Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-28
/ I en- Years I rial
: The Story Of q Soldiers Struggle
s By Brisadier General
s Charles King
u Copyright 1901 by Charles King

Copyright 1901, by Charles King

! 0ugh nad been Iangdon'S N1ndicatlon
of the faith and trust reposed in him.
Silently, sadly, the Washoes bore the
dying major back to the walls of the
old convent within the lines. Reverent-
/ ly they began the gathering up of the
| dead, and tenderly, these stout hearted
fellows, they strove to minister to the
| wounded, friend and foe alike, willie
cowed, scowling, sullen, the luckless
prisoners We're swept up from the curv-
ing shores, from under the floors of ma
tive huts, from the bitches and drains
| along the village walls. Away out to
/ the right front, up the river road to-
ward Guadeloupe, the pursuing Column
bias We're still volleying at Ricarti's
rear guard, what there was left of 1t,
but Santa Ana, with all its stores of
ammunition and supplies, was the
prize Of the brigade, and the veteran
1 general of division, riding out to sur
vey the scene and congratulate the vic
4 tors, stopped to shake hands with
Langdon and add his wcrd of praise
and compliment and to inquire us to
his wound. "Only pin scratch, gen
eral, that wouldn't hurt at all If 1
could know there was no truth in the
story that General Melville is killed.
ooh, 1 won't believe it!' said the
chief. "Your only authority and mine
is Colonel Nathan, and Nathan's only
authority is that batch of correspond
ents he's been housing for the past
week. They had it that you were NOR
tally silit and half your regiment killed.
/ Where is Colonel Nathan, anyhow"
II don't know, sir" answered Lang
don guardedly. II haven't seen him
since daybreak."
The major general turned in saddle
and looked back across the bloody field
toward the roofs of Pace glinting be-
I tween him and the white towers of
Manila, another mile beyond. The pale
blue clouds had drifted away. In their
1 place dense volumes of black smoke
We're beginning to roll skyward from
three or four points in the thronging
suburb, and the crackle of burning
(. bamboo sounded like distant fusil-
lade.
'9rhey've been firing on our wounded
and ambulances from the church and
native houses" said the general briefly.
He was thinking-he couldn't help it
of the words of two battery officers he
had overheard as he stood at the knoll
watching the triumphant advance of
his division. Rodney May was the
first speaker, and the battery COM
4 mander had heard without either re-
proof or dissent.
cts just what Eric said at Pawnee
! ten years ago. He has come steadily
up and Nathan gone steadily down in
the good opinion of every square man
in the regiment. Yesterday they were
on a level as far as rank goes; today
I'm betting Langdon's name goes In for
breyet and Nathan's won't be heard
Of"
4 where on earth is Colonel Nathan 2"
asked the brigade commander as he
refined in on the Plaza under the walls
of the great church where two compa-
MES of the Columbias were tanning
their hot faces with their broad brim-
med hats, and the men looked at each
other and grinned.
/ Where on earth is Colonel Nathan"
again demanded the division chief as
| he and the brigadier rode through the
smoke of blazing nipa huts from whose
walls the lurking Tagal rifles had shot
down but few moments before at
F! PENDANTS Of the wounded, friend and
foe alike. A surgeon, looking up from
the stretcher over which he was bend
ing, ducked his head toward distant
Paco.
"Away back yonder, colonel. You
won't find him this side of the Concor-
4 dia." And the two seniors exchanged
glances. Not until out of range of lis
tening ears was another word spoken.
Then the division commander began to
free himself of his impressions.
/ when the story Of this days work
is told, your Washoes and westerners,
especially Langdon, will be glorified,"
said he, "but what shall be said of Ma
4 than?"
Meanwhile Eric Langdon burned
with pain and fever under the roof
where lay, conyalescing of the wounds
received early in the first days fight,
his gallant and devoted friend Melville.
Langdon pulled through, thanks to ma
tive strength and constitution and the
tireless devotion and professional skill
of the surgeon who received him, I'M
conscious and sore spent, from the
hands of the hospital corps. Doing us
well, general, as we can expect after so
severe n wound was DR.. Armistead's
almost daily report for week. But
a what will the waking beY
''If you will permit me, DR.. Armi-
stead, that is n matter with which
shall charge myself It's time Lang
don knew the truth"
And SO one day when the soft sea
breeze was blowing in from the bay,
now studded with transports bringing
the long delayed re-enforcements, as
Langdon lay, weak, but once again
clear headed and craving news Of his
men, Melville hobbled to his bedside
and signaled to the attendant to slip
away. "Langdon, old fellow" he ask
ed as they were left alone, "feel as
though you could bear shock today?
Your old division commander came in
to say goodby while you were asleep.
Yon are named for the medal of honor
and the brevet of brigadier general.
wrote the news home by last post"
The pale, thin face on the pillow
lighted with faint flush of pleasure.
The long, slender fingers feebly clasp
ed the warm hand extended in greet
ing.
"How long before can be in saddle
again?" was the question framed by
his pallid lips, and the voice was but
the ghost Of that that rang like clar-
ion over the field at Santa Ana and
swung the wasnoes Into their magnln-
cent charge.
1.-TWO months or three, perhaps, and
not that possibly without q sea voyage
to Japan or run to Australia. You
had fearful wound, Eric, and under
Gods providence nothing but the best
of surgeons and constitutions saved
you. Dr. Meade is looking after you
now that all is going SO well. but for
frtf> Ice In ~ %,,o1-