The suburban citizen., 1900-03-10

sharp sting IN my face just below tho
left eve, and q moment later the warm
blood trickled down my cheek With
my left hand / grabbed his wrist just
below the thumb and gripped it like
grim death, but he was not to be
beaten thus. l felt the sinews Of his
wrist rise, and the grinding Of the
muscles, and then the same stinging
sensation that had felt in my face ]
now felt in my wrist.
could count tho cuts as he made
them-one, two, three--Oll on my left
wrist and hand, and then the blood
began to run down my forearm, as om
hands were elevated.
This occupied but second Of time
He raised his left hand and 1 saw an
other fash. What it was I knew not,
but 1 Immediately grasped his wrist
and tried to force this hand behind
him. Before 1 could do 80, he fred
and the ball passed through my lef
bootleg. The muzzle was so close
10 me that the force OF the powder
almost threw me to the earth. ]
ground my teeth in desperate effort
to force his hand behind him. My
left hand, cut and bleeding, still held
his right. Now forcing the fight with
the revolver, he tried vainly to raise
it and shoot me i'll the body. Throw
ing my whole strength on my right
arm I succeeded in forcing back his
revolver hand. At this he began tc
shoot at my feet.
The first shot missed, but he i'm
mediately followed it with another
1t struck, for my right foot felt as il
it had been hit with club, and
grew numb. Four more shots came
in quick succession. One Of them -
which I cannot tell--struck the same
foot and broke the bridge, as 1 knew
from the immediate loss of strength in
that member.
Now all was quiet. We stood with
our heaving chests touching. L fel
his breath in my face, and his heart
palpitating against my breast. There
was o lull in the battle. felt safe,
as far as the revolver was concerned,
for he had emptied that, but the deadly
knife was still poised over my head.
My life depended entirely on the
strength OF my wounded hand and
wrist, which were holding the knife
away from my throat.
Now L remembered that bolomen
never travel alone. That he had
comrades within few feet Of me, who
were trying to distinguish between us,
so that they might be sure that their
knives should enter my back instead
of his, L was certain. My flesh
cringed at the thought; 1 could al
most feel the cold sleel enter my
body.
1t was time for me to force the fight.
My right foot was badly wounded, but
the knee was yet unhurt. With this
l struck the man a blow in the abdo-
men, and quickly followed it with an
other. 1t was evident that he was
weakening. Heagain made desperate
effort to free the hand which held the
bolo, but my endeayor to keep him
from succeeding was greater I drew
back the right leg as far as I could,
doubled up the knee, ana with all the
strength that L possessed, drove it
again into his abdomen.
The effect was marvellous; his
muscles relaxed, his struggles grew
feeble, and his breathing was badly
interrupted. This was the decisive
part of the fight, and I grOsped the
opportunity. With all my might I
threw HIM from me. He fell among
the bushes, and was lost in the blind
ing darkness. 1 drew my revolver
from the scabbard, and fired in the
direction in which had thrown him.
This shot was answered by cry which
told me he had been hit.
At this moment / heard the twigs
breaking and the leaves rustling be.
hind me. Like flash / faced about
and fred at the approaching figures
my assailant's fellow bolomen. The
effect of the shot was to cause heavy
rustling and the sounds of many feet
in rapid retreat.
had been careless enough to come
into his jungle with but two loads in
my revolver, and these had been fired.
When began to reload, my right foot
gave way and 1 fell. Lying on the
ground, / loaded aud fred again.
The groans of my wounded enemy
were getting farther away, and the
sounds finally died in the direction of
the Filipino line.
I hobbled to my nearest outpost,
where one OF the men bound my
wounds, and later I received the at,
tention of a medical officer. I believe
myself to be the first American soldier
to live to tell the tale of his fight with
bolomen. Youths Companion.
Girls and Curling Pins.