The Virginia enterprise., 1909-12-10
TRAPPED By AMIGOS
STORY OF THE BATTLE foA LIFE
IN THE PHILIPPINES.

-'~Sss ~ yUSOtu SS0UluU4Oo 6uuVV0uts
ters Treacherous eand-Men Are
Exhausted from Exertions
on Tramp.
~ MARY HELEN FEE.
Byrnton's glance took in the inert
pose of his men, and he groaned. A
corporal near stirred and sat up, Civ.
Ing. as he did so, a quick glance
around that betrayed strained nerves.
"An asleep" murmured Byrnton
Cant you rest?"
NO." replied Milford, also in a low
tone. He crossed over to where his
superior officer sat. "But it's well
they can Sleep" nodding at the men,
I'm sorry for the first guard tonight"
And the last" added Byrnton. Il
dare say we'll be rushed at dawn. I'm
dead tired myself; clean crazy; don't
know why I don't drop in my tracks. :"
Milford gazed at the serene heavens,
and the shadowed earth lying below
the high plateau where the small de-
fachment of army men rested.
Its Christmas day." he said, slow
ly. Let me see-we're PA hours
ahead of them. It's dawn at home,
Byrnton; and there's probably snow!
--snow!" He dropped his hand. anl
In an ecstacy of imagination, crunl-
bled bit of earth in his fingers.
It's all soft and white and furry"
And Ethels going to early church,
with her cheeks red as apples above
her sealskin collar" Byrnton went on,
following the lead. And they've got
the library locked so the kids won't
See the tree till after breakfast"
Hot cakes and maple syrup!" in
terjected Milford.
And my Christmas letter is lying
by her plate"
And we're here" said Milford, bit
terly, "in a God forsaken land
hungry, exhausted with fighting, look
ing for a bolo rush at dawn
"lts what we wanted" was Byrn-
tons response. WAS there one of
us that did not pray for active serv-
ice?"
o, ouI "O "oAIOu a Sl1ACC "
fight, and instead we're PVT up to be
trapped and hacked! We're looking
for an enemy in uniform, armed with
a gun; American humane sentiment
can endure the thought of killing
him. But if a man is using his bolo
at the roadside, and says amigo
friend), we mustn't touch him. l
don't believe there are 500 uniforms
In the whole island. Everybody is
enemigO. by Jove, and we've got to
walk through 'em with our hands in
our pockets and our humane senti-
mcnts in our countenances. 1t isn't
service! It's providing sport for Fill
pino devils. I've got Blake's shrieks
In my ears now"
He was white man, paid $13 a
month and his ratiens to demonstrate
to these Filipinos the civilized notion
| Of war. Wonder if they have any in
tention of taking the lesson. l wish
| they'd begin on this trip" Byrnton
kicked out his foot with an impatient
exclamation, and his sword fell nois-
lily against Mitford's rifle. Half a
dozen men jumped to their feet.
Lie down, men-all's we'll! Fine
tension on mans nerves If he can
wake at sound like that after what
we've gone. through with today"
The men settled back into position,
with tender handling of rifles. Off,
Ger and corporal sat in silence, listen
Ing to the breathing of the sleepers
The moon hung clear and bright in
the sky. The mid heavens were one
glistening field of piled whiteness,
cool and frosty as buried prairie.
"A Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year!" said Milford, softly.
They clasped hands for an instant;
then the corporal lapsed into soldier
saluted, and went to rest.
They had stumbled upon a bit of
trail, and the beaten earth gave no
hint of the bamboo structure beneath
Fortunately, the natives had not built
strongly enough, and it gave way be-
fore the full weight of the men was
upon it. Blake and Jerrold, only,
touched 1t before it went down. Jer-
rold, poor wretch, was spared by his
own revolver, which discharged and
sent bullet through his brain; but
Blake was impaled upon bamboo
stakes at the bottom. His shrieks
and prayers to be put out of his mis-
cry filled the leafy silence The
monkeys chattered at the noise, and
the breathless air stirred slightly as
II nature sighed at the agony of her
child. With beads of perspiration
standing on their faces they had
worked to extract him, while half
their number stood at guard, await
Ing the rush that did not come. When
merciful death released the sufferer,
they reluctantly left his mangled body,
and pushed on for the bare mountain
top, knowing we'll that in ten minutes
the bushes would be full of peeping
faces-women, ten-year-old boys with
bolos, hrawny naked "taos"-all come
to mntilate and insult the helpless
bodies they had shared.
It was close on dawn when Milford,
who was on guard, clasped soldier
by the foot, in accordance with direc-