The National tribune., 1900-07-19
A MIDNIGHT Reconnaissance.
By CAPT. HARRY L. WELLS, lst Oregon.

paddles in the water below, and knew
| that dugouts were passing up and down
| the stream. Here he recognized his
| greatest danger of discovery, for while
| he could not see the canoes in the black
ness below, any moving object on the
bridge would easily be observable by the
occupants of the canoes against the
bright sky above. 1t was impossible TO
guard against this danger by keeping
! quiet while canoes were passing, for he
had no means of knowing when they
passed unless Il word was spoken or there
WAS a careless splash of Il paddle. He had
to reckon with this as Il constant danger
and proceed without ability to avert it.
Stealthily and slowly he crawled upon
one of the great steel girdcrS aud wormed
his way slowly along it. One of the first
things he discovered was that all the ties,
rails and planks had been removed. and
only the steel longitudinal gllderS re-
mained. As he advanced toward the mid
die of the bridge his position became more
and more precarious. Forty feet below
him elided the swift but silent stream,
and how many bancas and their armed
occupants, with eyes turned toward him.
might be passing he could not tell. The
least noise would attract attention, both
from the boatmen below and the guards
on the bridge. and though his bare feet
made no sound, and he carefully prevent
ed his revolver from striking against the
framework, he did not know what instant
something loose might be moved and re-
veal his presence. The position of the
Filipino post was also uncertain. He did
not know but that at any instant he might
come upon n sentinel on the structure,
and if he did, retreat would be difficult
over the narrow girder that formed the
only footing.
As Ferguson advanced the sound Of
voices became more distinct, and the ne
ceSSity for caution mere acute. He was
on the lower deck of the bridge, and as
he gradually approached the opposite end
of the structure, he became satisfied that
there was an outpost on the upper deck.
Nothing daunted by this he advanced un
til he was directly below the post, ana
for time listened to the conversation of
the sentinels. By this time every Amer
ican soldier had learned more or less
Spanish, but this accomplishment was of
little service at this time, because most
of the conversation was carried on in the
Tagalog tongue. However, FergueSOn
learned enough from what he heard to be
satisfied the Filipinos did not think the
terrible Americans could cross the bridge.
He was also able to note that at the end
of the structure an entire span had been
removed with the exception of n single
girder. 1t was clearly impossible for =
column to attempt to cross the structure
under fire. With the same caution he
had observed in working his way across,
he gradually returned, and with the same
good fortune not to be observed by pass
ing boatmen. He reached the outpost in
safety and was greeted with joy by his
He then hastened to the Gen
erals headquarters and made his report,
and the contemplated assault by way OF
the bridge was abandoned.
The story of the next day is the same
story of American gallantry, dash and de-
termination that has been displayed Oh
a thousand fields of battle. The lines
advanced at daylight, and, lying on the
ground at short range, the men poured
in a terrific fire upon the intrenchments
across the stream. Above the bridge
quite distance a company of the Mon
tanas began to work its way across the
river, some by swimming and n few in
an old dugout canoe, and below the struc-
ture a few hundred yards Il company or
the kansans did the same thing by the
use of an improvised bamboo ferry raft,
the line for which was carried across the
river by 4 swimmer under heavy fire
and attached to a tree almost in the face
of an intrenchment. AS fast as the men
above and below got across, each one
opened fire upon the flank of the intrench-
ments, and before 80 of either regiment
had begun this flank attack the entire
Z, 900 Eilrinos fled from their intreneh-
ments. They were rallied about 4 quar-
ter of n mile from the bridge, and when
they preceived how the few men on their
side of the stream We're cut off from help