The suburban citizen., 1900-03-10

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in taking human life, and one of their
proudest feats is to sever the head
from the body with a single blow.
Our men in the Philippines who are
on detached duty, or who for any
cause are away from their commands,
are frequently attacked by these men.
Many of the insurgent officers and
soldiers carry bolos, but the genuine
bolomen are an organized body be-
longing to Aguinaldo's army, who
have as distinct a work to do as the
different branches of our own service.
Their work is solely to surprise the
unsuspecting outpost, officer or sol
dier, to dispatch him and run away
before the deed has been discovered.
During the months of June and
July, 1899, my regiment was doing
duty at San Fernando, about forty
miles from Manila. The companies
of the regiment took turns on outpost,
going on this duty every fourth day
aud being in reserve on the outpost
line the day preceding that on which
they went on post. This gave the
companies two nights in houses in
town and two on the line out of every
four.
My company did duty on what was
known as the north line, extending
from San Fernando full mile toward
Angeles. The entire distance was an
almost impenetrable jungle of bam-
boo and banana trees, intertwined
and interviewer with vines, thorn
bushes, and many other forms of
tropical growth.
To the front was an immense cane
field, with "paddy-feld" beyond The
cane was from five to seven feet high.
Along this deep fringe OF bamboo and
matted undergrowth, and near the
edge next to the caneGeld, our pickets,
or Cossack posts, as they are properly
called, were stationed at distances
ranging from one hundred and fifty to
two hundred and fifty yards apart one
corporal and six privates at each post.
On the tenth Of July my company
went out in reserve, and early in the
morning relieved the company there
on the outpost line. Nothing took
place daring the day except the usual
exchange of shots with the iusurgent
pickets. Most officers when in COM
mand of companies on this duty visit
their sentries some time during the
night, in order to reassure their men,
and to see that they are well-instructed
and on the alert. have always fol-
lowed this practice.
started on a tour of inspection at
about half-past nine, visiting first the
post on the railroad on the left of the
line, then taking the other posts in sue
cession down toward the right. 1t had
rained in torrents for several days, and
wide, deep pools of water had formed
everywhere along the way. Because
of these pools l was wearing high
topped rubber boots. Shortly after
ten o'clock arrived at the next to the
last post on the line, which was ubout
two hundred and fifty yards farther
on. Between these two pickets was
the most dense growth of bamboo trees
and banana stalks to be found in that
neighborhood, and the entire distance
was a continuous chain of diminutiye
lakes. There was path leading
through this network from one picket
TO the other.
1t was drizzling. The immense
spreading leaves of the banana and
thickly matted foliage of the bamboo
formed a canopy that shut out every
trace Of light. No dungeon was ever
darker than this path.
Notwithstanding the gloomy sur
roundings caused by the deathlike
stillness, the darkness of the night,
the water dripping from the over
hanging vegetation and completely
saturating my clothes, my occasionally
colllding with a thornY shrub, or
tripping over low. hanging vine, I was
IN excellent spirits. 1 groped along
the cavelike way, humming in low
tone "The Girl Left Behind Me, >"
and had reached q point about mid
way between the pickets. Then,
although l could see no one, sud
denly became aware of the presence
Of human being.
1 stopped as il I had been struck
dead, and strained my eyes. There,
just in front of me, near enough for
me to grasp with my hands, 1 saw
the dim outlines OF short, thick-set
man. Was he one Of my men? No,
for no man would dare to leave his
post at that time of night. Should
he be discovered in such an act, the
penalty for his crime would be death.
"Hello Who are you?" I said.
There was no answer from the man;
instead, I saw his right hand quickly
strike out from his shoulder, and the
flash Of a glistening blade, threw
UP my left hand. and our wrists met
in heavy collision; but his blow was
stronger than my ward, for felt q