Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1900-06-15
CHAPTER Mi.

Still another expedition was destined
TO start for Manila, and keen was the
rivalry among the regiments held &c
daily drill at san Francisco. The rumor
was current in the camps that the next
review was to decide the matter, and
that the commands pronounced 10 be
foremost i'm discipline and efficiency
would be designated 10 embark. The
transports that had conveyed the ear
lier expeditions TO the Philippines be-
gan to reappear in the bay, and coaling
and reftting were hurried TO the ut.
most. The man most eager to get away
was Stanley Armstrong; and if merit
were to decide the matter IL was con
coded among the volunteers that In
point of style and equipment the
"Primeval Dudes" held over" all com
petitors, even though every competitor
believed itself more than match for
the Dudes if actual campaigning and
fighting were in contemplation. SEN
ators and members from the states
represented by the volunteers at san
Francisco led burdensome lives. for Of
ncers ana men were pulling every wire
to secure the longed-for orders for an
immediate voyage 10 Manila. when, all
on a sudden, the hopes Of all were
crushed. Spain had begged for peace.
NO more men can be sent 10 Manila,
said the officials consulted. and Camp
Merritt put on mourning forthwith.
But Armstrong had been studying
the situation and was not easily daunt-
ed. He was a man whose opinion car
ricd weight. and from the very first he
had maintained that while $1,000 or 20.
eco might be men enough Ia hold Ma.
Mia. 10000 might not be enough 10 sub.
due at once the forces of Aguinaldo in
case they should turn upon the Ameri-
cans, which. said be, placidly. they will
most certainly do before we are year
older.
The Dudes, therefore much 10 their
disgust. were kept steadily at work
Other regiments. prohting by example,
followed suit; but in others still.
small proportion Of their membership
believing. as they said. that the jig
was up" took 10 lawlcss and unhal-
lowed expression of their disgust and
became thereby nuisance TO the
neighborhood. San Franciscans, who
had wept copiously when others sailed
away, would have seen these patriots
sent into exile without shedding a tear.
Every man of this command will
yet be needed and yet be sent" said
Armstrong. So, too, did the veteran
division commander, and the brigade
took heart accordingly. The last of the
regulars. with the recruit detachments
for regiments already in the Philip
pines, had been shipped TO Honolulu,
there 10 await orders, and September
seemed destined TO GO by without a
change for the better in the prospects
of the men still left in camp about the
reservation. The Primes. convinced ait
last that the boy they sought was not
TO be found in California, had gone TO
Santa anita visiting their kindred, the
Lawrences; and Armstrong, buckling
down to hard and constant work was
striving TO persuade himself that he
did not care that the mornings no long
er brought with them the carriage and
the fair face of that gentle girl the de-
partment commander himself had gone
20 take a look at his new responsible.
tiles in Hawaii; little Mrs. Garrison
still held court, though with dimin-
ished retinue, at he Preside, when one
day, just as Oct ober was ushered in,
there came a message from the adju-
tant general in town. Would Arm
strong drou In At the Office at the first