The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-27
ny FREDERICK FUNSTON.
DrIgadier-Genernl. United states Army.
CHAPTER XVI.

III Il AE ~ KUN 7 I. y - 4 DNs
DrIgadier-Genernl.U United states Army.
CHAPTER XVI.
: Early on the morning Of March II
a gloomy and rainy day, we started
on the last and longest leg OF our
fateful journey. We we're told that
the march was usually made in q
week. and that but one white man. a
Spanish friar. generation before
had accomplished il. / do not be
lieve il necessary TO so too much into
the details of that horrible march, as
! IL is not pleasant reading. The rain
never ceased pouring. and from the
morning we left Casiguran we were
drenched to the skin for a week. We
waded more than so streams, and
lived on a stew made up OF fish and
snails mixed with our meager sup
! ply OF corn.
All OF March % we stumbled along
in a half-dazed condition, marching
the entire day without food. Our men
were scattered for a mile along the
beach, some OF them so weak that
they reeled as they walked. II was
plain that the end was at hand. but
we were approaching our destination
1t seemed impossible that the mad
cap enterprise could succeed, and
began TO have regrets that ! had led
all these men to such a finish, for II
must be remembered that we still ex'
pected TO have to fight Tinio with his
400 men, and II did not now seem
that there was any fight left in the
outfit.
About 5 O'Clock we saw a man
ahead OF us along the beach, evident
ly watching us, The crisis was at
hand, and Segovia went to meet him.
We breathlessly watched Segovia and
the man while they were talking and
saw the latter hand the former a let
ter.
Segovia came limping back down
the column, and as he passed us
Americans said In Spanish, at is all
right, We have them" What load
Il lifted off our minds! We were now
within 10 miles of our quarry. The
letter. which Segovia opened and
read at once and then passed to me,
was from Simon Villa, Aguinaldo' s
chief OF staff and was addressed TO
"Lieut-Col Hilario Tai Placido." IL
was an order that the five prisoners
would not be brought into Palanan,
as they might find out that the Die
tator" was there, but would be left
under a guard of 10 men at the place
known as Dinundungan.
We marched two miles farther up
the beach and reached Dinundungan.
Here we found an old Tagalo 10
charge of few Negritos just complet-
ing a couple OF small grass-roofed
open sheds, one Of which was for the
prisoners and the other for their
guard. 1t was already dark, and again
we lay down supperless to bed, IL one
could call the water~soaked ground by
such a name. In whispers we dis
cussed the situation, and before 60
ing to sleep had worked out our little
scheme.
But we had to have food, or the
march OF eight miles would be out
of the question, so Hilario wrote Q
note TO villa reporting his arrival al
Dinundungan, and stated that In the
morning he would resume the march
to Palanan, but that food was neces-
sary, as his men were so weak from
hunger that they could go no farther.
The orders directing that the prison
ers be left where he then was had
been received, and would be complied
with. This letter was sent TO Pal-
aanan by one of the Negritos, and oy
daylight sufficient quantity OF
cracked corn to give us all a fairly
satisfactory meal had arrived.
At last, morning came on the great
day. nine days after we had landed
from the Vicksburg.
nnspffa p1Ir npkfQat were
very weak. and we're six hours In
covering the eight miles. OF the
Americans, Mitchell and ] were In
the worst shape, the Hazards and
Newton standing 1t better had TO
lie down fiat on the ground every Few
hundred yards to get rest OF mo-
ment or two
About halfway to the town we
we're distributed by meeting Ma
cabebe sergeant and one OF the prl-
Yates coming back along the trail, as
rapidly as they could. The two men
we're out of breath, and simply mo-
toned frantically to us to get on the
trail and hide In the woods This we
did. and they joined us. The sergeant
quickly explained that some real In
surgent soldiers we're on the way TO
Dinundungan TO take charge OF us, IN
order that all the men OF our party
might be able to come TO Halanan.
Soon we heard the men come
splashing along laughing and talking.
They passed within 80 feet OF us, as
we lay close TO the ground, almost
fearing 70 breathe.
We now knew, having been so In
formed by the old Tagalo at Dinun-
DUNCAN, that the story OF Tinio hav'
| ing reached Palanan with 400 men
was a myth.
The main interest now centers In
the adventures OF the main column,
the one by which the actual capture
was made. About a mile outside the
town Il was met by couple OF insur'
gent officers, who escorted them the
remainder of the distance. About 3
o'clock they approached the Palanan
river. here about 100 yards wide and
quite deep, and saw the town on the
other side. The only way TO cross
this stream was by means OF rath'
err good.sized banca. Hilario and
/ segovia crossed with the FIRST load
leaving instructions for the men to
follow as rapidly as they could. form
on tho opposite bank, and then march
up TO Aguinaldo's house, where they
would find him The boat was TO be
sent back TO await our arrival. Sc
govia and Hilario now had most try
a., ho1fborr They called on Agui-