CHAPTER IX.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
Sunday morning Captain Scott brought an order to Captain Groome to send a commissioned officer, a sergeant and six privates to establish an outpost two miles beyond the farthest infantry outpost, and to maintain a flag of truce. This outpost was necessary because of the general fear of Spanish treachery. The Spaniards had a white flag flying over their blockhouse, but there was no telling at what moment they might pull it down and charge into the American ranks; so the watchers at the outpost were entrusted with an important duty. The detail first selected was in charge of Lieutenant Browning, who took with him Sergeant Glendinning, Corporal Thayer and Privates S. and W. Goodman, Strawbridge, Wheeler, Mills and Ridgeway. Captains Scott and Groome accompanied the detail to select the ground for the outpost.
As the men were about to start, it was found that they had nothing to serve as a flag of truce. Captain Groome informed Captain Scott that the Troop was just out of such articles, and for a moment the officers were at a loss to know what to do. A handkerchief was too small and too frail, but suddenly Lieutenant Browning had an inspiration. His wife had supplied the officers' mess with some fine, large napkins. One of these was therefore pressed into service as a flag of truce, and the detachment rode forth. It was early morning, and the rain was pelting down as usual.
On through the town, along the road the troops had tramped ready for the fray, around the mountain side, past the place Rodney had planted his batteries, past the pickets, past the last infantry outpost, under a ridge dotted with Spanish sentries, the detachment, with the now historic napkin, went on until, coming around a sharp turn in the road, they saw a mile and a half across the valley the Spanish outpost with its flag of truce already up.
Then the little band of Troopers halted and chopped down a stout sapling. To this they lashed the flag of truce for the American army, and set up the pole in a little clearing. Two Troopers were left on guard, while the rest retired a couple of hundred yards around a bend in the road and put up the little dog tents, beginning at once the routine work of a vidette outpost. The flag was pitched squarely upon the top of the mountain, so that it rained there continually, but the discomforts were swallowed up in a sense of the responsibility felt by all on duty there.
"CAMP ESPERANCA." GUAYAMA IN THE DISTANCE.
The six men were divided in pairs, and each pair stood guard by the fluttering flag as vidette for two hours and then rested four, throughout the day and night. Through field glasses the Spanish troops could be plainly seen standing on guard or idling about the trenches.