t.J
8 "Che Conservative.
NKUKASKA CITV TO MANILA AND
ItKTURN.
[ CONTINUED FROM ISSUE OP AUG. 16. ]
On the Firing Unc.
When I think of it now I cloii't sup
pose I sat there more than twenty min
utes before the storm abated , but that
night it seemed hours , until I heard a
great shouting and splashing as if a
wagon train were crossing a river.
Jumping up I ran through the jungle ,
falling over dead banana stalks and fal
len bamboo , while the wait a-bit thorns
tore my clothes in many places , as I
hurried on. The shouting grew more
distinct ; then I crossed a rico field , and
the grain must have been very tall for ,
as I cleared the furrows , the rice kept
continually striking me in the face. On
the other side I came to a broad creek
and to my joy found the rear guard of
the battalion I had been with. Wading
over , I caught up with the advance
which was broken up in small squads
of a dozen men each. These were
strung along the road for a mile or more.
Hurrying on I had just reached the for
ward squad when "Halt ! Who goes
there ? " came from the inky darkness.
"Advance of the Second Battalion"
promptly answered the sergeant. "Your
quarters are on the leftfirst two houses , "
continued the invisible speaker. We
soon found the places ; the battalion
came up and was dismissed , every man
hunting for a good place to spend the
night. The houses were low , one-story
structures , standing on poles , and , to
reach the doorway , we had to climb up
several flights of stairs. Inside was
some rico still cooking on the little clay
stove , large water jugs and rattan furni
ture was scattered about , and in a big
room , which , no doubt , had been used
as a sleeping apartment , was a crucifix
with the Savior in bronze and near by a
great piece of black ebony representing
some priest. Looking around I found
two bolo knives and an arrow with a
greenish substance upon the point.
Hearing a commotion in the next room ,
I dropped the match and hurried in.
One of the boys was holding a caudle
and stooping over a pile of matting. At
his feet lay a tiny baby. It could not
have been over two weeks old , its
mother , no doubt , having deserted it
when the village was taken. He died
that night , but we did all we could for
him. In my haversack I had a few
pieces of hard bread and a can of
salmon. It was the sweetest salmon I
ever ate , and the hardtack almost dis
solved in my mouth. I took off my
shoes to find my feet in blisters ; how
they did ache. Then I stretched out on
some matting ; it is wonderful how one
can sleep after eighteen hours of hard
tramping.
Miuululuitg *
The morning dawned cold and grey
something strange for a tropical coun
try. After several minutes painful
work , I managed to get my shoes on ,
mt then I could only hobble about.
Going outside , I found that we were in
the town of Mandalang which the reg
ulars had taken the day before , with a
oss of seventeen killed and wounded.
In the centre of the town was a square
) lnza , surrounded by palms , against
which stores had been piled for breast
works. A mile to the left loomed Mount
Ariat , covered with dense green tropical
growth. It was a place in which one
might wish to live for a thousand years.
The only word that flashed , through my
mind was "glorious , " and then I did
not blame the natives for defending such
a fair laud. On one of the trees I found
a ripe cocoannt ; the milk was delicious.
Che assembly blew , and the boys
marched out by the same road they'had
entered the night before. Along the
road I saw a squad of infantry , with a
gang of natives , burying soldiers killed
; he day before. One corpse I will never
forget. The poor fellow's feet and head
were sticking in the mud , and his back
bowed up in a half circle. Scattered
about were the red trousers and empty
cartridge boxes of Aguiualdo's regulars
who had thrown them away in their
flight. All day we tramped , sometimes
in water to our shoulders , and reached
our first camp late in the evening.
I was so worn out that I stayed around
camp for a week. No one dared to
eave the picket line for fear of getting
picked up by the Filipino outposts , and
camp life was anything but agreeable.
A NiRlit Attack.
One night about twelve p. m. a loud
report rang from the hills to our left.
There followed alow moan as the missile
passed over ; then another boom , and a
shell exploded in some near-by cane
brakes. Everything was in commotion
but the men got together at last and
waited. The wind shifted a little just
then , and we all heard a voice , clear
and distinct , on the midnight air , "Give
these yaukee devils hell. " There was
no foreign accent in that voice ; it was
in good English. I was to hear it again
and meet the man who commanded it ,
face to face , thanks to a Dutchman.
There was only one fatality that
night , but the incident was so peculiar I
shall relate it.
One of the boys had received his dis
charge the day before and on the mor
row was to start back to the states.
Hearing the firing he got up to put his
shoes on , when a bullet came through the
flimsy house'and pierced his heart.
A few days later a body of cavalry
passed , then came several battalions of
infantry and a battery of field artillery
It was announced they were going to
take Tarlao , the Filipino capitol. I
wanted to see this very much , and , in
the afternoon when a German came by
saying he was going on to see the sights
I cast my lot with him and together wo
started.
We Eoon came upon two natives cut-
ing bamboo and letting them fall across
the road. We fired our revolvers , where
upon they dropped their bolo knives and
ran into the jungle. Going on we came
to a place where there was a thick bunch
of grass by the roadway. A sickening
odor floated about. Pushing back the
grass I saw a dead native. The vultures
lad picked out his eyes and torn the
) ody almost to pieces , while his jet black
lair had dropped in spots from his head.
3y his side lay a rusty maohette and an
old bamboo canteen , on which was cut
Vivi Aguinaldo. "
Towards evening we crossed a river
where we counted the wrecks of seven
engines , which , no doubt , had been run
from the bridge a few months previous-
y. On the other side of the river were
long deep rifle pits , with bits of rag , old
cans , and empty cartridge boxes scatter
ed about. Next we passed a long string
of natives , in single file , carrying houseHold -
Hold furniture on their heads. As we
passed they fell upon their knees and
remained there until we had gone by.
[ wonder what they have not suffered
during Spain's sovereignty of the
islands. One of them , who could speak
fair English , told me that several years
previously he lived with his brother in
the province of Columbia. At that time
his brother had just married a beautiful
half-caste girl. One day a party of
Spanish cavalry passed through , and one
of the soldiers became infatuated with
the bride. Raising his carbine , he shot
her husband dead , and then outraged
the woman , while the other troopers
Looked on and shouted , "Bravo I bravo !
Espauola ; " and lie told me this was
only one of many such cases he had
witnessed.
That night we stopped at Bam Bam ,
a small town occupied by a colored regi-
meut. We slept in an old house , and
the next morning when I shook my
blanket , a large centipede fell out.
Capture of Turlac.
Pushing on we reached Tarlac by
noon. Here we were very much dissap-
poiuted , for , upon the approach of our
troops , the insurgents fled. I had the
good luck to see Aguinaldo's headquar
ters and his wife , child and mother , who
remained , but the dark chieftain made
good his escape.
Another thing happened that day that
I will never forget. It was the capture
of Captain Lawrence , the man who said :
"Give those Yankee devils hell. " He
was an Englishman , of about thirty-five ,
red haired and short of stature ; a dare
devil expression seemed to accompany
all his movements. He was taken with
a small field piece , no doubt the one he
shelled us with that night.
I felt very happy that evening seated
upon a flat car going towards Manila.
Upon the cars were a hundred or more