The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-06

1
against the Americans, they were quite
Eisht In supposing the promise to be Of
little value. he fully intended to take
she Held again. although there wee
Inuch less bitterness ih his heart than
| IN the days before he was wounded.
! Ais moral sense had not been develop
ca TO the point OF regarding seriously
sse matter OF breaking O military pa.
| role. -
However. for the time being he was
Obliged to remain @ an0acombatant. for.
though his wound had healed, his con-
d1tton was not yet such as would per-
-H!s him 10 iake part In the necessarily
rapid movements OF the insurgent
forces. Meantime he found lodging
and employment with an ''amigo" FAM
lily who We're earning their daily bread
by making bamboo cots for the Ameri-
can troops, form of occupation forced
upon him by necessity, but less dis
tasteeu! than It would have been be-
fore his anti-American feeling had been
modified by his experiences. While
there message came to him through
the insurgent lines.
1t appeared that the mayor ne the
little town in which he was now living
had been q member Of q secret insur.
rectionary society to which Pardo also
belonged, one of the societies which
had organized the revolt against the
Spaniards and afterward transferred
their enmity to the Americans. But
when the American forces arrived the
mayor welcomed them with enthusi-
asn. This YVES not in itself crime,
according to the Filipino code. for It
Gid not necessarily prevent the mayor
from using his influence at any
knowledge he might acquire for the
benefit OF the insurgent cause, as many
Filipino mayors did under similar cir
cumstances= But whether the enthusi-
asm Of this particular mayor was real
or feigned his adhesion to the Ameri-
can cause was regarded as real by his
former associates. Their spies report
ed that the mayor was a genuine
"amigo." that he was using his efforts
and his information to help the enemy,
and the heads Of the secret society
found him guilty of treason and de-
creed that he should die. Pardo was
selected to carry out the sentence.
There was murder In the little town
shortly after that. The "amigo" may
or was killed, and the assassin, know
ing we'll that he was leaving ample cir
cumstantial evidence behind him, has
tened to make his way to the Filipino
lines.
1t was some weeks after this that
O'Connor, while serving with q recon-
noitering party, was shot in the arm.
and Siegel started with him to tie
rear. But they had long way to go to
the hospital tent, and long before they
reached 1t shot from ambush struck
Siegel in the leg and disabled him.
O'Connor tried to raise Siegel, but he
wound and by the heat. and the effort
to assist his comrade proved to be the
last straw. He fell forward. fainting.
The Filipinos, observing that no one
seemed to be lear enough to help the
two soldiers. came out OF their ambush
and made them prisoners. They were
hurried into the interior, and, as O'Con-
nor afterward put 1t. "when they
found out where they were they didn't
know where they were." To be lit
tie more explicit. they found them
selves in bamboo hut, disarmed and
guarded, but the geographical location
Of the hut was mystery to them.
Their wounds, however. bad been
dressed as we'll as Filipino facilities
would permit. C'Connor cursed hls
luck roundly and performed the same
service for Siegel, the latter being
quieter and more philosophical.
ut don't do no good" he observed,
to which O'Connor retorted that 1t
helped to pass the time, anyhow.
Then O'Connor berated the diet
nothing but rice and too little of that.
He wondered If they would have to
live on rice for the rest Of their lives
and now long that would be. But final
ly his native good humor asserted It.
self. and In few days he was on the
most amlcable terms with his captors
III we can do nothin else" he said,
1--WE may as we'll tache thin to spake
English"
"Wit an Irish brogue." suggested
SlegeL
"Well, it's your own Fault IL they
Parn It that way. If have the gift av
CAB while you sit there be the hour
sayin little or nothin an thinkin about
sauerkraut an Schweitzer cheese an
other things ye can get, how can ye ex-
pect the Jarman accent to get the best
av the Irish brogue in this part av the
Philippines"
Some of the Filipinos knew q little
English. and O'Connor held long and
animated conversations with them
animated at least on his side-though
it Is doubtful IL they always under
stood the drift OF his remarks.
"Is 1t for ransom ye're houldin usP
he inquired one day. "Be the powers,
thin. we might come to terms. The
divil q clint has ayther av us, an We
might as we'll let us go an save yer
rice an parn to make puddin out av Il.
But have two mont's' pay comm to
me. an I'd be glad to give ye n note for
1t IL ye'd let me go IN get it.
"But maybe ye want US to bcthray
our country an jlne yer ioorces? Be