The National tribune., 1900-10-11

nos always protected their concealment
The old soldier who has fought with the
Springfield musket and black powder and
large lead bullets can scarcely appreciate
the uncertainty of this situation. When
the soldier of the civil war was shot at
from ambush the first volley revealed the
position of the enemy, who was generally
not far away and a better shot than the
Filipino Someone was almost certain to
fall at the first volley, but there was an
end TO uncertainty at once. A tangible
enemy was at hand to fight. Not so with
the long g-range modern rifle and smokeless
powder. L have seen troops advance Tor
half an hour under continuous and fatal
fire, and not know during the whole time
the position of the enemy. and III all prob
ability wasting every shot Ired at ran
dom in return. This long-range shooting
is, of course, not SO effective, and the
sound of the Mauser bullet, as it cuts
the air like a knife is not so trying upon
the nerves as the heavier hum and buzz
of the Springfield bali, but it prolongs the
time that is so trying upon the nerves OF
a soldier, the advance under fire without
ability to make effective reply.
The result of the Lieutenants recon-
noitering through his glass was the dis
covery of a line of intrenchments freshly
dug at the base of a long row of bam-
boo trees about a mile distant and burn
ing bridges. 1t was plain that the Fill
ipinos were in force behind the intrench-
ments, which must be on the opposite side
of the river, and that they were endeav-
oring to destroy the only means of cross
ing the stream. 1t was subsequently
learned that Pillar had stationed 200
troops at the bridge, with instructions to
hold it as long as possible and then to
destroy it and fail back upon San Isidro.
Apparently they were so much afraid of
the Americans that they thought it safer
to destroy the bridge in the first place and
hold it afterwards. They liked the idea
of keeping the terrible Americanos on the
opposite side of the stream. 1ntrench-
ments bordered the river for about 100
yards both above and below the bridge,
the river bending at this point so as to
give the trenches a converging fire upon
the structure and the road leading to it,
which ran across a fiat covered with tall
swamp grass, with not tree to obscure
the view. All these things the Lieutenant
saw as he surveyed the situation through
his glass. The grass was tall and offered
a good screen for the Scouts to crawl
through stealthily, though it would have
been no protection to regular firing line.
He could stalk the enemy through the
grass with few men, while heavier
line could not advance without severe
losses. Moreover, the bridge was burning,
and he had been specially instructed to
prevent that if possible. He saw at once
that ] delay for assistance would result
in the destruction of the only means of
crossing the stream. He decided to at
tack at once without even sparing a man
to send back for help. The sound of the
firing he knew would bring aid as quickly
as a messenger.
Having made his decision he again
raised his arm above his head and de-
scribed circle rapidly several times when
the tiankers and the main body of his
little force Joined him ON the run. In a
minute he had given his instructions.
They were to deploy at intervals of about
hundred feet, crawl silently through the
grass till within easy shooting distance,
and then when he gave the signal by fir
ing his rifle each man was to begin sharp
shooting on his own account, picking out
target every time and not wasting any
ammunition. He held the ceHter and ad-
yaDced along the edge of the road, while
ward him. Quietly the deployment was
made and the advance began.
Doubtless the FilipinOs thought they
bad driven back this advance guard, for
they ceased firing and many of them ex-
posed themselves on the top of the trench
es. These Were the best troops in the
Filipino army, the First Manila Battalion,
all of them former soldiers of a native
regiment Of the Spanish army, well disci-
plined and trained in volley firing. Never
theless, when there was heard the sud-
den whip-like crack of Mauser from be-
SIDE the road in the grass a short distance
across the river and one of the soldiers sit
ting on the trench fell back into it, dead,
there was q panic among his immediate
comrades, which spread through all the
trenches as other Mauser shots from the
grass brought death and wounds to still
other Eilipinos. In an instant every man
was down out of sight ana remained
there. But if the Filipinos kept under
cover they did not remain inactive. Every
man of them thrust the muzZle of his
Mauser over the top of the trench and
pulled the trigger at random without ex-
posing MS head to take AIM and he con-
tinoed to fire in this way as rapidly as
he could work the bolt of his gun and
throw in new cartridge. With 200 guns
going on one side as rapidly as they could
be worked, and 20 on the other whenever
III,
which was not often, the battle continued
for half an hour, the Scouts gradually
working up closer and closer, as they
could lind cover, until they were within
so yards of the stream
The bridge was stiIl burning, and the
Lieutenant saw that rush must be made
to drive the enemy away if he would save
the structure. 1t was desperate ven
ture, but had to be made or the entire OBJ
ject of the attack would be lost So he
passed the word down the line both ways
for the men to fire rapidly and keep the
heads down behind the trench, and then
called to him the four men nearest and
With them made a dash for the bridge.
One of them fell dead with a bullet
through his neck just before the structure
was reached, but the other four gained
it in safety. By this time the entire
bamboo flooring had been burned away
and the flames were attacking the heavy
wooden frame and stringers. Across these
stringers the men made their way, one OF
them making misstep and falling through
into the water beneath and losing his
rife. He kept his head above water by
clinging with nis left arm to one of the
wooden posts supporting the bridge, while
with his right hand he continued to fight
with his revolver, the nearest trench be-
ing not more than 100 feet away. As for
the remaining three, they crossed in safety
and as soon as they reached the opposite
side they began firing to the right and