Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-20


sleep. in the rice field or the. barrios,
he took from his pocket leather case
and gaZed at the small portrait it shel-
tered. No one had been permitted to
see him in his deyotiOns, for that was
what he called these sacred moments
His lean face. full of fierce energy all
day long. softened as his eyes de-
youred the dainty miniature.
/ Halt, Who goes there"
/ A shot rang out in the stiffness OF
the night. 1t was answered at once
by another closer in. More shots fol-
lowed, gradually increasing to fusil-
iade as the scouts and pickets came
running back. Men sprang up from
the ground. Hut even as they did so
another volley reached them. and three
men dropped with groan and lay
still. The alarm sounded clear from
the bugle and echoed back from the
surrounding hills. a sharp command
came from the throat of the sergeant.
The company seized the stacked rifles.
Captain Groce gave another order The
formation to repel attack was made
in an incredibly short space of time
There was no disorder, no confusion.
The little officer was as cool as if on
| dress parade.
STEADY, menl Wait until they're
nearer
They had not long to wait. From all
| sides horde of shouting, firing men
= hn
Here they are. Now, then, boys,
| fire.
Nolley after vOlley rang out. The
| foremost of the enemy fell at their
feet. Hand to hand was the fighting.
| The bayonets lunged with deadly ef-
feet, but seemed powerless TO thrust
the mass back on itself. Men shot,
hacked, stabbed and dubbed each 9TH
er. 1t was a whirl of uplifting and
descending rifles and bolos.
Fierce oaths We'd with the shrieks
of the wounded for supremacy. The
grunt of men who slaughter. the gasps
of the victims when the steel went
home, We're heard on all sides. At
times the soldiers could not see on ac-
count of the sweat and blood pouring
from their faces. The very air was
foul from the steam from the living
and the dead. They could not breathe.
A sort of vertigo overpowered them.
and they only kept their feet by crap
ping with the enemy.
To Bansemer it seemed that all bis
life he had been doing nothing but
| warding off and delivering blows
Fighting side by side with Rogers. he
saw. with horror. that the soldiers
rife had been torn from his hands
and that be had 10 weapon to defend
himself, but before he could see just
how it happened this individual com
bat had altered its aspect, Rogers had
grabbed the F'iiipino's gun and was
doing the clubbing. With renewed
zest Bansemer finished with the bayO
net his own assailant and saw the
man fall ON top Of poor Adams and
Relander.
Suddenly there was an eyultant vel!
from the enemy. Instinctiyely Banse
mer knew that one side of the square
had given way. Quickly turning. he
| rushed to give his aid and just in time
caught the arm of a native about &c
slash him with huge knife With the
two gripped hands high in the all
struggling for mastery the Anniversaries
became separated a bit from the resi-
of the chaotic mass of friend and foe
swaying out TO one side of the plaZa
and under the walls of convent
Bansemer was facing it, and just al
ln hot ha fnlt STR aCrtl
giving way and could see a grin OF
triumph on the fiendish face there
came Il flash and n report, and his ad
versary fell at his feet. CHANGING up tC
ascertain who had fired the shot thai
had saved his life, he thought he saw
figure disappearing from one of the
windows. The incident acted as al
inspiration. Gathering together few
men, he reached the captains side and
communicated his plan. The opportu
nifty was not to be lost. Groce gave al
order; Connell repeated it. Then in
terpreting temporary lull in the muir
derous struggle as their vantage, the
men, with cheer and dragging the
field piece, broke for the building anC
by bayoneting and clubbing the insur
gents out of the way accomplished the
dash with slight loss. The soldier:
hurled themselves against the stoutly
barred door, 1t fell with crash.
Guards were stationed and all open
ings and windows manned. Singularl.
enough, these defensive actions seem
ed at least temporarily unnecessary, TO
the watchers peering out of the win
dows reported that the dead alone oc
cupied the recent field of battle. No
single Filipino was to be seen on thu
plaza.
Every village has its convent or bar
rios. Generally speaking, their siz
corresponds in certain ratio with TIL
population. But this particular build
ing was an exception. Dimly lighted
it gave the impression of ranking il
size with many of those in far large
villages. Immediately the though
came to the invaders that the churc
might have sheltered the insurgen
leaders. Aguinaldo or Pillar nigh
have directed the attack from insid