Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1914-02-19

heights which the soldiers had taken
compelling the regulars. Rough Riders
and the white and negro cavalrymen
who had rushed over from Kettle Hill
to fatten themselves in the pits which
had been prepared by the enemy
To Holton, as he lay huddled in {
,rench with a Rough Rider on one side
of him and dead Spaniard on the
other, it seemed as though the immo
lation of the entire army must follow
an attempt upon the entertainments
before the objective point of the cam
paign was attained, and yet such an
attack was what he had counted upon
as 1t would have enabled him, had he
escaped the leaden storm, to make his
way into Santiago.
Cervera had threatened, in event of
the success of the American land cam
paign, to turn his guns upon the city.
and as long as his vessels were in
their present position, they constituted
a menace to the army that certainly
presented prospects of the latter's ulti-
mate success in rather a doubtful
light. And until the forts guarding
the harbor were invested from the
land side, naval attack would prove
too hazardous to undertake.
Over toward Ell Caney the thunder
OF cannon and the racketing of small
arms showed that Lawton and Chaffee
were not having the easy time in TAX
ing the place that had been expected.
Indeed Holton could see that it must
be determined whether San Juan itself
was to be held. All the men were now
IN the pits on the hill, discharging
their weapons from cover, and keep
ing as close to mother earth as they
could nestle.
Inc situation, as it appeared to the
navy man. was a curious one The
men had taken the hill. but what were
they going to do with it? They could
not go back and they could not 90 for
ward. Their position was surely an
anomalous one.
A fine lot of siege artillery. as Hol-
ton saw it, would solve the situation.
and, Indeed, as he thought this, a bat.
terry, red guidons flying and men
cheering, came rolling and swaying up
the hill
Quickly Numbering, the men aimed
hastily, and sent a volley of projectiles
hylng into Santiago. But the huge
yellow clouds had no sooner arisen
and the reports. had not died awav
than 1t seemed as if the fire of the en-
TIRE Spanish force was concentrated
on that row of guns on the hilltop.
smells screamed. bullets whined. artil-
erymen fell one after the other.
mus many minutes did not elapse
before the gunners went rafting away
Town the hill much faster than thew
lad come up. The effect OF this on
he minds of the men. hanging on the
Ill as though by their teeth, was not
It all reassuring.
Late IN the afternoon Lawton and
'hanee stormed through from III
'aney, where they and their men had
ought magnificent battle, and bring.
lg achievements of four odd thou.
ana materially increased the hopeful
ess Of the situation.
AT the same time Gen. Joe Wheeler .
nd his staff came out to the trenches
'lth determination not TO WELD an G.
lch Of the position gained. Twilight,
II and silence settled over the hin 5
Then came darkness.
For an hour Holton lay. wondering o
How soon would it be he 7
re the army would move farther on
ward Santiago? That it would he v
'nsiderably delayed, Holton had rea. u
N to fear.
he arose from his place of retreat
lth sudden resolution. Slowly he
rned until he faced the lights NJ g
'ntiago. and then with half wave
his hand toward the brave men who
ID been his comrades. he stenned .
ong the hilltop. ,
Hallway down the hill he turned y
ID made another gesture toward the
merican lines 1t was a sort of fare. +