LUKBAN
od River at breakfast time . The river was called Sag-od but was just actually a tributary of Catubig River . From the falls the river changes its course to nearly due west . They had to cross the river on a rope going to the barrio of San Jose or Buan , probably its ancient name .
After marching for about three hours , the guide admitted that they were following the wrong trail . So they had to march back to the Sag-od , where the rest of the day was spent scouting along its banks and mountains in search of a trail . At dusk , Strebler ’ s trusted noncommissioned officer Sgt . Pedro Lora returned , bearing some good news . He said his guide , who used to be with Lukban the previous month , had found the place from which he had started that month . So that night , they camped on the banks of the Sag-od , and early the next day followed a trail indicated only here and there by a broken twig or leaf . They could not see any trail .
By 12 noon , the advance guard captured three men , seven women , and 10 children living in a mountain cave near the dry bed of the Balasbas River . The odor of deer meat flying over a fire had put the scouts on their track . No shot was fired . They made camp at 5 p . m . on the banks of a small mountain stream with their captives . It was the 15 th of August , their fourth day on the trail of Lukban .
The next few days , the trek would be harsher and punishing as the surrounding mountains were of volcanic origin , with their sharppointed honeycombed rocks taking their toll on the white American feet . There was only one stream along their path from which they could drink . On the 16 th , the tired troops of Strebler marched over the mountains to the Yava River , whose banks they came to near midday . They followed this river in a south easterly direction till about 1 p . m ., when they arrived at a small clearing with three small huts . Here they surprised a man , four women , and three children , and found a basket containing the clothing , uniform , and insignia of Lt . Pondano Jasmines , one of Lukban ’ s men . Again , they did not fire a single shot .
His captives told Strebler that many people were living in the visita of Yava . So he halted his column with the intent of surrounding the village and capturing everyone there . This was necessary because they had to pass through this visita on their way to Tamay , where Lukban was believed to be hiding .
Four small teams scouted through the surrounding mountains and ravines in the afternoon . One of these , under the command of Corporal Repasa , did not get back until the afternoon of the 17 th . They had gone too far to return the same night in their attempt to capture the teniente of the visita of Yava . Repasa said that upon his return , he captured the outpost of Antonis at about 6 p . m . on the 16th , and made him lead
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