The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-12-29

Tagal Lieutenant in charge as fol
lows:
"If you have any trouble with you
prisoners. bring them back to Ben
qued; Wen then quickly settle them.
Gilmore and his fellow captives knew
too we'll what this meant.
for the mountains. Their guards ap
peared to have completely lost then
heads. There was jabbering rout OF
men, women and children, as the col.
umn of refugees and prisoners was hur-
ried on. While crossing a stream or
horseback Gilmore nearly lost his life
owing to the ignorance of leading
Filipino whose horse was swept off It's
feet.
When possible the party made chalk
marks on rocks and trees with an ar
row pointing in the direction they
were going as n guide to the troops in
pursuit. In the party was n civilian,
an agent for an American brewery
who had been captured in the outskirts
of Manila. He took the whole matter
as joke. Everywhere he could find
blank space, he wrote, or had writ
ten for him in big white letters. Drink
Blanks Beer on the Road to H."
Gilmore afterwards learned that these
roadside inscriptions greatly aided Col.
Hare and his men in tracing the party.
The first time Col. Hare saw the beer
mans legend upon n rock he exclaim-
ed Very well, l will follow Gilmore
and his party to II II necessary"
He came very near doing it.
Finally the party reached the wilds
of Luzon. They entered apparently in
accessible chasms. The horses were
killed for food and they finally had to
crawl on hands and knees in places.
on December II they reached the pine
barrens at the top of the mountain
overtaken with fever. Gilmore begged
the Tagal officer to let some one re-
main behind with them.
The officer finally said If they could
not go ahead they would be shot. The
Americans looked at one another and
they determined to make last stand,
although unarmed. They gathered a.
round the invalids. The officer made
n motion with his right arm and they
thought their time to die had come.
But the lieutenant was taken sudden
ly III with fever and the arm motion
was made rs he plunged forward 10
the ground.
After a few days march an order
came, presumably from Tlno, to exc
cute the prisoners. Then the lieuten-
ant said his conscience would not per-
init him to do so. He would, instead.
abandon the party TO shift for itself.
Lieut.. Commander Gilmore believes
that the lieutenant's decision was
reached for the following reason: He
had asked; The Americanos are not
Yes, they are" replied
Gilmore. But you never wear cru
cifixes"
At that Gilmore opened his shirt and
showed him his breast. A cruchx had
been tattooed there when he was n
The Tagal was surprised.
and instantly crossed himself. Gill
more told him any one could have n
crucifix to wear around the neck, but
lie had endured pain to have the cru
,ific imprinted in his flesh.
The day they were abandoned they
lad no breakfast. Being near a noun
ain torrent they constructed RATS of
bamboo and made ready to depart.
they went down the river and came
lpon more savages. They rested over
hight, believing that they would sure
y die in the morning.
Then they heard yell. and then
mother In a tongue that was strange
y familiar. The yells came from Col.
iare's men who had at last found
hem. Then there was feasting on
'acon, bareback, bean soup and tea.
On December IS the entire party set
orth on the river journey on RATS and |
inally reached Apart. The first week |
n January they were In Vigan and |
Don were again aboard an Amer
can warship.