Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1914-01-16

| word to open fire.
Itseemed ages to Holton before the
order came, but come it did at last.
The men Of the batteries sprang tense
ly into position, and as sharp order
broke the silence, a lean-faced man
| jerked his arm sidewise. A line OF
| 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 incessant. Showers of leaves
and branches fell among them. Every
few seconds, 1t seemed, someone
would tumble to the ground and lie
motionless or else writhe in silent
| pain. Captain Mills was close by Hol-
tons side when a ball struck that Of
| ticer in the side Of the head, back Of
| the eyes, and passed clean through.
Holtoh could even hear the sound the
bullet made as 1t struck the skull, a
dull 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 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
Shafter to await orders here at the
edge OF the woods, but where were
the orders? How long were they to
be delayed? An hour from now there
would be no Americans to receive or
ders.
To Holton 1t appeared as though
the army had been deserted, left to its
fate when suddenly word came from
Lieutenant Miley. representing Cen
eral Shafter, who was Ill, for Sum-
ner's 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 r iders, bawl-
ing their famous ''yip zip" at the top
of their lungs, while from clump Of
trees near the San Juan ford Parker's
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 irresistibly by the
spirit Of the conflict had seized a car
bine from a dead soldier, and in his
excitement he cut across from the
foot Of Kettle Hill and found himself
first on the edge of the small lake ly.
ing between Kettle Hill and San Juan
hill, and then, as though the transit
ton had been affected by magic, he
we's among Hawkins infantrymen on
the slope OF San Jaan-lyi4lg down
and firing, then going forward in a
crouching rush, just as he saw the
men around him doing. Once, lying
down, he looked behind and on either
side and maTyeled that the long, thin
blue line Of charging men was not
wiped out utterly, There seemed so
few OF them.
Here and there he saw advancing
groups. and then again one man. yell
Ing and firing all by himself. The
bullets poured upon them pitilessly.
Men were falling on all sides.
AS he yeered along the slope of the
hill young regular officer passed him
unconcernedly swapping pictures of
the charge and yelling for his men to
come on. He smiled at Holton, and
Holton smiled back.
Then with yell the onrushing sol
diers came to their first rife-pit. A
few dead Spanish soldiers lay In it,
but otherwise 1t was unoccupied. Into
the long trench poured the men, firing
a few volleys at the trenches above
and then leaping out and piling on up
the hill.
Halfway up Holton saw a man with
the shoulder-straps Of q colonel, q
Incorporating fellow, with side whis-
kers. He had turned to speak to Shat
ters aide, Lieutenant Miley, who had
just come UP with the men Of the
Third cavalry.
How are you. colonel?" smiled
Miley.
How" Colonel Hamilton said no
more, for bullet entered his open
mouth and babe him hold his peace
for evermore.
And now the men began pouring up
to the top Of the hill, lying behind the
crest and discharging bullets at the
Spaniards who were fleeing down the
other side, making helter-skelter for
their entertainments toward Santiago.
Those who reached there, and not all
did, joined heavy force of Spaniards