een in retreat. The river which
barred the way was crossed the next day.

When evening fell on the 30th, the towers of Malolos, the insurgent
capital, where a few months before Don Emilio Aguinaldo had been crowned
president of the Filipino republic, were almost within view. A long line
of Filipino intrenchments defended the approaches to the city. All eyes
had been turned from the beginning of the insurrection toward Malolos,
and here it was expected that on the morrow Aguinaldo, with a host of
his black warriors around him, would make a desperate effort to resist
the aggression of the American troops. The four big rifles and the
Colt's automatic were moved into a position at dusk close to a deserted
line of intrenchments south of Malolos. Majors Bell and Young, later in
the evening, went forward to locate a position for constructing
emplacements for the guns. Suddenly there was a long flash from a low
line of Filipino intrenchments 1000 yards to the front. They saw the
flash in time to guard themselves by the shelter of a rice stack from
the pattering bullets. Their mission by this time was accomplished, for
they had discovered a strong position for the rifles just within a
circle of bamboo trees from which there was an easy view of the enemy's
works.

Late that night, in the tropic darkness of the overhanging trees, a line
of men, carrying picks and spades, trudged out slowly from the
encampment. They were guided by First Sergeant John Anderson of Battery
B. Soon the rice stack where the emplacements were to be made could be
seen through the gloom. The work was begun quietly, for the Filipinos in
the distance were known to be on the alert. An axe struck sharply
against a bamboo and a pick dinned resoundingly in the hard earth. Every
one looked searchingly into the distance, where a response was looked
for from a hundred guns. Major Young stated that he had posted a lookout
near by so that when he called "flash" the men could take care of
themselves as they saw fit before the winged bullets arrived. So the
work went on. When the earth had been reared about one foot, the lookout
suddenly called "flash" and twenty men dropped to the ground. But there
was no report and no bullets came. The lookout had seen some restless
Filipino lighting a cigarette. The intrenchments were ready shortly
after midnight, and before dawn on the morning of the 31st the guns were
moved into position. The insurgents formed a belligerent half-