The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-02-01
AN ACCIDENT
TO PONSONBY
A Story Of
A War Correspondent.

4
II was hot vlllainously hot. So was
the firing. So were transport mules,
Chinese stretcher coolies, advancing
| troops and the poor bleeding wretcbes
who were being put into the am
balances so was all the available wa
ter. SO were the little knot of CORE.
spondents who drummed their heels
ON the sides OF a stack OF biscuit boxes
on the side OF the railway embankment
aud mathematical the war, editors In
general and the press censor In partic-
ular. But the very hottest thing Of all
was Ponsonby. Aud PonsoDby, the
usually calm and urbane Ponsonby,
the well tried representative OF The
Daily GadAy. was now swearing like
n trooper, or, for the matter of that.
like a thousand troopers. Had he not
lost his pony and smashed his camerai I
Had not staff officer ordered him.
Fifteen PAGES behind the staff II you
please, gentlemen And had he not
fallen headlong into a buffalo wallow.
thereby befoulIng his usually neat AT
tire and twisting his aukley
Around us was nothing but smoke
and dust through which the mlddr'
sun glowed ln a crimson ball. A few
hundred yards to the northward on el
ther side Of the line OF railroad lay
long line or blue and brown clad hu.
manlty. from which came rattling
sound as though millions Of crackers
were being ignlted In one continuous
stream. Then, cutting the dust laden
air with their sobbing screams, the bul
lets OF the foe came flying overhead
occasionally allghtlng on the brown
sun baked ground with dull thuds or
Changing loudly on the iron roof OF the
station In whose rear we were. dust
begrImed and smoke stained, taking
shelter. A queer looking trio we, boot.
ed and spurred, belted and reyolvered.
And the worst OF Il was we had none
Of us broken our fast that day. As
Agden OF the San Francisco Screamer
remarked, -Whlle we are waiting here
we might as well investigate the hard
tack anyhow"
To this proposition | assented A
big stone and a Jackknife soon had
case opened and our teeth busy, and
when ! unearthed tin OF sardlnes
from my hip pocket even Ponsonby
forgot TO swear further. While thus
engaged the firing ceased, there were
a couple OF buglo calls, series OF
"yells" from the American troops as
they rose from their rice ridge shelters
and dashed forward In pursuit OF the
fleeing foe. Speedily we were follow
Ing In their wake, pauslng only now
or then to look at wounded man be-
ing borne rearward on a stretcher. The
advance line is soon oyertaken. They
have lost oil sight OF the feet footed
Fillpinos and are now resting and
awaiting a well earned meal. Our
notes are soon jotted down, and we
proceed TO investigate n nelghborlng |
hamlet which, after firing, the Insur-
gents have vacated,
Looks like hot work here" said |
Agden. pointing 10 the church, from |
which n shell had gently removed a
corner.
We aequlesce aud proceed TO lnvestl.
gate the Interior. After leaving the |
church we enter the adjacent priests
quarters ana. finding them comforta.
BILE. proceed TO camp there for the
nlght Your humble servant Is install.
led as chef. while Agden and Ponsonby |
sally forth 20 annex a chicken or any.
hing edible which comes handy. by /
Ibis time a number OF the victorious
troops have entered the village aud
IRE looking about the place. taking
sections Of nipa with which TO make
"shacks," collecting drewood.
seeking water. eggs, etc. Time passes.
Agden returns, but no Ponsonby. II
yets dark, but the village Is ablaze with
he light OF one or two blazing build.
ngs. We ramble about looking here.
making Inquiries there. SIN no sign
II our friend. Anyhow, II Is no use
seeking him further tonight. lie Is
Iure 70 turn up all right. So after
pleasant little meal we turn H."
| must have been asleep some hours
when something disturbed me. What
N earth Is thatl There. standing AT
he foot OF my bed, Is young native
woman. Naturally spring TO my
eet awaking Agden as | DO so, The
Mysterious damsel says something IN
spanish. What Il means neither Az.
len nor myself can comprehend. but
low on earth did she get rheref The
Insurgents have carried off all their
women with them. and how our pres,
mt visitor eau have Remained behind
: a mystery, She Is evidently anxious
bout something. for see how she Is
'eckonlng.
After a brief consultation as TO what
D do We follow the lady through the
oor aud into the church. She trips
long the uoOr aud goes right up to the
ltar, selzing some drapery al lts side
. she reaches H. There right IN the
hiek wall OF the church is doorway
'om which descends a fllght OF stepa
aGing a candle from some lying scat.
red about the tlOor she lights il and
roceeis TO descend. Round and round
q wind, and there az the bottom, his
'ad bound In blood stained bandage.
Ponsonby, evidently very seriously
ART looking deathly pale, but nOw
'aeefully sleeping. ii
To say that We were thunderstruck
onld be TO put il family. As neither
sden nor myself can speak Spanish
iagalog. We cannot ask the lady, for
lady she evidently Is, judging by her
Anner' her dress and jewels. She sat
some pieces OF wood. her face rest
on her bands. occasionally giving