Mrs. Rizal and Hilario Agonoy, after much effort, succeeded in
rallying a force to Saguanaldo. It was a motley crowd, composed of
representatives of several different tribes, armed with shot guns,
bolos and whatever they could secure, and garbed all the way from a
soldier's uniform to breech clouts and feathers. There were perhaps
five thousand of them, all told.
With this force, Saguanaldo began a careful march toward the north part
of the island. Mrs. Rizal and Agonoy went ahead and discovered that a
force of Americans were advancing inland to meet them. Consequently
Saguanaldo stopped at the banks of the Rio Grande, and prepared
rifle pits. He also removed from the bridge that crosses the stream
the flooring, leaving only the sills, the girders, and cross pieces
about every seven feet apart. The first night after these preparations
had been made the American troops appeared and encamped on the bank
opposite, some 300 feet away.
The Filipinos were not inclined to attack, but relied on the river,
which was high and threatening, to keep the enemy from them. Yet the
second night, about 11 p. m., the cackling and crowing of chickens at
farm houses on the other side, and part way down stream, told them
that some movement was in progress. It was immediately across the
stream from where Agonoy had been stationed with some threescore
natives. At the time the clatter began the moon came out, and it
was revealed that a force of Americans was at work on the margin
of the river, evidently trying to launch some rafts with a view to
crossing. Agonoy directed the men to fire, and a fusillade from the
insurgents soon drove the Americans to cover. Hiding behind trees,
stumps, rocks or anything that would afford protection, they remained
silent until the fire of the insurgents ceased. Then, after a time,
they again made endeavor to launch their rafts, until the forces
under Agonoy once more drove them away.
This first victory, won by the insurgents, gave them great
encouragement and Agonoy was publicly commended by the general. It
is still remembered that when this occurred the young officer first
blushed fiery red and then broke into tears.
The day following the Americans undertook by daylight the thing which
they had before tried at night. But they began in a little different
way. They were seen to dump some rafts into the river over a high
bank, and then two men, stripped to the skin, dived into the stream
and began to swim across. The insurgents peppered at them, while the
Americans from the other shore shot at every head among the Filipinos
that showed itself. Bullets splashed on all sides of the swimmers,
but none took effect. As they drew to shore they were protected by
the bank, the Filipinos being unable to fire at them because of thus
exposing themselves. Then it was seen that they had borne a cable
across the stream. It became apparent that the intention was to hitch
it so some object on the Filipino side of the river and thus form a
means of propelling the rafts across the stream. But the two naked,
unarmed white men, alone on the Filipino side of the Rio Grande,
were unable to find a place to which to hitch. Daubed with dirt and
glistening with the water, they raced back and forth under protection
of the bank, looking for stump or tree, but in vain.
"There is a stump in the rifle pit, up there," remarked one.
"We must hitch to that," said the other. "Make you some mud balls."
They scooped up mud from the river and hugged to their breasts the
balls of filth as they started to climb the banks directly ahead of
them. Meantime the American soldiers fired over their heads. As they
arose over the bank and stood erect looking into the rifle pits, they
began throwing the mud balls. The first one struck Agonoy full in the
face, and the young commander, with eyes and mouth full of dirt, began
clawing at the mud and retreating. The natives, seeing this, and not
knowing the nature of the new weapon, broke into a run and retreated.
Meantime a raft had started across the stream, with two men and
the clothing and guns of the men who were now tying the cable to
the stump. When midstream the rope slipped and the raft upset,
precipitating all in the water. The two men reached shore, but the
clothing of the men who had swum the river was lost. Other rafts were
on the way. Before Agonoy could rally the natives, a small force of
Americans had crossed over.
Then began an opera bouffe charge; naked and begrimed Americans and
men in khaki against naked and half-clothed representatives of a half
a dozen races! And as the Americans came on a run they broke into a
college yell:
Rock chalk,
Jay hawk,
Chicken hawk,
Tommy hawk,
K. U.!
There was a peculiar laughable twist on the "U." that added to the
grotesqueness of the incident.
By this time they were reinforced by a small body of men who had
crossed the bridge on the girders, and as these came up yelling
other college yells and firing as rapidly as possible, at nothing,
the Filipinos, in utter consternation, broke ranks and fled.
In the course of a few hours, however, Saguanaldo, who understood
the lay of the country thoroughly, had again brought his forces into
order and had forded the river a little lower down. He was now on
the side of the stream nearest Manila, while the Americans, after all
had crossed and they had leisurely partaken of dinner, were hunting
him further in the interior. It had been a bloodless battle, with
the victory apparently on one side and yet the advantage decidedly
on the side of the defeated.
After the troops had been collected Saguanaldo called Agonoy to him
and said:
"The honors of the first encounter belong to you. Name the reward
you desire."
"All I wish is to serve my country further," replied the youth with
another blush. "Permit me to go ahead to Manila and inform you how
to take the city."
"Another should accompany you, so that if something happens to one
the other may escape."
"Permit me to go to spy out the land," asked Bishop Aglipay.
"You, Bishop?"
"Yes. Let each go in his own way and alone. Then we can report and
will not be in collusion."
"Does that suit you, Señor Agonoy?"
"I shall be satisfied. If we can wreak vengeance on the bishop's
enemy, the Jesuit, I shall be repaid for all dangers and suffering
that may ensue."
"Then go, and success attend your efforts," returned Saguanaldo. And
he looked on the youth with searching eyes that for a third time
caused Agonoy to blush.