ont there is a
garden and a spacious compound at the back. In the large drawing-room
there is a ceiling fresco representing a Filipina descending a flight
of steps from a column to which the chains, now severed, held her
captive. On the steps lies the Spanish flag with a broken staff,
and in her hand she holds on high the Philippine flag of freedom.

In conversation with him he stated that he and his companions returned
to the Islands in May, 1898, with many assurances that America was
simply going to aid them to gain their independence. He added that
when he landed at Cavite he had no arms, and the Americans allowed
him to take them from the Spanish arsenal. Then they turned him out,
and he moved his headquarters to Bacoor, where his troops numbered
between 30,000 and 35,000 men. He said he could easily have taken
Manila then, but that he was begged not to do so as the Americans
were waiting for more troops and they wished to make the victory a
joint one. He confessed he had bought experience very dearly. But he
profited by that experience when, at Cavite, the Belgian Consul and
Prince Loewenstein came four times to make proposals to him in favour
of Germany. The first time, he said, he received them and demanded
their credentials as authorized agents for Germany, but, as they
could not produce any, he declined to have any further intercourse
with them. Referring to the first period of the rebellion, Aguinaldo
admitted that the prospect of ejecting the Spaniards from the Islands
was very doubtful.

Immediately Aguinaldo had fallen captive, all kinds of extravagant and
erroneous versions were current as to how it had happened. Thousands
insisted that he must have voluntarily surrendered, for how could he
have been caught when he had the _anting-anting_? (_vide_ p. 237). As
the ball of conjecture went on rolling, some added to this that
his voluntary surrender must have been for a money consideration,
and there were still others who furnished a further inducement--his
fear of revenge from the late Antonio Luna's party!

Although Aguinaldo gave no proof of being a brilliant warrior,
as an organizer he had no rival capable of keeping 30,000 or more
Filipinos united by sentiment for any one purpose. He trusted no
comrade implicitly, and for a long time his officers had to leave
their side-arms in an antechamber before entering his apartment. He
had, moreover, the adroitness to extirpate that rivalry which alone
destroys