Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-11-30

CHAPTER XX.-CoNTINUED.
Far back towards the dusty high
way where the ambulances were hur-
rying, and close to the abutments Of
a massive stone bridge that crossed
a tributary of the Pasig, three OIL
GERS, surgeon, and half-a-dozen SOL
diers were grouped about a PROSTATE
form in the pale blue uniform, with
the gold embroidery and broad
stripes of a Filipino captain, but the
face was CHASTITY white, the language
CHASTITY Anglo-SaXon.,
With the blood yelling from a shot
hole in his broad, burly chest and the
seal of death already settling on his
ashen brow, he was scowling up into
the half-compassio half-con-
temptuous faces about him. Here lay
the "Capitan Americana of whom
the Tagal soldiers had been boasting
for a month-a deserter from the
army of the United States, a COM
missioned officer in the ranks of
Aguinaldo, shot to death in his first
battle in sight of some who had seen
and known him Gin the blue"
Lieut.. Stuyvesant, revived by long
pull at the doctors flask, his bleed
ing stanched, had again pressed for
ward to take his part in the fight,
but now lay back in the low vic
toria that the men had run forward
from the village, and looked down
upon the man who in bitter wrath
and hatred had vowed long months
before to have his hearts blood
the man who had so nearly done him
to death in Honolulu. Even now in
Sackett's dying eyes something OF
the same brutal rage mingled with
the instant CLEAN of recognition
that for a moment flashed across his
distorted features. 1t seemed retri-
button indeed that his last conscious
glance should fall upon the living
face of the man to whom he owed his
rescue from a fearful death that
night IN far-away Nevada.
But, badly as he was whipped that
brilliant Sunday, Johnny Filipino"
had the wit to note that Uncle Sam
had hardly handful of cavalry and
nowhere near enough men to follow
up the advantages, and hence the
long campaign of minor affairs that
had to follow. In that campaign San
dy Ray was far too busy at the front
to know very much of what was GO
ing on at the rear in Manila. He
listened with little sympathy to Far
quhar's brief disposition of poor Eos
ter's case. "They could remove the
desertion and give him commission,
but they couldn't make Wally a sol
der. He went home when the fight
ing had hardly begun Somebody
was mean enough to say if he hadn't
his mother would have come for him.
There was no question as to the
identity of the soldier who died in
Filipino uniform. Not only did
Stuyyesant recognize aim, but so did
Ray and Trooper Mellen, and Connel-
1y, fetched over from the north side
to make assurance doubly sure. 1t
was Sackett-Murray, gambler, horse
thief, householder, deserter, bite.,
murderer and double-dyed traitor.
He had fed to the insurgents in
dread of discovery and death at the
hands of Benton's comrades.
And perhaps it was just as well.
Foster knew of his hapless end be-
fore he took steamer .homeward;
knew, too, of Stuyvesant's wound,
and-possibly it had something to do
with his departure--of the disposi-
ton made of that fortunately wound
ed officer. Miss Ray, it seems, was
regularly on duty now, with other
Red Cross nurses, and Stuyvesan5
went to the First Reserve and
stayed there whole week, and even
DIR. Wells came and smiled on him,
and Miss Porter beamed, and still he
was not happy-for Maidie came not.
She was busy as she could be at the
farther end of the other wards.
And so Stuyvesant grew impatient
of nursing, declared he was well, and
still was far from happy, for at that
time Foster was still lowering about
the premises, and Stuyvesant could
see only one possible explanation for
that. They moved him back to his
breezy quarters at Malate. Bus pres
emily a trap was sprung, mainly
through Mrs. Brent's completely, for
once or twice week it was Maidie's
custom to go to her old friends ROOF
for rest and tea. And one evening,
seems to me it was Valentines day,
just before sunset, they were in the
veranda-the colonel and his kindly
wife. while Maid Marion the Second
was in her own room donning dainty
gown for change from the Red Cross
uniform, when a carriage whirled UP
to the entrance underneath, and Mrs.
Brent, leaning over the rail, smiled on
ITS sole occupant and nodded reassur
ingly
Stuyvesant came up slowly, looking
not too robust, and said it was awfully
good OF Mrs Brent TO take pity on his
loneliness and have him round to tea.
other nice WOMEN, younger, more at
traeilFe personally than Mrs. Brent
bad Likewise hidden him to tea lust