back to their respective hometowns.

No one suspected that they

would infiltrate the revolutionary ranks in order to spy on them.

The Kakarong community had been flourishing for nearly a year,

and its citizens were impatient to prove their mettle in the battle-

field. With Kakarong firmly established as a base of operations, they

felt that the time was ripe for an offensive. They were further

emboldened by the thought that Maestro Sebio's magical power made

them invulnerable, but that they should take advantage of its pro-

tection before the magic lost its potency. And since the enemy had

not dared attack their outpost, they agreed to seize the initiative

and launch an offensive against the Spanish forces in San Rafael.

Everybody was in high spirits, especially when the news reached

them that the few Spanish soldiers guarding the San Rafael garri-

son had been overpowered and disarmed.

But spies had infiltrated Kakarong, and through them the enemy

learned of the plan to attack them. Infiltration by Filipino traitors

was easy because the people

Filipino who came to the community was welcomed as a comrade in

the struggle to free the enchained Motherland. And because of this

utter trust and love for their countrymen, the three traitors from

Captain Sta. Maria's troops managed to blend with the insurgents

without arousing suspicion. The rebels welcomed the three to their

camp, unaware that by

Seeing the impatience of the men to initiate an attack, Estrella

asked Maestro Sebio for authority to organize a contingent for the

purpose. The latter assented, after a reminder about the guidelines

of behavior the Sons of the People must observe. Estrella quickly

called on half of the gun-bearing troops and half of the bolo brigade
to join him; they were to leave camp the following morning,

that they planned to eat breakfast at four o'clock. The night passed

in fearless anticipation of the next day's adventure. The insurgents

completely at ease, happy in the thought that they were all

brothers-in-arms committed to the cause of defending their freedom.

It never occurred to them that three spies from Capt. Jose Sta.

Maria's detachment were within their ranks, and least of all, that

one of them had slipped out of the camp unnoticed that very night,

leaving the two others to carry out their assigned tasks.

Very early the next morning, Felipe Estrella's army began its

march across open fields toward San Rafael. Perhaps due to their

eagerness to fight, many who were

the march, leaving Kakarong with fewer men than was

Arriving at San Rafael in high spirits, they quickly wiped out the

enemy and confiscated their arms. In the jubilation that followed

their victory, the Sons of the People reveled in the praises heaped

on them. They happily exchanged news and impressions with the