The two forces were off promptly, and within a half hour John judged that they must be in position. The Illyas were still on the hill in force, apparently not suspecting that two flanking columns were in their rear.
As John gave the order to march forward there was the crack of a half dozen guns to their right, in the position occupied by Muro's force. This startled the Illyas, as it did John. The latter interpreted this at once. It was, undoubtedly, a reinforcing band which Muro had intercepted.
This was indeed the case. The knowledge of this force coming to their assistance, was probably the reason why the Illyas were so defiant. Muro, at the head of fifty of his men, charged the band, to prevent them from uniting, but at the same time it brought down on him a large portion of the Illyas. Uraso, suspecting the truth, and knowing that the excited movement of the Illyas indicated a rush to assist, broke through the woods and thus struck them on their left flank, which so surprised them that they broke[p. 155] in confusion and, fled before John and the main body could come up.
The entire Illyas force was now in confusion. John was in possession of their camp, and Uraso's warriors were hurrying through the dense woods, so that between the three forces, a number were captured in the effort to escape to the east and south.
Within an hour, not an Illyas was in sight, except those captured, but the main force, unfortunately, escaped. The wagons were brought up, and now came the problem, how to get them through the forest, without making too much of a detour.
Uraso suggested that Stut should take a sufficient number of warriors to afford protection, and descend the stream to a point below where the country was clearer, and then trail to the east and meet the main column five miles west of the main village.
The pursuers, under the leadership of John, followed the trails of the disorganized Illyas, in the hope that they would be able to be close on their heels when they emerged from the forest four miles beyond.
They found this forest maze the most remarkable of any wooded area on the island. The trees were not only immense, but the undergrowth exceedingly dense. It is not often the case that the two growths are found together, and it would have been impossible to get the wagons through the mass.
This forest was in reality the great barrier,[p. 156] which kept the Illyas in such a protected position against the inroads of the other tribes, even though they should have combined, and they counted on this bulwark to protect them in the present case.
It took the pursuing force over three hours to push its way through, and they had the satisfaction of seeing the main body of the Illyas beyond, and brought together in a compact organization. As soon as the opening was reached, they halted for the noon meal, and instructions were given to follow up as hurriedly as possible.