os kept
firing and crying in wild religious ecstasy to their Mohammedan God.

Captain Pershing, who had been coolly riding about the fort to
Artillery, Infantry, and Cavalry, now decided to order two of the guns
brought to the right of the fort. This was done immediately and from
right and left they cut loose, determined to accomplish their aim.

But instead of this, they were surprised, when the Moros poured a
withering fire at them and crude lead balls and fragments of iron were
dropping in the midst of the troops.

It was now 2 p.m. and it looked as if Maciu's stronghold was impregnable
indeed, for we had been firing steadily since 9 a.m. and nothing of
importance had, as yet, been accomplished.

The Battery now moved towards the fort from both sides, until they were
within fifty yards of them, and it may be well to mention that it never
has been known in the history of battles where Artillery has engaged an
enemy at so short a range. They had now taken up their new positions and
began to fire at the fort from both sides, this time with great effect.
But still the Moros remained obstinate to the last singing wildly their
religious songs to their God "Allah" in the very midst of the struggle.

The day was now drawing to a close and yet the firing kept on. However,
at 4 p.m. the command "cease firing" was given, and with that ended that
day's struggle for us, but not for the natives, for they, thinking that
the Americans were about to abandon the fort at the approach of night,
still kept up the firing. But in this they were mistaken, for instead of
returning to the camp, the Americans still held their position, closing
in gradually on the fort, in order to prevent the escape of any of the
Moros during the ensuing night.

The commanding officer, seeing that they were determined to hold out
until the bitter end, now issued orders for the construction of scaling
ladders with which to gain admittance to the fort. Work was immediately
begun on them but they were destined never to be used for that purpose
at least, for about midnight the Moros, finding that we were still
determined to hold our positions, decided to attempt an escape from the
enclosure.

The night was unusually dark, and the clouds were hanging low over the
lake, rendering it almost impossible to see or distinguish an object at
a greater distance than fifty feet. The Americans had anticipated their
escape, and consequently were in constant readiness at