The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1900-07-05
smokeless powder and their Indian.in,e

the huRe MOnaunOCk WIS urlNinp smell
after shell into the dense underbrdsh
across the abandoned rice fields and the
marshy fats that lined the shore. over
10 the east resounding cheers and crash.
ing vollcys, punctua,ed by the SHARP
report OF field guns, told that tne com.
rnde brigade was heavily engaged
and, apparently, driving the enemy be-
fore them. To right and left their vol.
untecr supports were banging into thc
brush with their heavy Springficlds:
and still there seemed no symptom Ci
weakness along the immediate front,
no sign OF yielding. II anything the
fury Of the insurgcnt vollcying IN.
creased rs the sun climbed higher, aud
all along the bluc.shirtcd line men grit
their teeth and sworc ns they crouchcd
or lay full length along the roadside.
pcering through the filmy veil that
driftcd slowly asross their front the
smoke from the SprirFlclds Of the vol.
untccrs. To lie there longer with the
bullets buzzing elcse cycghsid or bit
ing deep into the low cinbahkmcnt.
sometimes tearing singing path
through human flesh and bone, was
adding TO the nerve strain OF the hours
gone by. TO rush hcadlong across that
intervening open space. through deep
aud muddy pools and singnant ditch,
aud hurl themselves upon the lurking
enemy In the bamboo copsc beyond,
had been tho ardent longing OF the line
since daylight came TO illuminc the field
before them. Yet stem orders with.
held: Defend, but do not advance, said
the generals message: and the whisper
went along from man TO man: "rhrre
is trouble in town behind us, and the
chief may need us there"
But, MS eight o'clock passed with no
word Of uprising in the rear. and the
cheering over toward Santa Ana grew
loud aud louder, the nerve strain upon
tn, --tcenth became wcll.nigh intolcra-
bic. "For Gods sake. cant we he doing
something instead Of lying here firing
into hornets ncst?" was the murmur
tha, arose In more than one company
along the impaticn, line; and the gruh
voices Of veteran sergcnnts could be
heard ordering silence, while, moving
mp ard down behind their men. the line
officers cautioned against waste of am
muni,ion and needless exposure. Lie
nai. men Keep down." were the
words. 1--WE won't have To stand this
forever. You'll soon get your chance"
And presently II came. The cheer
ing that had died away, far over 10 the
left beyond the wooded knOlls that sur
rounded Singalon and Block House L..
was suddenly taken up nearer ai hand.
Then crashing vollcys sounded along
the narrow roadway toward the east.
and "a buglc rang out shrill and clear
above the noise of battle; and then
| closer still. though unseen in the gloom
| of the dense thickct in which they lay,
| the men Of the Second battalion, strung
along u Filipino trail that led away 10
| the rice fields, swung their big straw
hats and yelled for joy. \ young Of
ilccr, his eyes flashing, his face flush.
| ing with excitement, came bounding
out from the grove at the left of the
| crouching line and made straight 10
| where the veteran battalion command.
or knclt in rear of his center. 1t was
Billy Gray, adjn,ant Of the Third bat
| talon. acting that day as adjutant To
the rcgimcninl commander. The bul-
let's whistlcd by his head as he dnriod
springingly along; and in their joy
nt sight Of him even old hands forgot
the reserve of the regular service and
| some man shouted: "Now we're off!"
| and the popular query: whats the
matter with Lieut.. Grny?"
At any other time, under any other
circumstances. both qucstioncr and
respondents who glccfully shoutcd:
Hes all right" would have been
promptly and stcrnly suppressed. but
the senior captail NJ their head well
knew the excitement iingling in the
nerves of that long.suilrring line, and
only smiled and nodded sympathy.
lie saw, too, that Gray was luivering
with pcnt.up feeling, ms the boy halted
short, salntcd, and. striving TO steady
his eager voice, said:
"Cap,nin, the colonel directs that
you open sharp fire on the woods In
your front and occupy the enemy there.
lie is about TO charge with the Third
| battalion and drive them out of the
| trenches we've located over yonder;"
and Billy pointed eagerly to the left
front-the southeast.
The captains grizzled face took on q
look OF keen disappointment. "fou
! mean we've got TO stay here and see
you fellows go IMP"
"Only for u few minutes, sir. Th'
colonel says that for you to charge he
fore he's got onto their flank would COS
too many men. You'll get the word al
soon as he's got the works"
"Wcll said, Billy boyl That sounds
almost cpigrammatic. llullo! io'
hit? Stoop down here, man. Don
try 10 get perforated
"My hat only" was the answer, ms tn
boy stopped quickly 10 hide the ire
pressible twitching about The muscle
of his lip. a Remington had rippe,
from side to side, tearing n way through
the curly hair nt the top of his hca'
and almost scoring the scalp. To say
his soul he could not quite suppres
the trembling OF his knees; but, steady
ing himself by great effort, he contin
ued: "Thc colonel says 10 commenc
firing by yolley the moment our buglc
sound the charge. Now | must &c
back" 'c'STT
"All right, youngster. Tell the col
onel savey, and we'll do our level bes
only, let us into II as quick MS 20
can"
Eut Gray heard only the first part @
the sentence. lie was painting whe
he reached his placid, gray -mustache
chief, and could only gasp out: 9Th