wrist; he had bought it that very day to send to his wife. No
trace of the "insurrectos," the murderers, was ever found. A native
woman said the officer was riding peacefully along with his orderly
at his side when suddenly they were stopped by a volley of balls. The
Lieutenant turned, as did also the orderly; their horses took fright,
one rider was thrown, probably already dead, the other escaped. The
funeral rites of our noble soldier were conducted with military honors;
the body was sent home to his bereaved wife and family.
One day a missionary was on his way from town to town; he had,
unfortunately, an orderly with him. He was stopped and asked his
business; he replied that he was a missionary. "Why carry a gun?" was
the scornful retort. He was stripped of everything of value but was
allowed to return. The soldier did not fare so well; he was killed
before the rescuing party could reach him. A detachment was sent out
one day to procure some young beef for sale in a nearby village. They
were received with open arms by the Presidente of the village and the
Padre and were most sumptuously entertained. It was kindly explained
that they had no young cattle for sale but that about a mile further
on there were some very fine young calves that could be had at five
dollars in gold.
Not thinking of any treachery, the soldiers mounted and rode about
a mile beyond the village into a ravine which, according to the
instructions, led to the cattle-field beyond. While crossing the stream
in the bottom of the ravine, the men were startled by the whiz of
bullets and, glancing up, found the steep banks lined with insurrectos
who had opened fire without a moment's warning. Our men entrapped,
surrounded, were ordered to surrender. For answer they put spurs to
their horses and started back under a heavy fire. Unfortunately two of
the fine horses were shot; their riders were obliged to run afoot the
rest of the way up the bank and were picked up by their comrades. One
of the men shouted, "Sergeant, don't you hear they are calling for
us to surrender? Say are you going to?" With an oath, "No, not by
a d---d sight. Run and fight." Which they did and actually got away
from hundreds of natives and arrived in Jaro breathless and weary, the
horses covered with foam. Not a man had been killed or wounded. Two
horses were killed outright, but none were maimed. Soon the troop
was in the saddle and out after those treacherous miscreants. Many
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