Pandapatan, which was to the right and rear of Binidayan.

Fort Pandapatan was the second fort known as the system of Bayan forts,
of which there are four.

At the base of the Binidayan hill the Infantry halted for an instant,
and then started up the hill in a long, thin line of skirmishers, with
determination written in their faces.

It was the initial event of the kind for many of them, but every head
was erect, every man in his place.

There was not a bit of confusion, simply an orderly line of men coming
up to do battle.

They were under a constant fire from the enemy while they were advancing
but they did not reply to them until they were close enough to plainly
distinguish the heads of the Moros bobbing up and down in the trenches
which surrounded the Fort.

They laid down prone on the ground then and poured a withering fire into
the fort and trenches, which quickly routed the enemy.

THE CHARGE.

Suddenly, back on the ridge where the Artillery were stationed the clear
notes of a bugle were heard, sounding "Charge."

Instantly those blue shirted figures away up on the grassy slope, rose
as if by magic, and then pressed forward and upward, with a yell that
was sufficient in itself to route the enemy, and it did route them, for
the Moros were fleeing and falling back on Fort Pandapatan by hundreds.

The troops reached the very walls and there paused for an instant--to
gain breath, then a command rang out, clear and cool, and it seemed that
one mighty wave swept on and over the walls, and in an instant more,
those standing back on the ridge where the Artillery was, saw "Old
Glory" unfurled to the breeze from the shattered walls of Fort
Binidayan.

The first position of the enemy had been taken without loss to the
Americans.

But not so fortunate for the Moros, for here and there a mangled body of
a dusky warrior dotted nature's carpet, some already dead, others
breathing their last, but stubbornly defying the Americans to do their
worst.

At this stage of the battle there came a distinct lull in the firing,
and both sides took advantage of it to "take a hitch" and prepare for
the real battle, which was yet to come.

During this lull the Artillery closed up and took their new position on
Binidayan hill, a little to the south of the fort.

Floating over Fort Pandapatan there were no less than twenty large red
flags.

Most of the Moros had already fallen back on this stronghold and they
could p