position held by at least one thousand Tagalog.

The victors sat down on the bank of the river to talk and laugh
over the adventure. Meanwhile, the terror-stricken followers of the
misguided Aguinaldo were being rallied by their officers beyond the
range of fire. They were now aware of the inferiority in numbers of
the Americans.

To capture and hold the enemy's works was not a part of Van Osdo's
instructions. Now realizing this, he decided to return and report. The
men were called together, and the start began for the return.

But the bridge! In their wild advance over that frail structure it had
been so shaken that it had fallen into the river and was washed away.

The stream was full to the banks and too deep to wade. Not a third of
the men could swim it with their arms and accouterments. The rebels
were every minute drawing nearer and intensifying their fire. They
were truly between fire and water. There were no boats to be had nor
could the time be taken to construct a raft of bamboo poles.

On came the howling, revengeful, murderous black devils, frenzied
by their recent defeat by this inferior party. The leaders were
frantically waving their swords over their heads, and shouting words of
encouragement to their men; offering rewards to the first to reenter
the trenches.

Our diminutive army was now on the defensive. They leaped into
the ditch and began to take pot-shots at the more daring of the
rapidly approaching mass, determined, to hold the place or die in
the attempt--indeed, there was no alternative.

They succeeded in arresting the van.

The enemy in turn sought shelter and began a fire that had results,
for two Americans were soon rendered _hors de combat_; the trench
not affording as good shelter from the side from which the insurgents
were approaching as on the other side.

This long-range duel kept up for many minutes. Ammunition grew scarce
and was finally exhausted, Van Osdol alone retaining loads in his
revolver.

From the slackening of the American fire, the rebels soon became
aware of their scarcity of cartridges, and again began a mad rush
for the trenches.

Nothing remained for the bold little band to do but to meet them with
the point of the bayonet and sell their lives at a precious price.

The unhurt members of the detachment rallied around their gallant
leader with bayonets fixed. Now the foremost of the wildly rushing
horde was within a hundred yards.

A brilliant thought st