The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 10, 1899, Page 28

THE SUNDAY CALL. IN TH Jrory | grf, Army BY BRIGADIER~GENFRAL CHARLES KING. Copyrght by T Tennysen Neely. any man even faintly resembling poor ié Garrison was 10 take heart and look upon that catening letter as a mad piece of day the unexpected m New York I'he men of the house, Frost and Gar- ere accustomed, when the later was at home, to breakfast together quits Then the colonel would drive off the Ayuntamiento, in the walled city, d Frank would mount his pony and ride away to his long day’s duties. sisters would have their leisurely breal in the protection of the guard, would give their Chinaman chef orders for the day, and send him off to make such purchases as were possible in the now scanty market. writing, receiving callers of thelr own sex would flll up the morning. be & brief slesta after luncheon, an hour broad veranda overlooking then dress and the in- Ot Armstrong they had heard next to nothing. h his men over toward East s regiment, through & sui ay Lawrence, ed by Oolonel fast, seoure p his guards near 2 among the carriages saintance of Colonel vate Morton s arrested breaks sway Then reading, There would the sparkling bay, evitable drive. and three other rather too much On one pre yw forever coming to the fe was beginning to wish ad his way; but Canker obe deserts, and d & brace of runs away from ) street. A sergeant told & bugler to sound to arms, and In the twinkilng of an eye the call was taken up from barrack to barrack, and the news E“‘;”"T‘g"'.f:‘xb" wire to the extreme ou! Che pkeepers it ur &G\X‘ shutters and mtedhnw Carts al.. caramattas -—J'fi the street cars—were instantly selzed b: ibe soldiery scattered all over town utilized to take them tearing back to join their regiments. In five minutes the busi- ness streets downtown were deserted. Chi- hese cowered within their crowded huts. Th*nu.\\'u. men and women, either hid within the shelter of their homes or fled to the sanctuary of the many churches. All over the great city the alarm spread like wildfire. The battalions for: un- der arms, those nearest the outer lines being marched at once to thelr.rollt.lonl in support, those nearer the walled city waliting for orders. Forelgn residents took matters more coolly than did the Asiatic; German phlegm, English impassiveness and Yan- kee "devil-may-carishness preventing a panic. But those who had familles and owned or could hire carriages and launches were not slow in seeking for their households the refuge of the fleet of transports lying placidlv at anchor in the bay, where Dewey's bluejackets shift- ed thelr gu:d:, went coolly to their sta- tions and, grouped about their guns, quietly awaliting further developments. In an ony of fear Colonel Frost had bid- den his driver to lash the ponies to a gallop and go like the wind to Malate; but the appearance of the long ranks of stu antry resting on their arms and to look bored, measurably re- i him before he reached his home. however, the sight of Nita, terically to her sister and z on her bed was sufficient to de- e his first move, which was to wire s launch to come around to the bay take them off to the fleet. The s to send and ask for an officer nty men from the cuartel, on re- h age the major com- ding on the dusty roadway his men, grinned under his griz tache and said, “Frost's got em again. Here, Gray, you go over and tell him to keep his hair on, that it's nothing but a fake alarm.” And Gray, glad enough of the chance to go again into the presence of the woman who so fascinated him, sped on his mission. He was in & fury over his recent humiliation in her very sight—he. a commissionad of- ficer, tossed aside ltke a child and out- witted by this daring intruder in the shape of a private soldler—he and his guard brushed away and derided by a ¥ ng fello in some strange regiment who had easily escaped along the beach to an adjoining inclosure into which he derted and was no more seen. The streets were full of scurrying sel- diere, and it was the simplest thing in the world for him to mingle with them and make his w to his own command. Of course, Gray well knew who the man must be— Nita's troublesome lover of last to submit to anything but actual at- tack rather than bring on a battie. “The Americans are al’rll(f." was the gleeful ery of Aguinaldo’s officers, the jeer and taunt of his men. The regulars were soon to come and replace those volunteers, said the wiseacre strike now before the trained and discl- g“ned troops arrive and sweep these big of his Cabinet, therefore 00r8 Into the sea. And on the still, star- Uit night, soner perhaps than his confed- erates within the walls intended, the rebel leader struck, and long before the dawn ?r’; the lovely 'Sunday morn that followed in Blg semicircle around Manila and the long-expected battle was on. e flashed from forty thousand rifles Hours after dawn, hours after the at- k began, the —teenth were in extended ttle order to the south of Malate con- nted by thickets of bamboo that fairly swarmed with Insurgents, yet only by the incessant zi and “‘whiew' of thefrdeadly missiles and the ceaseless crackle of rifle fire could this be determined; for with their smokeless powder and their Indian- like skill in concealment nothing could be seen of their array. Over to the west- ward on the placid waters of the bay the hufie Monadnook was driving shell after ehell into the dense underbrush across the that had died away, beyond the wooded ed Singalon and Blockhouse 12, was sud- silence, while, moving up and down be- hind their men, the ne officers cautiored laeg!:lns! waste of ammunition and need- dow; to stand this forever. your chance.” exposure. “Lie flat, men n Keep were the words. “We w t have You'll soon get And presently it came. The cheering far over to the Jeft knolls that surround- taken up nearer at hand. Then d-‘nl‘ crashing volleys sounded along the nar- row roadway ran, of unseer in the gloom of the dense thicket in which they lay, the men of the Sec- ond Battallon, to the east, and a bugle out shrill and clear above the nolse attle; and then closer stlll, though strung alon Filipino trail that led away ‘xo !he‘ r!-ce flevldnl swung their big straw hats and yelled for joy. A young officer, his eyes flash- ing, his face flushing with ex’citzment. came bounding out from the ve at the left to the crouching s stralght to where the veteran battalion commander knelt in rear of his center. It was Billy Gray, adjutant of the Third line and made Battallon, acting that day as adjutant to the regimental commander. The bullets whistled by his head as he darted spring- moment our Now I must get bacl I savey, and we'll d let us into it as quick as ¥ sentence. reached his pl and could on understands, mental commander simply turned to the battalion leader, left in a little c veteran grown grj long y Gray, we'll go with him.” bugles sound the charge. All right, youngster. Tell the colonel our level best—only, But Gray heard only the first part of the He was pant when he acld, gray-mustached chief gasp out: “The captain sir.” And then the regi- standing silent at his amp of timber—another v as himself in lons, “old man. Pitch in! left 's of serv! Now's our time, All along the line from right to there ran the cross-country road connect- ing the broader highwa to San Rafael and Paranaque on the west and from West Paco by way of Singalon to Pasay. was swamp, front of the left wing all was close, dense bamboo and jungle, save where the broad, straight ro: 18, or the.narrower cart track stretched southward, spreading branches. and commanded at {ts narrowest path by the swarm of dusky Malate from In front of the right wing all morass or rice flelds. In 'way led on past Blockhouse in pl by overarched {t!" almost screamed a aflam who, forgetful for the u though in stupefaction face, found himself drooping, too grow- ing dizzy and faint and reeling, but stid holding on to his trust. and he as a young officer 1l captain, point- ing with bis sword to the flashing block house half hidden in the trees. “liear those fellows on the ot road? Don't let them beat Come on, lads and out he darted into the open, an insta target for a score of Mausers. Jut, t leaped half a dozen men, one & !nperh‘y bullt young athlete, w with resolution and rage iray from the corner of of ba Out leaped Billy the crossroad, and, cheering called on others to follow. Dow the captain, shot through the knee went the nearmost man, 1F all who was first to follow. Dow brawny sergeant, who had st raise his captain; but on swe others while the bamt flerce volley of the K scores now, yelling ltke Apa the regulars; and somehow, ne knew how if happened. Gray self a moment later stradd i field gun In & whirl of dust a and ch omething wet ar his side, and of b 1 his perch by brawny b given a sip of cante A half-supported back to whe was already kn soldier un whose settling, on whose 1l ng shadow of deat w ready traced. ellow's eyes opened wearlly as he ed th ar regsed upon him by eager, sympathet though ‘n search of sc iliar and so they fell on ti Gra hurt, threw himself by A . side and selzed his ciammy band. A hait smile flitted over the pale fa the other hand groped the breast his blue shirt and slowly brought forth 1 packet, stained and dripping with blood that welled slowly from a shothole in th broad white breast. “Give to—General Drayton— Promise,” he asped, and and so they fell on those of Hilly Gray, Then the brave eyes closed, the weary head fell back; and Gray, staring as into the pallid “Don’t some of you know him?" asked the surgeon. “He's past helping_now, poor lad. Here, you drink this, Billy" iaced a little silver cup at Gray’ pallid lips. “He came a-runnin’ from over at Block- house 12 with a note from division head- quarters just as we went in' sald & veteran sergeant, drawing the back of & owder-stained hand across his drippin orehead, then respectfully u-pp‘.ni bac] nt down and glanced at Gray. Muc{ hurt, Billy, old man? No? Thank God for that! Look at who? Where? Why, God of heaven, it's Pat Latrob Oh, Pat! Pat! dear old boy—has it come to this CHAPTER XVIL In the fortnight of incessant action that followed the mad attack of that starlit Sunday morning, there was no place for Billy Gray. Sorely wounded, yet envied by many & fellow soldier for the glowing words in which the brigade commander praised his conduct and urged his brev the boy had been carried back to the great reserve hospital at Malate. The breezy wards were filled with sick or wounded, and certain of the rooms of the old convent once used for study and recitation had been set apart for officers There were three cots the one to which they bore him, and two were alrea. cupled. Even in his pain a he could hardly suppress & may; for there, with his sentry A tt the cor 1 the marbled marching the rel whom Witchie had told him so much There was his chance and in bplints, his face w of blood, his eyes ¢ d in utter exhaustion, lay Stanley ¥ P ate opening to the to recover the let- Time and again the boy's hea and moving n!t"?r‘:—u her ters and claim the sclence had rebuked him for th st c heard the rustle of her skirts reward;but man and ment, that had ari between m I3 letters both had es caped his grasp; and ght pat this man who had proved his best Time and again he had promised eretiny feet as iwood floor of the she sped o in salon S owing back that he would strive to ba; c - At ST e ok friendship; but well he K ; ! the mornin b he must reinstate him: n 53 e \ she was gazing ¢ respect; and how could he ho A - lawn toward the gate 80 lone as he surrendered to a s 3 ged thfough th 18 that kept h gling s dainty skirts of W Oddly enough ered his heaa v Frank Garriso tions or devotions be called, to ti capricious s0_overwhelmec siderations from m respondi in the de ashamed = Armstron e wince. He knew - 1 5 ing suddenly u : : had that trog & ) '3 B - ¥ x | . n. He | <. He as it was | i . with Amy Lawrer ) = was returned; b N hat ‘ she had k ily in- | | terest in 3 stung, he ( - < - at Honolulu, a sions, and the : - eald Bil hir - a woman nurses him ¢ what Witchie Margaret Found Her Sister Cow- ering Before a Tall, Slender Man in the Rough Dress of a Private Soldier. 2 and t could for that charge He fighters in Blockhouse 14. ha A year before p, A army woman though she was, she did rot d not remember ever eer barracks, came a sudden y, and, spring- 1 to the 'door, Marga- r cowering before a "the other grasped obe stood sternly wing little Gray “looking for Some soldiers o umbled over the bles and chalrs in their dash iy one nor approached by ‘when he after fruitl led up, blown and exhausted chase, g«a ‘(’l‘!u brought :: his sens the sight of his own m falling in_ “for business,” and he had to ecamper for his sword and join them. That was a miserable evening. Marga- ret rrison was the only member of the houschold who seemed to have her wits about her and her nerves under control, for F her liege lord, had his duty elsewhere, and not until hours later trotted slowly home. Margaret plainly let Gray understand how he had fallen in her estimation at being so easlly tossed aside. A warning finger was lald upon her lip. *“Not one word of what has hap- pened while he is here,” she muttered; and & nod of her fluffy head toward the perturbed colonel told plainly that the chief of the houschold really had no place in the family council; ‘0 the sisters that alarm was a blessing in disguise. It was sufficient to ount for ita's prostratio "o the rash and reckless lad claiming to be an orderly with from the colonel, had passed by ard to the open stalrway it " } cover for escap when, alar |} Nita's cry, Gray and the cor- oral came springing to her aid. To Gray gave only a few minutes' for- " of his frouble, for, smarting the sting of a woman's only half- len disdain, he would have welcomed 7 almost savage joy some fierce battle with a skillful foe, some scene in which he could compei her respect and admira- He was still smarting and stung when at last that opportunity came, Long will Manila remember the night! swed close upon the heels of warn- ings that for weeks held every officer and man to his post of duty. Day after day the strain increased. The insurgents, crowding upon our outposts in front of Santa Mesa on the north and of Santa Ana on the south side of the Pasig, had heaped insult and threats upon our sflent sentries, compelled by orders to the very abandoned rice fields and the marshy flats that lined the shore. Over to the east ruonndln‘s cheers and crashing volleys, punctuated by the sharp report of fleld fiuns told that the comrade brigade was eavily engaged and apparently drivin the enemy before them. To right an left thelr volunteer supports were bang- ing into the brush with Springfields; and still there seemed no symptom of weakness along the immedi- ate front, no sign of yielding. If any- thing the’fury of the insurgent volleying increased as the sun climbed higher, an: all along the blue-shirted line men gritted their teeth and swore as they crouched or lay full length along the roadside. peer- ing through the filmy vell that drifted slowly a their front—the smoke from the Sprir ds of the volunteers. To lie there zer with the bullets buzzing close overhead or biting deep into the low embankment. sometimes tearing a sting- ing path through human flesh and bone. was adding to the nerve strain of the hours gone by. To rush headlong across that intervening open space, through deep and m tagnant ditch, and hurl themselves upon the lurking enemy in the hamboo conse bevond. had been the ardent longing of the line since daylight e to fllumine the field before them. t stern orders withheld: Defend, but do not sage: advance. 1id the general's mes- and the whi per went along from man to man. “There {s trouble in town :‘I"M"'.‘. us, and the chlef may need us here. But us 8 o'clock passed with no word of uprising in the rear, and the cheering over toward Santa Ana grew loud and louder, the nerve-strain upon the —teenth became welinigh intolerable. “For God's sake. can't we be doing something in- stead of lying here firing into a hornet's nest?’ was the murmur that arose in more than one company along the im- patient line; and the gruff voices of vet- eran sergeants could be heard ordering their heavy. ingly along; and in their joy at sight of him even old hands forgot the reserve cf the regular service and some man shouted: ““Now we're off!"" and the popu- lar query: “What's the matter with Lieutenant Gray?" At any other time, under any other cir- cumstances both questioner and respond- ents ho gleefully shouted ““He's all right,” would have " been promptly and sternly suppressed. But the senfor cap- tain at their head well knew the excite- ment tingling in the nerves of that long- sufbrlnfi ine, and only smiled and nodded sympathy. He saw, too, that Gray was quivering with pent-up feeling, as the boy halted short, saluted, and. striving to steady his eager volce, said: “'Captain, the colonel directs that vou open sharp fire on the woods in your front and occupy the enemy there. He is, about to achar with the “third battalion and drive them out of the trenches we've lo- over yonder”; and Billy pointed erly to the left front—the southeast. e caplain's grizzled face took on a look of keen disappointment. . “You mean we've got to stay here and Bee you fel- lows go in? “Only for a few colonet s that fore he's got o too many men. Youwll get soon as he's got the works. “Well said, Billy boy! That sounds al igrammatic. = Hullo! You hit? Stoop down here, man. Don't try to get minutes, for you to ch their flank wou The rge be- 1 cost the word s ' was the answer, as the stooped quickly to hide the frrepres- sible twitching about the muscles of his lip. A Remington had ripped from si to side, tearing a way through the cur halr at the top of his head and almost scoring the scalp. To save his soul he could not quite suppress the trembling of his knees; but, steadying himself by great effort, he continued: “The colonel says to commence firing by volley the impenetrable position an enemy armed with magazine rifles or breech loaders and entirely at home. The bugles rang the signal; the officers In silence took their stations, and llegnlnx into the narrow p.th'lh‘! through the jungle, crouching along the roadways or crashing through the stiff bamboo, the blueshirts drove ahead. Two, three minutes, and their purpose seemed undiscovere Then sud- denly Blockhouse 14 blazed with fire and a storm of bullets swept the road. The earthworks In the thickets to the right and left seemed to be crowded with a running flame; and down on their faces fell the foremost soldlers, their gallant leader shot through and through, plung- ing headlong, yet in his dyir y wav- ing his surviving men to to cover. Vengefuliy uow the opened in reply to Remington and Mauser. The blueshirts struggled on inch by inch through the network of bamboo. Still the storm swept up the roadway and no man could hope to face it and live. But little by little the v almed, stes v volleys driven in by squad and section throu the canebrake or by company and platoon across the westward swamps, told on t Ret “Krags" nerve:and dwcipiine of the little brown men in the bamboo. Their shots flew swift, but wild and higher. Then a da ing lad, in the rough field uniform subaltern of Infantry, sprang like a cat into the fire-flashing lane and revolver in hand and a squad of devoted fellows at his heels dashed stralght at the wooden walls ahead. In frantic haste the oceu- pants blazed shot fter shot upon him and his h ic followers. One a T an- other three went down, but In another nt, the leutenant leading, —they ed the blockhouse and darted gh the n doorway e last of s garrison fleeing in panl such unheard-of daring and _det fon Aud then eame the rush of comrades cheering down the lane, tumbling ov the earthworks and the Mekless gang that, still crouching there, held to their position, and all the southward leading road was ours. But, over along the next lane, a parallei track through the timber, there .ad been as stern a check; and the fury of the fire from the trenches In the thickets forced brave men to cover and dropped others in thelir tracks. “By God, we must have the blueshirts stormed these forest Armstrong's prese - ' x strongholds from the south and took them remind him. He co ) think how ove 1 from the troops of Spain. Now they were i dear old dra would rejoice compelled to turn and storm them from i’ the congratul at would surely the north; for, just as Stanley ArmStrong greet him wher yry of the brave said at San Francisco, the Filipinos had {a<h of the F among the turned upon their ally and would-be foremost, she each 8 He friend. Aguinaldo had bearded Uncle cquld not eve um how It would affect Sam. her—Amy Lawrence. He was beginning And while the volunteers and regulars to be ashamed now in this presence to to the right could only remain in sup- think how that other—how AMargaret port, it fell to the lot of the left wing Garrison might be impressed, forgetting of thia brave brigade to assault in almost that, to the army girl who has lived long vears on the frontier, tales of heroism are ihe rule, not the exception. He wondered How long it could be before she would come to him to bring him comfort. Surely by this time she knew that he had been seriously, painfully wounded. He did not know, however, that at the very first sound of battle Frost had bundled the Sisters aboard his launch and steamed away to the transports. Yet, what com- fort could her visit bring to him with that stern censor Iying there, seeing and hear- th ing_all? Blily t Monday night uld almost hed that Arm- strong’s slumber might be eternal, never dreaming that before a second Monday shculd come he would thank heaven with teful heart for Armstrong’s presence, eilance and intervention In three days the colonsl was able to sit up. Within the week he was per- mitted to take air and exercise in the spacious court of the old college, his sword arm in its sling. But Gray and the young officer of volunteers were too seri- ly wounded to leave their pillows —teenth had occupied a new line far th of the old one; but, one at a time. several of Billy's old officers had dropped in to see him and tell him regimental news, and o m, the young West nter wi d broken down at sight of the dyving f that stirring Sunday morning. told him of Latrobe's soldier T f General Dr: n's pre: ence and speechless grief:. and Billy's and groped beneath the pillow for that blocdstaln packet still undeliv- He had promptly caused the infor- mation to be conveyed to the veteran commander t it was his own loat nephew who had died his soldier death in front of the firing ling: but the packet ained in his harnds and even be- tiny confirmed his surgeon saw Billy's therm eye had and so. fore the views the keen ymeter of the height that somethin fever that y wh t at sun- set, there came driving Int surt the most stylish equipage in all Manila, and Mrs. Garrison fluttered up the broad stalrway and dently asked to be an- nounced to Mr. Gray. the steward incharge of the flOOF WAS Very, very £orry, butthe doctor |h‘n'd llv;n 13 lru(‘!i:ns that no more visitors shoul see t - tleman that day. e oy (To be Continued) =