rier,
his steed panting and covered with foam, dashed upon the field and
informed the general that an armistice had been concluded.

General Brooke's sole reply was:

"Lieutenant, you arrived five minutes too soon. You should have been
more considerate of your horse."

While our army did not have a chance to show all that it was capable of
accomplishing, it was proven conclusively that the Yankees are good and
brave fighters.

The sight of an army springing up out of nothing, the spectacle of the
monumental work of military organization being pushed on to success in
spite of mistakes, arrested the attention of all European nations.

One thing is certain--a noble victory has been nobly won; and won,
happily at a cost, which, deplorable though it actually was, was
relatively small, as must be acknowledged by every student of the
warfare of the past.

CHAPTER X.

HOW THE PORTO RICANS RECEIVED US.

Whatever may have been the attitude and feelings of the Spanish
officials and Spanish troops, there can be no doubt that the Porto
Ricans themselves welcomed most enthusiastically the advent of the
Americans and the dawn of a new era. The joy manifested at the sight of
invaders in a conquered country was most extraordinary, and we can
affirm with truth that it has no parallel in history.

It was most fortunate that little or no fighting took place, as thus
many valuable lives were saved. There was no question whatever as to the
result.

The number and location of the Spanish troops on the island just before
the armistice was declared were as follows:

Aibonito, 1,800 men, and two 4-inch field cannon; Cavey, 700 men;
Caguas, 600; Rio Piedras, 180; Carolite, 320; Arecibo, 320, and two
4-inch field cannon; Aguadilla, 320; Crab Island, 100; Bayamon, 395; San
Juan, 1,706, making a total of 5,441, to which may be added
approximately 500 of the Guardia Civil, doing duty in their own villages
all over the island, and 200 of the Orden Publico, doing similar police
duty in San Juan. Many members of the Guardia Civil in or near the
territory held by the American troops joined the Americans.

It cannot be told with any certainty how much resistance the Spaniards
would have offered had hostilities continued, but most of the fighting
would have undoubtedly taken place within sight of San Juan. The
Spaniards themselves believed this, as the preparations they made
sufficiently indicated.

The native people generally wer