The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1908-10-07

men drew back and waited. Nightfali
came and with 1t the spiteful crack OF
the Mauser rifle. A brawny trooper
toppled over with n great hole In his
head. Pillars pickets could see like
cats In the night. The native scout
reported that the big village of Con-
cepcion was not far ahead Pillars men
were making their stand before this
rather important stronghold.
"well get scrap that Is scrap.
boys" said Cornell exultingly. These
fellows are going to put up fight at
last. They're like bees up yonder
| We've got to fall back on the com
pany. II we don't. they'll chew us up
before the little captain can get to u.s."
Too well did the men know the beli-
, cose temperament of the big Irishman
to think of grumbling at such com
mand, yet 1t was with certain reluc-
lance which invariably accompanies a
backward step that the men retired to
meet the advancing company.
! Young Bansemer in his khaki uni.
! form was not the immaculate. debon-
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; his eyes 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
6re as valiantly as he. He cOurted the
| whiz of the bullet. scoffed at the rig
ors Of the march and instinctively was
good shot with the rifle. He bore no
grudge against the department at
home; he had no grievance.
The officers recognized In him man
Of parts, a 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
line-the plowbOys, the Transfers, 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 ut
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 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 leather case
and gazed ut the small portrait 1t 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 fusil.
lade as the scouts and plckets came
running back. Men sprang up from
the ground, but even as they did so
another volley reached them. and three
men dropped with q 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 II on
dress parade.
STEADY, men! Wait until they're
nearer!''
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,
flre.'
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 ef-
feet, but seemed powerless to thrust
the mass back ON itself. Men shot,
hacked, stabbed and dubbed each 9th
err. 1t was whlrl Of uplifting and
descending rifles and bolos.
i Fierce oaths We'd with the shrieks
of the wounded for supremacy. The
grunt of men who slaughter. the gasps
j 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 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 1t seemed that all his
life he had been doing nothing but