The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-02


between battles, for when a fight did
come off his martial aspirations were
in a measure appeaSed. But how diff
ferent with the field journalist, who as
noncombatant could not fight and as
correspondent was forbidden TO cor
respond. The thought CALLED him. In 1
the latter case he was clearly handi-
capped. But he was a thorough Amer
Ean. And as such was he necessarily
4 noncombatant?
At little distance from where he
stood four men of the ambulance corps
under an army surgeon were gathered
about handcar on the narrow gauge
tracks, beside which the troops were
encamped. Addington was familiar
with the motives of the little party.
The four men had volunteered to ac-
company the surgeon several miles
back along the railroad over the scene
of yesterdays fighting in quest Of GER
tain members of the cOmman-. who
had been numbered among the miss
ing in the recent casualties. The
character of the expedition appealed to
his sense of admiration, for under the
hospital flag was any safeguard
against attack from the insurgents,
who were known to infest the locality
to be visited.
Suddenly the impulse seized him to
| join this little excursion. 1t would at
least serve to divert his thoughts from
the unpleasant theme that at present
dominated his brain. Hastily folding
| his copy, he placed it in an inner pock-
| ct of his blouse and crossed over to
| the party As he drew near the final
| arrangements for the start had been
| coDsummated. The men were already
| taking their places in the singular con-
J vayance.
"Is your squad complete, sir?' cour-
t ,usly inquired the correspondent of
| tsa medical officer in charge.
It the question the latter turned and
| regarded the speaker with manifest
| surprise Then he answered, pleasant
| ly enough:
| 'Well, yes, considering there is room
+! for but four men at the brakes. Hard
| ly the most interesting subject for q
| cable dispatch, however" he added
| jocularly.
| "But I'm not hunting news this
morning." replied Addington seriously.
| Fact is, I'd like to accompany your
| party if you don't object. You might
include me as sort of supernumerary
"a relief crew, as it We're"
"Oh, you're quite welcome to go with
US if you so DESIRE" was the cordial
response, ''but l must first get you a
| permitw And, taking the name of his
| latest volunteer, the officer FASTENED
| away to headquarters. Returning in a
few moments with the necessary pass,
the surgeon, followed by AddingtOn
stepped aboard the car, and moment
later the party were trundling along
over the narrow rails, bound away on
their hazardous mission.
For the first mile the route lay
through a comparatively open stretch
of country, commanded by the pickets
stationed on the outskirts of the Amer.
lean camp. But beyond this the track
entered dense brake, the depths OF
which were impenetrable to the eye
save at intervals, where the exuberan1
growth had been beaten down by the
irresistible advance of the conquering
4 army. 1t was here that much of the
hardest fighting had transpired,- an6
here consequently the work of the am
bulance party began. Slowly they
worked their way onward, pausing al
frequent intervals to beat about
through the surrounding thicket il
their search for the missing, be they
living or dead. In this manner a dis
tance of some three miles had beer
, | covered without developing anything
of an encoura ging nature, when of {
, sudden the sound of rifle shots wa.
heard emanating from a distant poin
directly along the road. Faint as tn,
reports fell upon their hearing the mel
were quick to analyZe them, plainly
distinguishing the occasional Spring
field from the more promiscuous Mau
ser.
"Our fellows to certainty" OBJ
served one.
1 "Yes, and putting up fight agains
2 all kinds of odds,' declared another.
Come" said the surgeon briefly
I'VE must go to them"
: Down the track rumbled the hand
car, the men straining every nerve a
5 the brakes. Another mile and tn
p scene of the conflict was at hand. In
/ deed, the car had actually swep
/ through a struggling line of Filipino
S crouching in the thatchlike jungle o
= tree fern and bamboo. Less than hal
: a thousand yards beyond, at the sum
s nit of a slight hummock, a heap o
o stones and earth appeared, and be
o hind this the besieged party was in
+ trenched, held at bay by Overwhelming
q numbers of the enemy. AS the hand
: car burst into view it was greeted 81
r multaneously with a feeble cheer froI
$ the beleaguered occupants of the riff
y pit ahead and volley of shots fror
the insurgents behind. In the sam
G instant one of the men relaxed hi
II grasp on the brake and sank deS
/ perately wounded to the bottom of th
l. car.
e Without moments hesitatio
" Addington sprang to the stricken man
+ place and, laying hold on the handl
L bar, strove with the others to maiI
/ tain the speed they had developed
" AS the car approached the base of th
e. fortified hummock two men arose frol
$ the rifle pit and, bearing a wounde
l. comrade between them, fastened
% meet their deliverers. They were th
le sole survivors of an original party {
e. ten who had become separated froi
l. their command during the battle o
r the previous day. At sight of this fe'
re BILE remnant cf the gallant little ga
re risOn the FilininOS set I'D a fierce. e,