Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-10-24

also leaving in the morning to meet
the Russians.
Such was the history Of Teru San.
When she had come to her resolution
to find the money with which her lover
was to be educated, she had gone
straightway and sold herself-as many
hundreds of other japanese girls have
done in similar circumstances-to the
master Of some tea house. The house
which she had selected had been owned
Ey a man who, long trained in the art,
had seen the commercial value of the
dainty little lass who faltering had Of
fered herself to sign the indentures.
He had paid sufficient sum in cash to
insure the first years fees Of Tanaka's
education: the successful Teru Sans
outside earnings had supplied the rest.
Thus supported, her lover had passed
from one grade to another, until now
he was dashing subaltern in the
were waiting for 1t was the day when
the tea.house ransom should be paid
in full, and Teru San free of her
strange obligations. We Of the West
cannot understand this; in the East
II Is different.
The leading company had been lying
under cover Of a sand.dune since day.
break. The men were becoming rest.
less; behind them they could hear the
even rhythm of the three batteries OF
artillery which were endeavoring to
silence the Russian guns on the far
side Of the river, and ever and anon
some projectile would whistle angrily
above their heads. or. burying itself in
front Of them, would throw great show.
ers of sand into their ranks.
The men were getting restless be.
cause they were waiting to fulfill their
orders. These orders were engraven
in each mans heart-for such is the
system Of the japanese; when possible
each man in the army. from the gen.
eral of division to the humblest stretch.
er bearer. knows exactly what is to be
expected of him during the ensuing
day, as far as the general staff can
calculate the function Of any partic.
Ular unit
! This regiment of the Guards had or.
ders to lie under cover as near as pos.
sible to the foot of the bridge which
: the sappers were constructing, and as
soon as the structure was worthy to
push across It and turn the Russians
from their positions on the far side Of
the river. From o'clock in the morn
ing they had been lying there. and it
was not past midday and yet the bridge
was not complete.
Tanaka had crept up to his captains
side, and together they had crawled to
the top of the sand.dune and watched
the progress which the sappers were
making. II seemed now that almost
the last pontoon had been floated down.
/ The little engineers were working like
demons on the bridge.head, and as
they worked the water all round the
pontoon seemed alive with bursting
shells. Time after time the men work.
ing on the hawsers were swept away,
and as the cord passed from their life
less grasp there were other willing
hands ready to take 1t.
There was not time to care for dead
VI wounded. there was no room for
either on the pontoons. a man down
was man lost, and II served the in
terests Of the state better to push his
body into the boiling stream rather
than hamper the bridge.way with doc
tors and hospital attendants. For the
kfth time that morning q salvo of
bursting shells destroyed the nearest
pontoons. carrying off the working
party away with It. Yet, nothing
daunted, fresh pontoons were pushed
Off and floated down and fresh com
pany of sappers were there to lash the
stanchions tight.
captain, as II seemed that the latest
effort had failed. See. they are bring
ing down achievements from the
blum above u.s." 1t was true-a column
OF Russian infantry were debouching
from behind the hills on the opposite
bank of the river, and were moving
down to the threatening bridge. The
japanese gunners had seen them, and
almost Immediately the column was
torn and shattered with bursting shell,
but this counter was not sufficient TO
stay their advance. Down they pressed
toward the waters edge; so near were
they now that the Guardsmen could
make out the CLINT of the individual
bayonets AS they glistened In the mid
Cay sun.
Now is our time" shouted Tanaka,
see, here comes our orders" A staff
officer galloped up; as he came, the
two officers could see that the last pom.
toon had floated into its place, and
that by wading 1t would now be pos.
slble for the infantry to dash across
The staff officers shouted his orders
"Bridge'head! Guards, column of tours
from the right" The suspense was
over. In moment the battalion was
on its feet, and. Tanaka was racing
with the men of the leading four for
the bridge. They felt the pontoon
sway under their feet-they jumped