Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-05-22
CHAPTER VII.

road line running out Of Manila.
Talk about excitement-he went on. Football
10 nothing to it. We crossed the stream near
Outowa and came pretty near being ambuscaded
on the other side. for. after forcing our way
through one Of the meanest swamps you ever saw,
where the mosquitoes were all on the side OF the
Filpinos. we suddenly came out Of the brush
upon the village. At first we thought 1t was de-
serted, everything quiet, but the minute
we came out from cover we got it slap in the
face from q lot Of the natives, who were behind
the huts, and then another volley from another
lot the other side Of q broad ditch Just outside
the village limits.
Hall dozen in our company fell, among them
Perkins Of the university. You remember him.
Played In the Thanksgiving day game-the one
you didn't play in. Well. l saw him dive head
first to the ground. arms up and gun going every
way, just as you in pictures Of battles. And
had queer. sick sort OF feeling, as II my turn
would be next; but it wasn't. and then thing
happened that made me sicker yet. The natives
began to tumble out Of the huts in twos and
threes, yelling and running toward the ditch.
Some OF them leaped across 1t and turned and
fred from the other side. But the sickening part
Of il was the women and children. OF course we
had orders not to shoot them, and we did our
best to obey the order, but they were jumping in
and out among the men. and they were all mixed
up together the other side Of the ditch. firing
1 ike ueVllS at US, anu IL WOulu nave Ueen MIRA
Gle If none Of the children and women had been
hurt. Well, we drove for the ditch. every man
of US yelling and firing like mad and when we
got up to it we discovered great thicket OF
thorns and abatis work fringing the other side.
And all the natives men, women and children to.
gether crowded in hudded up group
alongside the ditch, hommed in by the thicket On
one side and the ditch the other. You see,
| they had been expecting an attack from that side
OF the village instead OF the rear, where came
up, and, being driven out Of the village, they
| were caught in the trap OF their own defenses
We yelled to them to surrender, seeing they
cooped up like rats in trap, but they blaz-
ed away with their guns and threw their long
knives at us. and had to shoot back in reply.
One Of the knives grazed my cheek and cut it
open. ! think ] didn't realize what 1t until
began to taste the blood running down into my
mouth. The next thing ! knew ! was leapng
over the ditch. and the natives were running up
| and down, some OF them trying to jump the ditch
again back toward our lines But they were shot
down like rabbits and tumbed into the ditch.
until, in several places l afterward, our men
| walked straight across on the bodies. they filled
the ditch up SO level full.
This is not very pleasant reading, but you re-
member you said that Sherman or somebody
said that ''war is hell" And never realized the
truth Of it as did that day. We may be fighting
in the best cause that a Christian nation ever
ha0, IhouSn nave my uOuDVS OF IA out IuaL
does not make the fighting any more refined or
pleasant.
The one thing started to tell you about this
action was the incident OF Barnes. You remem.
Der how kind hearted Barnes always was In col.
lege. The fellows used to laugh at the way he
would take lame dogs and cats up to his room.
Well, after the shooting was all over and we were
taking breath to notice the results, there was
Barnes sitting ON the ground, wounded in the
foot with Mauser bullet. But he was not pay
ing any attention to that. There was the dead
body Of native woman lying half over the edge
OF the ditch and it was impossible to tell from
her position and her wound whether she had been
shot by men or her own. Anyhow, she was
dead, and ner baby, not more than lla years old.
was Juggling at the mothers arm and calling to
her in her language.
tell you the sight made me choke. Barnes
was sitting there trying to get the baby to come
to him But every time he tried to coax the child
away it struck at him and then turned and pulled
its mothers arm again. The men began to gather
around and look Barnes crying like
baby himself, and every last who up
and stood stock still by that dead mother gave
gulp and then went to pieces.
Well, can't tell any more about that. We got
the baby away after awhile. and Barnes, who was
in the hospital. got the surgeon to take care OF
1t. | hate to tell you the rest. The most terrific
storm up that night, and the rain flooded
everything, including all the tents The rains
here are simply awful. For a tropical country
too. the cold Of night rain is often intense. In
the morning the baby was found dead The sur
geon had his hands full and more too. He hadn't
had any sleep for several nights. The woman who
was given charge Of the baby slipped out Of the
tent and abandoned 1t. And am afraid it is true
that the baby was really drowned in the torrent
that swept through the camp that night. We
found the body, with others Of the natives, on
nlU nf he |
not think Barnes more cut up over
anything in my life. And yet, suppose, 1t was
the best thing that could happen. after all. see
ing the mother gone too.
That sounds more cold blooded than 1t Is. But
to tell the truth, chum. even with all these hor.
rors rather like the excitement and all 1t is
tough life. and it may not last long, but some
how | seem to take to it. think Of you often
and would give much to see you and the old room
In Rankin hail. Remember me to all the fellows.
II you want to mention my name to your sister,
would like it. l still have the book Of poems
Your old chum, WILLIS.
Edward sat holding the letter and
thinking Of the contents for a long
time. 1t was the second letter Willis
had written him. In the first one he
had described the life in barracks near
Manila and some incidents in the city
itself. There was one thing that Will
lis did not mention, but Mrs. Preston
bad written to Edward that the news
had reached her that Willis was drink
ing again. The old habit was strong
ON him. And apparently the privations
of the rough. coarse fare and camp
were so many that when he was allow
ed to go into the city on leave he In
dulged in dissipation that was gradual
ly putting its mark on him and chang
ing him daily for the worse. This
much Mrs. Preston confessed with sor.
row and with a helpless sort Of resig-
nation as If to an inevitable fatality
that moved Edward more than the
most beseeching appeal.
He answered Willis letter at once,
remembering how long 1t took for let
ter to reach him, and again urged him
TO leave the drink alone. In his letter
he also told him that he should take
the liberty of using part Of Willis
letter in the coming debate In open
meeting of the societies. He did not
mention Freeda's name nor make any
reference to Willis mention of 1t.