Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1914-02-19
Juan, and impatiently awaiting the

ly into position, and as a sharp ordel
broke the silence, a lean-faced mar
jerked his arm sidewise. A line O
thick, red flame leaped out of the long
thin muzzle. bellying cloud of vel
lowish-white smoke rolled and tum
bled and made the air murky. Anoth
er gun belched forth its projectile
and soon all the guns were laundering
! with well-ordered precision.
The men were all crouched now
waiting for orders. Over their heads
the terrible hum OF the Mauser balls
was lncessant. Showers of leaves
and branches fell among them. Every
rev seconds, it seemed, someone
you'd tumble to the ground and lie
motiouless or else writhe in silent
pain. Captain Mills was close by Hol-
tons side when ball struck that Of
ilcer in the side of the head. back of
the eyes, and passed clean through.
notion could even hear the sound the
bullet made as it struck the skull a
Gull impact, thud like the clack of
two sticks.
Holton bent over him and then left
him for dead.
Crouching close to the ground he
made his way along the lines. deter
mined to find a place where he could
see something. He had viewed as
much of this visitation of sightless
death in these dense woods as he
could stand.
Half-crawling, he suddenly came up
on the Rough Riders in fever of
rage. Sumner had been ordered by
Smarter to await orders here at the
edge of the woods, but where we're
the orders? How long were they to
be delayed? An hour from now there
would be no Americans 10 receive or.
deTs.
10 Holton it appeared as though
the army had been deserted. left to it's
tate when suddenly word came from
Lieutenant Miley, representing Gen
eral Shafter. who was i'll. for Sum-
ners division to move at once on Ket.
tie Hill, lying to the east of San Juan
and somewhat nearer the trails from
which the soldiers were to enter upon
their attack.
instantly from out of that fringe of
woods and into the open, rooted with
torrent of lead, sprang the negro
regulars and the Rough Riders. bawl. |
ing their famous "yip zip" at the ton
OF their lungs, while from clump of
trees near the San Juan ford Parker's
little battery of gatling guns ratified
necessarily. To the left, out of the
woods, flowed regiment after regi.
ment Of white regulars, with that gal.
liant soldier, Gen. Hamilton Hawkins
at their head, making for the block.
house on San Juan hill.
Holton, drawn irresstibly by the
spirit of the conflict had seized car.
pine from a dead soldier, and in his
excitement he cut across from the
loot OF Kettle Hill and found himself ,
lrst on the edge of the small lake ".
ng between Kettle Hill and San .Juan
MIL and then, as though the transit q
Ion had been affected by magic. he :
vas among 'Hawkins' infantrymen on +
ne slope OF San Juan-lying down +
ma hiring. then going forward in
'rouching rush, just as he saw the
men around him doing. Once. lyine Il
own, he looked behind and on eifbeT .
zoe and marveled that the long thin +,
iue line of charging men was not n
'lped out utterly. There seemed so g
sw of them.
mere and there he saw advancing 70
.oups, and then again one man. veil. ,,
ig and firing all by himself. The 9
lllets poured upon them nitilee-I,, -
len were falling on all sides =
AS ne veered along the slope of the a,
III young regular officer passed him
iconcerhedly swapping pictures OF a
lie charge and yelling for his men to A
'me on. He smiled at HoIton and
olton smiled back. r
Then with a yell the onrushing col Y
ers came to their first rifle-pit. A :
W dead Spanish soldiers lay in If G
II otherwise it was unoccupied Into
e long trench poured the men. firing r
lew Voileys at the trenches above I
Id then leaping out and piling on IN =
lie hill up :,
Hallway up Holton saw man with !"
lie shoulderstraps of a colonel
Incorporating fellow, with side whis- =
ers. He had turned to speak to Shat.
RS aide, Lieutenant Miley. who had
ISL come up with the men of the
bird cavalry.
How are you, colonel?" smileo II
Iiley. 9''''eo
How" Colonel Hamilton said M o
lore, for a bullet entered his omen il
outh and babe him hold his peace A
n evermore. p
And now the men began pouring nm il
the top of the HILL lying behind the Il
est and discharging bullets at the k
who were fleeing down the p
her side, making helter-skelter for
cir entertainments toward SANTIAGO Il
nose who reached there, and not all o
q, joined a heavy force of Spaniards
ing there and turned their fire pnon n
e hill they had so recently left Tins a
hail of lead flew upon and over the II