with a broken head.

"Yes, Casey; and you saved me, too," returned Ben, earnestly. "You are
worth two ordinary men;" and then captain and private drifted apart,
as the tide of battle rolled forward.

The top of the hill was gained, but for once the insurgents did not
know when they were whipped, and held to their guns until more than
half of their number were either killed or wounded. The contest raged
to the right and the left of the battery, and this was fortunate, for
seeing they could not hold the pieces, some of the rebels overcharged
one of the guns and set it off, blowing it into a thousand pieces.
Then the main body retreated into the jungle, carrying a few of their
wounded with them.

By this time it was raining again, and the downpour on the top of the
hill was so great that little could be seen of the condition of
affairs at a distance. Sending word that the hill was taken and one
old-fashioned Spanish field-piece captured, Major Morris rallied his
battalion around him and stood on the defensive. But the rebels had
had enough of fighting for the present, and once again took up the
retreat in the direction of San Isidro.

"I reckon that was hot enough for anybody," said the major, as he
stalked up to Ben and the other captains under him. "I wonder if
anybody was killed by the explosion of that old cannon?"

"Nobody was killed, but several were wounded," answered one of the
captains. "The rebel who charged her up and then fired her had lots of
nerve," he added.

Word soon came back from General Lawton that the battalion should hold
the hill until further orders. The situation was not a pleasant one,
but orders must be obeyed, and the various companies proceeded to make
themselves as comfortable as possible, which was not saying much,
since the top of the hill afforded little or no shelter. One company
was detailed to do picket duty, but a little scouting soon proved that
the rebels were a mile or more distant.

When the main body of the troops under General Lawton marched into
Maasin, they found the pretty little town all but deserted. In a few
of the huts the inhabitants remained, having hung out dirty white
rags to show that they were _amigos_. Here were also numerous "Chinos"
or Chinese, some of mixed blood, and all ready to do anything for the
American soldiers, provided they were paid for it. Natives and
"Chinos" went about bared to the waist, casting fearful eyes at those
who had so suddenly dist