Page:Under MacArthur in Luzon.djvu/231

Rh sides. Almost a hundred rebels were in the bushes, and they pumped out so much lead that four of our men were killed outright and several of them were wounded. I got a nip in the arm, near the elbow. We tried our best to fight them off, and killed at least half a dozen. But then the cutter got to leaking so fast from the holes shot into her that she sank and we had to swim for it."

"And how many of you were taken? only the four I saw?"

"No, seven of us—all that weren't killed or wounded, including our commander, who fought as pluckily as anybody you ever saw. When we got ashore we found ourselves in the hands of a Spanish traitor who had joined the rebels some time before. He was very brutal, and handled us like dogs."

"But didn't your ship come to rescue you?"

"I suppose so; but we were marched inland in double-quick order, for about three or four miles, to a hidden camp of the rebels. There we were bound hands and feet and used about as meanly as anybody can imagine. The Spaniard was in command, and after waiting two days he said we were all to be shot."