e the waterworks, menaced the valley below.
Frequently they boomed from the mountains as a warning to the curious
natives down on the wide plain of the San Mateo. The encounters which
took place between the Americans and the Tagals at this place are
illustrative of the peculiar mode of warfare carried on by the natives.
Not a few times our forces made invasions in the enemy's country at
Mariquina under the protection of the guns and drove his army into the
foothills on the opposite side of the valley, only to find him back in
his old position before nightfall with his camp fires piercing the gloom
of the valley as darkness settled in.

These successive defeats seemed to have no power in dampening the ardor
of the ducky warriors of the plains. They continued to make invasions on
the American territory, and frequently waylaid belated American troops.
Up to March 25th the infantry force was not sufficiently large to hold
the country which had been taken. Four times the town of Mariquina was
captured in this style. Finally, by some peculiar decision of fate, a
battalion of Coloradoans descended into the valley and after dislodging
the enemy set fire to the hideous nipa huts. Thereafter fewer skirmishes
occurred in this locality. The white and shining church steeple arose
above the blackened ruins as a ghostly monument of the work of war.

About four days after the occupancy of the waterworks by the American
troops Colonel Stotsenberg with a small body of the infantry scoured the
Mariquina plain, but though he met with some heated skirmishes and
drove the enemy back, there was no visible results from his excursion.
The artillery was first used in an advance on February 17th, when the
two Nordenfelt guns were taken down the Mariquina road by Lieutenant
Gibbs. None of the Utah men were hurt on this occasion, although the
natives fought stubbornly at short range and several men and officers of
the Nebraska regiment were wounded. Meanwhile General Montenegro, known
as one of the fiercest Filipino chiefs, had congregated his forces in
the woods southwest of the pumping station towards Pasig Lake and
Cainta. A plan was formed for surrounding the insurgents and the
Nebraska and Washington infantry and the two Maxim Nordenfelts took part
in the engagement. The artillery worked with the Nebraskans and shelled
the woods. Then there was a simultaneous advance from two sides by the
regiments. The Washingtons did their work well and the