El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-16

, Captain Burden had come to the tn
! with the highest recommends tions
from the secretary of war
Out beyond the shelter of the camp
| Burden led his men straight into the
| thick, prickIy brush. At times he could
! almost feel Hardy's breath upon his
! face and hear the voice whispering in
! his ear: TO the left, to the left. He
will reach the Spaniards sooner there.
! Far up the height a dozen tiny lights
! glimmered in the darkness-the Span
| Ish torches about the bIOckhOuSe of Ell
| Caney. To the left the faint ring of
steel told the three Americans that the
enemy's sentinels We're wide awake,
| ready to fire blindly in the darkness.
! Captain Burden paused.
"Private Hardy said he, so huskily
he scarcely recognized his own voice,
! "move cautiously to the left, keeping
! well in the shadow of the brush. The
! corporal and l will detour to the right,
: apDroa ching the slope farther on
| Hardy's hand came to- quick salute.
every good, sir" replied he steadily,
! though he must have known he would
run against the very muzZles of Span
! ish rifles. Then, wheeling about, he
disappeared in the tangled thicket.
| Captain Burden paused irresolutely.
! white to the very lips. Gomez said
he sharply TO the right, corporal"
A myriad of insects buzzed about
their faces The corporal cursed and
brushed them off. but his companion
scarcely noticed them. His ears were
strained to catch the shots from the
slope of Eel Caney, the fusillade which
would send him back to Washington.
A minute paSSed-fiye-ten. 1t SEEM
ed as many hours. The heat and black
ness of the brush stified the Ameri-
! cans; the sharp thOrns tore their
clothes and lacerated their bodies.
Corporal Joyce Swore and cursed the
! fate which had sent him to Cuba.
Captain Burden moved forward as one
! bereft of feeling. He had become a
machine, Il thing devoid of sense and
feeling, a human sounding board, wait
ing to catch rifle crack from Ell
Caney.
Suddenly the buzz of insects, the
crunching of the dry leaves and twigS
under the feet of the moving men, the
noise made by the passage of their
bodies through the bush. were drowned
by the echoing report of a Mauser rifle,
then another. third and fourth and
fifth Corporal Joyce unconsciously
clutched his officers arm. God" he
whispered. '''rhey've riddled him, and
a Drawer fellow never wore Il saberr'
Captain Burden staggered as though
the bullets from the Mausers had
pierced his body. \ cry sounded in
the stiffness following the echo of the
, shots-an appeal for help, and the
voice WAS iIardy'S.
For an instant Burden wavered.
. Then, before the corporal could re
strain him, he dashed through the mat
ted chaparrai to the slope of Ell Caney,
upon whose summit danced a hundred
Spanish torches, awakened into life by
the fire of the sentinels.
With Joyce painting at his heels, he
pushed forward, drawing his revolver
as he ran and shouting aloud to Har-
dy to answer him, that he might gain
the priyate's side in the darkness.
Breaking through the bush, he came
upon an open space unsheltered from
the Spanish guns above. to stumble
over Hardy. who, resting on one ell
bow, was keeping off five white clothed
figures with his revolver.
Perhaps the Spaniards feared an at
tack from the entire American army.
At sight OF Burden and the corporal
they wavered, forgetting. the Mausers
in their hands. that they were five to
three with one of the latter sorely Grip
pied.
Corporal said Burden sharply not
ing with quick perception the confusion
of the SpaniardS. Ito the rear with
Private Hardy. L will cover YOU
a flash of admiration filed the cor
poraIs eyes. God. sir!'' he muttered.
They'll shoot you like a dog. p
ITO the rear, STRIP shouted Captain
Burden He's light and
Then. as the bulky corporal lifted the
wounded cavalryman, singing him
across his shoulder like a bag of meal.
Burden faced the astonished Span
iardS.
mo" cried Hardy. struggling in the
arms which would bear him into safe
ty. stop, for Gods sake, corporalr'
Then in an appeal of agony: ..Save
yourself, Burden. She will not marry
me; it's your
The sharp crack of the captains re-
yolver cut short the sentence. RUM
he shouted. 'I'l hold them off"
Four times the revolver cracked ere
the Spaniards. realizing twas but one
man who confronted them raised their
rifles.
Corporal Joyce, tearing through the
chaparral, heard the whiplike crack of.
the dreaded Mausers; then once more
the sharp report of the captains re-.
volver. Afterward came silence. save
for the grooming of Private Hardy and
the rustic of the parting branches.
On the morning OF July 8. after the