The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1918-10-01
CHAPTER !,

Seventeen New York regiment came
TO an abrupt standstill. He was alone
in the jungle, upon the blazing hillside
before Santiago, in the month of June.
1898.
Through the branches of the trees
the Mauser bullets still whipped and
whistIed, and the prolonged screech of
shells and distant shouting Indicated
that the battle, which had ragged all
day, had not yet reached it's end. But
within the short radius Of Nallace's
vision nothing stirred, not even thp
palmetto bOughS that ruStled with the
least breeze like the sound of the SCI
Wallace had only the most confused
and incoherent knowledge Of what was
happening on that historic day. There
had been an advance in the cool of the
morning, if brief respite from the on
presSve heat could be called GOODNESS
in contrast. Then came the deploy-
ment along the base Of the hills as the
first shells began to fall, the advance
in open order, in which the nicely in
culcated teachings of the parade
ground fell TO pieces, the tumble of
men, OF companies, and, later, of reci-
ments, pressing forward past the dead
and stricken, the shouts, the rattle OF
machine guns and rifles. Batteries
came galloping where they had nc
theoretical business to be, upsettinc
the junior officers desperate attempts
to preserve alignment; Red Cross
men invaded the battle line to succor
the wounded; cOmmissariat mules,
shaking Oft the lethargy which no
amount of belaboring had ever over
come ran away with supplies and
StreWed embalmed beef over the hill
side. In the midst of it all Wallace
had rallied some men OF his own troon
and led them forward; he plunged into
the patch Of scrub-covered Jungle. and
found that he was alone.
In front of him was small clearinp
made by some Cuban squatter in the
preceding year and abandoned. after
the reaping. 1t contained the ruin of
a palm shack, and the burrows scraped
ny primitive pillow were only Just dis
cefnlble amid the rank growth that
had sprung up. The lieutenant stop
peu ana shouted, expecting to see his
men come running through the trees.
but none appeared, and it was at
tlhs moment that the bullet that had
oeen stamped with his name, accord
lug TO the soldiers superstition, found
nin. lie felt smart blow on the
shoulder, which knocked him back
ward. He stumbled, fell down. SAT nm
again and discovered that his elbow
was shattered. The arm hung helm
leSsly at his side.
he managed to bind up the wound
WIN MS hand and teeth. There was
not much pain, but a sort of physical
languor which made him reel giddilv
"hen he arose. There was burning
tHiSt' 100. 1t was extraordinary that
llttle thing like that should take the
siit out OF man. A little blood was
iunnlilg down his sleeve, but the
wound seemed trivial.
, "aiiace leaned against the wall of
'"e SNACK and waited for his men.
Ne shouted once or twice more, but
"'oouy answered him, and the battle
seenieo 10 be drifting in another direc-
u0n' wallace imagined that his troop
Nao advanced around the patch Of
uo' III which case he was not likely
~ estaollsh touch with them again till
nisht1all. He cursed his luck and
S''i'ed forward, but the trees began to
reer around him; he clutched at the
"ali Oh the shack. missed it, and fell.
~ ineh ne realized that he was out of
sue hght. Yet, in spite of his intense
f'appolntment, he knew that worse
snl nave befallen him. He had
osn' through hours of the day-that
, nas much; he was probably spared to
ou MS men again-and that was
~ de had found and proved
.seli' and at twenty-one a youn.
"n' iof all his sclf-confidence, is COM
s an,' OF fears and doubts as well. In
W. w. 81 his soldier ancestors, Mark
"'iace had not been sure that lis
spac'y for leadership extended be-
s suau the parade ground, and he had
arit eren from the young soldiers in
'a'aole fear of fear.
.; ~ ne resigned himself to his situa-
a. sn' He emptied his water bottle and. |
s h. the end of his gauze roll with
wo,, 'eeth, managed to bandage his |
,Da no sufficiently to stop the bleed |
cre. me languor, however, was in
fos Sometimes he would doze
sta.. he" moments. awaking with a
w. % wonder where he was, and |
s.n' hau happened. The air was very /
s"a The shouts had long since died !
c e"ay, the rifle firing was a distant
nns the tremulous staccato tap
rol1 y! me machine guns was like the
W.T. VI drums far away.
lonaos ace must have slept for a pro-
\ Came pefiod, for when next he be-
\ to h;s '"asclous he started up to see,
b atno 'otense establishment, a pretty
CIR OF three Or four years, stand