Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-21
ssssss:ssss ssssssssSSs:ssssss Xxx sss<ssssss* ss<ss
!: THE SIGNAL LIGHTS OF SANTA ANA 3
IS BY Gen. ehas. King, y. s. a. TX
sfss.e.s.k .c.e.e.
BY Gen. ehas. King, y. s, a.,



copyrighted, 1900, Daily Story Pub. Coz
"Whatever you 10 tonight, men, watch
out for Signals" was the last order of
the field officer of the day, as he spurred
away toward Haystack Knoll. The night
was fine and still. the stars were bril-
liant. Not a sound save the distant
bowling of homeless dogs disturbed the
drowsy ear. Not a sign of the enemy
had been noted since late in the after
noon and then only through binoculars
had a few patrols been discovered fit
ting through the bamboo two miles to
the south; and yet the wires had clicked
the warning at brigade headquarters
down beyond the old stone church.
Enemy massing in front of Guadalupe.
Attack imminent And yet this was
the night Jack Hylands had promised
himself-yes. a promised her-that he
would slip down stream to Santa Ana
and have an hour of bliss before tattoo.
She was his majors daughter, as
brave and bonny a girl as could be
FOUND In he fast growing colony at
Manila. She and her mother had
followed the regiment three months
after it's landing in Luzon, bringing
with them convalescents from the fever
camps at Observation-Disclosures among
them, and two weeks run across the
sea had done the rest. The tall lieu
tenant was heels over head in love
with Nellie Marvin and a yet to
learn his fate. She was not a girl to be
won in a week, even though besieged
every hour of the day. She liked him
well, but so she did a dozen other fell
lows of the Fffty-sixth, especially Hurst,
the adjutant, said other women and
other girls. Hence Hylands was not al
together happy nor was he too hopeful,
but he loved her manfully and well,
and dared to put it to the touch"
What he needed was opportunity.
The regiment in long extended line
was covering the threatened front
from the Pasig beyond Guadalupe we |
over to Pasay. Battalions of other
regiments were strung out on either
hand. but so thin was the array that,
at almost any point, a well-led, deter
mined force could readily have pierced
It's way and gone careering in towards
Manila. Possibly the contemplation of
what might befall it farther on per-
suaded the insurgent leaders not to try
1T. AT all events there were families
that felt safe behind the sword" as
far out as the pretty suburb of Santa
Ana and there. in some of the charm
ing old places back up against the
crooked stream, three or four Ameri-
can households We're billeted in close
touch with the British residents, and
here in sheltered garden, not. a pistol
shot away from Santa Ana's old stone
church. Nell Marvin, her mother and
the chaplain's family took their even
ing stroll and received visitors from
the neighboring homesteads. What
fear had they? Only as servants among
the English residents did any of the
Tagal tribe remain. A of
stalwart volunteers still guarded the
town and, from the church tower,
watched every copse and road and vii
lage for miles around them. The Eng
fish had no fear; why should they
have? True, there was only one little
brigade between them, who could
say how many insurrectos were out
along the Laguna. True, the Filipino
leaders had been concentrating at Cainta,
byond the big town of Pasig, and near
Paranaque on the bay shore, and every
now and then at long range, and gen.
orally at night, they stirred up the
Yankee outposts and trenches, drawing
a lively fire of "Krag' and Springfield.
but discreetly avoiding close relations.
And yet, sal the officials back with
in the ramparts of the walled city, the
were massing for some purpose. ANY
hour they may BURST upon you, there
fore use the utmost vigilance, and re-
member if attacked not a man can be.
sent to your support. You must fight
it out-alone."
Serving as battalion adjutant, Mr..
Hylands had a horse { a native pony
the size Of a Sheltie) and occasional OPP
portunity for a stiff legged gallop back
to Santa Ana, two miles by road from
where his shelter was pitched behind
thte line of the second battalion. IF
all is quiet I'll come in Sunday evening,
Miss Nellie," said he, as he mounted
after a brief call one evening in mid
week. Other men hated to take the hot
ride to Manila on any duty. Hylands
would go on any pretext whatever. 1t
gave him a chance to see M speak with
her. Hurst, on the other hand, the
regimental %adjutant who had known the
bonny maid since her fourteenth birth
day and was languidly pleased with her
girlish admiration, only occasionally
troubled himself to call. He had been
accustomed to hearing for three years
that an any time his lordship chose to
drop his handkerchief at Nellie's shapely
feet she would blush and bend and pick
it up. No question about it.; he had been
NNS oSJ>SS ~ = ASA e'A A'A bAoA oul
girls grow wiser as they grow older,
and the man who thinks he has a sure
thing in a damsel because she adored
him in her sixteenth year is sixteen
times an ass. Hurst saw, as everyone
saw, how sweetly pretty Nell had grown.
What he didn't see was how much wiser
h was g~rowing-he didn't go often
enough. He heard of Hyland's in
fatuation and was sorry for Hylands.
Hylands was a good fellow, a good
soldier and deserved a good wife, but
Nell Marvin was for Hylands' b~etters,
when betters got ready.
Il think you are safe here the ma
jor had said one soft March evening.
"All the same it is we'll to have a sig
nal. From old San Pedro church we
can see the east windows of this house
plainly. If there should ever be trou-
BILE at night swing that red lantern