Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-21


yard the self same windows the major
designated. NelPs room was at the op-
poslte-the weStern-end of the old
Spanish-built house upon the Pasig, hut
nevertheless, by night Hylands' naNs
blnocular was leveled far more fire.
quently backward from San Pedro
church than forward toward the out
posts. -
Whatever you do, watch out for sig
nals,' We're the majors words, as he
cantered away in the darkness, bound
for the right of the line. Many a night
had some warning come and seldom any
thing more, and Hylands might have
paid little heed to the rumors now, but
1t was her father who was field officer
OF the day, and what her father said
and did bore weight with the battalion
adjutant. Therefore, when other men
lay down to sleep, secure behind the
"Cossack Posts" that covered the front,
Hylands clarbered to his perch on the
wall. He dare not think of leaving the
lines and padding down the mile of
water that led to Nellie's garden. He
could not ride down along the guarded
ROAD TO santa Ana Officers and men
were forbidden the route to Manila at
night. At 10 O'Clock a comrade coming
IN with a stealthy patrol reported he
had neaked up the river road as far as
San Nicolas and hadn't seen a sign of in
surgents. OF course they might be
mastering at Pasig Ferry or thereab bouts,
put ne didn't believe it. At 1915, level
ing his glasses at the half hidden walls
OF powered Santa Ana, Hylands could
see no spark Of light about the house
where he longed to be. Out at the front
+ no 10Y yynpN 49, -. =: -9. p
trenches, gazing on the ghostly fringe
of bamboo across the dry, ~hard-baked
rice fields, muttering in low tones and
sleepily yawning. Once in a white some
shadowy form that resolved itself into
a big soldier in felt hat and flannel shirt
Wou come creeping in from the Cos
sack points hiding somewhere a third of
a mile out beyond the line. Not a sign
or hostile anywhere. and toward mid
mig mt the officer watching with the men
was for having three-fourths of his
guard roll ipto their blankets. ut is so
very quiet said he. -
That's just the reason 1 shall keep
awake said Hylands. "A Filipino is
never SO dangerous as when you can
ne Their see nor hear him. Reckon I'll
get up on the old church tower"
RE did, and save the twinkling lights
OF Manila four miles off to the west.
ana those of the fleet slumbering on the
bosom of the bay, ana the sentinel
STARS IN the cloudless skies, no glimmer
was there anywhere. 1t was after |
O'Clock, when ven the dogs had ceased
bowling, hat the young officer saw a
sight that filed him with interest if
not concern.
Slowly there rose from somewhere M
at the delta of the Pasig a steady glow
ing, clear white star, that, Soare
~hehVenWard perhaps five hundred feet
and then hung there as though teth-
cred to earth. He had seen the same
phenomenon before, once from the
bro Dad azotea o~verhanging the Pasig at
brigade headquarters, and then it was
followed in a few minutes by a stir
somewhere along the lines. Eagerly
Hylands hailed the post of the guard
IN the church yard below, and the an
sWer came prompt and clear: AYE,
aye! We can see it from here" In
tently, then, they listened. expecting
every momen to hear the cracking of
Mausers out beyond the wooded heights
where the black bulk of Guadalupe
doomed against the eastward sky.
Watch out for signals"-those words
OF Major Marvin rang in his ears wifh
a meaning such warning never seemed
to Vhae before. Where along the three
mile front would the attack fall? Where
should he look for the rush of their
own rockets-the signals Marvin spoke
of? One white rocket anywhere along
the line meant: Enemy forming for
attack at this point; one red rocket:
Attacked in force, but holding our
own; two red rockets sent togethef,
Attacked in force-help needed:n
Singly he had seen both the white and
the red, but never vet had the brigade
called for help, thin as We're the lines.
Ten, fifteen minutes passed and all at
the front was still as the desert. Then,
all on a sudden, not from the direction
of Guadalupe not from Haystack Knoll,
but the very opposite, from the distant
rear. he heard the fainst swish of the
aerial flight, followed instantly by a
smothered pop" of a rocket chamber,
and Whirling about saw the dim trail Of
sparks floating eastward over Santa
Ana, saw with an agony of dread a
dim red eye glazing at him through the
night-the danger signal at the home of
her he loved!
Down the crumbling stairs he tore,
needless of yawning gaps. Hatless he
sprang to the open court, where the
guard, amazed at his shouts, had sprung
" Hcl ny uoISt, qulCA. oFlHS
him to headquarters!" he ordered, as.
he darted down the stony road and
brought up standing at the leveled bay
onet of the sentry in front of the COL
onel's bungalow. Hurst. the adjutant,
was the first man to respond to the ex-
cited hail. Something's wrong at Santa
Ana. They've swung out their sig
nal"
| Take the first horse you find" was
the answered shout, for if "a laggard in
love- Hurst was no "laggard in wars
"We'H follow as quick as we cam" And,
needing no further authority, Hylants
snatched the reins from the cavalry
orderly who had been doing at the road
side, and. swinging astride the mettle-
some pony, vanished, Gathering into the
night. They heard him as they hurried
ly dressed, go crashing over the rocky
~ ---l A- 1911 - g IL Il -