The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-12-24

SAVED BY CHRISTMAS.

ar anm ReFy close 10 the sad % the year
1890 that the last ~ the Filipino inaar.
Eeut sFmies Was ehsrtaaliy defessssi.
ard tha bsttaii0na thzt formed IL.
VsrwaEta @srp scattered amonE the ruoun.
saiu4 % Norihsrn I>aAaa as guerrilla
bsaas.
American soldiers Earrlsoae3 che prtn,
eipai tDHas aiung the cssaSs. bot the dia.
taaeV besarsu them was s7usstines taaFe
thAa asy'a snassi,
Thna. she traveieF who cared % Fssk
Ihs dangers - The rsad. bad ssusrtinsss
~ pass che nishs Ia sosns uneaFFasoaeA
iswn. sales assE trasn tbs nearest
ADsTican post
WAS 81 Vixan az that tima. aad
wanted badly - get 60 Manila before
Mes fsaF's IAsy No ssesnsFa Wsrs
sehesits,sd ~ saii 10 the tntsrVal. -
~'as f@rr@a 20 50 dswn n Dagupau. she
railroad ssstuinaa. 81 haFsrbaes. 4 die.
tapVe ~ aaure tAan . huadF~t miiea.
Natives and AmSrSrHns aisks warned
me % ths dangers ~ capture FROM In
suFEsut batats. bot - nrr~ssaFy usa u
fes nss % reach Msnlia on tiYns thas I
Waa rpH8pelira 10 iwnaFW their warnings
i.ssvinx vlgsu suriy on the usoFnsnx
- necesatssF -. I rescAsd q village call.
81 san fastutaa tha, utxhs. uasAFri~aaea.
Boz In psan~fal dhusrsss Whaa fnora.
inE eams sod bathinK haa nocurr~d %
diatuFh my sleep. danksF frnn laHmF-
gsats screened vefr vague. ana I ses oui
81 lny spoupd ds1's ssass! wssh an easy
uslnA
AZ u@sr struck ghs frss AmsFsran
tess. cansaou. sna the re,sS roznmandef
tired - tssspuasis uir fsssm csatinuinE. "a
the ns1t lspsS could he FeacAs1 Ia one
dsr ~ starting eaFiy Ia the ussrutng.
hst. - hare sald. my hurry vas
Grnst. and ~ 81 o'ctark l wna oacp
inaes On she mad
A. ! bad a fair kBowtssiEs ~ che caau.
tFF ! knwu thss svenihE musg hrsng me
near = uua@ii village called EsYllla. and
there. ia tbs haase % the municipal pres.
idaut. ! s2persei u eass the niKhs.
Christmas Eve.
kept tsspkluE Tor the tpwu. bat II sas
slupaas dark and ssiu No .iKu 81 house..
FINALLY ! u'et passing nafiVe. and
fsksd hsu;
awh~rs l. Rsrtlia -
There. hs answered. pointinE
] asw nsfainF bu, q his mango tree
"Wh-rel'' ! Askei again.
'"Tl,sTv. behind that lrvc
Investigation disclosed tho town Ga fhr
othss eide % the trse-uix small huts
aud chasvh IN ths distance beyond
This was unpipaaafst for towns ~ that
slss we're really dangerous Ia the larger
communities . trarrler would have been
sAfrr, a. "naishnps'' usually brunRht
American punishment on ths place.
Here the Inhabitants had little to lose.
However. the ks,ai president received
me wrii snoHEh. aud after supper turn.
81 in and sppn fell asleep.
was awakened by the changing n the
church bell In the PHILIPPINES Il IL che
custom 20 hoid mass at midniFht on
Christmas Eve. Onra awaks, I deter.
H1insd 90 attend mass
Not having undressed. was sooa
geady.
Outside met several natives. and To-
Estbew We went acro4A the httis plasa
90 shs chuTch.
Ths hzssds was lighted No By candles.
and about 100 natives were kneelins
there. services having already begun.
TIE bttls native priest was 40 Latin
scholar, 20 be- spoke IN Spanish. Thus I
wndsrstopa him aud became interested IN
his simple words.
A choir Of native girls sAnR. and the
service aisoEether was rather impressive
for ~ simplicity.
Fu~ thla reason had not turned my
hsad whea ! heard the mulEied stepa OF
many feet behind me. and che thud OF
aumsrOus metallic bodies against the
stone floor. II was long afterward when
I turned, and started Rervously a. what
I saw.
Behind me, stretched from wall %
wall knet z company Of tnaurRent sol.
dieFa, their heads uncovered and bowed,
thair guns before them on the floor.
All religious emotions LEFT me AZ once,
end thought only Of getting out Of the
aids door and reaching my horse.
Quietly. SLOWLY edged my way over
% that small door. No one hesded me,
although al must have known By my
'hhaki uniform that l was one Of che
hated Yankees.
Finally, just as the services ended, l
EeNched the door and BOXED out into The
dmrknsom
raa toward the presidents house.
hut my haste 30 reach my horse made
ne tncantAoua, and az eyary few @tepa /
hlumbled.
Bsbasnly ssI svsu a stone van. Tor