The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-11-25

form was not the immaculate, QeDOn-
naire man of the drawing room. Serv-
ice, though short, had been hard and
grueling. His face was even hand
somer with its rugged lines and set
features. He was thinner and brown
er; hisNeyes were clearer and a darker
gray; his hair seemed thicker and
fairer than before; his figure more
erect and sinewy. The wistful look in
his eyes seemed to betray hunger for
action; his ever ready eagerness to be
on the move told of his strength and
of his weakness He had the lean,
active bearing of the panther and the
restless daring of that 1.-the animal.
No man in the company had stood
fire as valiantly as he. He courted the
whiz of the bullet. scoffed at the rig
ors of the march and instinctively was
a good shot with the rifle. He bore NO
grudge against the department at
home; he had no grievance.
The officers recognized in him a man
of parts, man of station far above
the position which he had chosen In
the army. He was a source of mys-
terry to the men of his own rank In the
hne-the plowboys, the teamsters, the
roustabouts and the ne'er-do-wells who
had gone into the army from choice
or discretion. At first they had called
him the dude" and had laughed at
his white hands and clean jaws. His
Indifference to their taunts annoyed
them. One day he knocked down the
biggest bully of the lot and walked
away without even waiting to see
whether he would arise after the blow.
He simply glared at the next man who
chaffed. 1t was enough. The COM
pany held him in a new respect that
forbade the reporting of the incident
to the officer of the day.
Every night before he lay down to
sleep, in the rice field or the barrios,
he took from his pocket a leather case
and gazed at the small portrait it shell
tered. No one had been permitted to
see him in his devotions, for that was
what he called these sacred moments.
His lean face, full of fierce energy all
day long softened as his eyes de-
voured 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 a fusi-
lade as the scouts and pickets came
running back Men sprang up from
the ground. but even as they did 50
another volley reached them. and three
men dropped with a 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, men! Wait until they're
nearerP'
They had not long to wait From all
sides a horde of shouting, firing men
were rushing on the little square.
''Here they are! Now, then, boys,
freq
Volley after volley rang out. The
foremost of the enemy fell at their
feet. Hand to hand was the fighting
The bayonets lunged with deadly eff
feet, but seemed powerless to thrust
the mass back on itself. Men shot
hacked, stabbed and dubbed each 9th
er. 1t was a whlrl of uplifting and
descending rifles and bolos.
Fierce o.; his 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, were 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 frum the steam from the living
and the dead. They could not breathe
A sort of vertigo overpowered them,
and they OF ly kept their feet by Crap
ping with the enemy.
To Bansemer it seemed that all his
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
rifle had been torn from MS nanuS
and that he had no 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 Filipinos 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 exultant yell
from the enemy. Instinctively 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 to
slash him with huge knife. With the
two gripped hands high in the air
struggling for mastery the adversaries
III no