing singing path through hu-
man flesh ard bone. was adding to the nerve
strain OF the hours gone by To rush heau-
,ong across tha. Intervening open space,
.hrough deep and muddy pools and stag
nant bitches, and hurl themselves upon the
lurking enemy in the bamboo copse be-
yond had been the ardent longing ot the
line since daylight came TO illumlne the ne.d
before them Yet stern orders "I-N"''N.
Defend but do not advance said tne gen
erals message; and the whisper went along
town behind us. and the chief may heeu
us there"
But as o'clock passed with no word "t
80 ,,,-Ising IN the rear, and the cheering
over toward Santa Ana grew louder anu
louder. the nerve strain upon the -teehlh
became we'll nigh intolerable. For GOD
sake can't we be doing something instead OF
living here firing into hornets nest was
the rnurmur that arose in more thah one
company along the impatient hhe' anu lne
gruff voices OF veteran sergeants could De
heard ordering silence, while, moving up anu
down behind their men, the line olhcers
cautioned against waste OF ammunition anu
needless exposure. Lie nat men heeP
down." we're the words we won nave "
stand this forever You'll soon get your
| chance"
And presently it came. The cheering that
|
the wooded knolls that surrounded Singalon
and Block House No. H. was suddenly taken
| I'm nearer at hand. Then crashing Voleys
sounded along the narrow roadway to the
| east and a bugle rang out shrlll ana clear
above the noise of battle; and then closer
still, though unseen in the gloom OF the
dense thicket in which they lay, the men OF
the Second battalion, strung along tlhplno
trail that led away to the rice fields, swung
their big straw hats and yelled for Joy
vouns officer his eyes flashing his face
flushing with excitement, came bounding out
from the grove at the left OF the crouching
limo and made straight to where the veteran
battalion commander knelt in the rear OF his
center. 1t was Billy Gray, adiutant OF the
Third battalion, acting that day as adjutant
to the regimental commander. The bullets
whistled by his head as he darted spring
ingly along; and in their Joy at sight OF him
even old hands forgot the reserve OF the
regular service and some man shouted:
Now we're off, and the popular query:
Whats the matter wah Lieutenant Gray
At any other time, under any other cir
cumstances both auestioner and respondents is
who glcefully shouted, Hes all right!
would tave been promptly and sternly sup
pressed But the senior captain at their
head we'll knew the excitement tingling in
the nerves OF that long-suffering line, and
only smiled and nodded sympathy He saw
too that Gray was quivering with pent-ur
feeling as the boy halted short, saluted
and striving to steady his eager voice, said
Captain, the colonel directs that you
open sharp fire on the woods in your front
and occupy the enemy there. He is about
, to charge with the third battalion and
drive them out Of the trenches we've located
Q over yonder," and Billy pointed eagerly tc
Y the left front-the southeast.
A The captains grizzled face took on a look
D Of keen disappointment "You mean we've
\ got to stay here, and see you fellows go in?
1 "Only for few minutes, sir. The colonel
! says that for you to charge before he's got
n onto their flank would cost too many men
!. You'll get the word as soon as he's got the
e works
y well said Billy boy That sounds al
= most epigrammatic. Hullo! You hit? Stoop
r down here, man. Don't try to get per-
= forated"
t my hat only the answer. as the
i boy stopped quickly to hide the irrepressiblG
i twlching about the muscles of his lip. A
! Remington bullet had ripped from side to
= side tearing a way through the curly hair at
the top OF his head and almost scoring the
t scalp. To save his soul he could not quite
S suppress the trembling of his knees, but
o steadying himself by great effort, he CON
n tinued: THE colonel says to commence fir
n ing by volley the moment our buges sound
e the charge. Now must get back"
# IAN right, youngster. Tell the colonel
s savey, and we'll do our level best-only
8 let us into 1t as quick as you can"
t But Gray heard only the first part Of the
;. sentence. He was painting when he reached
i his placid, gray-musached chief, and could
d only gasp out: "The captain understands
o sir" And then the regimental commander
e simply turned to the battalion leader stand
v ing silent at his left in a little clump OF
= timber-another veteran grown gray as him
/. self in long. long years OF service:
S "Now's cur time old man. Pitch In!
= Gray. well go with him"
t. All along the limo from right to left
II there ran the cross country road connecting
o the broader highway from Malate to San
/, Rafael aud PAranaque on the west, and from
West Paco by way OF SingalOn to Pasay. In
k front OF he right wing was all swamp, mo-
q rasS or rice fields. In front of the left wing
y all was clcsc, dense bamboo and jungle, save
h where the broad, straight roadway led on
JYY.EH,s9 ~ yTfZs ~ StH5ps,