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?”