Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-28

seeking for their households the refuge
of the fleet of transports lying placidly
at anchor in the bay, where Dewey's
blueiackets shifted their guilds, went
coolly to their stations and, grouped
about their guns, quietly awaited fur
Their developments. In an agony of
fear Col. Frost had hidden his driver to
lash the ponies to gallop and go like
the wind to Malate; but the appearance
of the long ranks of sturdy infantry
resting on their arms and beginning to
look bored, measurably treasured him
before he reached his home. Once
there, however, the sight of Mia, cling
ing Historically to her sister and moan
ing on her bed, was sufficient to deter
mine his first move, which was to wire
for his launch to come around to the
bay shore and take them off to the fleet.
The next was to send and ask for an Of
ficer and 20 men from the Quartet, on
receiving which message the major
commanding, standing on the dusty
roadway in front of his men. grinned
under his grizzled mustache and said:
"Frost's got 'em again. Here. Gray,
you go over and tell him to keep his hair
on, that it's nothing but a fake alarm"
And Gray, glad enough of the chance to
go again into the presence of the wom-
an who so fascinated him, sped on his
mission. He was in fury over his re-
cent humiliation in her very sight-he,
a commissioned officer, tossed aside
like child and outwitted by this daring
intruder in the shape of private sol
dier-he and his guard brushed away
and derided by a young fellow in some
strange regiment-who had easily es-
capped along the beach to an adjoining
Enclosure into which he darted and was
no more seen. The streets were full of
scurrying soldiers, and it was the sim
plest thing in the world for him to
mingle with them and make his way to
his own command. OF course, Gray
well knew who the man must be-Nita's
troublesome lover of whom Witchie had
told him so much. There was his chance
to recover the letters and claim the re-
ward; but man and letters both had es-
capped his grasp; and when he pulled
up, blown and exhausted after fruitless
chase, he was brought to his senses by
the sight of his own men falling in "for
business" and he had to scamper for
his sword and join them.
That was miserable evening. Mar
garet Garrison was the only member of
the household who seemed to have her
wits about her and her nerves under
control, for Frank, her liege lord, had
his duty elsewhere, and not until hours
later trotted slowly home. Margaret
| plainly let Gray understand how he had
fallen in her estimation at being so
easily tossed aside. A warning finger
was laid upon her lip. Not one word
of what has happened while he is here"
she muttered; and nod of her fluffy
head toward the perturbed colonel told
plainly that the chief of the household
really had no place in the family coun-
ellis. To the sisters that alarm was n
blessing in disguise. 1t was all sufIi-
cient to account for Nita's prostration.
To the rash and reckless lad, who,
claiming to be an orderly with a letter
from the colonel, had been passed by
the gate guard to the open stairway, it
afforded ample cover for escape, when,
alarmed by Nita's cry, Gray and the
corporal came springing to her aid. To
Gray himself it gave only few minutes
forgetfulness of his trouble, for, smart
Ing under the sting of a woman's only
half-hidden disdain, he would have well
coined with almost savage joy some
fierce battle with skillful foe, some
scene in which he could compel her re-
spect and admiration. He was still
smarting and stung when at last that
opportunity came.
Long will Manila remember the
night! 1t followed close upon the heels
of warnings that for weeks held every
officer and man to his post of duty.
Day after day the strain Incl eased.
The insurgents, crowding upon our out
posts in front of Santa Mesa on the
north and of Santa Ana on the south
side of the Pasig, had heaped insult and
threats upon our silent sentries, COM
PEELED by orders to the very last to sub
nit to anything but actual attack
rather than bring on battle. 1.-THE
Americans are afraid" was the gleeful
cry of Aguinaldo's officers, the jeer and
taunt of his men. The regulars were
soon to come and replace those volun-
teers, said the wiseacre of his cabinet
therefore strike now before the trained
and disciplined troops arrive and sweep
these big Doors into the sea. And on
the STILL starlit night, sooner perhaps
than his confederates within the walls
intended, the rebel leader struck, and,
long before the dawn of the lovely
Sunday morn that followed, the Gre
flashed from 10000 rifles in big semi
circle around Manila, and the long-ex-
pected battle was on.
Hours after dawn, hours after the at
tack began, the --teenth were in ex-
tended battle order to the south of
Malate confronted by thickets of BAN
boo that fairly swarmed with insuI
gents, yet, only by the incessant zip and
''whiew" of their deadly missiles and
the ceaseless crackle of rife fire, could
this be Determines; for with their
smokeless powder and their Indian-like
skill in concealment nothing could be
seen of their array. Over to the west
ward on the placid waters of the bay
the huge Monadnock was driving shell
after shell into the dense underbrush
across the abandoned rice fields and the
marshy flats that lined the shore. Over
to the east resounding cheers. and crash
ing volleys, punctuated by the sharp
report of field guns, told that the com
rade brigade was heavily engaged
and, apparently, driving the enemy be-
fore them. To right and left their vol
unteer supports were banging into the
brush with their heavy Springfields;
and still there seemed no symptom of
weakness along the immediate front.
no sign of yielding. If anything the
fury of the insurgent volleying in
creased as the sun climbed higher, and
all along the blue-shirted line men grit
their teeth and swore as they crouched
or lay full length along the roadside.
peering through the filmy veil that
drifted slowly across their front-the
smoke from the Springfelds of the vol
unteers. To lie there longer with the
bullets buzzing close overhead or bit
ing deep into the low embankment,
sometimes fearinT n Stinuipu patb