The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-09-06
THE

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the sun seemed to expcnd its entire
force of furnace heat upon the nm.
sheltered spot in front Of Santiago
where lay n grievousty wounded
American soldier boy. Tho wide,
tortured eyes OF the youth stared fear
fully upward to tho glaring zenith,
pnst the foul birds watching his suf-
ferings with calculating vision and
waiting for the human feast which
seemed sure to come. Iie thought
with aickcning brain Of his northern
home-tho green hills, tho running
streams, the dear mother. Tears welled
up into his aching eyes. lIe did
not try to wipe them away-he could
not. A mauser bullet had struck him
in tho thigh, another in tho right arm
and another in the left. Ho was help
lesa. But what mattcrl Tho dead
could not zee. aud tho mother would
probably never know how he had
nobly fought even to the gates of
death. At his feet lay the doad body
of Cuban, slain by the bullet of u
Spanish sharpshootor. For these
Cubans he was dying. Fo, them ho
had come 10 help free the island from
the tyranny of Spanish rule.
Then he recalled tho events of that
day at San Juan hill The American
troops had been on their feet since
daybreak. There was n scanty break
fast, and as tho men alto it there were
indications of tho coming clash of
arms. Tho files on tho march TO tho
firing line were closed up: every sense
was alive. The buglc sounded and
then came tho order to advance. The
tempest of muskctry and shrapnel
through which they moved forward
drove like storm of steel into tho
faces of the men, but nothing conld
resist the impcrious advance and tho
first line of the enemy was swept
away.
The battle grew. Here aud thero n
soldier went down, but the column
stood firm; the officers marched close
by the men. Sometimes, through tho
smoke they caught n glimpse of the
colonel leading on in front.
The din increased; tho earth seemed
rceling under foot; she'll burst with
horrid shrek and flung ont quick
death. Still the men pushed on. An
officer picked up tho gun of n man
who had fallen and spoke CHEEKY
word.
The Spanish artillery and the far
reaching mausers swept within GER
tian limit every inch OF ground, but
with n firm and rapid step that un-
fiinching column moved forward.
Louder grew the tumult and thicker
came the angry messengers. A sharp
cry OF pain and one of the men is
hclped TO the rear. The bullets came
hotter and faster from the Spanish in
the trenches aud from the blockhouses.
More comrades stretched ont quietly
with the death mark ON their faces.
There was no time for words-only
mad swelling of the heart and throb-
bing OF the brain "A deadly thirst for
blood dried mp all other feeling as
another man was lifted back.
Suddenly cool voice they had
heard before rang out an order:
Come ON, boys, charge" and the thin
line rushed through the smoke and
advanced up the hill. With cheer
they answered the fiery blast that
swept into their faces with sudden
fury. The air seemed instinct with
leaden life. AMI volley after volley
pealed forth from the deadly rifles.
For one awful moment the men fall
tered! Groans of agony and hoarse
commands mingled, and all around
American soldiers lay down to die.
But the check was only momentary,
and on into the jaws of death the col
umn went. Every man leaned for.
ward as though breathing heavy
wind. From right, left and front
they felt the pounding of the enemy's
guns, and shrapnel swept through the
ranks like hail. n
On the summit Of the hill the block
house swarmed with the foe, dimly
seen through putting lines of smoke
from our guns. The Spanish were
entrenched--Americans in the open.
But never mindl Forward! And soon
the foreign fos was driven back and
the stronghold captured.
Half way down the slope as the VIC
tors pursned the flying enemy, q