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Pilar was known to have ave close and accurate directions as to his position; it remained for Connell's men to draw hier co after the scouts were on their precarious way

Two hours after the party of eleven left the village, a Mauser bullet froh the hat of one of the scouts as some distance in advance of his fellows As he saw the scout stoop to pick up his hat, Rogers turned to the et hi in that damn fool way"

It was no new experience for the scouts to find the quarry gone when they reached the place where they expected to find him Pilar's own scouts had found that the ambuscade was destined to fail of its purpose, and the wily leader drew back into theparty did not coht of the little brown soldiers The occasional crack of a Mauser broke the silence of the advance, keeping the Aers that surrounded thens of recent occupation The insurgents had been gone from the position less than two hours Treachery faced the little squad of Americans on every side, but they did not falter Connell scattered hison all sides evidences of hasty departure Before noon they were far up in the hills, everywhere met by the physical assurance that the enemy was not far ahead of them Behind them came Captain Groce and histheA deserted village showed signs of the passage and finally there was proof ahead that Pilar had stopped to give battle He had reached his vantage ground Connell and his htfall came and with it the spiteful crack of the Mauser rifle A brawny trooper toppled over with a great hole in his head Pilar's pickets could see like cats in the night The native scout reported that the big village of Concepcion was not far ahead; Pilar'stheir stand before this rather iet a scrap that is a scrap, boys," said Connell, exultingly "These fellows are going to put up a fight, at last They're like bees up yonder We've got to fall back on the company; if we don't, they'll chew us up before the little captain can get to us"