Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-07-09

] 80 1t Is with their hard faced company command
er, who has fought his men both sides OF the
same trenches. When he plans an advance, the
! slippery foe rise and scatter like a covey of par
triges, to return later and cut up the steahy out
posts town or village is taken let it be three
days Abandoned, and it is all to do again. No base
/ is necessary for this gurilla foe who mobilize by
smoke on the mountain side, and can make long
days march upOr handful of bananas and gourd
OF ditch water. The captain despairs of accomplish
ing his work upon any precOnceived system Of tao
tics. His enemy refuse either to fight or surrender
The Filipino soldier is only to be trusted when
Krag has crashed through his vitals. The officers
can see ahead OF them neither victory nor defeat.
They begin to regard the nsurrectOs as Vermn only
to be Tidded by determination. They are rats
who refuse either to leave the house or enter the
tOaps Partial relief comes at last when the batal-
lion is ordered to the southern islands, and here we
see them in still another setting. This is the pic
ture:
The scene, mountainous island in the Sulu Sea-
Palms fringe cleaning beach in a broad belt of
glistening green. Above it, higher on the slope is
stretch OF sun scOrched meadOWland. Over this a
dark green wall before which rise the bald trunks
OF mighty trees, marking the fringe Of the forest.
A column OF men winds out Of the long cool ave-
nue. OF cocoa palms, pauses a moment, and strikes
across the furnace of open meadow beyond which
lies the forest. In single file they take the native
wood cutters winding path, which lies twisting and
turning up the incline where the mercess rays Of
the AFTERNOON sun beat vertically, to he thrown
quivering back in shimmering heat that mask
the outline of the dark green wall beyond. Here
and there they dip into gully where month ago a
spring had been; now dry and paTched. The fam
ing rays have scared the vivid green till it blends
with with the desiccated meadow grass
Heat! Heatl Heat Hot noises, but smells dry hot
baking vegetation that rustes crsply against their
thighs. In the impalpabe powder beneath their
feet creep creatures sitting to see lizards breath
ing dust insects whose lurd glow is like an ember
ok Of 6ucf nd aI
thrOats and nOstrils Over their head comes the
dOnng hum of insects that sounds like an overdose
OF quinine, and might be- From dead tree a bell
bug strikes his clear, ringing note,
The contents of eanteens are filtered through their
hides in the first 500 yards; after that thev slake
their thirst with thought Of the cool springs in the
woods above. Faster they climb, with the nervous
energy which protests more against the thought of
uphill work than at the hill itself. They 90
through the heat like salamanders their tough,
wiry muscles carrying them along rehexly. They
have learned to numb their minds; to avoid trans
ating the effects ofdscOmforts until the cause lies
behind. They breathe the dust without a murmur,
sweep up the SLOPE and with a sigh Of relief plunge
into the cool dark shadows where never a wanton
ray OF sunlight strikes the dark, damp mold. An
order is given; with accord canteens and haveI-
sacksare unsluug, and they themselves doglik and
painting, full length upon the fresh green moss.
None is tired, meme is sick. This is part of their
pay-GOd knows slight enOugh!-and they take it
as they take the heat. These are the survival of
the fttest the volunteer regulars, the hardy rem
nants OF half score of regiments tempered to the
last degree of martial trOpic fitness.
The spring is found and canteens flled then up
they come fresh as flowers after a shower, tough as
the lianas that catch their ankles. sng-sOng or
der, and they are under way again, twisting and
turning, in and out, trampng the ferns that never
before have felt the tread of a white mans foot.
Somewhere in front OF them lies the sea- somewhere
behind them skirting its shores is the other com
pany; between them insurrectOs who have broken
their faith. Their path is the winding track of the
native wOOd-cuters until they strike the big teak
timber; then they make their own. Their guide is
the raw-bOne company commander, whose grim lea-
lures following the law Of nature that blends the
creature with its environment, as rough furrow-
ed, and sunbaked as the arid plains from which he
comes. His compass is in his head the compass OF
the gull and prairie wolf. Their objective point is
TIE far shore Of the island, where the sparkling
waves OF the Sulu Sea beat on a cleaning sand
Up they go, saving their breath to drive the rod
while overhead the noisy forest population chat
ters and screams with loud expressions Of wonder
and contempt The tuneiul note OF a bell bird
comes tOlling wOrshipfully with note subdued
through the deep, dark forest aisles.
Great tTumpet-shaped orchids, whose vivid col
Ors pierce the shadows like fame swing lazily to
the breath OF the forest Insects sparkle in the ferns
like jewels and luscious poisonous fruit half hidden
tempts them seductively.
Late IN the day they dip into ravine and cross
cascade where the water strange to say is clear and
cold. Here they camp.
While It Is still light two privates stray away
curious investigating, comparing Filipino ferns
with Pennsy ylvanans teak with hemlock timber: ad-
miring greatly. They poke and peer, cut open a
tContinued on page 5. first column