The Delta independent., 1900-08-10
FRCf.1
THE ENEMY'S LINE

. ~ - 1" ,. 5Nss -
Sergeant Teddy" wilkins was lying
on his breast bel;lgd IA heap OF earth
listening to the zip of AIauser bupets
over his head. The Spanish picket line
was sheltered by Il group of trees not
far away. and occasionally guerrilla
sLarpshooter sent Il message " deli
ancc from the high branches.
The sergeant belonged TO a New
YORK regiment which had hurried To
the front almost before congress lad
officially declared that the United
States was ut war with the proud old
land which had taken the. trouble to
discover her.
ut seems to me-" remarked the SER
geant MS lie casually Inspected the
number OF cartridges in his belt. 'rhat
this business is growing very tiresOme.
What we need Is a little diversion, n
little of the romance OF war"
Well" replied young De Jones. who
formerly marshaled figures ON a trial
balance sheet. you'll get more rO-
nance than you want If you don't lie a
little closer down there"
Three or our OF the guerrillas Ind
dropped from the trees, and the Span
ish strngglers had been driven back to
ward Santiago by n rattling fire from
the Springfield rifles OF the volunteers.
The weather was entirely too hne to
follow up an advantage gained over a
few rice fed conscripts, and C0nspany
Il was resting a bit and wondering If
the commissary department would call
upon them that day.
Teddy" wilkins was smoking the
artistically coloreL meerschaum woich
he had brought from home. There had
been no tobacco In the rich brown bowl
for days. and the sergeant was content-
edly putting at some Of the dried grass
Of the country.
Hello" exclaimed DE Jones. Here
they come to our pink tea. ! wonder
how they found out we were receiving
this afternoon. Get out the Boston
WATERS. sarg. and I'll hunt up the sou
venir spoons"
'Thcy" proved TO lie a slender young
woman, who walked with springy
step. and m elderly woman. who was
anything but sylph like. who seemed
to roll along the brown earth. There
wns look of terror In the eyes Of both
Of them. They advanced toward the
American soldiers and held their hands
above their heads.
Mercy. mercy. senor.' cried the girl.
In broken English.
'Tell them TO sit down on the sofa
and make themselves at home" sue-
gcstcd he Jones. ''The young one In
Sergeant Theodore wilkins Of Com
pany X bent his stifrcDed limbs. ad-
jus.cd his cartridge belt and went TO
meet the newcomers.
Eve beg protection" said the young
er woman. 1--WE have come from the
city. and we bcg TO I've spared by the
chivaIry OF los Amcricanos."
wilkins. who remembered somewhat
Of his Clcnsiorf. attempted to say some
thing In Spanish which he meant to be
reassuring. The girl shook her head
and puzzled expression came into her
eyes.
.Do not spik n Spanish more. scnor."
she said. Il have the English very
we'll went to school In Connecticut"
Whereupon the men who had been
cngng gcd I'm the gentle occupation OF ex-
changing compliments with Spanish
foemcn burst into nm uproarious guf-
faw. TO the great annoyance Of Ser
geant Theodore wilkins.
THAT Spanish OF yours is great"
suggested the corporal.
A lieutenant came up Just then. The
two women said that they had Just
come from beIeaguered Santiago in or
der that they might escape death In
the bomi,ardmcnt which wns sure to
come. The lieutenant told them that
they need fear no danger. for los
Americnnos' did not make war upon
women and children. He ordered Ser
gcant wilkins and guard Of two men
20 escort the visitors out OF harms
way.
Teddy wilkins was very young He
was - youthful that he had had hard
work In getting into the regiment when
he enlisted about n year before He
had been educated In a military school.
and the mechanism of drill seemed q
second nature TO him.
He rcmembcresl ns he escorted tie
refugees through the chaparral that
Yhere was Q situs tion 10 a grand opera
which was not 40 very different from
the ooe In which he found h.mnplf.
He wondered 10 Carmen were ss bsou-
tiful ~ tie Cuban eirI who pscked ~
way amons the fallen bfsucbss 81
the sscscs ~bi-h lss 10 their pathway.
1nes t. trieS - ec.-,5cs h.r,es1e