The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-22
FOLLOWING THE FLAG
Continued from page j.


suns OF the navy reared. throwing
eycloues Ci sand high in the air with
edch sLru, me sJacCa.O beat Of the
hotchklas cannon kept In rhythm with
the heavier discharges and the whir-
ring tich tack OF the Colts automatic
played the high notes in the martial
music. Viewed from the war-ships. the
landing soldiers were puppets on a
stage who Tell on their faces. rose
again, charged an unseen enemy. waved
their tiny hats as a sign OF victory.
ana ali this amid a setting OF rolling
SAND dunes, with a background OF soft
green palm-trees and odd grass houses.
and with foreground OF blue ocean
lazily tapping the yellow shore with
frothy-ipped white-caps.
The navy gave prize exhibition OF
what II can do in landing troops where
the details are left entirely I'm its
hands In less than three hours Il
had put over 1000 men ashore: and IL
should be remembered that not a large
man-of-war was present. The work vas
done with four small launches. towing
Six whalebOats each, and a tug with a
single big casco which would carry a
hundred men.
The receiving partv Of insurpents
who welcomed us 20 San Fabian. by
firing their guns in the air. did not
number more than a hundred men.
though the official records name them
as many more. BY their undignified
display Of nervousness, only two OF our
soldiers were able TO secure the nickel
plated souvenirs. distasteful to some.
but much priced by others when they
leave a proper earmark in a soft mus
Gle.
The troops were not invited into the
town of San Fabian, a mile below. and
as General Wheaton had no intention
OF sleeping on damp sands. though the
dusk Of evening was drawing its veil
over the landscape. he took prompt
measures for disciplining our reluct-
ant hosts. From beyond the waters OF
deep lagoon, traversed by a frail
swaying bamboo hand-bridge. the in
sufgents were keeping up the song OF
the bullets. IL was an ugly place to
cross, and looked as If il meant GER
tain death to every man attempting il.
General Wheaton stood exposed upon
a hummock, with the sand shifting I'M
der his feet, for several minutes, care
fully noting the direction of the fire.
He suddenly turned and exclaimed. IL
want officers who will volunteer 10 car
~ men across that bridge and drive
those niggers from their trenches"
Several officers sprang forward; but
young Captain Rowland. his aide. was
nearest at hand, and got the commits
sion. Over the swinging. bending
structure he ran, followed by twenty
men, so fiercely yelling that it almost
drowned the fusillade of high-shot bull
lets. The insurgents broke and ran.
American nerve and daring are always
more than they can stand. II takes
an iron nerve to perform feats of this
kind; and yet the army Is filled with
just such men as Rowland, who, for
the very sorry glory to be gained in
the Philippine campaigning, will, with
out tremor, risk their lives twenty
times day. San Fabian was ours.
Into town our troops marched in the
growing dark. From the swamps,
fringed round with cocoanut and nipa
palm, came the glad cries OF "Viva
Americanos!" and wading toward us,
waist-deep in the black and muddy wa
| tiers. came a score OF creatures--hu-
man beings despatched from head to
foot with Shiny ooze. and with water
step. They rushed upon General
Wheaton and tried to kiss his hands.
In their ecstasy they threw them
selves bodily upon protesting soldiers
and Rugged them tight around the
neck, until the Americans were equally
| disguised with muck and mire. They
were escaped Spanish prisoners, who
had lain for hours in the marshes, I'M
der the terrific shell-fire OF the navy.
with only their faces above water.
II was impossible that night TO de-
terrnine the size of San Fabian. where
the main roads ran, or the prObabili-
ties of an attack. In the dark, outposts
| were thrown out around the church,
and all the roads which seemed TO be
main ones were doubly posted. All was
quiet during the night, and the troops
slept heavily in their clothes upon the
| dew-laden grass OF the plaza. with one
hand upon their loaded rifles. Now
and then some nervous outpost would
fire upon the martial ghosts which
| haunt every rOokyis brain. but the
| tired sleepers slumbered on.
At dawn reveille rang muffied
| through the moist warm air. and 1000
men grumbled for their breakfasts.
while attachments marched TO the
shore for subsistence supplies, which
Quartermaster Day was already and
ing through the surf of a shallow
beach, on the backs or coolies. from
anchored cascOs. Tired Of waiting, the
men began hustling for their own
breakfasts; the squeals OF lean, lank
hogs rose above the cackling OF wildly
flying chickens and the astOnished
quacks of dOwny ducks.
Three reconnaissance parties Of a
battalion each were sent out during
the morning. One under Major Buck,
OF the Thirteenth, toward San Jacin-
20, went southwark where It was
hoped that some OF LawtOn's troops
would be found, but they met no re
sistance, and found no American SOL
diers within five miles Next day. in
less than half that distance, a terrific
| fight took place. Major John a. Lo-
gan Of the Thirty-third went north
Il i . T.