The National tribune., 1902-06-26

when it was discovered that one of the
ma gaines on Mosquito Hill had been
nearly entered by some persons digging
through the side and within a few yards
OF a sentinel. Another night an effort
was made TO get into another magaZ ne
through Il sewer connection i'll the wall.
Mosquito Hill seemed to be the favoritc
point of attack. This corner Of the wall
was so named because the mosquitoes APP
peared to use it for general assembly
and council ground. The mote on both
sides was a breeding place for them
Sentinels stationed there had the highest
respect for them. both as industrious
workers and musicians. In the course of
years vines had grown UP the face of the
wall their roots and tcndrilS clinging To
the cracks and rough surfaces. and had
grown large and strong. The barefoOtcd
Filipinos could wade in the moat noise
lessly and climb the walls by the use of
these vines and disappear as suddenly rs
they came when observed and challenged.
Il got to be common thing for the SEN
tlnels on the walls to Gre at SkukiuG
figures, often doubtless ut shadows and
creatures of their own imaginingS: with
the result that sentinels posted on the wall
and in this vicinity in particular were CON
stantly on the alert and in expectation of
being attacked with boIos by some figure
Springing up from the dark suddenly.
| This mental attitude was one Of the rea-
sons why the guard officers in going about
took no chances in being mistaken by
sentinel for a skulking native. 1t led
early in January to the death of one of
| the best men in the regiment, the First
Sergeant Of my own company.
Lee X. Morse had been First Lieuten-
ant of the company at one time. bat when
the call came was not member, because
of having gone on railroad work into the
country. He threw up his position and
hurried in to enlist, and | did the best /
could for both him and the company by
making him First Sergeant. In this he
was by no means an exception. There
were similar cases in every company Ny
own First Duty Sergeant had also been a
| Lieutenant in the company few years
! before. and threw up n good position with
the Western Union Telegraph Company
at Seattle and came to Portland at his
own expense to volunteer A man who
had been Lieutenant Colonel of another
regiment volunteered, and would have
gone out with me as Sergeant had not
the Examining Surgeon rejected him. I
tell this simply to indicate the class of
men who volunteered and the unselfish
and patriotic spirit which animated them
On the night in question, about II
O'Clock. was sitting in my quarters read
ing. with my feet in slippers, when there
was a string of shots in rather quick sue
| cession to the number of half Il dozen
from the direction of Mosquito Hill. only
two blocks away. The Officer Of the
Day was not in quarters and might be n
long distance away, and thinkL. there
was actually tight Of some kind on hand
and the presence of an officer would be
desirable. | grabbed my revolver from n
nail on the wall, and without waiting to
put on shoes rushed down stairs and
sprinted in the direction of the shooting,
two or three more shots serving to hasten
my steps.
Serg't Morse and his brother were inst
returning to company quarters from a
visit under special permission to a per-
fornance at the Teatro Filipino. and see,
ing me run in the direction of the shoot
ing Serg't Morse FASTENED after me and
followed me up the incline TO the wall,
though | did not know it. Hastily the
Corporal of the post informed me that
they had been shooting mt some skulkers
who had refused to halt and had disap-
peared into the darkness along the edge
or the wall, one of them being seen for
an instant outlined against the sky as
he mounted the parapet and dropped
down on the outside. He said he had his
entire detail out skirmishing in the grass
and angles of the wall to see if they
could find anybody hiding.
just then sentinel on the parapet
fired his piece IN the direction of the moat
outside, and calling out in a loud voice to
the men on post to be very careful abont
shooting, as there were men about in nil
directions, I made my way to the outer
parapet to see what the last man had
fired at. He said he had seen an object
moving in the outer circle of water he
yond the moat and near the edge of the
: outer line Of defenses and had fired at il
! and it disappeared, probably hiding in the
deep shadow of the low wall at that place.
He then called my attention to white
OBJECT n the moat just below us, and