Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-07-12
CHAPTER XVI.-CoNTINUED.

All along the line from right to left
there ran the cross-country road con-
Meeting the broader highway, from Ma
late to San Rafael and Paranaque on
the west, and from Paco by way of Sim
gallon to Pasay. In front of the right
wing all was swamp, morass or rice
fields. In front of the left wing all was
close, dense bamboo and jungle, save
where the broad, straight roadway led
on past Block House 10, or the narrow
er cart track stretched southwark, over
arched in places by spreading branches,
and commanded at its narrowest path
by the swarm of dusky fighters In
Block House IA. A year before the blue
shirts stormed these forest strongholds
from the south, and took them from the
troops of Spain. Now they were COM
PEELED to turn and storm them from the
north; for, just as Stanley Armstrong
said at San Francisco, the Filipinos had
turned upon their ally and would-be
friend. Aguinaldo had bearded Uncle
Sam.
And while the volunteers and regu-
Lars TO the right could only remain in
wing of this brave brigade to assault in
almost impenetrable position an enemy
armed with magazine rifles or breech
leaders, and entirely at home. The
Sugles rang the signal; the officers in
silence took their station, and, stepping
into the narrow pathways through the
jungle, crouching along the roadways
or crashing through the stiff bamboo,
The blue shirts drove ahead. Two, three
minutes and their purpose seemed I'M
discovered. Then suddenly Block House
II blazed with fire and a storm of bull
lets swept the road. The earthworks in
the thicbet to the right and left seemed
to be crowded with a running flame; and
down on their faces fell the foremost
soldiers, their gallant leader shot
through and through, plunging head
long, yet in his dying agony waving his
surviving men to get to cover. Venge-
fully now the "Krags" opened in reply
10 Remington and Mauser. The blue
shirts struggled inch by inch through
the network of bamboo. Still the
storm swept up the roadway, and no
man could hope to face it and live. But,
Ittle by little, the low-aimed, steady
Volleys, driven in by squad and section
through the canebreak, or by company
aud platoon across the westward
awamps, told on the nerve and disci-
pline of the little brown men in the
bamboo. Their shots flew swift, but
wild and higher. Then a daring lad, in
the rough field uniform of a subaltern
of infantry, sprang like a cat into the
hre-fashing lane, and, revolver in hand
and a squad of devoted fellows at his
heels, dashed straight at the wooden
walls ahead. In frantic haste the oc-
cupants blazed shot after shot upon
him and his heroic followers One after
another three went down; but in an
other instant, the lieutenant leading,
they reached the block house and dart
ed through the open doorway, the last
of its garrison fleeing before such un-
heard-of daring and determination
And then came the rush of comrades
cheering down the lane, tumbling over
the earthworks and the luckless gang
that, still crouching there, held to their
position, and all the southwark leading
road was ours.
But, over along the next lane, a
parallel track through the timber,
there had been as stern a check; and
the fury of the fire from the trenches
in the thickets forced brave men to
cover and dropped others in their
tracks. "By God we must have it," al
most screamed tall captain, pointing
with his sword to the flashing block
house half hidden in the trees Hear
those fellows on the other road? Don't
let them beat US. Come on, lads" and
out he darted into the open, an instant
target for a score of Mausers. Out, too,
ieaped half a dozen men, one a tall
1.-THE, superbly built young athlete
with a face afame with resolution and
rage of battle. Out leaped Billy Gray
from the corner of the crossroad, and
cheering madly. called on others to
follow. Down went the captain, shot
3hrough the knee. Down went the near