The National tribune., 1900-08-23

uOWn unQer Snelter. Ii seenS tlldt GeIE l
| Daniels was on duty that night and mad
reproved Badly for what he called ''skulk-
ing thus adding one more to his long list
| of grievances, and SO the sentinel was
now standing with head and shoulders
thrust above the trench, too proud to take
shelter or to expEin to the Captain the
reason, except to say that he could see
better that way. The Captain replied
that when he got Mauser bullet through
| his head he would not he aole to see ut
all, and ordered him to keep more under
| cover. Almost instantly thereafter came
n voley from the Filipino trench in the
| swamp only a hundred yards distant that
would probably have ended Baldy's career
| had he not obeyed the command. Turn
| ing to reprove a man who was vigorously
and noiSily utterinS numerous explosive
| adjectlycS about the "NiGgerS' who would
not let decent man sleep in peace, and
| threatening to take it out of their hides
in the morning, the Captain lay down to
snatch little sleep. An hour before day
! light the stirring notes of reVeille, pass
| ing down the line from regiment To rcgl-
ment, aroused the slumbering army t.
morning roll call. Il breakfast of bacn.4
coffee and hardtack, and preparations for
| the coming struggle.
| With the first rays of the morning sun
came the faint sounds of battle several
| miles away, coming closer and closer as
| the advance was taken up successfully 10y
| regiments from right to left. For the
most part the Filipino intrenchmentS were
| concealed in the woods about Il thousand
yards to the front and across an open rice
| field, over which the line had to advance
to the attack under q CALLING fire from an
invisible enemy, but on the extreme left,
in front of Co. -, the trench approached
within hundred yards, looming up n
massive wall of dirt and mud in the midst
of n brushy swamp, through which the
attacking party had to struggle for 30
yards. At last the bugle sounded the ad-
vance and Co. - leapcd over its trench,
charged with fierce yclls over the 80 yards
of dry ground and plunged into the
swamp, while thousands of Mauscr and
Remington bullets sang their death-songs
about the ears of the charging men. Men
fell, but the line never faltered. Through
the thick brush of the swamp they forced
their way, wading waist-dcep in mud and
water, stopping to pull each other out
when miIcd down, and slowly approaching
that black wall of earth. from the top of
which the messengers Of death were speed
ing. At last a few reached it, and climb
ing up its slippery sides began to fire their
Springficlds into the mass of now panic
stricken FilipinOs, crouching in mortal ter
rOr of those giant Americans whom neither
bullets nor swamp could stop. They fled,
and were soon lost to sight in the brush.
Waiting until the entire company had
eXtrlcated itself from the mire and reached
the trench, the Captain conducted the sec
ond platoon around the left, while the first
moved to the right. With the loss of men
dead and wounded and those who had
stopped to aid their injured comrades, the
Captain soon found himself with but 1G
men on a turnpike leading through the
swamp to Malabon, bordered on either side
by an impossible ditch, beyond which a
fringe of trees cut off the view. Alter
nately rushing a few yards to the front
and then living IpIvp m fro UnllpyS fbn
little squad advanced several hundred
yards, when the Captain noticed the sound
of firing on his right was moving farther
and farther away. He then realized that
lie had diverged from the main line at the
corner of the swamp and was going along
the base of right angle while the re-
mained of the army was going up the per-
pendicuar. Strong bodies of Filipinos
were posted behind dykes and trenches in
his front, across a deep bayou, and the
only bridge by which they could be reached
was on the turnpike ahead and was par
italy destroyed. Even a. large force could
not have made the passage and it was
folly for this little handful to attempt it.
Yet the heavy cross fire the strong force
in his front was pouring upon the flank
of the regiment advancing along the other
edge Of the swamp made it advisable for
him to hold his position for n time and di
vert as much of that fire as possible; SO
for an hour the officer lay upon the open
turnpike with his littin squad. now re-
duced to dozen men, and exchanged
shots with the enemy in his front. A per-
feet storm of bullets swept down the pike,
the fire Of the enemy being concentrated
upon the road.
Bolt upright in the middle Of the road
sat Badly and Private O'Leary, both
scorninG to lie down when they could aim
so much better sitting up, and shooting as
deliberately as though at target practice.
What range are yeZ usin'?' asked
O'Leary, as he elected a shell and drew
another from his belt.
''Four-tifty. Say. some of them fellers
is shOotn' careless" replied Badly, as a
bullet whiStled close to his ear.
They'd as soon hit yez as not" said
O'Lcary, adjusting his sights. 1--WE been
usin' four hundred. Are yez allowin' fur
the wind?'
''Ioldin' little to the right See that
feller over there in that little cut in the
trench? Now. aim at him and shoot just
after do and mebbe you'll git i'm"
A few minutes later Baldy's campaign
hat went flying from his head, and as he
picked it up and carefully examined the
big hole where bullet had carried away
the Montana peak, he remarked, dryly:
Them cusses'll make me Overdraw my
clothin' account, first thing l know"
IF yez wear that chappo long the fles'll
git away wild ye," remarked O'Leary, in
pIayIul alluSiou 10 INC exposed crown Oh
Baldy's head.
Thus it went for an hour the men ten
derly caring for the wounded, covering the
dead with their pOnchos, and commenting
humorously upon the Filipino marksman-
ship, their many narrow escapes and the
pleasures of life in the tropics, until the
Captain decided that he could not do
enough good there to warrant sacrificing
any more lives. Where the squad now lay
two were already dead, two were severely
wounded and he himself had bullet mark
that reminded him of the uncertainties of
life. a private wounded in the thigh was
still strong enough to walk with q little
assistance, but Serg't Daniels, with a bull
let through his shoulder was so weak from
loss of blood that he could not stand alone.
All able to walk could get partial shelter
by wading in the edge of the ditch at the
base of the pike, but wounded man could
not be carried there. 1t was evident the
two dead men must be left for the present
where they lay, and that two men must
hold Daniels on his feet on the pike and
walk slowly along with him, fully exposed
to the swarm of bullets sweeping over him. |
Almost instant death seemed certain to |
any who attempted it, yet when the Cap |
tain mentioned the matter O'Leary and |
Badly both promptly volunteered Hand |
ing their rifles to others to carry, they |
lifted the Sergeant to a standing position, |
each placing an ann around his back for |
a support and thus the three made their |
way slowly along tie pike, a perfect hail