Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-05-31

side of the PaSE, had neaped lilsult"hu
threats upon our silent sentrles, COM I
PEELED by orders to the very last to sub
init to anything but actual attack
rather than bring on battle. Inc
are afraid" was the glee1ul
cry of Aguinaldos officers, the Jeer ana
tauut of his men. The regulars were
soon to come and replace those volun-
teers. said the wiseacre of his cabinet
therefore strike now before the trained
and disciplined troops arrive ana sweep
these big Doors into the sea. Ana on
the still, starlit night, sooner perhaps
than his confederates within the walls
intended. the rebel leader struck, and
long before the dawn OF the lovely
Sunday morn that followed, the hre
flashed from 10000 rifles in big semi
circle around Manila, and the long-eX-
pected battle was on.
Hours after dawn, hours after the AT
tack began, the --teenth were IN ex.
tended battle order to the south OF
Malate confronted by thickets OF Dam
boo that fairly swarmed with 1ns"i
gents, yet only by the incessant z'pand
''wfiew" of their deadly missiles ana
the ceaseless crackle of rifle lire, coulo
this be determined; for with thelr
smokeless powder and their lnd'"n-lIke
skill in concealment nothing could be
seen of their array. Over to the west
ward on the placid waters of the pay
the huge Monadnock was driving sheh
amer shell into the dense underbrusA
across the abandoned rice fields and the
marshv flats that lined the shore. Over
70 the east resounding cheers and crash
Ing volleys, punctuated by the sharp
report of field guns, told that the com
rade brigade was heavily engaged
and. apparently, driving the enemy be-
fore them. TO right and left their VOL
unteer supports were banging INTO 1he
brush with their heavy Springfelds;
and still there seemed no symptom OF
weakness along the immediate front,
no sign of yielding. If anything the
fury Of the insurgent VolleyinG m
| creased as the sun climbed higher, and
| all along the blue-shirtcd line men grit
their teeth and swore rs they croucheo
or lay full length along the roadside,
peering through the flmy veil that
drifted slowly across their front-the
smoke from the Springtelds OF the vol
unteers. To lie there longer with the
bullets buzzing close overhead or Dit
ing deep into the low embankment,
sometimes tearing singing pain
through human flesh and bone, was
adding to the nerve strain of the hours
gone by. To rush headlong across that
Intervening open space, through deer
ond muddy pools and stagnant dltch
and hurI themselves upon me lul i>ini.
enemy in the bamboo copse beyond
had been the ardent longing Of the line
since daylight came to illumnc the tielc
before them. Yet stern orders with
held: Defend, but do not advance, sale
the generals message; and the whisper
went along from man to man: There
is trouble in town behind us, and the
chief may need us there"
But, as eight o'clock passed with nc
word of uprising in the rear, and the
cheering over toward Santa Ana grew
loud and louder, the nerve strain upo1
the -tecnth became well-nigh intolera
|
something instead of lying here firing
into a hornets nest?" was the murmtl
that arose in more than one company
along the impatient line; and the gruh
voices of veteran serGcants could be
heard ordering silence, while, moving
up and down behind their men, the line
officers cautioned against waste of am
intuition and needless exposure. Lie
fiat, men. Keep down. were tbs
words. 1--WE won't have to stand this
forever. You'll soon get your chance
And presently it came. The cheer
ing that had died away, far over to the
left beyond the wooded knobs that sur
rounded Singalon and Block House -
was suddenly taken up nearer at hand
Then crashing yolleys sounded along
the narrow roadway toward the east
and bugle rang out shrill and cleal
above the noise of battle; and the1
closer still, though unseen in the gloon
,, of the dense thicket in which they lay
the men of the Second battalion, strung
along Filipino trail that led away t,
the rice fields. swung their big straw
, hats and yelled for joy. A young of
ficer, his eyes flashing, his face flush
ing with excitement, came bounding
out from the grove at the left of thu
crouching line and made straight Il
where the veteran battalion command
err knelt in rear of his center. 1t wal
Billy Gray, adjutant of the Third bat
talon, acting that day as adjutant t.
the regimental commander. The bul
let's whistled by his head as he dartet
springingly along; and in their jo,
at sight of him even old hands forgo
the reserve of the regular service ant
some man shouted: NOW we're off!
and the popular query: whats TIL
: matter with Lieut.. Gray?"
a At any other time, under any othe
circumstances, both questioner ant
respondents who gleefully shouted
. "IIe's all right" would have beef
promptly and sternly suppressed. Blu
= the senior captain at their head wei
q knew the excitement tingling in tn
J. nerves of that long sutfering line, ant
b only smiled and nodded sympathy
, He saw, too, that Gray was quiverinI
J with pent-up feeling, rs the boy hate'
y short, sauted. and, striving to stead.
his eager voice, said:
Captain, the colonel directs tina
you open sharp fire on the woods il
, your front and occupy the enemy there
He is about to charge with the Thir
battalion and drive them out of tn
y trenches we've located over yondcr;
and Billy pointed eagerly 10 the let
front-the southeast.