LUKBAN
the way to the man ’ s house . In the dusk the scouts were mistaken for insurgent soldiers by the natives , and by the time the teniente and his people , who lived in six small houses in a clearing , recovered from their surprise , they were prisoners of Repasa ’ s squad . For the third time , Strebler ’ s scouts did not fire a single shot .
One of the natives attacked Corporal Repasa with a bolo , but the latter , though surprised , dropped his rifle and went at his man in bolero style , with his bare hands . Corporal Briones who was nearby came to his comrade ’ s aid and killed the bolero by breaking his head with the butt of his rifle . Repasa surrendered to Strebler the teniente of the visita , four men , four women , three children , and the latest reports of insurgent chief to Colonel Guevara , including a few recent letters from Lukban to Antonis and the ordnance stamp of Company C , Ninth U . S . Infantry . Most of the residents of the visita had fled .
On the afternoon of the 17 th , another scouting party brought in four men , who had a basket of rice , a box of clothing , some dried carabao ( water buffalo ) meat , about three pesos in copper coin , one peso in silver , and two pesetas and a letter from a teniente of a barrio on the upper Yava for Col . Claro Guevara . These four carriers were to deliver these goods to Teniente Antonis , who was to forward them to Guevara . When grilled , Antonis disclosed that Lukban had left Tamay on the 1st of February and gone to Matarag near Matuguinao where he was then supposed to meet Guevara .
So Strebler decided to proceed at once to Matarag , estimated to be three days ’ hike southwest of Yava and try to get Lukban and Guevara together . On the 18 th early morning , they started out with 30 scouts of Strebler ’ s company , a corporal and four men , a medic , a civilian scout , and 30 carriers with eight days ’ rations . He left 10 scouts , an American soldier and three civilian scouts , under of Sgt . Tomas Estolero , with the prisoners , carriers , and the rest of the rations in camp near the house of Teniente Antonis .
At around 11 a . m ., as the advance guard approached the entrance of a large cave , one of Lukban ’ s messengers emerged from its depths . He was quickly seized . Under interrogation , the messenger produced a letter from the guerrilla chief , written two days earlier addressed to the teniente of Yava . He told Strebler that he got the letter that morning from the teniente of Maleju , another village close by . By then Strebler was certain that he was on the right track . So he told his scouts to double their pace lest their quarry escaped . He had to find that teniente .
At around 4 p . m ., the advance team espied an outpost about 200 yards ahead . Strebler ’ s scouts silently surrounded the outpost and captured Teniente Pedro of Maleju , with his Remington and 50 rounds
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