Part 37 (1/2)

”I fancy that we are better as we are,” Hal answered, with a.s.surance.

”You see, I know the country hereabouts; it is densely covered with bush, in which animals would be worse than useless, for they would stand clear against the green, and would show where we were lying. Without them we shall be more efficient scouts.”

”Pa.s.s the word there for Trooper Marchant,” the sergeant now shouted.

”What is it? Here I am,” Hal answered, stepping forward.

”You are acquainted with these parts, I hear?” the sergeant answered.

”Yes, I have ridden through the bush more than once. What then?”

”The general'll be oblee-e-ged to yer ef you'll get ahead of the column and lead the way. We're kind er strangers here, yer see.”

”I'll do what I can,” Hal answered briskly, being overjoyed at the prospect. ”I suppose my friend can come along too? He knows the country much better than I do.”

”In course he can. Now, you'll be ready early, that's the order.”

Hal nodded, and at once began to talk the matter over with Gerald. Next morning they left the camp with six other men, and marched some five hundred yards ahead of the main body. A Rough Rider, who had been a cowboy right away in the west of North America, was put in charge of the little party.

”Now what aer the partic'lar jokes of these fellers?” he asked Hal, as they pushed along the road. ”Yer foller, ef it wur Injuns, or even bad men of the prairie, I'd be onter their games quicken'n a knife. But these here Dons most like has a way of acting out er the ordinary, that aint easy ter catch hold of.”

”They have, certainly,” Hal replied. ”To begin with, from the experience we had at Guantanamo I fancy you will find that the enemy will make a stubborn fight of it. Then they will lie hidden in the bush, and, look as you will, you will never see more than ma.s.ses of moving green, for they cover themselves with leaves and fronds of ferns.”

”Christopher! That aer the game? Wall, pards, whenever yer fall on a movin' bush pull yer trigger at it quicker than yer can wink,” cried the cowboy. ”Now we'll separate, so's to have about twenty yards between each man. Me and this here pard'll work the center, and t'others can fix onter the sides. When any of yer spots somethin' that's out of the ord'nary, send the warnin' along, and let every feller mark it. Then we'll bring a cross fire ter bear upon it that'll rip through the leaves, and clean the Dons off the face of the airth.”

It was a good suggestion on the cowboy's part, and the scouts promptly carried it out, Hal and his new acquaintance taking the central place.

And now the road became almost impa.s.sable, for rain had fallen, saturating the ground and trees, so that after a few minutes' work in the bush all the scouts were drenched from head to foot.

”It aer moist,” the cowboy, whose name was Harman, exclaimed. ”But it's warm, so it don't matter no more'n nothing. Say, aer that Spanish fellers thur?”

He pointed to a prominent hill in front, along the face of which were rows of trenches, and, though the distance was great, it was not difficult to decide that this was the enemy's position.

”Yes, those are Spaniards,” Hal answered. ”But look out! If I am not mistaken, the bush to the left is filled with guerrillas.”

Scarcely had he spoken when a volley burst from the scrub in front, the bullets whistling overhead.

”That aer partic'lar bad shootin',” said Harman. ”They aer right off the mark.”

”I don't think so,” Hal answered quickly. ”Look away behind; the Dons have spotted the Rough Riders, and other dismounted cavalry, and are firing long-ranging volleys.”

This indeed was the case, and the bullets which whistled overhead were meant for their comrades in the distance. Meanwhile, the column, composed of regulars, who were marching on the right, had come in touch with the enemy, while the cavalry were closing up to them on the left.

Suddenly the quick-firing Hotchkiss guns opened from the bush, and commenced to sh.e.l.l the Spanish trenches, the reports being the signal for a general rifle engagement.

”This is warm,” Hal shouted, as a stream of bullets swept overhead, lopping twigs and leaves from the cover.

”Say, Harman, let us work over there into the bush. It'll be a better place from which to fire.”

They gradually edged through the scrub, till they reached a lower position, where they lay for a time, firing up at the ridge in front of them, and at the hill upon which the main body of the enemy was stationed. From there a machine gun was busily at work, scattering missiles through the foliage, and Hal found it a new and somewhat trying experience; for the distant rattle was accompanied by a rus.h.i.+ng hail of long-nosed bullets, which flew low, and swept every corner of the bush.

Then the noise would pa.s.s away, to be replaced by the zip-zip of Mausers, and by the distant ping-ping of the reports. Soon the main body of the cavalry came up, and, creeping along the ground, the whole force advanced rapidly on the Spaniards, Colonel Roosevelt being some yards in front of his men.