El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-22
UNDER SHIPPERS
FIRE ON RIVER
Company K Hears Bullets
Whiz; Experiences Thrill
of Might Attack"
By JOHN Fl. REGAN.

1dIitaS- eXaS, July Is fbT MALL
Headquarters for detachment of h com
pany has had a number Of border SEN
sations. Shipping from across the river
has begun and one OF the first to ex-
perience the thrill or whistling bullet
has been Lieut.. ". c Elliott the com
mander Of our patrol detachment. He
and Sergt. Boyle. while walking along
the river bank. were fired upon from
underground lining the Mexican en-
bankment OF the Rio Grsnde Artificer
Bill Malone and cook JOHN McRarie had
the pleasure OF two leaden missiles
blowing their way above their heads
while in bathing and the manner of
their exit from the water and appear
ance in camp is a swift" record in our
company history.
Feel YnIistns Coming.
Since the shipping began the boys are
considerably more careful in their
choice Of swimming holes. Our guns
and ammunition belts are with US
whenever we leave camp and within a
few feet of US while in camp. Last
evening about o'clock. we had a gen
uine thrill There was every intimation
in the air that the band of VilIistas
reported in the Boquillas sector were
closing in upon US from the south and
east
Rifle Crack StartIes Camp.
II was an admirable hour for attack
The moon had not yet shone its great
glowing disk above the horizon. All
color. Lea Evans and myself lay upon
a level space on the river bank We
had completed and then drained to the
last dreS an eggnog fashioned in
mess kit II was a proper drink: prop
erly tempered, properly seasoned and
nr0nHTlV timed Ia
posted We were glowing with the
luxury of an extra night of rest in our
own hunks. when a sharp crack of a
rifle filled the placid night with tense
ness
Crepe for Guns In Gloom
The world. in the magnitude of few
tiny seconds. had become TRANSFORMED
In the aftermath there seemed to be
a whirlpool Of faint, indistinguishabl BILE
menacing war sounds A second STAG
cato pulse Of lead and explosion split
open the air. The first shot may have
been accidental-but the second-was-
would il be accidental Through the
saffron night We CROPPED for our guns
We Rugged the INTO our bodies. Ner-
vously and with fingers that throbbed
for all their GOODNESS We stroked the
safety and ran our tips over the car
fridge clips in our bandoleras
Take Skirmishers' Positions.
Under directions we took our posi-
TO the outskirts to beat back a massed
attack. and permit the safe retreat from
their posts Of the guard. Creeping up
TO sand dune. I whispered to the man
next me, Who are your" He whispered
back, 'kinzie Feathers" So there we
were. kinzie and me. peering eagerly
into that almost impenetrabie night
deceived by lOwlived pigs. ridiculed by
the ambling of donkeys, absolutely
by the steadfastness OF wax
weed and chaparraL
Fires Ordered Smothered.
Below US and in the flats glOwed The
spent kitchen fires Of the Mexican peo-
pie who life at Lajitas. Special details
visited the 'dooe sh2cks and command /
ed that the fires be smothered- And |
so. minute after minute was ushered in !
and ushered out as friend Kenzie and |
me hguged the gun butts to our Shout !
ders Our ears were assailed with |
the multiplied echoes of inuumerable |
grains Of sand against the dry leaves
OF the desert grasses. Two black !
things awkwardly dragged themselves !
across a whitened space Ny heart |
beat like drum I found no joy in !
killing Then Kenzie said in disgust. /
Just hogs" And so they were; a
pair Of insufferable pigs. whose meat
is not to be eaten save when the frfgid
glance of nature turns bad germs into /
good and trees green sap into a stolid /
lusty red.
Halt HOrsemen; Fire; They Run.
The low whistle of Lieut. Elliott
came to US in all the quiet and lul. He
had been TO the outpost which safe
guards two strategic passes and
brought back word that the first watch
had signaled two horsemen to halt: that
they ignored the signal and subse-
quently he had fired What became of
the horsemen We do not known fact /
We are uncertain whether there were
any horsemen at all. for the night was
deceptive Yet IL was all as real as
II destiny had thrown her mantle over
US for a half hour of suspense and then
lifted the moon over the
crest Of the mountains to the past
Danger Gone; Falls TO Sleep.
In the pallid light all that savored Of
danger now became fine in its sorcery.
The sands to our east shimmered like
a vast silver disk with a family tinged
haze on it The moon became a thing
in a theater- Il was too big. too near
Us and too yellow The transition was
complete. ] washed my mess kit and
went 10 sleep. There was nothing left
to do
Blue Bandanns Brighten Camp.
colorful note has been introduced I
into our camp. with the advent Of blue !
bandana handkerchiefs from that anna |
bic group of women with the fairy |
book name of the four winds We were |
Ziven the indigo blue squares on Sun
/
came a new camp. The American SOL /
iier became a perfectly fascinating |
Peter Pan" pirate Instead of using |
The bandanas for neck. the squares be- :
anne head dresses with flaps HANGING 1
Town in the rear. A red bandana about /
he throat, an undershirt stripped for |
action, and the ammunition belt COM /
1leted the picture.
Especially piratical is Sam Ventura
His forebears came from Sicily OF Sar- 4
LIMA, and he has something about him \
which suggests the Black Hand II he 1
lad bolo between his teeth I'd send 4
; personal letter to Robert Henri and I
ask that he paint the youngster 1t
would rival Sargent's "Carmencita"
Where did you ge- all the DASH" |
asked Of Sam. and he replied NY !
mother ulster wear a gay one on her /
head"
Search for Ammunition.
Daily we come in contact with the
AeXicans here and as they cross the
river to and fro. It is our custom to
inspect the woven baskets and appre-
bend any passage of ammunition. There
nave been no 6iscloSures-only baskets I
0I flES as those Of Smrrna |