ases, but to no purpose. His
position was now a somewhat critical one. Several of the chiefs assumed
such a defiant attitude that but for the clement nature of Aguinaldo,
Paterno might never have returned to tell the tale. They clamorously
insisted on their resolution to fight. Then Paterno adroitly brought
matters to a crisis in a bold peroration which changed the whole
scene. "Capitulate," he exclaimed, "or get hence and vanquish the
enemy! Is victory to be gained in this hiding-place?" Piqued by
this fearless challenge, General Natividad immediately sallied
forth with his troops and encountered the Spaniards for the last
time. His dead body was brought into the camp, and, in the shades of
night, with sombre lights flickering around them, in the presence of
Natividad's bleeding corpse, again Paterno exhorted them to reflect on
the prospects in the field and the offer of capitulation. Impressed
by the lugubrious scene, Aguinaldo yielded, and the next day peace
negotiations were opened. But other difficulties intervened. Aguinaldo
having heard that a subordinate chief was conspiring to force his hand
to capitulate, abruptly cast aside the papers, declaring that he would
never brook coercion. The deadlock lasted a whole day, but at length
Aguinaldo signed conditions, which Paterno conveyed to General Primo
de Rivera at San Fernando (Pampanga). The willingness to capitulate
was by no means unanimous. Paterno was forewarned that on his route
a party of 500 Irreconcilables were waiting to intercept and murder
him, so to evade them he had to hide in a wood. Fifteen minutes' delay
would have cost him his life. Even a Spanish colonel for some occult
reason sought to frustrate the peace negotiations by falsely reporting
to General Primo de Rivera that Paterno was inciting the rebels to
warfare. But the General believed in Paterno's good faith, although
he declared the terms proposed unacceptable, and in like manner three
other amended proposals were rejected, until finally the fifth document
was accepted as tantamount to a Protocol of Peace to serve as a basis
for the treaty. Here ends Paterno's verbal declaration.

The Protocol was signed in duplicate by Emilio Aguinaldo of the one
part, and Pedro A. Paterno, as Peacemaker, of the other part. One
copy was archived in the office of the _Gobierno General_ in Manila,
[184] and the other was remitted to the Home Government with a despatch
from the Gov.-General.

After many consu