Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-05-19

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single orderly. came the brigade CON.
mander. The crash OF musketry at
tho front, and the cheers OF the Cali.
fornians. an they drove in through the
rice fields to the support OF their com
rades Of tho First Washington. had
deadcued the sound OF the ponies
hoofs. Silently, but with intense
interest, the general listened 10 the
drivers story OF the fire from the nipa
huts on the skirts OF the town, aud
even before II was more than half
told, excited EXPLANATIONS among the
soldiers called his attention away.
Lashiug his pony to top speed aud
bending down on his neck, an orderly
came tearing in from the front, run
ming the gauntlet between two rows OF
native houses from which tho sharp,
vicious crack OF the Mauser, aud the
heavier report OF the Remington.
could be plainly heard.
"Send platoon to thrash those
fellows and burn those huts at oncew
was the instant order. "Send com.
pany back toward Paco Church. Did
they fire at you from there?" asked
tho general, turning suddenly on the
signal. officer.
~ think 30, sir" was tho modest
answer. "At least they fred several
shots from somewhere close at hand"
"You'll have hard work keeping
your wires up to-day, my lad" said
tho commander. thoughtfully, "and I
cont help you very much, either.
But all the same, shall have to rely
upon you"
"You may, SIR" was the answer,
and the old soldier aud the young
shook hands and parted.
Two hours later came the longed.
for order, "Advance!" With crash
ing volleys and ringing cheers the
mon Of California, Washington and
Idaho plunged through the muddy
stream at their front, and charged
home upon the intrenchments to the
south and west OF Santa Ana, and
then, wheeling to their left, drove the
insurgent force pell-mell to the banks
Of the Pasig, many Of the enemy, in
deed, drowning in their frantic ef-
forts to swim to safety on the farther
shore.
Meanwhile the extreme right of the
brigade, in hot pursuit Of the insur-
gent reserve and rear-guard, drove on
eastward along the highway, over
whelming the enemy every time he
strove to make a stand, and at last,
worn and breathless, halted for the
night. On the back OF a pasteboard
cartridge case their brave leader,
Colonel Smith, OF the First California,
wrote TO his commander tho brief,
soldierly report Of their success, and
sent it back to Santa Ana by galloping
orderly.
"Wire this news at once to General
Anderson" was the order, as the
brigade commander turned his horses
head up the river road, and spurred
away for the extreme front. The wire
was in Santa Ana already, so energetic
had been the work of the signal corps,
but when the operator touched his
key a moment later the line was life
less dead.
"Wire's cut!" said lie, briefly, and
went leaping down the stone steps in
search of his young chief. In another
moment the tall lad in brown khaki
was lashing his pony back along the
corpse.strewn road to Paco. Through
a lane of blazing nipa huts he tore his
way, keenly scanning the newly
strung wire. Over the Scared Con-
cordia bridge, where the battle ragged
so hotly in the early morning, the
plucky little racer bounded to the
Manila side, and SO on down the
Gale Real between the smoldering
ruins of the native huts, from which
had come that treacherous fire in the |
rear that killed aud wounded mem.
bers of the sacred band who serve
under the protection of the Red Cross.
Dense volumes OF smoke and flame
were pouring from the roof aud win
dows of the great church and convent
in Pace Square. "And yet" said the
soldiers, budding in the shelter of
the nearest building, "there's a gang
of 'em in the stone tower the flames
can't reach, and they AFRO firing at
every man who shows o head along
the street."
Peering through the murky veil,
the young officer could dimly see
other crouching forms OF blue -shirted |
soldiers firing upward at tho tower
window-wasted shots that only fiat
tened harmless on the archway above
the hidden heads of tho daring occu-
pants, who poured through narrow
Sits a deadly fire OH the roadway.
Over at Battery Knoll Captain Dyer
had trained one of his guns to bear
on that lofty little fortress, and now
and then shell came screeching over
the roofs, and burst with crash and
crackle at the tower; and still any at
tempt on part of officer or man to run
the gauntlet along that road was met
with the instant crack of q Mauser
and the zip of bullet. 1t was a
lane of death-bnt duty beckoned on.
Despite a vigorous balk and protest,
the little beast wac urged into trot.
and the brave lad with his eyes on
those precious wires. rode sturtlily on.
Another second and lie was seen
from the tower, barely two hundred
yards away, and then down came the
kissing bullets. Like angry wasps
they buzzed past his ears, and the
brave young heart beat hard aud fast,
but duty-duty always led him on; and
just block away, under sharp fire
every inch of of it, he came suddenly
upon O soldier of his corps crouching
in the shelter of the stone wall ut the
roadside, and pointing helplessly to
where the severed wire hung, limp
and useless, from tall pole close to
the abutment of that perilous bridge.
One way and one way only could it
be repaired. Some one must climb
that pole in the very face of those
lurking rebels in the tower.
II the smoke hung low it might spoil
their aim. II it lifted. and it was lift
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