The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-07-07
"A WIRE
es King, U. S. v.

We were fred at from thrse of
those nipa huts up tao road, right
there this side of the bend" said the
driver angrily; and then, lowering his
voice, "I've got two desperately
wounded men inside, too" Then a
hospital corps soldier, springing from
the step, corroborated the statement.
II could see them in one shack
aiming at me, he said, ''and the bull
lets flew close as-t,hat," and he
whisked his hand back over the shoul-
der, almost shaving hi ear.
"The generals oar at Battery
Knoll with the guns" Tas the answer
Of the chief Of staff. There they go
now!" he added, as " |th roar and
shrek the long shell hped from the
brown muzzle and went tearing
through space toward The Krupps in
the river redoubts. Then followed o
distant crash-it had burst just above
the hostile parapet. "We can't get
orders to advance yet. and when we
do he wants you to follow us right up
with your wire. Communication must
| be kept by telegraph. It's as much
as mans life is worth to attempt to
ride this street, and hate to send an
orderly with message"
"Can you leave men enough to
guard the line?" asked the young
signalman, anxiously. They'll be
cutting it in q dozen places other
wise"
"We haven't got 'em!" was the i'm.
patient answer. 'Sooner or later tie
order must come to pitch in; then
every man will be needed at the front.
They are calling for re-enforcements
even now at Blockhouse Eleven. The
general sent in two California COM
panies, and then rode over to Dyer's
battery. You might go to him there,
if you like. He'll want to know this,
anyhow"
But even as he spoke, up the street
at sharp trot, and followed by q
single orderly, came the brigade COM
mander. The crash of musketry at
the front, and the cheers of the Cali
fornians, as they drove in through the
rice-f fields to the support of their COM
rades of the First Washington, had
deadened the sound of the ponies
hoofs. Silently, but with intense
interest, the general listened to the
drivers story of the fire from the nipa
huts on the skirts of the town, and
even before it was more than half
told, excited ordinations among the
soldiers called his attention away.
Lashing his pony to top speed and
bending down on his neck, an orderly
came tearing in from the front, run
ming the gauntlet between two rows of
native houses from which the sharp,
vicious crack Of the Mauser, and the
heavier report Of the Remington,
could be plainly heard.
''Send platoon to thrash those
fellows and burn those huts at once"
was the instant order. ''Send COM
pany back toward Paco Church. Did
they fire at you from there?" asked
the general, turning suddenly on the
signal-officer..
II think SO, SIR" was the modest
answer. "At least they fred several
shots from somewhere close at hand"
"You'll have hard work keeping
your wires up to-day, my lad" said
the commander, thoughtfully, "and I
can't help you very much, either.
But all the same, I shall have to rely
upon you"
"You may, SIR" was the answer,
and the old soldier and tho young
shook hands and parted.
Two hours later came the longed-
for order, "Advance!" With crash
ing volleys and ringing cheers the
men of California, Washington and
Idaho plunged through the muddy
stream at their front, and charged
home upon the intrenchments to tho
south and west of Santa Ana, and
then, wheeling to their left, drove the
insurgent force pell-mell to tho banks
of the Pasig, many Of the enemy, in
deed, drowning in their frantic ef-
forts to swim to safety on the farther
shore.
Meanwhile the extreme right of the
brigade, in hot pursuit of the insur-
gent reserve and rear-guard, drove on
eastward along the highway. over
whelming the enemy every time he
strove to make stand, and at last,
worn and breathless, halted for the
night. On the back Of pasteboard
cartridge case their brave leader,
Colonel Smith, of the First California,
wrote to his commander the brief,
soldierly report of their success, and
sent it back to Santa Ana by galloping
orderly.
.Wire this news at once to General
Anderson" was the order, as the
brigad) ii 01| tl11101 hi1 hofse,s
head d
away
was in
had be
l>,rk -