The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-10-18
BUGLER CALVIN TITUS.

who could not sleep that night. Sleep
would not come. He got up and walked
to the brow of the hill and looked long
toward Pekin. A dead city it lay in
the night. No smoke curled up from
the high smokestacks, the busy whirr
OF machinery was absent. Unlighted
and unlovely it lay an eastern city
of the past in strange contract to the
western cities he knew. He was only
a youth, 20 years old, and he carried
bugle at his side, for he was rated in
the army as musician. But the band
never gets on the firing line and SO
he forsook the band and carried the
bugle to the front. He had been in
the army two years and had never
had chance to distinguish himself.
During the war with Spain he enlisted
In Company K, First Vermont, and
never got any further than Chicka-
manga, where he was mustered out in
November, 1898. He was back agais
In the service in April, 1899, bound
for the Philippines and China
He stood outside the wall and won
dered If it could be scaled.
Don't look any harder than the
palisades Of the Genesee river" he
unused, with his head on one side, re-
ferring to the climb he had when he
carved his name on the highest point
Of the heights below the middle falls
in Wyoming county, New York.
"By jimminy, I'll do It," he cried,
slapping his knee, and he went back
TO the corn field to sleep.
Attack tho Wall.
Next day the sun rose on scene of
war. The Japanese troops attacked
the wall on the north with their long
guns and artillery. The Russians next
to them formed for charge. The Ger
mans, the English and the French
swung around the half circle and the
Americans brought up the left flank.
Along the top Of the wall the pig
tailed heads of the enemy could oc-
casionally be seen by the allied troops
on the ground. The watch towers over
the gates bristled with cannon, which
swept the country for miles around.
The order came along the line to pre-
pare for the charge and the men
gripped their guns tighter and, with
stern faces and set teeth. waited the
sound of the bugle which would send
some of them to their death.
1t was one-sided fight for the most
part. Except for the artillery in the
possession Of the Japanese and few
naval which =
dragged from the warships at Tien-
tsin, the little army of the west had
nothing with which to fight their foes
at long range. On the other hand, the
Chinese were well equipped with
heavy fort pieces, which they had
mounted on the wall With them they
hoped to keep the enemy at bay.
But there was one thing with which
they had not reckoned. and that was
that their guns could sweep the foe off
the face of the earth at distance. but
could not harm them close under the
walls of the city. The American Off
GERS were first to perceive this fact.
While their men were Eng shot to
pieces at long range and dying with
their useless rifles in their hands. the
ohicers had resolved upon a charge for
safety under the very walls OF the city.
There the fight would be ON more even
terms. for 1t would be rifles against
rifles, and the best shots would tell.
And SO the order charge" came sweep
ing down the line. The men broke
from cover and ran in open order to-
ward the wall. Well might the fight
Ing men of Europe stare in amaze
ment from behind their hastily con-
structed mud breastworks. Never vet
was seen such curious sight. Men
with muskets in their, hands charging
walled city defended by cannoni
{ But the object became apparent in 4
moment. The Chinese, taken by sur
Prise. peered over the ramparts, for
getting their guns. They watched the
boys in blue until their own wall cut |
eh the sight. Not man had been
lost.
The Buslsr Acts.
Among the first to reach thA VAL