The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-24

Where the waters Of the Rio Bets
leap high to the verdant leaves that
overhang its banks. then surge away to
the maddened current il midstrea.n,
plunging down to the droning waves of
the tropic sea. 13acolor. the capital. hud
dies on the paddy fields of the province
Of Pnmpanga. IIither in retreat fled
the brown hosts OF Aguinaldo when The
Americans, pressing close. drove the
mauniliin army from the province of
Bataan and the bordering lands OF Tar
&c.
Hither in pursuit came the Thirty-sixth
and at night, when the rain beat down
IN torrents and the stars seemed lost
forever, spread itself in the mud TO
await the dawn and to curse the corr
missary. For the comnaissary, in the
way of its kind. was half a march be-
hind, the heavy wagons crcaking and
grooming through the ooze of the bot
tomless trails and the men who urged
Forward the souEhing carabaos, swelling
the chorus of curses that arose from the
regiment. sopped in the mud for beds
ard served on the hope Of the morrow
Tor mess.
When in the early evening of the time
less night the bugler turned the water
B from his bugle and lifted the notes of
the taps until they rose and echoed in
)
regiment lay down TO sleep. a man stood
up spectre-like among the forms about
him and turned his face toward the
east as though he would look through.
the night beyond the land about him.
across the seas and into a distant Amer
lean home. lie was a private in the
ranks and walked with the stride of
soldier OF the line. On the rolls of his
regiment he was William Reddington Gy-
ars. Jr., OF New York. in the far-of
metropolis OF his country he was Byers,
Jr., son of the little man in the dingy
Dffice on Wall Street, whose brain had
wrestled millions from the markets and
made gold with the touch of Midas.
IA Company c. OF the Thirtysixth, he
vas Hrivatte Billy Byers-nothing less
md nothing more
The men who marched abreast of
Byers and the corporal, who counted
No 4 in his set of fours were ignorant
OF the business of Byers, Sr.. and obli-
viouE to the consequent prospects OF the
tall son who strobe by their side. And
Byers knew and understood, for the mil
lions of his father were not greater in
the sight Of the stalwart men of the
ler,.,ce than the monthly pittance the
corporal drew when the paymaster came
round
Ryeis stood still moment then, With
& motion OF his hand as though he would
put some sight forever from his eyes He
prepared to make a place for himself be-
side the men about him. His hand Went
TO his breast, his head bent forward and
he drew out into the rainy night lock-
ct Eos a second the tiny case vas open,
then closed, and Private Byers found a
bed for himself in the reeking mud of the
paddy soil.
Next TO Bvers lay a man whose hands
were hard and horny from toll in the
mines of the West. On the other side
bivouacked a soldier booked on the cons
Eany muster as shoemaker, but tie
linguistic private who asked where the
trade had been learned forgot the qres-
ton with its asking, for n brawr.Y fist
WAS planted in the teeth and his quest
for information ended. The 12sa Il. the
ranks of the army have thpi 5f,n sec
rois as carefully guarded 1i'a curious
{ investigators as the s;icre secrets
locked behind the doors Of tlia o!iice Of
the great Secretary OF ar.
The frst was Private Michael McGlynn,
fI,e second was Private Thomas Ellis. The
one was '.Micky." the olner was Tom
my and the man with the tatterad
chevrons on his sleeve was Corporal Cook.
greater chan these and greater than