The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-04-20

than fifty lner we watched that posi-
ton for b hour, until we were toii
that this bad been "a false alarm, wHei
We again returned 20 our rooms, 10 GU
bed aud to our sleep.
Aud now occurs one of the ~iDeSplie
able mysteries Of the war. With
body of men fresh and eager, embold
efIed by the success ri the Eteyi0n
days, and anxions 40 pursue the enem.
that evidently aud clearly is on tn
fight, the order simply comes that W
are 10 advance probably q mile or mil
aud half nearer 10 their position aDt
there make camp OF course fier,
were men in the line that said this wa
another evidence Of the slOwDess 81
General Otis, bDt fbe truth of tbs
matter was that General Otis was nt
more responsible for this than sou who
afe its readers. III was the policy oi
the government and the humane desirf
Of it, representatives, that after the
two signal defeats that had come to the
enemy, that they might stop 70 var M
ifs very beginning that only promised
TO be long drawn out aud o source OF
woa aud misery 10 the eombafnnts on
the other side, aud every opportunity
was To he presented TO these men 10
stop aud consider the consequences,
and IL they wished, to enter into uego
tiafions with General Offs, that would
be mutually profitable to all, but they
were not willing 10 accept Any oyer.
tures and, seemingly neither, did they
desire 10 enter into any agreement Of
any kind that would indicate they
were the losers IN the dgbliDp ibat was
then going on, 4 position was oh.
niDed for the whole line 0at on the
paddy folds whore there wgs neither
tbiokat or shade, aud where there were
30 buildings except block house mum
Der one, and this was u first expert.
euee With o block bouse or with q
method OF warfare that was peculiar to
the S~poniards aud 10 their people, tie
FiiipinOs Situated Ou u rising piece Of
ground, commanding u good view ~
the surrounding country, u house prob
ably twenty feet square, built ,of
double thickpess for plank, with small
loophoIes, bad been erected, IN this
the sentry and q number ot soldiers
were placed 10 guard against any pos
siblo attack or surprise ~ q time when
opposing factions were 40 rest, IL
was u source Of amusement to US, be
cause q determined set of men eopld
make . rvsL upon one NJ those
block houses aud could gather IN the
~ IitsD pnIA fl ii FFnA Wnl
loprd much nbopt the barb wirp thpt
was used 10 impede the progress Of ap
amy, but We did not SEQ any 0f ", 30
hat The Qrrnugpmenls which were
ANY made whereby these things were
% be gotten rid ", were not made use
", but thiuk ~ would haye been i
ingpriso To tho men vino erected these
,nrb wire barrieH had they seen the
petbpds on the pnPt 0f tho American
for overcoming these ObstpGlas,
u his determination 70 allow nothing
o stop him on onward mprelL
oar quarters wrre petty fair The
lep of onr regiment were stretched
NJ fm \ considerable proa md the
Ulcers wero Immediately IN the rear
N their line, We had tents and blpu-
iets TINT were spread on Tho around,
MT wo had no protection from lhp
esky mosquito ~ from the occasional
Ipllet thnt would remlnd III Tint our
The enomy, were keeplnE. tAhs
u onr position Had tho miHedeW
nd r0t spared tho tnpf thnt wns 90
ppiad those Inst two weeks, " would
aye benn u pleasant thing w hnyo
rppaht " hank and made \ present NJ
10 some Gnrio frlond ~ u lnllG, fnr "
'ps perforated with moro holes thnn
o. might DO ablp w count, Here W.
here we hnl ON npst lMowledse NJ
10 sore slrnits ~ Tho Filipino fm
md, for we discovered u glppt mnny
lnoos ~ the insignin Of tbs spaniArd
lat hAd been ppt W tho fire and the
melted from tho hFoaks, 40 FhaF
roy could DO made nsn 81 IN thn Wak' |
~ ~ hnllpts, /.
We discovered also following W, Tho !
'ar present nhinNmap, Whn WAS gath !
ing M MI tho Ompty shells, both
|ansoT md Springfield tint might bp
'nnd, and carrying them hnpk ~ thn
ty NJ MNniln Inter ON when we
NJ obtained ono ~ two ~ NO nm
milton sapks Of tho enemy. wp dis
lyprpd lhesa snmp shells nllnd with
is lend, ~ homemade bullets thnt
aro hoing mndp nso ~ NRAlnNt NJ i
W NEEDLESS ~ sNy TINT hnrnnflM Fhn
hinn WNR carefully Walnhod, and Il
hen we discovered him. plpkipg, M i
.eSe shells ordered him ~ DION
ON, and, with Ihp amillng com Y
apnnW that always characterization thp /,
NinNnNn whom no w npnRht dnina !
mothlng he nnRht nol W, no simply :
nppnd lhnm,
0ir life NJ this inns WINS not mpNpl 4
Ipns, but rather, busy. We WpFp
nyn miles M the oily NJ n
Vmlla, aud WHOM II. wnh known lhNt Y
pYpvlurna would hN mnln IN hn
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