The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-16

recent issue of Blackwood' s Magazine:
Three Japanese lnfantrymen leaned
rock, which raised it's Shiny crest four
feet above the level of the water. The
three little men were fortunate, since
they were able to rest their rifles on the
rock, while the less fortunate of their
companions, aist-deep in the. water,
breeches on their pieces out, of the
brine. The three seemed entirely in:
different to the discomfort of their sur
roundings, tho the whole company had
been wading in the mudfats for the
last three hours, and had now halted
in deep pool formed in a sand depres
sion. They were engaged in a compar-
ison of their experiences during the last
twelve hours.
'To the western soldier the expert
ences of lifetime would have been
covered in the short space of time taken
Japanese army to carry at the point of
the bayonet the walled town of Kin
chau. To the Japanese soldiers it was
but delightful incident in the service
which their country required OF them.
Their theme at the moment was the
bloody grips they had been engaged in
during the mornings street fighting in
Kinchau. Nor was it idle Boosting,
since the stains on the bayonet catches
of their rifles, blackening in the sun,
gave S1cReulnG evidence Oh Cn0 carnage
at which they had assisted. But the
carnage behind them was nothing to
that which they were to engage in be-
fore the sun set. At the moment the
three little blue-coated soldiers ap-
peared to take no interest in the lesser
place in the vicinity. They were dis
cussing the past, which had been washed
more wildly scarlet than the present,
between the mouthfuls of sodden boiled
rice which they scooped in handfuls out
of the wicker satchels suspended to
their belts. Such is the character OF
the Japanese soldier.
"There. was a terrifying rush of a
great proiectile above their heads A
kissing plunge, a half-subdued report,
11ap?;h hj Of binding sea- sprfa AZ The
like driven skittles, and five helpless
masses of human flesh bobbed convul-
sively in the water, which in patches
showed yellow, brown and red. A
shrek of derisive laughter from the
spectators who picked themselves whole
from the melee was all the dirge vouch,
safed to the victims-more, it was all
they would have desired. Maintoso-
mahto, the Nagasaki recruit, leaned for
ward from his rock and picked up the
cap Of one of his fallen, comrades. He
that lost in the early morning strug-
gle. His action appealed to the simple
humor Of those round him; they clapped
him on the back and dubbed with mirth
The mutilated remains foated clear
and the ranks closed up.
'Then an officer came wading thru
the sea. He shouted an order to the
colonel of the battalion. Another or
der passed from mouth to mouth down
the line of company officers, and then
the, three little infantrymen had to stow
their ice-baskets away quickly and take
their rifles from the rest which the
shiny rock gave them. The battalion
in the ranks did not know; but as the
water descended first to their knees
and then to their ankles, they realized
that they, were moving off to the left
and to their great Joy the direction
was taking them nearer to the Russian
shore that position became defined t.
them. There was no mistaking it, TO,
the gunboats, having spent the whole
morning dragging for blockade mines
by which they could safely take ad
vantage of their light draught, and
having anchored their shells were burst
ing all along the summit Of the slop
which, frowned in front of the advan
cling infantry; also, far away to tn
left, the dark shadow Of Mount Samp
son 8 slope was emitting countless lit
tie jets of flame. They came and wen
almost with mathematical precision
These Jets were the burning charge
of the massed Japanese field batteries
They were adding to the inferno which
crowned the ridges where the Siberia
Rifles, gri i'm, dogged, and hungry, la
PROSTATE behind the filed gabions wait
ing for the climax which they knew thi
fierce cannonade but prefaced. The &C
emy's position from the bursting of tn
Japanese shells, as infinitely as if the
were reading chart. They could Sc
the great column of lurid smoke an
flame shoot upward as some six-inc
projectile struck the tip of the para
pets, and as the smoke from these e.
plosions mushroomed out and hung q
a murky pail above the works, tn
darker patches were notified with tn
white smoke disks of bursting shral
lying. the deeper detonations was
. ceaseless crash Of small arms, punctua
ed with the grinding rattle of automat
weapons.
"The infantry battalion began
crawl upward as it's direction brought
now crossing ground recently held b
the leading battalion of the fourth div
SION, The ranks frequently, opened,
avoid tramlpling upon the trail Of h
racy of Russian shooting. The head
. the fourth division had been massed
thickly behind the ridge that, at
glance, it was possible to tell the natu
of each Rrojectile that had caused tt
I ruin. Here an 8-inch Obuchoff he
swept a dozen valiant little bluecoa
/ from their feet, and they lay a NUT
/ ated mass; here automatic and mira
leuse had mown down a file of men, al
they lay PROSTATE or sat self dressil
their wounds much as they had falle
and here solitary yellow faces, turin
tawny gray in death-tint, told of t.
/ Berdal pellet thru the brain. Some fe
with lesser hurts than the maiori
raised their weakening limbs to che
their comrades on, and there seemed
be no tongue, excepting those forev
still, too parched to articulate 'Ba
zai!'
{" 'Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!' shout
Mahtsomahto and his comrades wi
him as they leaped from side to side
avoid a PROSTATE form, or, little rec
ing of the pain they caused, in passir
seized and shook some outstretch
hand. Who shall stop such soldier
What force under heaven can stay m
who go forth to battle in like spiri
Look at the battalion as it passes
meath you. Look at the midday s.
glinting on the points of the fixed bay
/ ! nets; look at the dull black stains at
root of those same bayonets-who sh
J stop T them en-; Wait in war there is til
HThe companies deploy and lie do7