Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-04-25

with Brown, as all regulars are sun
posed to do when they are In great
danger.
''Those niggers don't seem to like to
have us leave In such an unceremoni-
Gus manner" he said, giggling fool
ishly.
Brown looked at him contemptuous-
ly. "YOu see that and that and that?"
he said, pointing to the bodies of the
two dead soldiers, and the other whose
life was fast ebbing out.
Van Allen nodded.
'Well, stow your chatter or III
knock you off this caballo. This is no
time for pleasantries. Van Allen sub
sided. Lieutenant Haight came riding
up to Brown and said:
Sergeant, these niggers have cot TO
be stopped for at least twenty minutes.
How can it be done?" Brown shook
his head, but after a moments thought
answered: Leave two men and one
horse behind, and they can stand them
off until the rest of the party are met
my re-enfOrcementS, sir"
"Who will stay?' asked the lieuten-
ant.
81 will, for one" answered Brown.
"And l." cried Van Allen, all the ro-
nance to the fore.
'Very well" replied Haight, indif-
ferently. "Of course, you men realize
that the chances are slim for both of
your They nodded. "WeIl, I'll leave
you here. Hide behind this paddle
dyke and hold out as long as you
can, then make your getaway if it is
possible, ride on little farther and
lay for 'em again"
Brown saluted. Taking the horse
behind the dixie, he made him lie down
and then coolly laid out twenty shells
beside him and placed six in his piece,
examined his Colt, and then settled
himself to wait for the insurectos, who,
now only twenty-five or thirty strong,
were about four hundred yards in the
rear. Van Allen followed his exam
pie in detail and Brown smiled grim
ly.
"Little fool" he said, ''those twenty
shells must all be emptied before we
straddle that horse. Sabe?"
Van Allen nodded. He was past
speaking. AS soon as the little detach-
ment had filed away, his romance had
deserted him and now he faced stern
reality in the shape of a large armed
party Of furious Filipinos, all desiring
his death. Somehow the thought took
all the fight out Of him and he COVER
ed behind the dyke, nerveless and
pitiful. Suddenly Brown fired a shot
and the foremost inSurrecto sat down
suddenly with his hands at his breast.
"One," counted Brown; che must have
a stomach ACHE" and he looked at Van
Allen. For ten seconds he cursed fer
vently yet softly. His daring com
rade lay face downward in the mud
of the rice paddle, crying and trem-
bling in an agony of fear. His fingers
were dug into the muddy weeds and
his whole body seemed shrunk into
half the compass of his clothes.
'Sit up" commanded Brown, in the
meantime firing rapidly at the fast ap-
preaching band. No answer except the
ping, ping" of bullets and the craven
sobs Of Van Allen. Brown turned his
back and, firing and reloading, paid no
further attention to Van Allen. Sud-
denly he heard a rustic behind him.
and glanced about in time to see Van
Allen vault into the saddle and spur
the horse into the road. He ceased his
firing in paralyZed establishment and
watched his cowardly brother-at-arms
! gain the road and head toward Bong
Bong at a charging gallcp. During
that moment of inactiOn the Insured
tos swept by, yelling and gesticulat-
Ing and firing at the rapidly retreat
ing Van Allen. A well aimed shot
brought the horse to his knees before
he had Travelled a hundred yards, and
in moment the entire band was upon
Van Allen as he lay stunned on the
hard road. Bolos flashed for a mo-
ment, and as the band swept on the
blood stained thing they left in the
road became the finale of Van Aliens
romance. Brown they did not see.
Only one man had fired at them, and
as Van ALLEN fed on the horse they
III,
hidden behind the paddle dixie, was
left unmolested.
When the re-enforcements came and
found the body Of Van Allen in the
road, and farther on found Brown,
sound asleep in bed Of mud the Of
ficers shook their heads significantly
and put Brown under arrest.
Browns report was concise:
eve held them as long as we could,
and then Van Allen started back 70
hold them up at some place farther
on. He never got a hundred yards.
One man on a horse could make time.
Two couldn't. l stayed here and they
passed on without seeing me-"
In the court-martial that followed
Brown was acquitted of cowardice,
L.,