The Ordway new era., 1906-12-28
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OPEN lalOUS[E llN NEW OYpN JIANS

time, Tor they, with all their expert.
encein such business. had never come
up against anything like It.
Struggle with Big eritisher.
1T was my Ill luck to get hold of n
DIE Britisher. who was 10 or 20 pounds
the heavier. and stood full head
taller; but while he was trying to run
me through with his bayonet. had a
chance to get the hold wanted. and
down we went Again had fortune de
serted me. for while falling he so con.
triyed to twist his body that he fell on
top. and for few moments had quite
as much as | could do to keep pumping
air into my lungs. owing to the grip
he had on my throat.
Now. 1t stands to reason 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. II 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.
I'VE 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
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.
1T 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 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 go OF me. you idjut!' yelled
as soon rs 1t was possible to get some
OF the mud out VI my mouth. Don't
you know your own comradeg
The Britisher wasn't anybody's
fool. and. OF course. he understood Just
what n mistake had been made He
came up on his feet like steel spr!ag.
and while my comrades were Growing
over having captured one OF the
enemy. as they supposed. he took 60
his heels. running like n deer. with the
mud falling OF OF him in flakes until
some one saw what kind of uniform
he wore.
"In nll that squad only a single man
had n charge In his gun. and he fired
at the fellow. but It was the widest
kind of n snap shot and the bullet
went wide. of course.
by the time l had cleared my face
Of mud the Britisher was out OF range.
and perhaps didn't talk the sweetest
knew how to the laundering fellow
who had not only lost me prisoner.
but came very near finishing the chok-
ing which the redcoat had begun.
Fina! 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
give me a well worn slip OF printed
paper. from which could read the fol.
lowing:
Toward noon the FIRE Of the British
yisibly slackened, while that OF the
A Americans was unceasing. The bat
tertes OF the foe we're crushed and
broken. The sugar hogsheads had
been converted into splinters and their
mingling with the soft earth.
soon lost their volume. The guns not
were careeued and worked
with great difficulty.
"The invaders fed in inglorious
haste, helter.skelter. to the bitches. In
,earch of safety, and. under cover OF
he ensuing night, crawled sullenly
back to their camp. dragging with
hem over the spongy ground part
II their cannon, leaving five OF them
,poil for the Americans"
In the tight that day the American
oss was II killed and 23 wounded,
vhile 20 Of the Britishers were found
lead ON the field, the greater number
wing near the swamp whore the At
.ack on our lines had been made. and
,ertain It 10 that NO less than 80 Aad
BEEN disabled.
oeod Time.