rs are but human and must have their fun, no matter under what
difficulties.

"It's a fine turkey dinner we'll be afther havin' to-day," remarked
Dan Casey, as he hung one of the birds over his shoulder. He had
scarcely spoken, when pop-pop went several Mausers in a thicket
beyond, the bullets singing their strange tune in the leaves over the
advancers' heads.

"Forward!" shouted Major Morris, who was in temporary command of the
regiment, and away they went once more, to suddenly find themselves
on spongy soil which speedily let them down to their ankles. In the
meantime the insurgents' fire became thicker than ever, and it looked
as if they were caught in an ambush.

"Fire at will!" came the order. "To the left, boys, and make every
shot tell!"

A roar of musketry drowned out the words, and immediately Ben's
company found itself all but surrounded. To go into this quagmire had
certainly been a grave error, but all leaders make mistakes sometimes;
and Major Morris was suffering as greatly as his men.

The next half hour was one Ben never forgot. The rebels evidently
thought they had the Americans at their mercy and pushed in closer and
closer, until more than half of the contestants were fighting hand to
hand. Many had exhausted their ammunition, and were using their
bayonets or else handling their guns as clubs.

"Die!" cried one tall Tagal, as he flashed up before Ben with a bloody
bolo. "Die!" he repeated in bad English, and made a lunge at the young
captain. But Gilmore had his eye on the man, and the lieutenant's
sword cut the bolo from the rebel's grasp.

"Good for you!" cried Ben. Then he drew a long breath, to think of the
narrow escape he had had. The native, his hand flowing with blood,
retreated as suddenly as he had approached.

The tide of the battle was now taking Americans and insurgents toward
a cane-brake. The rebels still fought desperately, but they were
beginning to lose confidence, for the Americans were pushing them
hard.

But now came a cheer from the rear, and Company B rushed up to the aid
of Ben's command. To the young captain's astonishment, Gilbert was in
command, all the upper officers being either killed or wounded.

"Gilbert!" he called, but had no time to say more. But the young
Southerner heard and waved the sword he had picked up. Soon the two
companies were fighting shoulder to shoulder, and the enemy were
driven out into the cane-field, and then into a meadow. Here they