deployedtherest，makingthemliedownandgetbehindtrees。RichardHardingDaviswaswithus，andaswescannedthelandscapewithourglassesitwashewhofirstpointedouttoussomeSpaniardsinatrenchsomethree-quartersofamileoff。Itwasdifficulttomakethemout。Therewerenotmanyofthem。However，wefinallydidmakethemout，andwecouldseetheirconicalhats，forthetrenchwasapoorone。Weadvanced，firingatthem，anddrovethemoff。
WhattodothenIhadnotanidea。Thecountryinfrontfellawayintoaverydifficultjungle-filledvalley。Therewasnothingbutjungleallaround，andifIadvancedIwasafraidImightgetoutoftouchwitheverybodyandnotbegoingintherightdirection。Moreover，asfarasIcouldsee，therewasnownobodyinfrontwhowasshootingatus，althoughsomeofthemenonmyleftinsistedthatourownmenhadfiredintous——anallegationwhichIsoonfoundwasalmostalwaysmadeinsuchafight，andwhichinthiscasewasnottrue。Atthismomentsomeoftheregularsappearedacrosstheravineonourright。Thefirstthingtheydidwastofireavolleyatus，butoneofourfirstsergeantswentupatreeandwavedaguidonatthemandtheystopped。
Firingwasstillgoingontoourleft，however，andIwasnevermorepuzzledtoknowwhattodo。Ididnotwishtotakemymenoutoftheirpositionwithoutorders，forfearthatImighttherebybeleavingagapiftherewasaSpanishforcewhichmeditatedanoffensivereturn。
Ontheotherhand，itdidnotseemtomethatIhadbeendoingenoughfightingtojustifymyexistence，andtherewasobviouslyfightinggoingontotheleft。IrememberthatIkeptthinkingoftherefrainofthefox-huntingsong，“Here’stoeveryfriendwhostruggledtotheend“；inthehuntingfieldIhadalwaysactedonthistheory，and，nomatterhowdiscouragingappearancesmightbe，hadneverstoppedtryingtogetinatthedeathuntilthehuntwasactuallyover；andnowthattherewaswork，andnotplay，onhand，IintendedtostruggleashardasIknewhownottobeleftoutofanyfightingintowhichIcould，withanypossiblepropriety，get。
SoIleftmymenwheretheywereandstartedoffatatrottowardwherethefiringwas，withacoupleoforderliestosendbackforthemenincasethatprovedadvisable。Likemosttyros，Iwaswearingmysword，whichinthickjunglenowandthengotbetweenmylegs——fromthatdayonitalwayswentcordedinthebaggage。Istruckthetrail，andbegantopassoccasionaldeadmen。PrettysoonIreachedWoodandfound，muchtomypleasure，thatIhaddonetherightthing，forasI