ince of Antique (Panay Is.), and a few natives of the
locality joined them. They were shortly met by the Spanish troops, and
severe fighting took place in the neighbourhood of Bugason, where the
rebels were ultimately routed with great loss of men and impedimenta.

The survivors fled to their vessels and landed elsewhere on the same
coast. In several places on the Island the flag of rebellion had been
unfurled, and General Rios' troops showed them no quarter. At the
end of six weeks the rebels had been beaten in numerous encounters,
without the least apparent chance of gaining their objective point--the
seizure of Yloilo. In the Concepcion district (East Panay) the rebel
chief Perfecto Poblado took the command, but gained no victory with
his following of 4,000 men. So far, what was happening in the Islands,
other than Luzon, did not officially concern the Americans.

About this time, in Manila, there was by no means that _entente
cordiale_ which should have existed between the rebels and the
Americans, supposing them to be real allies. In reality, it was only in
the minds of the insurgents that there existed an alliance, which the
Americans could not, with good grace, have frankly repudiated, seeing
that General T. M. Anderson was frequently soliciting Aguinaldo's
assistance and co-operation. [206] Aguinaldo was naturally uneasy about
the possible prospect of a protracted struggle with the Spaniards,
if the Islands should revert to them; he was none the less irritated
because his repeated edicts and proclamations of independence received
no recognition from the Americans. General Anderson had already stated,
in his reply (July 22) to a letter from Aguinaldo, that he had no
authority to recognize Aguinaldo's assumption of dictatorship. The
native swaggering soldiery, with the air of conquerors, were ever
ready to rush to arms on the most trivial pretext, and became a
growing menace to the peaceful inhabitants. Therefore, on October 25,
Aguinaldo was again ordered to withdraw his troops still farther,
to distances varying from five to eight miles off Manila, and he
reluctantly complied. When this order was sent to him his forces
in the neighbourhood of Manila were estimated to be as follows:--At
Coloocan, 3,000 men, with two guns trained on Binondo; Santa Mesa,
380; Pasig, 400; Paco, Santa Ana, Pandacan, and Pasay, 400 to 500
each; south of Malate, 1,200, and at Santolan waterworks (on which
the supply of potable water t