LUKBAN
Gen . Vicente Lukban is flanked by his captor 1st . Lt . Alphonse Strebler ( left ) and 1Lt . Ray Hoover ( right ), officer-in-chargemof the guard over him , February 1902 .
of ammunition , but his aide escaped . Strebler knew the teniente was the last link to the elusive Lukban . He was the link between Lukban and the messenger . So Lukban must be nearby , Strebler reasoned . Sure enough , the teniente talked after being grilled by the American that the guerrilla chief was just two hours away from where they stood at that very moment .
Leaving the packers and a small guard behind , Strebler started at once with the rest of the column , as fast as the brush and the rocks permitted , up the mountain , now with the teniente as guide . There were no trails , which meant it was a path less taken . In 45 minutes , Strebler ’ s men were within 50 yards of Lukban ’ s hideout . Here he halted the column and sent 10 men , under Sergeant Bayona , over the mountain ridge , with orders to lie down in the brush in front and to the right of the three houses . No one was allowed to fire any shot . As soon as the native scouts were in that position , he advanced at a run with his column towards Lukban ’ s hut , hoping to surprise the rebel leader .
When Lukban heard the noise of feet running over the coral rocks , he came to the door with his secretary , to whom he had just been dictating a letter addressed to Capt Basilio Diaz , of Matuguinao .
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