company to a
halt. All were panting for breath, for the brush at close quarters had
put them on their mettle. The rest of the battalion soon came up, and
the other battalions followed, from another road, and then the
regiment, with the other troops, pushed on into Angat.

Much to the astonishment of all, the beautiful town, with its
century-old churches and quaint government buildings, was found
practically deserted. The only inhabitants left were a few women and a
handful of aged men, all of whom said they would do anything for the
_Americanos_ if they were spared their lives. These frightened people
were soon put at ease, and then an inspection of the captured place
was instituted.

In various places, such as the vaults of convents and government
buildings, huge quantities of _pilai_, that is, unhulled rice, were
found. Some of the rice was confiscated for army use, and a large
quantity was distributed to the natives who gradually drifted in,
saying they wanted to be friendly, and that they were starving.

"It may be that the rice we give away may go to the rebels," said the
general in command. "But we can't let these poor wretches starve, war
or no war;" and so the bags were given out until very little
remained.

It was not General Lawton's intention to quarter at Angat for any
length of time, and, having entered the town in the morning, he left
it in the afternoon, to begin an advance up the river the next day,
striking San Rafael on the right bank and Muronco on the left bank.

"Somebody has set Angat on fire!" exclaimed Ben, as the regiment
marched away. A thick column of smoke had suddenly risen from the
upper end of the town.

"I don't believe it was our men," answered Major Morris, who walked
beside the young captain. "They had strict orders not to loot or
burn."

The flames speedily increased, as one nipa hut after another caught,
and the warehouses added to the blaze. The Americans always thought
the rebels started this conflagration, while the insurgents laid the
crime at our door. However it was, Angat burned fiercely, and by
nightfall little remained of its many picturesque buildings.

The weather was beginning to tell upon the troops, and out of Ben's
regiment fully forty men were on the sick list, with either colds or
tropical fever, and these had to be sent back to a sick camp. The
balance of the command, it was decided, should join the troops that
were to attack San Rafael.

As before, th