hed in perspiration that trickled from them in rivulets. A
short breathing-space was allowed, and then, with Ridge Norris and a
Cuban scout to feel the way, the line of march was again taken up.
Next behind the scouts came a "point" of five men, then Capron's troop
strung out in single file and acting as advance-guard. Behind these
followed the main body of the little army, headed by Colonel Wood. For
an hour and a half they toiled forward in this fashion, laughing,
joking, commenting on the tropical strangeness of their surroundings,
and wondering if there was a Spaniard nearer to them than Santiago.

At length a halt was called, and the wearied men, suffering greatly
from the sweltering heat, gladly flung themselves to the ground. At
the same moment Ridge was reporting to Colonel Wood that he had located
the Spaniards only a few hundred yards ahead, and behind strong
intrenchments. Upon this the Colonel moved cautiously forward to study
the position, leaving his men to fan themselves with their hats and
exchange laughing comments upon one another's appearance, utterly
unconscious of the enemy's proximity.

Suddenly word was passed back for silence in the ranks. Then came
"Attention!" and "Load carbines!"

"Something must be up," whispered Rollo Van Kyp to Mark Gridley, and
just then all eyes were directed inquiringly towards Ridge Norris, who
was taking a place with his own troop.

"The Spaniards are right in front of us," he whispered, and almost
instantly the startling news was passed down the line. There was no
joking now, nor complaints of the heat, but each man stood with
compressed lips, peering into the dense underbrush on either side, and
wishing that the suspense was over.

Now came the hurried forming of a line of battle. One troop was sent
straight to the front, two were deployed to the left, and two more, one
of which was that of Ridge and Rollo, were ordered to force their way
through the thickets on their right, down into the valley, where they
were to make connection with the regulars. While these movements were
being executed, and with a suddenness that caused every man's nerves to
tingle, a sharp firing began somewhere off in the right, and ran like a
flash of powder along the whole line.

Blanket-rolls and haversacks had already been flung aside, and the
sweating troopers, with their flannel shirts open at the throat and
sleeves rolled up to the elbows, bore only their carbines, ammuni