our the next morning by the sound of the bugle,
and, hastily dressing, he hurried down-stairs to learn the plans of the
officers. He found that they were going to start on the march as soon
as the men had drunk their morning coffee, and Archie immediately made
preparations to go with them. The colonel looked on in amazement. "Why
are you packing your knapsack!" he asked. "You surely don't think you're
going with us? You never in the world can stand this hard march in the
hot sun."

"Oh, yes, I think I can," said Archie. "You see I have walked a great
deal in these last two months, and I don't think I will have any
difficulty in keeping up with the troops. And I do so want to see some
fighting, and to learn whether you capture Aguinaldo. You don't object
to my going, now, do you?"

"No," said the colonel. "If you think you can stand the marching, and
are so anxious to come, why, I suppose you can do so. But you mustn't
blame me if anything should happen to you."

Archie was ready enough to promise this, for he had no idea that he
would meet with an accident of any kind, and so he continued to pack his
things in the knapsack. The rebels had emptied everything in a corner,
and had evidently intended taking the knapsack with them when they went;
but they left so hurriedly they couldn't possibly think of everything,
and so had left it behind, much to Archie's relief, for he would have
been unable to secure another one anywhere outside Manila. In a very
short time the regiment gathered in the streets immediately about the
square, and soon the men were marching out of the town, much to the
gratification of the residents, who watched them from their roofs
and windows. Archie fell in at the head of the column, and found no
difficulty in keeping up with the soldiers near him, though they were
marching at a rapid rate.

The town limits were soon passed, and they swung into the white country
road, which presented the same scene of desolation which had been
everywhere visible to Archie on his way from Manila. The farm-houses
were nearly all deserted, and there was but little attempt at
cultivating the soil, which would have been productive enough had it not
been overgrown with tangled vines and weeds. And as they went farther
into the country the wilderness increased, until at last the road itself
was filled with growing vines, and the men had difficulty in walking.
Every little while some trooper would fall headlong, tripped by