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was now four months and a half since hostilities had broken out on that fatal February evening between the United States troops and the Filipinos, and it must be confessed that the conflict seemed as far from a termination as ever.

The causes for this sad situation were numerous. At the start neither the Americans nor the Filipinos had looked for such a terrible outbreak, and when it had come, both sides were somewhat dazed; and in the war of words which followed each accused the other of breaking faith. Aguinaldo insisted that the Americans had started the fighting, and our officers were just as positive that the rebels had fired the first shots. The real truth of this matter will perhaps never be known.

After the outbreak came the advance of the Americans upon Caloocan, Polo, Marilo, Malolos, and other points, as related in "Under Otis in the Philippines,"