Willmar tribune., 1900-06-06

VAN oAA SAAS SAeASAA :" ANNAS ~ sAS +ASASy
the huge Monadnock was driving she'll
after shell into the dense underbrush
across the abandoned rice fields and the
marshy flats that lined the shore. Over
to the east resounding cheers and crash
ing volleys, punctuated by the SHARP
report of field guns, told that the com-
rade brigade was heavily engaged
and, apparently. driving the enemy be-.
fore them. TO right and left their vol.
unteer supports were banging into the
brush with their heavy Springfelds;
and still there seemed no symptom OF
weakness along the immediate front,
no sign of yielding. If anything the
fury of the insurgent volleying in
creased as the sun climbed higher, and
all along the blue-shirted line men grit
their teeth and swore as they crouched
or lay full length along the roadside,
peering through the filmy veil that
drifted slowly a:"oss their front-the
smoke from the Spril Ei>lds of the vol
unteers. To lie there Logger with the
bullets buzzing dose l,c"hsid or Bit
ing deep into the low embar kment,
sometimes tearing stinginy path
through human flesh and bone, was
adding to the nerve strain of the hours
gone by. TO rush headlong across that
intervening open space, through deep
and muddy pools and stagnant ditch,
and hurl themselves upon the lurking
enemy in the bamboo copse beyond,
had been the ardent longing of the line
since daylight came to illumine the field
before them. Yet stern orders with
held: Defend, but do not advance, said
the generals message; and the whisper
went along from man to man: '"There
is trouble in town behind us, and the
chief may need us there"
/ But. as eight o'clock passed with no
word of uprising in the rear, and the
cheering over toward Santa Ana grew
loud and louder, the nerve strain upon
the -teenth became well-nigh intolera.
BILE. For Gods sake. can't we be doing
something instead of lying here firing
into hornets nest ?" was the murmur
that arose in more than one company
along the impatient line: and the gruff
voices OF veteran sergeants could be
heard ordering silence. while, moving
up and down behind their men, the line
officers cautioned against waste of am
munition and needless exposure. "Lie
fiat. men. Keep down." were the
| words. 1--WE won't have to stand this
forever. You'll soon get your chance
And presently it came. The cheer
ing that had died away, far over to the
left beyond the wooded knolls that sur
rounded Singalon and Block House 12,
was suddenly taken up nearer at hand.
Then crashing volleys sounded along
the narrow roadway toward the east
and bugle rang out shrill and clear
above the noise of battle; and then
closer still. though unseen in the gloom
of the dense thicket in which they lay
the men of the Second battalion, strung
along Filipino trail that led away tc
the rice fields, swung their big straw
hats and yelled for joy. A young of.
ficer. his eyes flashing, his face flush.
ing with excitement, came bounding
out from the grove at the left of the
crouching line and made straight tc
where the veteran battalion command
er knelt in rear of his center. 1t was
Billy Gray. adjutant of the Third bat.
talon, acting that day as adjutant tc
the regimental commander. The bul
lets whistled by his head as he darted
springingly along; and in their Joy
at sight of him even old hands forgot
the reserve of the regular service and
some man shouted: "Now we're OFF,
and the popular query: "What's the
matter with Lieut.. Gray?'
At any other time, under any Other
circumstances, both questioner ant
respondents who gleefully shouted;
Hes all right" would have beer
promptly and sternly suppressed. Blu,
the senior captain at their head vel
knew the excitement tingling in tn,
nerves of that long-suffering line, ant
only smiled and nodded sympathy
He saw, too, that Gray was quiverine
with pent-up feeling, as the boy halted
short, saluted, and, striving to steady
his eager voice, said:
Captain, the colonel directs tha,
you open sharp fire on the woods il
your front and occupy the enemy there
He is about to charge with the Thirt
battalion and drive them out of th'
trenches we've located over yonder;
and Billy pointed eagerly to the lef
front-the southeast.
The captains grizzled face took on :
look of keen disappointment. "Yo,
mean we've got to stay here and SCI
you fellows go in?"
only for few minutes, sir, Tn
colonel says that for you to charge be
fore he's got onto their flank would cos
too many men. You'll get the word a
soon as he's got the works."
SWELL said, Eilly boy! That sound
almost epigrammatic. Hullo! Yo1
hit? Stoop down here, man. Dom
try to get perforated"
my hat only" was the answer, as tn
boy stopped quickly to hide the ire
pressible twitching about the muscle
OF his lip. A Remington had rippet
from side to side, tearing a way through
the curly hair at the top OF bis hea,
and almost scoring the scalp. 10 saw
his soul he could not quite suppress
the trembling of his knees; but, steady
ing himself by great effort, he contin
ued: 1.-THE colonel says to commenc
firing by volley the moment our bugle
sound the charge. Now l must ge
back" =.-
| "All right, youngster. Tell the col
onel I savey, and We'll do our level bes
only, let US into it as quick as yo'
a. can" - <.a~ ~
i But Gray heard only the first part o
the sentence. He was painting whe1