rsuit, cheering loudly as they
came. They followed for five miles through Bacalor, and as far back as
their old intrenchments surrounding San Fernando. The rather meagre
encouragement of having been able to chase a small troop of cavalry
seemed to give the Tagalans at this time an idea that they had the whole
American force in retreat.

During the night word was brought to General MacArthur that the
Filipinos were preparing to make an attack early the next morning. At
dawn the Montana and Kansas regiments and a platoon under Lieutenant
Naylor went out to meet them. The Filipinos were in force in their old
position to the northwest. The Kansas went through some cornfields on
the left and the Montanas through a sunken road to the right. The
artillery remained in a concealed position in the center and waited
until the two regiments had moved up on the startled natives from both
flanks. As the insurgents retreated in confusion the big guns played on
the scattered ranks. A large number of the natives were killed during
this clever maneuver and thirty of their rifles were captured.

The Tagalans when on the warpath are persistent. The next day they
occupied intrenchments farther to the north. They were again driven back
and this time they took up a position towards Mexico and in front of the
Iowa troops.

During the next few days the Malay hordes came toward San Fernando from
all sides. Eventually their forces completely surrounded the city.
General MacArthur watched their plans, saw them tearing up the earth for
intrenchments and waited. It was apparent that they were preparing to
march with crushing force upon the American troops.

The cloud burst on June 16th. Just at that time, when the Americans were
not looking for them, the Tagalans descended on the town. Captain Fred
Wheeler was out on a plain drilling a troop of the Fourth United States
Cavalry. It was in the morning and there was a heavy mist. One of
Captain Wheeler's men informed him that he could see the "niggers"
coming. The Captain could see nothing and sent for his glasses, but
before they arrived the long skirmish line of the Tagalans could be seen
emerging like spectres from the mist. Then there was a remarkable
spectacle--the Fourth Cavalry and the Tagalan warriors racing for the
same intrenchments. The cavalrymen arrived first and there the battle
began.

The natives came in from four sides. The outposts waited in the old
Filipino intrenchments and on