We had underestimated the tropical sun.
It was sunny the entire Friday. And that same sweltering heat that had made me collapse just the other day had done its wonder. When they checked the soil on Saturday, the flattened rice fields were already dry enough—at least most of them.
Still, only two days were left before the advance training was supposed to commence. The moment I was notified of the soil condition, I rode hard toward the town proper to summon Capitan Sadiwa's men and to order the local storehouse manager to have the needed resources delivered without delay.
The number of workers from the nearby barrio had been doubled, and along with the soldiers, the labor force now numbered about two hundred men—which Don delos Santos was pleased to inform me was large enough to build just about anything within two days.
