ags of truce to the
Spanish lines at Santiago, and set down at the feet of General Toral,
and when in astonishment that officer learned the object of the flag of
truce and sent companies of his soldiers to form in line and present
arms, while the cortege of wounded were borne through by American
troops, a lesson was learned that went far toward the surrender of that
city.

I happen to know that it was not without some very natural home
criticism that General Shafter persisted in his course in the face of
the time-honored custom of "hostages." One can readily understand that
the voluntary giving up of prisoners--officers at that--in view of an
impending battle, might seem in the light of old-time army usages a
waste, to characterize it by no harder term. It is possible that none of
the officers in that field had ever read the Articles of the Treaty of
Geneva, or fully recalled that the treaty had become a law, or that
their commander was acting in full accord with its wise and humane
principles.

By this time the main talk of the camp was "yellow fever." It was soon
discovered by the medical authorities that, from there having been at
first one case of fever, there were now one hundred and sixteen, and
that a fever camp would probably be made there, and the wounded gotten
away. It was advisable then that we return to our ship and attempt, as
far as possible, to hold that free from contagion. I was earnestly
solicited to do this, in view of what was expected of our ship, and of
what was expected of us, that we not only protect ourselves but our
cargo and ship from all contamination and even suspicion.

I faithfully promised to do so, and again called for an army wagon,
leaving all supplies that were useful for the men in camp--sending to El
Caney what was most needed there--and taking only our personal effects,
started for Siboney. In less than twenty minutes the rain was pouring on
us and for two hours it fell as if from buckets. The water was from a
foot and a half to two feet deep in the road as we passed along. At one
time our wagon careened, the mules were held up, and we waited to see
whether it should go over or could be brought out, the water a few
inches only from the top of the lower side. It was scarcely possible for
us to stir, hemmed in as we were, but the men from the other wagons
sprang to our wheels, hanging in the air on the upper side, and we were
simply saved by an inch.

But like other things, thi