Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-12-27
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OPEN HOUSE I'm RIEW O]RILIEANS

ally overran us with that line OF steel
points, and, having once discharged
our weapons, we had no chance to re-
load. The only thing for us, who did
mo- intend to be put out Of the fight
until 1t couldn't be helped, was to grap-
pie with that red coated machine, for
we couldn't get near enough, owing to
the bayonets, to strike decent blow
with our clubbed muskets.
ut was as rough-and-tumble fight
as l ever saw, even when the COM
bstants we're unarmed, and the fact
that we clung to them like cats was
what knocked the Britisher's out of
time, for they, with all their expert
encein such business, had never come
up against anything like 1t.
Struggle with Big BrItlsher.
ut was nay Ill luck to get hold Of q
big Britisher, who was Is or 20 pounds
the heavier, and stood full head
taller; but while he was trying to run
me through with his bayonet, I had a
chance to get the hold wanted, and
down we went. Again had fortune de-
serted me, for while falling he so con-
trived to twist his body that he fell on
top, and for few moments | had quite
I as much as l could do to keep pumping
air into my lEsgs, ow ng to the grip
he had on my throat.
,ta IN that
didn't lay still SOS to give him a good
chance to choke me to death, but wig
gled the best knew how, and, thanks
to some of the tricks had learned
among the mountains, 1t was soon pos,
sible to roll him over. There wasn't
enough strength left in my body to
keep an upper hold; but over and over
we went until we struck the swamp,
and that which thought would be the
death of me proved my advantage.
1--WE had wallowed in the soft mud
and water until we must have looked
like clay images when let go my hold
to grip him by the head, and, putting
forth every ounce Of muscle, managed
to so far turn 1t that his face was
pressed deep into the mud. That took
a good bit of the fight out of him, for,
of course, he couldn't breathe, and was
trying to yell for quarter, when up
came some Of our boys.
ut stands to reason that they
couldn't make out which man came
from England, and grabbed at the first
that came handiest, which Just then
happened to be me.
"'Come up here, you blasted Brit
isher!' the best friend l had in the
regiment shouted, as he pulled me back
by the collar of my coat and wasn't
much more than half drowned kitten
in his clutch.
"Let 60 Of me, you idjut!' yelled
as soon as 1t was possible to get some
of the mud out Of my mouth. Don't
you know your own comrade?
THE Britisher wasn't anybody's
fool, and, recourse, he understood just
what q mistake had been made. He
came up on his feet like a steel spring,
and while my comrades were Growing
over having captured one Of the
enemy, as they supposed, he took to
his heels, running like deer, with the
mud falling on Of him in fakes until
some one saw what kind Of uniform
he wore.
TN all that squad only . single man
had q charge in his gun, and he fired
at the fellow, but 1t was the widest
kind Of q snap shot and the bullet
went wide, Of course.
"By the time / had cleared my face
of mud the Britisher was out Of range,
and perhaps I didn't talk the sweetest
l knew how to the blundering fellow
who had not only lost me q prisoner,
but came very near finishing the chok-
ing which the redcoat had begun.
Final Result Of Battle.
Then the battle was well nigh
over" my grandfather always said at
this point In his story, and as to the
result Of the engagement he would
dive me q well worn alp Of printed
paper. from which I could read the fol
loving;
Toward noon the ere Of the British
visibly slackened. While that Of The
Americans was unceasing. The bat.
tsries Of the foe were crushed and
broken. ne sugar hosEheads had
been converted into Eplintsrs and their
so1tsais mingiiug vith the loft earth, /