Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-08-26

@xD numbered twenty men all
told, drawn from every one Of the An
glo-Saxon races Of the planet. There
were Americans, Englishpen, Cana.
dams, Australians and South Africans,
and they had come from the ends Of
the earth to take part in such o row as
promised to follow when Cuba libra
set up her flag against that Of Spain.
Their leader was virgiIian. There
was not Cuban or q Spaniard in the
company, and the name Of 6laters
troop was name of terror to the goy-
eminent forces from Pinar del Rio to
Sagua 10 Grande.
To see them thus encamped no one
would have supposed that they were
engaged In one Of the most daring
raids that had been adventured since
the war opened In 1895. The officers
(there were but two sat democrat cally
on the ground among their men. There
was a inkling of banjos, q mingled
sound Of confused talking and Of jovial,
free handed profanity. The shadows
Of the men doomed big on the back
ground Of tropical vegetation, where
the red freight flashed fitfully from
time to time, and showed now the form
Of tethered horse and now the figure
Of sentry leaning against a smooth
coated palm.
1t was no small affair that these men
were engaged in, nothing less. In fact,
than raid on the trocha itself It was
not the policy Of the Cuban leaders to
risk pitched battle, SO to arouse the
enthusiasm Of the men and at the same
time to keep the enemy on the alert
such expeditions were undertaken from
time to time.
They had encamped some fifty miles
from the Spanish lines, and the attack
was fixed for the next night. A dash
across the country, stealthy advance
on the Notifications, another dash, So
Der and revolver. and triumphal re-
treat-this was the programme that
slater's horse proposed to itself.
Next morning they rode up and down
the rolling hills In the early dawn for
two hours and then rested for the heart
Of the day in cool and very secluded
grove. where they would be screened
from any wandering guerrillas. Late
at night they saddled again and rode
cautiously forward till they were not
more than forty rods from the rocha
itself. They could see the watch fires
on the farther side of the great redoubt
shining between the strands Of the
barbed wire fence stretched along the
brink.
Between them and the trocha lay q
dangerous obstacle, an ingenious de-
Tense, composed Of number of wires
drawn six inches apart and foot
above the ground. This formed net
work over which 1t was impossible to
ride and, as its width was uncertain,
dangerous to leap. Slater knew Of this
impeachment, however, and had made
his plans accordingly. Half dozen
then dismounted in silence and, taking
nippers from their saddlebags, crept
forward into the darkness. The rest Of
the troop sat silently on horseback
hearkening to the sounds and to the oc-
casional clicking noise right ahead
where their comrades were cutting the
hostile wires.
In the course Of half an hour the
men came back and in whispers re-
ported the way clear. The wires had
been cut and dragged aside, so as to
leave road Of sufficient width for the
passage of the troop even in the hur-
ried retreat which must follow. The
whole party then dismounted and led
the horses stealthily forward till al
most at the very brink of the trocha.
The Spaniards on the other side were
clearly visible, while they themselves
We're hidden In deep shadows Three
men We're left with the animals, and
the rest scrambled Into the ditch and
up the other side.
So quietly was all this done that the
whole performance passed unobseryed
ill Slater sprang upon the parapet
ind began slashing at the wires WITH.
his machete. Then came shout md.