place for you to go
than to Puerto Rico. Take a bicycle and ride from Ponce around the island
or straight across to San Juan. You will find the roads, when there are
roads, superlatively excellent--particularly, if you do not mind an
occasional hill or sharp and sudden shower of rain. The larger cities all
have comfortable hotels; and, if you can afford to stay a month in Ponce,
Mayaguez, and San Juan, you will bring back fragrant memories that will
last you many years, or else you will send for your household gods and not
come back at all. And, if you don't ride a bicycle, you will be able to get
just as much pleasure from the toy railroad or wee horses when you travel
about from place to place, while the expense in either case will be
marvellously small.

[Illustration: Railroad from Mayaguez to Aguadilla.]

CHAPTER IV

The Second Day Begins

_We march to San German_--_Removal of the sick from the ambulances_--_An
approaching Spanish force_--_Our scouts and their leader_--_Concerning
Senor Fijardo_--_Visible effects of imminent battle_--_Something about the
town of San German_.

At eight o'clock in the morning on the 10th of August General Schwan's
brigade broke camp at Sabana Grande, and moved out on the road to San
German. The order of march differed from that of the day before only in the
presence of the troop of cavalry; and, the command being well rested, such
progress was made that the advance-guard reached the western side of San
German by noon--a good ten miles. The main body halted at the same hour
just outside the eastern entrance to the town, preparing a makeshift meal;
and at this point the sick, both on their own account and to make room in
the already crowded ambulances, were transferred to a private hospital.

Before quitting San German, word was brought to the commanding general
that the entire Mayaguez garrison--some 1,362 men, chiefly regulars--was
marching in our direction, and would contest our advance. This information,
which proved to be correct, was at once communicated to the cavalry and
advance-guard, with orders to proceed with the greatest care, and to reduce
somewhat the distances ordinarily separating the different parts of the
column.

Our source of information at this and other important times was a small
body of native scouts, numbering from 6 to 11 men and commanded by Lugo
Vina, a swarthy, wizened little Puerto Rican, who looked like General Gomez
and was taciturn as an