The National tribune., 1902-07-31

their membership in the "Tigers," the
supposed desperate fighters, a regiment of
regular troops that constituted the Die
tator's bodyguard. What happened later
to the Tigers l. might as well tell now.
During the advance after the capture OF
Malabon, the last of the following March.
while the army was pushing steadily
ahead toward Malolos and giving the
.Filipinos new drubbing every day, Agul-
naldo made an effort to check the ad-
vance at the Marilao River with these
Tigers. They were brought down by
train from Malolos and were deployed in
q large rice field north of the river 'front.'
ing the South DakOtas, MOntanas and
battalion of the Sd Art. acting as infan-
try.
1t was the only time in the entire war
when the Filipinos actually deployed for
battle in sight of the Americans and be-
gan an advance toward our lines. They
were going to fight the Americans after
the American style. 1t was said that
Aguinaldo commanded in person, but this
doubt. / never knew of his getting
within bullet range of our line at any
time except one morning when we sur
prised him about two months after this
event, of which more anon.
At any event, if he was there he was
sufficiently in the rear to be out of dam
ger and get away when the catastrophe
came. 1t happened suddenly.
THE CHARGE OF THE SOUTH DAKoTAs.
The Americans crossed the river in the
face of a heavy fire, in which the South
DakOtas suffered severely, losing three Of
ficers and quite a number of men. and
charged the advancing line. Before the
Tigers fully realized what had happened
they were given a lesson in American
lighting, many of them did not live long
enough to put into practice.
The Americans were among them with
the bayonet, and though they had bayo-
nets ON their own Mausers, they were
practically helpless. "Aguinaldos red-legs,"
rs the boys had always called them, disap
peared as ali organization right there. A
large proportion of them were buried on
the spot; others went back to the hospital
at Manila, and the few that got away
either quit fighting entirely or dressed in
some other clothing thereafter. IL the
Filipinos had not before fully realized
that they could not fight the Americans
in any other way than mere bushwhack-
ing, they did so then, when the only really
trained and disciplined troops they had
were thus wiped out in almost the twink
ling of an eye.
We also ran across the little popinjay |
officers of the Insurgent army ar other
places, particularly at the home of Ro- |
sario, where the three daughters consti- |
tuted an irresistible attraction TO Tenien- |
tes, Captains, Communicates, Colonies, !
and even Generals, none of whom ap- |
peared overjoyed to meet American Off |
GERS there 1t was through this means |
that 1 had an opportunity to attend a |
function which embraced SO much of the |
social customs of the high-class 1ilipinOs |
that shall relate it at length as illustrl- |
tive of our experiences at these other
functions to which l have SO briefly al
luded.
"A FILIPINO FUNCTION IN THE COUNTRY.
Early in October it was my good for
tune, in company with another Captain |
of our regiment, to receive an invitation |
from the Rosarios to attend q reception |
to be given to Aguinaldo at San Fcrnan-
do the Capital of the Province of Pam |
panga, some GO miles north of Manila, on |
the railroad.
We were told it was to be grand af-
fair, consisting of review of the Pam
panga troops, banquet and ball, to az
tend which it would require that we he
absent from quarters all night. This per-
mission was secured, and arrayed in our
best blue, because we desired to be dis
tinctively American officers, we Were |
driven to the ferro-carril Qrailroad early |
on Sunday morning, Sunday being the day |
always selected by the Filipinos for their
big functions, from a reception to the |
Presidente to night attack OH the en-
emy. There we found our friends wait |
ing, as well as quite party Of Filipinos, |
chiefly ladies, three other American Off |
GERS and the wife of one of them, a beau |
tifui and companionable woman, who |
helped make the day enjoyable for all.
This was Mrs. RUSSELL wife Of Capt. Rus
sell, of the Signal Corps, though holding
Lieutenant's commission in the Regular
Engineer Corps.
My companion was Capt. Mcdonnell,
of the Oregon regiment, to whom rather
than to myself was due the invitation we
had received. We secured seats in a see
ond-class car, all the first class ones being
already occupied by other excursiOnists,
but there was practically little difference
between them, save that the seats were
upholstered in the other cars. The third
class have plain benches for seats. With
these differences the three are much |
variety used in England. Indeed, the
whole railroad, being built by an English
company, is English, with certain Fill
pinO notifications, such as open instead
of closed windows.
Entrance is had through door on each
side instead Of the end, and along the
side runs little foctboard, along which
tUe cOHuuCtoT WdlkS lTOLU one emu OJ Tile
train to another and collects fare by
thrusting his head and arms through the
window.
1t was somewhat startling, while deep
ly immersed in an athletic contest with |
Spanish for the benefit Of an amused |
senorita, to have shock of black POM
padOur hair thrust almost into ones face |
through the adjacent window and a voice |
demand cartes, as it was a little later to
ho har faI cta,
accompanied by a muZzle of rifle, as |
soldier of Aguinaldo's army inspected the
train. as was done at every station. The |
window also served to frame the grinning |
countenance of the guard, as he paused |
to listen to the conversation of the pas
sengers and to laugh at our desperate |
struggles with the Castllian tongue.
l am afraid we were source of great |
anxiety to those poor officials, for the |
American custom of getting off the train |
at every station and jumping on again af- |
ter the train was in motion appeared to |
be a new one to them. Their fear that we |
would come to grief or be left behind was |
pitiful at first. When the train started |
each time in response to the ringing Of |
dinner bell by small boy, who seemed to |
have no other duty to perform, the con-
ductor and guards would shoe us aboard |
with all the solicitude and fuss of a hen |
warning her chicks against a lowering |
hawk. These manifestations Of anxiety |
lessened somewhat as they observed our
skill in getting aboard the msying cars
hv frQuuant rauofif;npc 90 <Lo 80