her respects
as well there were few of the accompaniments that we conjure up in our
stay-at-home imagination of battle scenes. There was a little galloping of
hooves, not long sustained; an occasional sharp cry of command or sharper
oath; an intermittent rumble and jar from the infrequently moved artillery,
not yet in action; and perhaps a groan or two from the wounded. But, even
when the field-rifles began to boom and shroud the landscape in drifting
smoke, the make-believe aspect of the affair did not in any degree
diminish. There were no clouds of dust, no heaps of slain, no cheers, no
desperate charges, and not even a glimpse of the stars and stripes. Away
to our right we could see crowds of spectators on the elevated platform
surrounding the Sanctuary of Montserrate; and I remember thinking it was
well no admission fee had been charged for the spectacle upon which they
gazed, else they would have murmured themselves defrauded.

[Illustration: A Bit of Yauco.]

My own most thrilling moments came about in this way: The platoon of
artillery to which I belonged had, as already related, decided that its
position directly behind the hotly beset infantry was untenable, and
consequently fell back at speed, for some distance. Standing at the head of
the first piece, with all my faculties engrossed by the scene before me, I
did not hear the order which should have sent me scampering to my seat on
the limber-chest, and so suddenly found myself alone, with my comrades
mounted and away in full career. A glance about me disclosed the fact that
no other living thing was standing up within a radius of five hundred
yards. I was a conspicuous mark for the eager slayers in the adjacent
underbrush; and I ought, of course, to rejoin my section as quickly as
possible. So I ran. It occurred to me that here was my chance to show what
I was made of. I would stop running, fill and light my pipe, and stalk in
a leisurely manner down the white road, thus winning, perhaps, comment
and applause from high places. I say all this occurred to me; but I also
happened to recollect the story told of the survivor of Bull Run, who
replied to a sneering criticism anent the Federal retreat from that famous
field by the sententious rejoinder that "all them as didn't run was there
yet,"--and I felt that I could fully appreciate the point. So I continued
to sprint as fast as I could, leaving the bubble Reputation for other
seekers, or for myself upon some ot