CHAPTER X
THE TAKING OF ANGAT
"We are out for a fight to-day."
It was Sergeant Gilmore who spoke, and he addressed Ben. The sergeantwas still acting as first lieutenant of Company D, and it looked as ifhe might hold the position permanently. As for Ben, it was settledthat he would be appointed permanent captain of the command as soon asthe necessary papers could be made out.
The regiment had joined General Lawton's command and was now in thevicinity of Angat, a pretty town, full of quaint buildings, and aplace which, as yet, the rebellion had scarcely touched. But theinsurgents had been developed in force by the sharpshooters in front,and now a constant rattle of musketry was heard, which made Ben'sblood tingle as of old, when the cry had been, "On to Santiago!" and"On to Malolos!"
"Yes, you are right, Gilmore," answered the young captain. "And I amnot sorry. It will help us to forget the rain and our otherdiscomforts." Ben did not say it would help him to forget about Larry,but that is what he meant.
The regiment was soon advancing on the double-quick. It was spread outin skirmish order, and the route lay over what had once been arice-field, but which was but little more than a sheet of dirty waterfour to eight inches deep. Here and there were holes, and into thesesome of the soldiers would sometimes step, thus getting an involuntarybath, much to their disgust.
"It ain't all a picnic," remarked one of the unfortunates, as heleaped up out of a hole and shook himself like a big dog. "Folks athome as just read the newspaper accounts of the war don't knowanything of what us fellows have to put up with. All they think we dois to rush forward, kill the enemy, and cover ourselves with glory.I'll wager some of 'em would put on a mighty sour face if they had totramp ten or twenty miles in the mud and wet, carry a gun and otherluggage, and hardly knowing when the next meal was going to turn upand what it was going to amount to."
"Oh, you've got 'em bad, Bradner!" shouted a comrade. "Here, light mypipe and take a smoke. It will dry off your nose if nothing else." AndBradner took the pipe and was thankful that tobacco, at least, wasstill forthcoming.
Half an hour later Ben received orders to take his company up to thefiring line, and away went the command on the double-quick, with theyoung captain at the head. The rain had let up a bit, and the rebelscould be seen making a stand behind a grove of half-wild plantains,where were located a score of nipa huts.
"Run them out, boys!" shouted Ben, as they drew closer. "If we go atthem with a rush we'll soon have them on the run!" And on swept thecompany, with orders to fire at will. Soon there was a constantcracking of rifles, and Ben and the other officers joined in withtheir pistols. The insurgents fired in return, and one man of thecompany fell back, hit in the arm.
Just before the grove was gained there was a brook to cross. This wasmuch swollen, and here a number of the soldiers came to a halt,fearing that fording was out of the question.
"Don't stop!" came in a loud cry from Major Morris. "You can leap thestream easily enough. Come, I'm going!" And over he went with abound, and a score of soldiers followed. A raking fire came from thenipa huts, but now the rebels were seen to be fleeing. The Americansanswered the fire with volley after volley from their own guns, andthe huts were surrounded as quickly as possible.
"Captain Russell, you will take the trail to the left," said anorderly, dashing up. "Major Morris will rejoin you at the fork in theroad."
"The trail to the left," repeated Ben, and turned to his company."Forward, boys,--left oblique!" he shouted, and on they went again,past the nipa huts and down a trail leading along the edge of a richplantation. Several more huts were passed, but the inmates werenothing but women and children, and offered no resistance. Then at adistance could be seen a stone wall, as if the insurgents hadendeavored to construct a rude fortification in a great hurry.
The company was going at the stone wall pell-mell when Ben called asudden halt. "To the right, boys, and come at the end of the wall,"were his orders, and the command swept around as desired.
Bang! The report was hardly expected, and with it half a dozen of thestones composing the rude fortification gave way, disclosing a cannonmade of a bored-out tree-trunk, wound round and round with telegraphwire stolen from the lines along the railroad. This wooden cannon hadbeen heavily charged with cartridges, old nails, and bits of iron, andthe first discharge rent the mouth into a dozen pieces.
"That was a narrow shave!" cried Gilmore, as he and Ben looked around,to find all the company unharmed. "Who ever supposed the rascals wouldput up such a job as that on us?"
"They'll do anything," replied the young captain. "But that isn't anew idea. Wooden cannons were used in the Civil War, so I've beentold."
With the discharge of the wooden gun, the rebels concealed behind thestone fortification had fled. The Americans now made after them, more"hot-footed" than ever, and the incessant crack of firearms wasfollowed by many a groan and yell of pain as over a dozen Filipinoswent down, three to their death.
At the fork mentioned by Major Morris, Ben brought his company to ahalt. All were panting for breath, for the brush at close quarters hadput them on their mettle. The rest of the battalion soon came up, andthe other battalions followed, from another road, and then theregiment, with the other troops, pushed on into Angat.
Much to the astonishment of all, the beautiful town, with itscentury-old churches and quaint government buildings, was foundpractically deserted. The only inhabitants left were a few women and ahandful of aged men, all of whom said they would do anything for the_Americanos_ if they were spared their lives. These frightened peoplewere soon put at ease, and then an inspection of the captured placewas instituted.
In various places, such as the vaults of convents and governmentbuildings, huge quantities of _pilai_, that is, unhulled rice, werefound. Some of the rice was confiscated for army use, and a largequantity was distributed to the natives who gradually drifted in,saying they wanted to be friendly, and that they were starving.
"It may be that the rice we give away may go to the rebels," said thegeneral in command. "But we can't let these poor wretches starve, waror no war;" and so the bags were given out until very littleremained.
It was not General Lawton's intention to quarter at Angat for anylength of time, and, having entered the town in the morning, he leftit in the afternoon, to begin an advance up the river the next day,striking San Rafael on the right bank and Muronco on the left bank.
"Somebody has set Angat on fire!" exclaimed Ben, as the regimentmarched away. A thick column of smoke had suddenly risen from theupper end of the town.
"I don't believe it was our men," answered Major Morris, who walkedbeside the young captain. "They had strict orders not to loot orburn."
The flames speedily increased, as one nipa hut after another caught,and the warehouses added to the blaze. The Americans always thoughtthe rebels started this conflagration, while the insurgents laid thecrime at our door. However it was, Angat burned fiercely, and bynightfall little remained of its many picturesque buildings.
The weather was beginning to tell upon the troops, and out of Ben'sregiment fully forty men were on the sick list, with either colds ortropical fever, and these had to be sent back to a sick camp. Thebalance of the command, it was decided, should join the troops thatwere to attack San Rafael.
As before, the sharpshooters were in front, while the infantry wereescorted by Scott's battery, who, as soon as the enemy's firing linewas located, began to pour in a hot fire of shrapnel, much to thelatter's discomfiture. Then Ben's regiment went into action once more,the young captain's company on the edge of some heavy brush.
The sharp clip, clip of Mauser bullets made unpleasant music as thesoldier boys rushed through the thickets, to surprise not a fewFilipinos who were in hiding, and who imagined that the Americanswould pass them by unnoticed. Once Ben came upon a man lying on hisface in a mass of tall grass, every part of his body concealed but hisback.
"Can he be dead?" thought the young captain, when of a s
udden thenative leaped up like lightning and darted behind the nearest bushesbefore anybody could stop him. Half a dozen soldiers fired on him, andhe fired in return, but none of the shots took effect; and Ben couldnot but think that the poor creature had earned his escape. "For tenchances to one he doesn't know what he is fighting about," he said toGilmore.
"Right you are," answered the lieutenant. "I believe if we couldcorral the whole crowd and explain the true situation to them, theywould throw down their arms without hesitation. It is only the leaderswho are keeping this rebellion alive."
Over near the battery just mentioned stood General Lawton, tall anderect, directing every movement, without a single thought of personaldanger. Many a shot was directed at him, but he seemed to bear acharmed life.
"San Rafael will soon be ours," said one of the officers of the staff."See, the enemy are retreating!" he cried enthusiastically.
At that moment an orderly dashed up, carrying an order from GeneralOtis. The order read that the column must rest at Angat until suppliescould be forwarded from Malolos. A shadow fell over the commando'sface. Another victory was at hand--but orders were orders, and must beobeyed. Slowly the retreat was sounded, and the insurgents were leftin possession of the field. They thought the Americans were beingforced back on account of a heavy loss, and went almost wild withdelight, proclaiming the encounter a great victory for the Filipinocause.