Young's Fight at Las Guasimas 87 



The men were totally unconcerned, and I do not 

 think they realized that any fighting was at hand; 

 at any rate, I could hear the group nearest me dis- 

 cussing in low murmurs, not the Spaniards, but the 

 conduct of a certain cow-puncher in quitting work 

 on a ranch and starting a saloon in some New 

 Mexican town. In another minute, however, Wood 

 sent me orders to deploy three troops to the right 

 of the trail, and to advance when we became en- 

 gaged; while, at the same time, the other troops, 

 under Major Brodie, were deployed to the left of the 

 trail where the ground was more open than else- 

 where one troop being held in reserve in the cen- 

 tre, besides the reserves on each wing. Later all 

 the reserves were put into the firing-line. 



To the right the jungle was quite thick, and we 

 had barely begun to deploy when a crash in front 

 announced that the fight was on. It was evidently 

 very hot, and L Troop had its hands full; so I 

 hurried my men up abreast of them. So thick was 

 the jungle that it was very difficult to keep together, 

 especially when there was no time for delay, and 

 while I got up Llewellen's troops and Kane's pla- 

 toon of K Troop, the rest of K Troop under Cap- 

 tain Jenkins which, with Bucky O'Neill's troop, 

 made up the right wing, were behind, and it was 

 some time before they got into the fight at all. 



Meanwhile I had gone forward with Llewellen, 



