whole, the skirmish at La Guasima was quite an important one,
for it showed the Spaniards that our soldiers were bound to advance upon
Santiago, be the cost what it might.

More than this, it showed that Theodore Roosevelt was brave under fire.
During the skirmish he paid but scant attention to his own personal
safety. He went wherever he thought he was needed, and the fact that
Mauser bullets were flying about in all directions did not daunt him.

"He was about as cool a man as I ever saw in a fight," said one old
soldier. "He did all he could to encourage the men, and had a kind word
for every man he ran across who was wounded. Once, in the thickest of
the brush, he grabbed up a gun and began to shoot with us, and I reckon
he fired as straight as anybody there, for he had had lots of practice
while hunting."

The Spaniards had been driven from their pits and from the sugar-house
of the plantation, and now took good care to keep out of sight.
Picket-guards were thrown out by the officers of the army, and those who
had been in the fight took a much-needed rest, and looked after the dead
and wounded. There was certainly a touching scene at the temporary
hospital, where one soldier started to sing "My Country, 'tis of Thee,"
and many others joined in. On the following morning the dead were
buried, the men gathering around the one common grave to sing "Rock of
Ages" in a manner that brought tears to the eyes of many.

From La Guasima the Rough Riders moved to the bank of a small stream in
the neighborhood. Part of the army was ahead of them and the rest
behind, and for several days nothing unusual occurred. But during that
time General Young caught the fever, whereupon Colonel Wood had to take
charge of the brigade, and Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt took command of
the Rough Riders.

It was now the end of June, and the weather was anything but agreeable.
When the rain did not come down in torrents, the sun shone with a glare
and a heat that was terrific. As said before, the uniforms of the Rough
Riders were heavy, and much clothing had to be cast aside as unfit for
use. To add to the discomfort, rations that were promised failed to
appear, so that a good square meal was almost unknown.

"This will not do; the men must have enough to eat, even if I have to
buy it for them," said Acting Colonel Roosevelt, and made two trips down
to the seacoast in search of beans, tomatoes, and other things to eat.
Here he was informed