The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09

proceeds with his story as follows: ''Thc
morning after the stubborn fight at San
Diego we were making a forced march to
Santa Cruz. where IL was rumored the en-
envy had assembled In great force. About
9 o'clock my men developed a rafting fire
directly ahead. but across a deep canyon,
| through which flowed a beautiful little
river. Over this river was a long. narrow
| bridge, which was evidently commanded by
their fire. and from a captured native We
derived the information hat the Insurgents
were intrenched just on the other bank.
Quickly deploying. we started in to feel
them before beginning an assault. Two
companies were at once sent up On the
TANKS OF the sharpshooters and an advance
ordered, when 1t was stopped by the major.
who had arrived at that moment and was
talking with the Macabeebe scout and SER
geant. The sergeant proposed to take five
or six OF his men and make a ~reconnois-
ance. and the major, expecting to see him
take to the jungle Indian fashion, at once
agreed. He was very much astonished,
however, to see him ride the next moment
boldly down the road, smoking a cigarette.
putting away as If he was on a pleasure
trip in a peaceful country. Not SO with the
rest Of his squad. who Rugged the walls
and sides OF the road, acting as If hey
expected a volley any moment.
ut was certainly a magnificent show of
courage. At first / could hardly prevent
my men from cheering him. but he had
not proceeded a hundred yards when the
men began to grumble that they did not
want any Macabeebe to show them how
TO fight and the whole line began moving
UP slowly. very slowly at first, but if it
had not been halted by the major. t'would
soon have charged across the bridge, and
just because a native sergeant had shown
them how a Macabeebe could face a
Tagala insurgent. The sergeant did not
meet with much resistance for there was
only a few scattering shots from their
rear guard and all was over. After that
when the Macabeebe sergeant started to
the front he generally had a foot race with
the men.
again that night when we lay before
Majyajajy, where the enemy had the
strongest natural position that II had been
my fortune TO see. the Macabeebe sergeant
again convinced US of his bravery.
Majyajajy is a town almost completely
surrounded by a broad, deep canyon with
perpendicular sides and with only two
bridges spanning it. One of these had
been destroyed by the insurgents. Added
to this natural fertilization were entrench-
nents SO arranged that they could all be
occupied at the same time and ali COM
handing the road. The general had ord
cred a Reconnaissance to be made, which
lasted all the afternoon and into the night.
Upon making a report 1 suggested that the
bridge should be examined to see if it had
been tempered with so it would fall
through when the time came for us to
make a charge. This was decided upon
and volunteers for the work were plentiful,
especially when it was learned that the
insurgents had an outpost only about forty
feet on the other side Of the bridge. 1t
was necessary for the man making the
reconnaissance to go in his bare feet, as
the road leading down to the bridge was
very rocky and the least noise would have
betrayed him. 1t was suggested that the
Macabeebe sergeant be sent if he would
volunteer, as he was accustomed 10 going
in his bare feet and understood the Tagalo
language.
The sergeant readily volunteered to so
If Lieutenant Geiger, his commanding Off
Ger, and myself would go with him 10 the
bend in the road which would take him
past our outpost, and there await his re-
turn. The night was very dark, but when
we arrived at the bend of the road we could
plainly see the lighted cigarette of the in
surgent outpost across the bridge. Just as
carelessly as in the morning the sergeant
stepped off briskly down the hill to the
bridge. and was soon lost from sight in
a. - ---s&-1 It'll
ing our breath In the darkness, for fear
tina we would lose some sound which
would apprise us of the capture or death
Of the brave sergeant, I DO not know, but
it seemed hours. But nothing was heard
and the suspense was growing unbearable.
and several times my comrade, usually so
cool when flirting with danger. gave vent
to his suppressed feelings. which were fast
leading him into a fit Of nervousness, when
suddenly up doomed the short, stout figure
Of the sergeant, and he greeted US with a
hand clasp. while we gave vent TO several
signs of relief. From what / could CLEAN
Of his report 1t seems that ne had crossed
the bridge, mingled with the Tagalo out
post and went up as far as the parapet on
which the two cannon were mounted. Be-
fore coming to the parapet he discovered
an obstruction in the road which they had
built of logs, something similar to huge
hurdles, and very close together, which
would not only stop men. but horses. All
of this we had the pleasure of verifying
on the following day, when We entered the
town.
81 have since learned that this brave
sergeant was decoyed out into the brush
OIL the outskirts of Santa Cruz by a wom-
an. and that he fell the victim of the bolo-
men. His body was found literally hacked
to pieces,
AN Oil COMPLAINT.