Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-11-22

On lonely outpost few miles out from
Manila at the beginning Of the present Tagalo
insurrection was stationed lieutenant and
twenty men of one of the volunteer regiments
occupying the city and its surrounding suburbs
This outpost was important mainly from the
fact that it commanded good view of certain
strong and well manned block house held by
the insurgents, rather than from standpoint of
defense. The reserve itself was not above 600
yards away from the block house, and the
picket post still nearer, while q single post of
observation was pushed to within 300 yards and
directly in front of the doorway of the structure
thus making every movement of its willy in
mates pass directly under the eyes of watchful
American sentry. This especial post had been
causing the commander Of the outpost consider
able trouble and annoyance for nearly two
weeks previous to the time Of the occurrence of
the present incident. 1t was located in "tick-
ish place." as the soldiers expressed it, and on
several occasions during the two weeks attempts
had been made by the Filipinos to creep up in
the darkness, cut the sentry to pieces with their
bolos and get away before the alarm could be
given to the reserve. All these attempts had
proved disastrous to themselves, however.
On certain clear, moonlight night the lieu
tenant in command, dividing the sergeant's
watch with him, was lying on the ground under
a mango tree, gazing up at the bright, kindly
moon, shining alike on the lonely isles of the
southern seas and on the pleasant woods and
waters of his dear, distant home land, lending
her friendly beams as well to the cause Of the
creeping "insurrecto" as to the principle for
which the exiled soldiers contended and think
ing-no matter what, for his wandering
thoughts were undoubtedly not connected with
his position and hence not with this narrative.
Suddenly he was brought back to realization
of his surroundings by two clear, sharp
whistles, answered by the same signal and fol-
lowed soon by the sound of rapid footsteps
coming down the beaten path toward the re-
serve. All this portended something of an un-
usual and perhaps serious nature. Calling
quickly but softly to the sergeant to form the
reserve and have il ready to move to support
the picket in case of trouble, he ran up the path
to meet the oncoming footballs. It was the
corporal in command of the picket hurrying in
to report that the sentry on No had halted
two Filipinos crossing his beat, but instead of
answering his challenge they had turned and
ran back up the path. With this information
and quiet mo" to the question of the corporal
"Shall the picket go with You, sir?" he quickly
and noiselessly approaches the sentry on the
post, who he finds in On attitude Of intense
watchfulness, his rifle half to his shoulder, his
finger already caressing its ready trigger and
every nerve and muscle tense to catch the
sliohfaat aound or movement With n few
whispered words to the soldier and caution to
stand in the shadow of the bushes out of the
moonlight, he moves silently up the narrow,
moonlit footpath, the high thick bushes almost