O. W. Coursey

“ But what about her lover’s dying request and the vow she registered in her aching soul as she left the scene of his death? By remaining away from the graves of our loved ones we may check memory and enthrone reason, thus more rapidly overcoming sorrow. By constantly resorting to places of grief we keep that grief, whatever may have been its cause, fresh on the tablets of our memories. The fact that Marie had not returned to Cavite, the scene of her sorrow, for about two months, helped her to forget it and to flirt with fate among the very troops who had caused it. ”

“ In the morning, after nine long, tedious months of captivity resulting from Marie Sampalit’s depredations,—sick, nearly starved, practically nude, with nothing but two battle axes and a bolo for both weapons of defense and for tools—the Americans at last found themselves free men in the wilds of northern Luzon, with positive death left behind, and with possible life and all of its happy associations still before them. ”

“ The sunset, as viewed from Corregidor Island on the evening of April 30, was most glorious. Not a cloud was in the sky; a dead calm prevailed, so that the sea was unusually smooth. As the sun sank to rest behind the shimmering horizon it caused the island to cast a long shadow over Manila bay as far as the eye could reach, but this soon disappeared.
When the sun had sunk from view, Marie noticed that a comparatively new moon was visible in the sky, and she remarked to the Sergeant of the Guard, “It will not be very dark to-night. We can see the Americanos a long way off.” ”

“ As the Americans began to empty their haversacks and hand hard-tack and Boston baked beans to them, some of the prisoners seized them by the fingers and kissed the backs of their hands in grateful homage for their kindness. A few of the more ignorant ones, who had heard so much about the cruelty of the American soldiers, and who, upon sight of our officers, believing the end was near, had sought a kneeling attitude and begun to pray, gradually sank back into a reclining posture and held out their hands for a morsel of food. ”

“ Amid great privations the marching column crossed the mountains and the fertile plains on the opposite side, to the city of San Isidro. It was heralded in advance that the Americans were coming through the country. Obeying their greatest national instinct—curiosity—the natives assembled by thousands in the villages along the road. Every one of them kept crowding forward to get to touch the Americans to see what their skins felt like. ”

“ If Marie were to have stepped ashore immediately [21] after her lover’s strangulation, she might have come to grief. It is strange that she escaped punishment for having followed. She, therefore, rowed directly east and landed on the beach of the bay, about four miles south of Manila, just west of the little city of Paranaque.
From sheer exhaustion, she needed food; therefore, she walked northward along the shore until she found a Mango tree heavily laden with fruit. After eating a few luscious mangoes, she crept into a clump of bamboo and had a good cry: tears so ease a woman’s soul. ”

“ She reached the island at five o’clock that afternoon and was given a royal welcome by the Spanish soldiers. Marie gave them the morning paper containing the news of Dewey’s prospective arrival. She asked permission to take part in the fight.
Marie was a favorite with the Spanish garrison. Her genial disposition, added to her almost inconceivable daring, had won for her the friendship and admiration of all. The gunners had playfully taught her all about loading, firing and swabbing their cannon. She had also learned the art of good marksmanship, so that at a target practice she was an adept. ”

“ Early in the coming fall, Marie, tired of Aguinaldo’s game of hide-and-go-seek, and [134] anxious to find out about her mother and to get into more fighting, if there be a chance, made her way back to Manila.
But her conscience bothered her. She remembered that broken oath and many other acts of wanton treachery that would shock the civilized world. She feared that her own life would soon be sought either by the Americans or by the Filipinos. ”

“ Dewey tells me he has sent home for reinforcements. There is no use for us to let these troops land, if America instead of Spain is going to govern the islands. What we want is absolute independence with myself as president of the new Filipino Republic. If the Americans won’t concede this to us, let’s fight!”
“That’s what I say!” declared Marie. “Let’s drive the foreign devils off the islands or slay them all. Here’s father dead and—Dimiguez, too”—Marie’s voice trembled—“I tell you it’s too much. Let’s kill every one of them!” ”

“ I hold this to be true Americanism: that wherever the old flag is established through sacrifice of American blood, whether it be on the barren sands of the desert, at the frigid extremes of the [74] earth, or on the rich and fertile islands of the sea, there is should remain triumphant, shedding forth beams of liberty to the oppressed, shouts of defiance to the oppressor, and furnish protection and enlightenment to all who come beneath its streaming folds forever! ”

“ The launch made its seven-mile run to Cavite; the victim was placed in the chute; the tide had risen to the danger line; her lover, with his head thrown back, had just begun to gurgle the salt water, when Marie, in frantic agony, almost exhausted, rowed around the lower end of the chute and came [20] near enough to the dying hero to be recognized by him. Straining ever muscle to keep his head above the water a second longer, he cried out in chocking tones that were interrupted by the merciless sea which was rapidly filling his mouth, “Goodby, Marie, God bless you. ”

“ Americans to stand in the open and do guard duty exposed.
The Filipino troops were saucy. They couldn’t understand why men should be armed with rifles and not be permitted to shoot. They tormented the American soldiers daily with hideous pranks. They grew bolder, and pushed their out-posts forward until they stood within a few feet of the American sentries.
Marie went out and back through the American lines at will. She secretly kept the Filipino army thoroughly posted on the arrival of new troops from America. Occasionally she would take the train and go up to Malolos to see Aguinaldo. ”

“ When Marie heard about the capture of the Spanish garrison at Cavite by the Filipinos, she at once rowed over there to see what was going to be done with the prisoners. This was the first time she had been at Cavite since the day of her lover’s tragic death. She found the Filipinos jubilant over their new fire-arms. But many of them had never before used a gun and they were very awkward with them, so that accidents were constantly occurring. The privileges of target [50] practice given to Marie by the Spaniards, in times past, now found a new reward. ”

“ They have had plenty of time to run from Hongkong to Manila and back again; still they have not been seen or heard of. I’ll bet you a peso (Spanish dollar) that they have gone home [32] and that all of this excitement has been for nothing. Dewey is getting old, Marie; he doesn’t want to go to a watery grave so far from home. If he were young and ambitious, it would be different. Old men do not care much about real fighting, especially on the sea. It is different with old generals commanding land forces. They can sit away back in the rear of the battle-field, receive messages that come to them ”

“ Dewey was so long in coming from Hongkong and the garrison on the island had been kept at their guns ready for action for so many hours without rest that many of them were completely tired out by the last day of April, and asked for relief. It was hard to give it. Marie’s opportunity had come. Her ability as an expert rifle shot was known alike to officers and enlisted men. She offered to serve. The Spanish commandant could not well refuse. He needed her services; besides, the Spaniards were just then doing all within their power to win the temporary friendship of the natives. ”

“ Here they crossed the Pasig river on the old “Bridge of Spain” (the large stone bridge near the mouth of the river, built over 300 years ago) and entered the Escolta, the main business street of Manila. After making their way slowly up the Escolta they meandered along San Miguel street until they finally turned and walked a short distance down a side street to a typical native shack, built of bamboo and thatched with Nipa palms, happily tucked away beneath the overhanging limbs of a large mango tree in a spacious yard,—the home of the Sampalits. ”

“ As is usual in military affairs, the front and rear rank men count in unison; that is, number one in the front rank and number one in the rear rank both count “one” at the same time; second file counts “two,” etc. When it came to Marie she piped out simultaneously [34] with the corporal who stood in front of her, “quatro.” (four) .
As the guard was marched along the stony pathways on Corregidor Island and the various sentinels were relieved, Marie soon saw that there was not going to be a place for her. ”

“ Again to you, the members of Admiral Dewey’s fleet, I feel obligated to extend a separate and special welcome; for without your chivalrous devotion to duty last May Day, yon shell-riven wrecks (part of unraised Spanish fleet visible above the bay) would not bespeak the down-fall of a sister nation, and we ourselves would not have been permitted to assemble here this afternoon. There is no braver man on land or sea than the American marine ”

“ The sentry was standing with gun in hand, loaded, cocked, and with bayonet fixed. [171] Keeping his eye centered on the exact spot where he had last seen the slowly gravitating figure before him, the guard said in an undertone that denoted grave alarm, “Do you see that thicket just to the left of that big mango tree?”
“Yes;” said the corporal in a whisper, “What’s the trouble?”
“There’s a man in there,” said the sentry. “I saw him quite plainly at first—and I think he’s got a gun in his hand. You better watch out, boys. He’s still there.” ”

“ Toward morning, I decided that it was my duty to become a soldier; so I called my father and mother, got an early breakfast, bade them goodby and started for Malabon, which was Aguinaldo’s headquarters, and enlisted. He was glad to see me. You know, he and I attended school together for one year at Hongkong. Well, Aguinaldo at once commissioned me a spy and assigned me to very important duty.”
“My God!” interrupted Marie, “you are not on that duty now, are you, Rolando?”
Dimiguez arose. “Marie,” said he firmly, “I must be off.” ”

“ En route to their new destination, the Americans passed in sight of the old stone church being used as a fortress by the Spanish garrison whom they had originally set out to relieve. The Americans had gone to the Philippines to fight the Spaniards. They were now sacrificing their lives to save them. ”

“ Marie, nerved by the thought of a new exploit, forgot her oath not to take up arms against the Americans again during the insurrection, and hastily departed overland for Baler to notify the besieging Filipinos of what was to take place, and to help them as best she could to resist the advance of the rescuing party.
Although Baler is situated on the Baler river, near the eastern coast of Luzon, and [97] Manila is on the west side of the island Baler is, nevertheless, almost directly north of Manila. ”

“ This won’t amount to much as compared with the rest of the islands which I will dominate.”
“Are you sure the Americans won’t land a powerful army, cut through your lines around Manila and drive you out of Malolos, or capture you and your officials at that place? It seems to me I would go farther inland—say to San Isidro,” said Marie.
Aguinaldo thought a moment, then replied: “That’s true, in a sense, Marie; but I have got to be on or near the railroad where I can have easy and rapid access to Manila. Malolos is not far from here and it is situated on the railroad. ”

“ High up in the mountains of northern Luzon, two of the American boys were taken sick with fever and fell down, exhausted. The Filipino lieutenant who had charge of the [124] prisoners, ordered them to go on; they could not. He threatened to shoot them. Gilmore interceded for them without avail. The Americans refused to leave their Anglo-Saxon comrades and prepared to fight. At this moment the Filipino officer himself was suddenly taken ill, and by the time he was able to advance, the sick Americans were able to go along. ”

“ In a moment, the Filipinos opened fire on the Americans all along the line. The latter sought cover. General Lawton remained erect. He made an ideal target. Marie took careful aim. “Bang!” went her rifle, and at that very moment this peerless leader of men, this hero of several wars, was shot through the heart and fell dead in the arms of his aide. ”

“ At a widened place in the canon, the Filipinos withdrew from the Americans, and with guns in hand took their positions on the rocks round-about and above them.
“Prepare to die,” said Gilmore to his companions; “they are going to shoot us.” Calling the Filipino lieutenant to his side Gilmore asked him why he did not shoot them on the opposite side of the mountains, [125] and not have made them make all of that hard climb for nothing. ”

“ Can’t you spare us at least two rifles and some ammunition? If you will do this, I will give [126] you a letter which, should you fall into the hands of the Americans, will make you safe and bring you ample reward.”
The Filipino looked meditatingly at the ground for several moments, then he calmly said, “I shall not dare to do it. An American relief party, seeking your liberation, is close on our heels. They will protect and care for you. Goodby!”
Gilmore did not believe him.
Under cover of the night the Filipinos disappeared. ”