The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-04

AA pAa4CS " SAc wal e0l" respondents, was leading his men back into the danger fields. inviting the American pursuers into every trap which his crafty brain could devise.
 Captain Groce, with company of in- fantry, was following him closely and doggedly into the fastnesses far to the north Village after village was dew astated by the white troops, always a few heurs after the willy Pillar had evacuated Amigos laughed in their deceptive sleeves at the Americans and misdirected them with impunity. In eight cases out of ten the amigo wore arms underneath his garment of friend ship and slew in the dark whenever opportunity arose Graydon Bansemer was one of this doughty. eager com pany which blazed the way into the hills Close behind came the bigger and stronger forces. with guns and horse. and the hospital corps It was the hunt of death for Aguinaldo and Pillar.
 Shortly after daybreak one morning slim. black figure crept out from among the trees and gave the counter sign to the challenging sentry He was soon on his way to the captains headquarters bearing news of impor- tance. The brown skinned scout had travelled all night over a hazardous route, and he was more than welcome. He brought news that Pilar's men were of to the east and the north. well }nfrapoho1 ood proco raA <o fou ,,ooy, the Americans when they advanced blindly into the trap laid for them. The newspaper men pricked up their ears and at once looked to a box of carrier pigeons which formed a most important part Of their pilgrimage A fight was atshand. doubtless an impor- tant meeting of the clashing forces. The whole army was waiting for intel ligence of Pilar-waiting with little less anxiety than that which attached itself to the pursuit Of AEuinaldo.
 Captain Groce ordered Sergeant Con- nell with picked squad to reconnoiter. They scurried of in advance of the company. with instructions to locate the elusive enemy and open up the
 
 Pillar was ten miles of among the rocky foothills which guarded the pass through the mountains. As usual. Bansemer was one of the scouts. He snatched his rations with the others and went forth eagerly to court the danger and excitement that was prom lsed. For days they had had no fight Ing worthy the name. Amigos every where, villages peopled only by wom- en and children. treacherous peaceful ness on every side. This had been their encounter-an occasional rife shot from the rice fields. a crackle of guns far ahead, prisoner or two who had not been quick enough in trans forming himself from combatant to friend. that was all Now there seem- ed to be real fighting ahead.
 Pillar was known to have many men good soldiers all of them. The native scout gave close and accurate direc- tions as to his position. 1t remained for Councils men to draw him out if possible. Captain Groce and the re- mainder of his eager company did not murch until long after the scouts 
 were on their precarious way.
 Two hours after the party of eleven left the village Mauser bullet from a clump of trees far to the right cut through the hat of one of the scouts who was some distance in advance of his fellows. As he saw the scout stoop to pick up his hat Rogers turned to the man nearest him and remarked
 They'll get him sure as shootin' some day if he hikes along in that fool way"
 1t was no new experience for the scouts to find the quarry gone when they reached the place where they ex- pected to find him. Pillars own scouts had found that the ambuscade was destined to fail of its purpose. and the willy leader drew. back into the more accessible country. The scouting party did not come in sight of the little brown soldiers. Before noon they were far up in the hills. everywhere met by the physical assurance that the enemy was not far ahead of them. Behind them came Captain Groce and his men and the two correspondents.
 Gro be Continued.)
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