The Washington times., 1904-09-25


/ advice. which assisted me materially.
! stin. soldering in service was new bust
ness TO me.
For several days all that was required
I Of me was garrison duty-drIlling my
company and placing the guard Then.
as II TO initiate me into the business Of
a soldier and TO give me an OppOrtun-
I ity Of showing my metal my company
was sent out to cut on supply train
destined for the besiesers.
Il was a hard ride all one night over
sand and through thiCkets Of chaparral:
a sharp s1irmish I'm the early morning.
Z In which we routed the enemy. though
with the loss Of three men killed and
dozen wounded; and then a hasty re-
! treat, having success. ully accomplished
the work we had set out 70 do.
] IN the meantime. during our absence.
neither side has been idle. and we
/ found considerable dimculty in getting
/ through the lines back 20 the city.
/ Trenches had been dug and picket lines
( established We did not escape being
1 fired upon. but. fortunately. none Of our
men was hit
Inside the fortified lions more active
/ preparations for defense were being
made than at any time before. II was
/ generally believed that decisive en-
/ 60 cement would probably be fought.
| Some thought that systematic at
tempt would be made TO destroy the
/ Notifications. The guard at the bastlons
and redans had been strengthened. the
/ garrison at both Fort Conception and
I Fort Santiago increased; while the gun
ners were ready almost at the very
guns, and everywhere along the line Of
/ the Notifications preparations were go
/ ing on TO Withstand the expected at
tack
/ 1t was known that General Marian
] had sailed from Havana with orders 70
attack the city from the water In the
! afternoon OF the day on which we got
/ back-which was on the sixth day OF
/ March-the ships Of General aIiramon
and the Marquee de Ia Habana were
sighted.
Worn out from their long ride and
/ from the fighting the day before. my
( own company had been relieved from
I duty; but / had not thought OF rest or
! sleep for myself
/ From the parapet OF TIE fort 1 wached
the ships from the time they first ap-
peared in the offins. I saw them sig
nailed and saw also that the signals
were disregarded. They kept on. holding
( 70 their course as steadily as il il had
been time Of peace, and no hostile
guns frOwned upon them
/ Their action puzzled me. expected.
momentarily, TO see flashes of light and
20 hear the hoar:5e roar of the cannon
OF san Juan. but che guns were silent.
There was soTre show OF activity on
board the vessels but I was unable TO
tell whether or uSt they were cleared for
action.
/ While / was waiting. IN almost breath
less suspense, for the beginning of the
/ engagement, which seemed almost inev-
liable, I felt a hand upon my shoulder.
and look around saw Moore standing by
me.
You expected to see those steamers
fired upon he asked. grim smile upon
! his face
! yes; why nOt2~ They belong to the
enemy and are here with hostile de-
J signs"
! You Will see afteS a while.
They expect TO have the cooperation
Z Of the Spanish warshipst'' 1 exclaimed.
/ with sudden inspiration, as I saw they
were making directly toward where the
! Spaniards were anchored.
! Possibly" replied Moore But the
/ Spanish commander dare not give them
! any assistance If ii does there Is the
/ Saratoga. BY the time her captain got
/ through with them there would not be
| enough left of those Spanish hulks to
/ get as far as Havana"
/ looked where he had pointed Before
I he had called my attention TO the ship
\ had attached no significance to the fact
I that the United States Warship Saratoga
I lay in the bay directly before my eyes.
1 felt thrill of pride as 1 noticed the
+ stars and Stripes waving from her
masthead. and seemed 10 feel the blood
| course through my veins as my heart
/ beat quick and hard
/ For the time, thinking of my own
/ country. I gave no thought TO the shIps
] / had been watching. When I looked
again they had come 10 anchor. near the
/ Spanish vessels, and un9er the very
guns Of the fortress, San Juan de UIIoa.
What Is it, asked Moore, as he no
ticed my abstraction.
Nothing much ] replied, only the
( old hag-Jhe Stars and Stripes 1t does
ones soul good TO see it. And, did it
( ever occur to you that fighting for Mex
lean liberty would be q different thing
were it our own country We were tight
. ing for?"
| Il cannot say that I ever gave the
matter much thought" he replied.
though at times 1 have had a homesick
/ feeling. You see. I have followed war
/ as business. I do not care very much
/ for anything any more. Yet guess thar
/ YOU are right; it would be different
; thing lighting for ones own country.
This is not my quarrel; when we ara
| lighting for interests me very little: its
/ outcome can make little difference with
I me: but I have never shrunk from any
/ duty imposed upon me. There is very
\ little pay and not much honor in the
/ business for me. may yet leave nv
/ bones 10 bleach on the sand. OF. OCCUPY
I a trench with the unknown; and who
/ will care or remember afterward that
there WIS ever such fellow as Jim
! Moorc2'
/ ! could not answer him. and so re-
manned silent
! Il left "a father and n mother back In
/ Maine he continued "It is not likely
that 1 viii ever see them again in this
{ world. II may be they have gone long
since But I have n brother and a sis
/ ter who are probably living. II 7 should
not so bacS-you know how Ii is-its
an uncertain business I'm ind kind
o. like 10 have YOU take n message for
HH.H