Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-07-19
fc,ovripht. 1890. by F. Tennyson NeeIy.I

of wha; has happened wnlIe ne IS mere,
she muttered; and a nod of her fluffy
| head toward the perturbed colonel told
plainly that The chief of the household
really had no place in the family coun-
ellis. To the sisters that alarm was a
| blessing in disguise. It was all suffi-
Gent to account for Nita's prostration.
To the rash and reckless lad, who,
claiming TO be an orderly with a letter
from the colonel, had been passed by
the gate guard to the open stairway, it
afforded ample cover for escape, when,
alarmed by Nita's cry, Gray and the
corporal came springing to her aid. To
Gray himself it gave only few minutes
forgetfulness of his trouble, for, smart
ing under the sting of a woman's only
| half-hidden disdain, he would have well
coined with almost savage joy some
fierce battle with a skillful foe, some
scene in which he could compel her re-
spect and admiration. He was still
smarting and stung when at last that
| opportunity came.
| Long will Manila remember the
night. 1t followed close upon the heels
|
officer and man to his post of duty.
Day after day the strain increased.
The insurgents, crowding upon our out
posts in front of Santa Mesa on the
north and of Santa Ana on the south
| side of the Pasig, had heaped insult and
threats upon our silent sentries, COM
PEELED by orders to the very last TO sub
NIT to anything but actual attack
rather than bring on battle. The
Americans are afraid" was the gleeful
CRY of Aguinaldo's officers, the jeer and
taunt 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 and sweep
| these big Doors into the sea. And 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 fire
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 bam-
boo that fairly swarmed with insn;-
gents, yet. only by the incessant zip and
s.whiew" of their deadly missiles and
the ceaseless crackle of rife fire, could
this be determined; for with their
smokeless powder and their Indian-like
skill in concealment nothing could be
seen of their array. Over to the west
ward on the placid waters of the bay
the huge Monadnock was driving shell
after shell into the dense underbrush
across the abandoned rice fields and the
marshy flats that lined the shore. Over
| to 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
untcer supports were banging into the
brush with their heavy Springtields;
and still there seemed no symptom of
weakness along the immediate front,
no sign of yielding. If anything the
fury Of the nsurgent volleyiEg in
creased as the sun climbed higher, and
all along the blue-shirted line men grit
| their teeth and swore as they crouched
or lay full length along the roadside,
peering through the filmy veil that
drifted slowly across their front-the
smoke from the Springfields of the vol
unteers. To lie there longer with the
| bullets buzzing close overhead or Bit
ing deep into the low embankment,
sometimes tearing a singing path
| 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 deep
and muddy pools and stagnant ditch,
| and hurl themselves upon the lurking
enemy in the bamboo copse beyond,
had been the ardent longing of the line
since daylight came TO ilumine the field
before them. Yet stern orders with
! held: Defend, but do not advance. said
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 no
word of uprising in the rear, and the
| cheering over toward Santa Ana grew
| loud and louder, the nerve strain upon
the -teeuth became well-nigh intolera-
bic. For Gods sake can't we be doing
something instead of lying here firing
| into hornets neSt2" was the murmur
that arose in more than one company
along the impatient line; and the gruff
voices Of veteran sergeants could be
heard ordering silence. while, moving
up and down behind their men. the line
officers cautioned against waste Of am
munition and needless exposure Lie
fat, men. Keep down." were the
words. 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 Sirgalon and Block House Il.
was suddenly taken up nearer at hand
Then crashing volleys sounded along
the narrow roadway toward the east.