The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-01-30


SeaHrs uuu II cUrpCrn,-vr
these Done Is OF any account in this
yarn except the first sergeant, because
he trained the rockies and made them
what they were when they and the mn-
I; 1of ctsIne TO a perfect understanding.
In. the meantime the captain had bit
the dust ut the stroke Of Mauser bull.
Iet' one or the lieutenants had died of
iever' and the other one had disappear
ed. AS for the other fellows, no SER
geant but first sergeant is any good
tor year: md ccrporai-i1e's GOOD
Tor nothing at all.
ibis sergeant was named Grimes.
| How old he was no one but he knew.
DE was soldier, though, every inch OF
MIN, and when the scratch came 1t was
he who played lieutenant to the major.
That came about because when the
battalion deployed on the morning OF
that memorable day In the jungle on
the banks Of He'll river Grimes compa-
ny took the center OF line. 1t was then
that the sergeant and the major had O
tiff.
/ Mdjur, said Grimes. "git out o. the
way g fire when them regulations say
as ye must. In there where ye be yell
be kilt"
| u will not, Crimes" said tho major.
"Did get behind when we chased
| Geronimor'
The sergeant gave d sardonic grin.
""hat ye did not, major, God bless
ye. out ye've got to this time" With
that Grimes encircled tho majors waist
/ u tC n ov,d .1o T.
the rear, while the company lay smoth-
ering in the pampas. burning inside
with desire to be up and at the run be-
hind the sickly yellow flag that Topped
beyond the hill.
i "Aittle hlll. they calls 1t, eh?" said
Mike, the longshoreman, to the black
eyed youth.
"Hisht, phwat's that?'
This time 1t was the major speaking.
"You knew I'd do 1t, Crimes" he
said. 'bnt you wouldn't heed"
"By the 40 articles, it's your right"
said Grimes. splitting out q discarded
tooth. "but ye are behind me line"
And he was, but the best Grimes
could do could not make the major lio
down. The line lay between He'll river
and the hill. n thousand miles or more
from the hill where we left them awhile
ago, with the rockies on one side
snoring in the summer sun and the ma
jor rolling down the other side threat
ening at every turn to burst his waist
band with the laughter he was holding
In. They were in another cline, too,
under sun that burned like a scourge.
Mosquitoes? Nc, they were Mauser
bullets, clipping at the tops OF the PAM
pas grasses, scattering the delicate
blossoms on the heads Of the file. Be-
hind them were other files, some Of
them wadtng He'll river knee deep in
mud and shoulder deep In t1ater. But
that didn't save them, for the fellows
behind the yellow flag on the hilltop
had got the range, and almost every
minute some one of them went down to
settle there in Shiny grave. Some
cried out, others only groaned. Some
were silent and just sank, arms. haver-
sacks AID all, to join the roll Of the
missing after the fight"
But not one Of the file In the front
looked like a rookie. The fat boy was
nearly rs fat as ever, and his little pig
eyes cleaned savagely rs he strove 10
get two fat fingers inside his trigger
guard mt once. Now and then one of
them swore. 1t was always the cow
puncher first, until he laid down bis
gun ard crawled to the rear. A Mauser
took him in the skull. One kick. and he
lay still.
The lank rookie shuddered, and, i'm
PEELED by an impulse he did not under
stand. he rose to bring the cowpuncher
back.
Zing, zing, zing, zing, zing!
"I!stcn tc themr' sang out the black
eyed boy. Down went the lank boy,
his brains spillIng into his hat Then
there were five Of them.
Where all the rest Of the company
was only they and maybe their officers
knew. The pampns hid everything.
They might have charged. History
says they did, but there is dispute on
a point of precedence in the matter
Some say that the seven rockies and
the major and Grimes were left be-
hind. but the major said no, and what
were left Of the lot agree with him.
1t was the mountaineer's turn to go,
1t seemed, after the others had quit the
light. He saw those two lying side by
side. and his nervous force left him.
But he was nc coward. He did not
shrek, as he might have done and Of
ten had doubtless. He got good grip
on his Krag. staggered up until his
great length raised him even above the
tops Of the pampns, Then he doubled
up like jackknife, clapped his hnnd
to his throat and rolled over, with his
head next to the Indians ribs.
| UG0dp cOfd kftI.o opd ~lopooS I5or,r
the file. There were beside him the
Indian. the fat boy and Steve. with his
black eyes flashing. They said nothing
more, but lay listening to the major
and Grimes. who were ut 1t again.
| Now. with Geronimo" Grimes was
saying. 1--WE didn't have to wait for no
orders. We got 'em first them days,
eh, major? It's heads we wants. Itll