of it for doing us a service,
I'm afraid," said the young Southerner, as he and Ben resumed the
march.

The scouts, under Chief Young, were in advance, and now a steady
firing from the front told that another battle was at hand. Soon
General Lawton came dashing through the crowd on the road, followed by
his staff.

"Forward, boys!" was the cry, and then Ben's command left the road and
took to the rice-fields on the outskirts of Baliuag. The line was a
long one, with the Oregon and Minnesota soldiers forming the
skirmishing end, and Scott's battery in a paddy-field on the extreme
right. So far the insurgents had kept well hidden; but as the
Americans drew closer to the town they could be seen running in half a
dozen directions, as if undecided whether to fight or to flee.

The townspeople themselves were in a panic, and down the streets ran
Filipinos and Chinese, some with their household effects piled high on
their backs. They had heard of the coming of the _Americanos_, but had
hoped almost against hope that their beloved town would be passed by
unmolested.

Ben's regiment was moving along rapidly when they came to a ditch
which seemed to divide the rice-field in half. A short pause followed,
when along came the cry of "Down!" and every man dropped, and none too
soon, for the insurgents had opened up unexpectedly from a cane-brake
behind the rice-field.

"We must take that cane-brake," came the order from the colonel, and
the word was passed along quickly, and away went the companies with a
ringing cheer, firing as they ran, and reloading with all possible
speed.

Ben was now truly in his element, and, waving his sword, he urged
Company D well to the front, so that the cane was soon reached. But
the rebels were not game for a hand-to-hand encounter and fled once
more, through the cane and over a field of heavy grass leading to the
very outskirts of the town beyond.

"They are running away!" was the cry. "On we go, boys, and the town
will be ours in less than half an hour."

But now a halt was ordered, on the edge of the cane-brake. From the
outskirts of the town appeared a Filipino waving a white rag over his
head.

"Flag of truce!" cried the American general. "Cease firing!" And the
order was instantly obeyed. "Major Morris, you can select a detail of
three men and find out what they want."

"I will, general," answered the major of the first battalion, and
saluted. He had soon chosen his men, one of who