the
American lines. General Hall occupied Santolan and the pumping-station
there and repelled the repeated attacks made on his column. General
McArthur with a flying column cleared the surrounding district of the
enemy, but owing to the roughness of the country he was unable to
pursue them. Aguinaldo was therefore able to escape north with his
army, reinforced by native troops who had been trained in Spanish
service. There was also a concentration of about 2,500 natives from
the southern Luzon provinces. The insurgents had cut trenches at
almost every mile along the route north. In the several skirmishes
which took place on March 25 the Americans lost one captain and 25 men
killed and eight officers and 142 men wounded. The next day there was
some hard fighting around Polo and Novaliches, where the insurgents
held out for six hours against General McArthur's three brigades of
cavalry and artillery. After the defeat at Paco, Aguinaldo moved
on to the town of Malabon, which was shelled; the enemy therefore
immediately evacuated that place in great confusion, after setting
fire to the buildings. Over 1,000 men, women, and children hastened
across the low, swampy lands carrying their household goods and their
fighting-cocks; it was indeed a curious spectacle. General Wheaton's
brigade captured Malinta, and the insurgents fled panic-stricken after
having suffered severely. The American loss was small in numbers,
but Colonel Egbert, of the 22nd Infantry, was mortally wounded whilst
leading a charge. As he lay on the litter in the midst of the fight
General Wheaton cheered him with the words, "Nobly done, Egbert!" to
which the dying colonel replied, "Good-bye, General; I'm done; I'm
too old," and at once expired.

In March the natives tried to burn down one of the busiest Manila
suburbs. At 8 o'clock one evening they set fire to the Chinese
quarters in Santa Cruz, and the breeze rapidly wafted the flames. The
conflagration lasted four hours. The English Fire-Brigade turned out
to quench it. Hundreds of Chinese laden with chattels hurried to and
fro about the streets; natives rushed hither and thither frantically
trying to keep the fire going whilst the whites were endeavouring
to extinguish it; and with the confusion of European and Oriental
tongues the place was a perfect pandemonium. General Hughes was
at the head of the police, but the surging mob pressed forward and
cut the hose five times. With fixed bayonets the troops