lt's men from the regulars, and between, and on both sides of the
road in the thick underbrush, was concealed a force of Spaniards that must
have been large, judging from the terrific and constant fire they poured
in on the Americans.

The fight was opened by the First and Tenth Cavalry, under General Young.
A force of Spaniards was known to be in the vicinity of La Quasina, and
early in the morning Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt's men started off up the
precipitous bluff, back of Siboney, to attack the enemy on his right
flank. General Young at the same time took the road at the foot of the
hill.

[Illustration: COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT.]

About two and one-half miles out from Siboney some Cubans, breathless and
excited, rushed into camp with the announcement that the Spaniards were
but a little way in front, and were strongly entrenched. Quickly the
Hotchkiss guns in the front were brought to the rear, while a strong
scouting line was thrown out.

Then cautiously and in silence the troops moved forward until a bend in
the road disclosed a hill where the Spaniards were located. The guns were
again brought to the front and placed in position, while the men crouched
down in the road, waiting impatiently to give Roosevelt's men, who were
toiling over the little trail along the crest of the hill, time to get up.

At 7.30 A. M. General Young gave the command to the men at the Hotchkiss
guns to open fire. That command was the signal for a fight that for
stubbornness has seldom been equalled. The instant the Hotchkiss guns were
fired, from the hillside commanding the road came volley after volley from
the Mausers of the Spaniards.

"Don't shoot until you see something to shoot at," yelled General Young,
and the men, with set jaws and gleaming eyes, obeyed the order. Crawling
along the edge of the road, they protected themselves as much as possible
from the fearful fire of the Spaniards, the troopers, some of them
stripped to the waist, watching the base of the hill, and when any part of
a Spaniard became visible, they fired. Never for an instant did they
falter.

One dusky warrior of the Tenth Cavalry, with a ragged wound in his thigh,
coolly knelt behind a rock, loading and firing, and when told by one of
his comrades that he was wounded, laughed and said:

"Oh, that's all right. That's been there for some time."

In the meantime, away off to the left could be heard the crack of the
rifles of Colonel Wood's men,