The manpower from the town proper arrived in Landi by mid-afternoon. It couldn't be helped. Capitan Sadiwa had, in fact, acted on my orders without delay, but gathering the scattered recruits, briefing those who had been left behind, and locating the proper tools still took an hour or two.
To their credit, they immediately joined the others in the mud and muck as soon as they arrived, no complaints or hesitation. Don delos Santos was very pleased when I returned a little while later, having eaten and rested at Don Suarez's residence.
Capitan Sadiwa was out in the fields himself, sleeves rolled up and getting dirty like everyone else. The officer cadets and NCO candidates coordinated closely with Don delos Santos' assistants and directed their men with remarkable clarity. I didn't see Adan or Severino—likely, they were among those left behind to help oversee the town.
