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diff --git a/31317-8.txt b/31317-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ca56cf4 --- /dev/null +++ b/31317-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7910 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Campaign of the Jungle, by Edward +Stratemeyer, Illustrated by A. B. Shute + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Campaign of the Jungle + or, Under Lawton through Luzon + + +Author: Edward Stratemeyer + + + +Release Date: February 18, 2010 [eBook #31317] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Dan Horwood, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 31317-h.htm or 31317-h.zip: + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31317/31317-h/31317-h.htm) + or + (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31317/31317-h.zip) + + +Transcriber's note: + + Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). + + Text in bold face is enclosed by equal signs (=bold=). + + + + + +THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE + +by + +Edward Stratemeyer + + + * * * * * + + +EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS + +Old Glory Series + + _Cloth Illustrated Price per volume $1.25._ + + UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or the War Fortunes of a Castaway. + A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the Single Star. + FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on the Brooklyn. + UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Or a Young Officer in the Tropics. + THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE Or Under Lawton through Luzon. + + +The Bound to Succeed Series + + _Three volumes Cloth Illustrated Price per volume $1.25._ + + RICHARD DARE'S VENTURE Or Striking Out for Himself. + OLIVER BRIGHT'S SEARCH Or The Mystery of a Mine. + TO ALASKA FOR GOLD Or The Fortune Hunters of the Yukon. + + +The Ship and Shore Series + + _Three volumes Cloth Illustrated Price per volume $1.25._ + + THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE Or Larry Foster's Strange Voyage. + REUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY Or The Young Miller of Torrent Bend. + TRUE TO HIMSELF Or Roger Strong's Struggle for Place. + + + * * * * * + + + +[Illustration: "You are from the Olympia, I believe?"--_Page 23._] + + +Old Glory Series + +THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE + +Or +Under Lawton through Luzon + +by + +EDWARD STRATEMEYER + +Author of "Under Dewey at Manila," "A Young Volunteer +in Cuba," "Fighting in Cuban Waters," "Under Otis +in the Philippines," "To Alaska for Gold" +"Richard Dare's Venture," "Oliver +Bright's Search," Etc. + +Illustrated by A. B. Shute + + + + + + + +Boston +Lee and Shepard Publishers +1900 + +Copyright, 1900, by Lee and Shepard. +All Rights Reserved. + +The Campaign of the Jungle. + +Norwood Press +J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith +Norwood Mass. U.S.A. + + + + +PREFACE + + +"The Campaign of the Jungle" is a complete story in itself, but forms +the fifth volume of the "Old Glory Series," a line of tales depicting +life and adventure in our army and navy of to-day. + +The heroes of these various stories are the three Russell brothers, +Larry, Walter, and Ben. In the first volume we told of Larry's +adventures while "Under Dewey at Manila," in the second and fourth we +followed Ben as "A Young Volunteer in Cuba" and during the opening +campaign "Under Otis in the Philippines," while in the third tale we +saw what Walter could do "Fighting in Cuban Waters." + +In the present volume the reader is asked to follow the fortunes of +both Larry and Ben in two important expeditions of that gallant +soldier, General Henry W. Lawton, the first directed against Santa +Cruz on the Laguna de Bay, where the insurgents were left badly +scattered, and the second from Manila to San Isidro, a winding advance +of about one hundred and fifty miles through the jungle, which took +twenty days to complete, and during which time twenty-two battles were +fought and twenty-eight towns were captured, along with large +quantities of army stores and the like. This latter expedition was one +of the most daring of its kind, and could not have been pushed to +success had not the man at its head been what he was, a trained Indian +fighter of our own West, and one whose nerve and courage were almost +beyond comprehension. Small wonder it was that when, later on, General +Lawton was killed on the firing line, General Otis cabled, "Great loss +to us and to his country." + +As in the previous volumes of this series, the author has endeavored +to be as accurate, historically, as possible, and for this reason has +examined the reports of the officers high in command, as well as +listened to many tales related by the returning soldiers themselves. +It is therefore hoped that if any errors have crept in they may not be +of sufficient magnitude to hurt the general usefulness of the work +from an historical standpoint. As a story of adventure, the writer +trusts it will find equal favor with those that have preceded it in +the series. + +EDWARD STRATEMEYER. + + Newark, N. J., + March 1, 1900. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + I. Dismaying News 1 + II. Something about the Situation at Malolos 10 + III. An Adventure on the Pasig River 20 + IV. The Gap in the Firing Line 30 + V. An Encounter at the River 41 + VI. In which Luke Striker is Wounded 52 + VII. The Retreat to the Rice-house 61 + VIII. A Prisoner of the Filipinos 70 + IX. The Advance into the Jungle 81 + X. The Taking of Angat 91 + XI. The Crossing of the Rio Grande River 101 + XII. Something about a Poisoned Well 112 + XIII. In which a Flag of Truce is fired Upon 122 + XIV. Surrounded by the Enemy 132 + XV. The Escape from the Burning House 141 + XVI. News from Home 150 + XVII. In and out of a Strange Pitfall 160 + XVIII. The Adventure at the Mill-house 169 + XIX. News of Larry 179 + XX. The Advance upon Maasin 189 + XXI. Camping Over a Powder Magazine 199 + XXII. The Result of an Ambush 208 + XXIII. The Tornado in the Cane-brake 218 + XXIV. The Flight for Liberty 227 + XXV. The Caves under the Mountain 235 + XXVI. Boxer the Scout 244 + XXVII. The Departure of the _Olympia_ 257 + XXVIII. The Advance upon San Isidro 267 + XXIX. Larry is sentenced to be Shot 280 + XXX. A Rescue under Difficulties 292 + XXXI. The Fall of San Isidro--conclusion 305 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + "'You are from the _Olympia_, I believe?'" Frontispiece + PAGE + "'Alto!' came the sudden cry" 47 + "'Hullo, sailor, where did you come from?'" 82 + "'The well is poisoned! don't drink! it will kill + you!'" 115 + "His sword kept the two Tagals back" 146 + "'Can you hold on a few minutes longer?'" 173 + "On they plodded, up an incline that seemed to have + no end" 236 + "Down went the sapling over the edge of the cliff" 281 + + + + +THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE + + + + +CHAPTER I + +DISMAYING NEWS + + +"How are you feeling to-day, Ben?" + +"Fairly good, Larry. If it wasn't for this awfully hot weather, the +wound wouldn't bother me at all. The doctor says that if I continue to +improve as I have, I can rejoin my company by the middle of next +week." + +"You mustn't hurry matters. You did enough fighting at Caloocan, +Malabon, Polo, and here, to last you for some time. Let the other +fellows have a share of it." And Larry Russell smiled grimly as he +bent over his elder brother and grasped the hand that was thrust +forward. + +"I am willing the other fellows should have their share of the +fighting, Larry. But you must remember that now Captain Larchmore is +dead, and Lieutenant Ross is down with the fever, there is nobody to +command our company but me--unless, of course, Sergeant Gilmore takes +charge." + +"Then let Gilmore play captain for a while, while you take the rest +you have so well earned. Why, you've been working like a steam-engine +ever since you landed in Luzon. Gilbert Pennington says he never +dreamed there was so much fight in you, and predicts that you'll come +out a brigadier general by the time Aguinaldo and his army are +defeated." + +"Well, I believe in pushing things," responded Ben Russell, smiling +more broadly than ever, as his mind wandered back to that fierce +attack on Malolos, where he had received the bullet wound in the side. +"If we can only keep the insurgents on the run, we'll soon make them +throw down their arms. But tell me about yourself, Larry. What have +you been doing since you were up here last?" + +"Oh, I've been putting in most of my time on board the _Olympia_, as +usual," replied the young tar. "About all we are doing is to nose +around any strange vessels that come into the harbor. Since the +outbreak in Manila last February, the navy has had next to nothing to +do, and I'm thinking strongly of asking to be transferred to the +marines at Cavite, or elsewhere." + +"I don't blame you." Ben Russell paused. "Have you heard anything more +about Braxton Bogg and that hundred and forty thousand dollars he said +he had left hidden in Benedicto Lupez's house in Manila?" + +A shade of anxiety crossed Larry Russell's face. "Yes, I've heard a +good deal--more than I wanted to, Ben. But I wasn't going to speak of +it, for fear of adding to your worry and making you feel worse." + +"Why, Larry, you don't mean-- Has Braxton Bogg escaped from jail and +got hold of the money again?" + +"No, Braxton Bogg is still in prison at Manila, although the +Buffalo bank officials are about to have him returned to the +United States for trial. But the money has disappeared. The police +authorities at Manila went to Benedicto Lupez's house, to find it +locked up and deserted. They broke in and made a search, but they +couldn't find a dollar, either in Spanish or American money, although +they did find Braxton Bogg's valise and a dozen or more printed bands +of the Hearthstone Saving Institution--the kind of bands they put +around five-hundred-dollar and one-thousand-dollar packages of +bills." + +"Then this Spaniard found where Bogg had hidden the money and made off +with it?" + +"That is the supposition; and I reckon it's about right, too. Of +course, it may be possible that Braxton Bogg never left the stolen +money in Lupez's house, although he swears he did. He says Lupez was +an old friend of his and was going to have the bills changed into +Spanish money for him, so that Bogg could use the cash without being +suspected of any wrong-doing." + +"It's too bad; and just as we thought our fifteen or sixteen thousand +dollars of the amount was safe. I wonder what the bank people at home +will say now." + +"Of course, they won't like it. They would rather have the money than +their missing cashier; and I would rather have the money, too--not but +that Braxton Bogg ought to be punished for his crimes." + +"Yes, Larry, Braxton Bogg deserves all the law can give him, for the +depositors in the Hearthstone Saving Institution were mostly poor, +hard-working persons, and the wrecking of the bank meant untold +hardships for them." The wounded brother sighed deeply. "If that money +isn't recovered, we'll be as badly off as we were when we first came +to Manila," he concluded. + +Ben Russell was the eldest of three brothers, Walter coming next, and +Larry being the youngest. They were orphans, and at the death of their +widowed mother had been left in the care of their uncle, Job Dowling, +a miserly man whose chief aim in life had been to hoard money, no +matter at what cost, so long as his method was within the limit of the +law. + +The boys were all sturdy and had been used to a good home, and Job +Cowling's harsh and dictatorial manner cut them to the quick. A clash +between guardian and wards had resulted in the running away of the +three youths, and the guardian had tried in vain to bring them back. +Larry had drifted to San Francisco and shipped on a merchantman bound +for China. He had become a castaway and been picked up by the Asiatic +Squadron of the United States Navy. This was just at the time of the +outbreak of the war with Spain, and how gallantly the young tar served +his country has already been told in detail in "Under Dewey at +Manila." + +Ben had found his way to New York, and Walter had drifted to Boston. +After several adventures, the war fever had caught both, and Ben had +joined the army to become "A Young Volunteer in Cuba," as already +related in the volume of that name, while Walter had joined the +armored cruiser _Brooklyn_ and participated in the destruction of the +Spanish fleet in Santiago Bay, as told in "Fighting in Cuban Waters." + +While the three boys were away from home, Job Dowling had overreached +himself by trying to sell some of the Russell heirlooms which it had +been willed the lads should keep. The heirlooms had been stolen by a +sharper, and it had cost the old man a neat sum of money to get them +back. The experience made him both a sadder and a wiser man, and from +that time on his manner changed, and when the boys returned from the +war they found that he had turned over a new leaf. In the future he +was perfectly willing that they should "do fer themselves," as he +expressed it. + +After a brief stay in Buffalo, Walter had left, to rejoin the +_Brooklyn_, which was bound for a cruise to Jamaica and elsewhere. +At this time trouble began to break out between the United States +troops in the Philippines and the insurgents who had been fighting +the now-conquered Spaniards, and it looked as if another fair-sized +war was at hand. This being so, Ben lost no time in reënlisting in +the army, while Larry hastened to join Admiral Dewey's flagship +_Olympia_ once more. "If there's to be any more fighting, I want +to be right in it," was what the young tar said, and Ben agreed with +him. How they journeyed to Manila by way of the Mediterranean, the +Suez Canal, and the Indian Ocean, has already been related in "Under +Otis in the Philippines." Ben was at this time second lieutenant +of Company D of his regiment. With the two boys went Gilbert +Pennington, Ben's old friend of the Rough Riders, who was now first +sergeant of Company B of the same regiment, and half a dozen others +who had fought with the young volunteer in Cuba. On arriving at +Manila Larry found matters, so far as it concerned his ship, very +quiet, but Ben was at once sent to the front, and participated with +much honor to himself in the campaign which led to the fall of +Malolos, a city that was at that time the rebel capital. As Company D, +with Ben at its head as acting captain, had rushed down the main +street of the place, an insurgent sharpshooter had hit the young +commander in the side, and he had fallen, to be picked up later and +placed in the temporary hospital which was opened up in Malolos as +soon as it was made certain that the rebels had been thoroughly +cleaned out. Fortunately for the young volunteer the wound, though +painful, was not serious. + +Of the fifteen thousand to twenty thousand dollars coming to the +Russell brothers, more than three-quarters had been invested by Job +Dowling in the Heathstone Saving Institution, a Buffalo bank that had +promised the close-minded man a large rate of interest. The cashier of +this bank, Braxton Bogg, had absconded, taking with him all the +available cash which the institution possessed. Bogg had come to +Manila, and there Ben had fallen in with him several times and finally +accomplished his arrest. It was found that Braxton Bogg had very +little money on his person, and the guilty cashier finally admitted +that he had left his booty at the house of one Benedicto Lupez, a +Spaniard with whom he had boarded. As all the Spaniards in Manila were +being closely watched by the soldiers doing police duty in the +disturbed city, both Ben and Larry had supposed that there would be +no further trouble in getting possession of the missing money. But +Benedicto Lupez had slipped away unperceived, taking the stolen money +with him, and the Russell inheritance--or at least the larger portion +of it--was as far out of the reach of the boys as ever. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION AT MALOLOS + + +"Do you know if the Manila authorities have any idea where this +Benedicto Lupez has gone to?" asked Ben, after partaking of some +delicacies which Larry had managed to obtain for him. + +"They think he got on a small boat and went up the Pasig River. He is +supposed to have a brother living in Santa Cruz on the Laguna de Bay. +This brother is said to be in thorough sympathy with the insurgents." + +"In that case he is out of our reach for the present, as the rebels, +so I understand, have a pretty good force in and around Santa Cruz. +But if this Lupez has the money, I can't understand how he would join +the rebels. They'll try to get the cash from him, if they need it." + +"Perhaps he is foolish enough to think that they will win out in this +fight, Ben. You know how hot-headed some of these people are. They +haven't any idea of the real power of Uncle Sam. I believe if they +did know, they would submit without another encounter." + +"It would be best if they did, Larry, for now that we are in this +fight we are bound to make them yield. Once they throw down their +arms, I feel certain our country will do what is fair and honest by +them." + +"It's the leaders who are urging the ignorant common people on--I've +heard more than one of the officers say so. The leaders are well +educated and crafty, and they can make the masses believe almost +anything. Why, just before I came away from Manila I saw a dozen or +more Igorottes brought in--tall, strapping fellows, but as ignorant as +so many children. They seemed to be dazed when their wounds were cared +for and they were offered food. The interpreter said they thought they +would be massacred on the spot by the bloodthirsty _Americanos_, and +they had a lurking suspicion that they were being cared for just so +they could be sold into slavery." + +At this juncture a tall, thoroughly browned soldier came in, wearing +the uniform of a first lieutenant. + +"Well, Ben, how is it to-day," he said cheerily, as he extended his +hand. "And how are you, Larry?" And he likewise shook hands with the +young tar. + +"I'm hoping to get out soon, Gilbert," answered Ben. "But what's +this--a lieutenant's uniform?" + +"Yes, I've been promoted to first lieutenant of Company B," returned +Gilbert Pennington. "I tell you, we are all climbing up the ladder, +and Larry must look to his laurels. I understand you are to be made +permanent captain of Company D." + +"But where is First Lieutenant Crunger of your company?" + +"Disappeared," and the young Southerner's face took on a sober look. +"That's the only thing that mars my happiness over my promotion. After +the taking of Malolos, Jack Crunger disappeared utterly, and we +haven't been able to find hide nor hair of him, although half a dozen +scouting parties have been sent out and the stream has been dragged in +several places." + +"Perhaps he was taken prisoner," suggested Larry. "I heard some of the +Kansas and Utah men were missing, too." + +"We are afraid he is a prisoner, and if that is so, Aguinaldo's men +have probably taken him up to San Fernando, where the insurgents are +setting up their new capital." + +"And what is going on at the firing line?" asked Ben, eagerly. "Are +they following up the rebels' retreat?" + +"I'm sorry to say no. General MacArthur made a reconnaissance in the +direction of Calumpit, but it amounted to little." + +"I understand that the _Charleston_ has sailed up the coast and is +going to shell Dagupan," put in Larry. "Dagupan, you know, is the +terminus of the railroad line." + +"That's good," came from the sick brother. "If we can get a footing in +Dagupan, we can work the railroad territory from both ends." But this +was not to be, as coming events speedily proved, for the shelling of +the city by the warship amounted to but little. + +Gilbert Pennington knew all about the Braxton Bogg affair and listened +with interest to what Larry had to relate. + +"It's too bad," he declared. "I'd like to give you some hope, boys, +but I'm afraid you'll have to whistle for your fortune. That Spaniard +will keep out of the reach of the Americans, and if the worst comes +to the worst, he'll slip off to Spain or South America; you mark my +words." + +Larry's leave of absence was for forty-eight hours only, and soon he +was forced to bid his brother and his friend good-by. "Now take good +care of yourself, Ben," he said, on parting. "And do stay here until +you are stronger. Remember that a wounded man can't stand this +broiling sun half as well as one who isn't wounded, and even the +strongest of them are suffering awfully from the heat." + +"I'll make him stay," put in Gilbert, with mock severity. "Surgeon +Fallox won't give him clearance papers until I tell him, for he's a +great friend of mine." + +"I'm going to have a word with Stummer before I go," added Larry, and +hurried to the ward in which the sturdy German volunteer had been +placed. He found the member of Ben's company propped up on some grass +pillows, smoking his favorite brier-root pipe. + +"Sure, an' I vos glad to see you, Larry," cried Carl, his round face +broadening into a smile on beholding his visitor. "Yah, I vos doin' +putty goot, und I peen out on der firin' line next veek maype. But +say, I vos sorry I peen shot town pefore we got to Malolos. I vos dink +sure I help clean dose repels out." + +"Never mind, you did your duty, Carl. I've heard they are going to +make you a corporal for your bravery." + +"Sure, an' that's right," came in an Irish voice behind the pair, and +Dan Casey, another volunteer of Ben's company, appeared. "It's mesilf +as has the honor av saying it first, too, Carl. You are to be first +corporal, Carl, wid meself doin' juty as second corporal." + +The German volunteer's face lit up for a second, then fell suspiciously. +"Say, Dan, vos dis a choke maype?" he said slowly. + +"A joke, is it?" burst out Casey. "Sure, an' do ye think I'd be +afther playin' a joke on a wounded man, Carl? No, it's no joke. +We're raised to the dignity av officers be the forchunes av war an' +the recommendations av our superior, Actin' Captain Russell, which +same will soon be our captain be commission, Providence an' the +President willin'." + +"Good for Ben!" exclaimed Larry. "You both deserve it." And after a +few words more he hurried off, leaving the two old soldiers to +congratulate themselves on their advancement and speculate upon how +high they might rise in the service before the rebellion should close. +Casey had his eye set on a captaincy, but Stummer said he would be +quite content if any commissioned office came his way, even if it was +but a second-lieutenancy. + +Malolos had been captured on Friday, March 31, 1899, at a little after +ten o'clock in the morning, although the fighting kept up until nearly +nightfall. As soon as the rebels were thoroughly cleaned out, many of +the soldiers were called upon to do duty as firemen, for a large +portion of the town was in flames. While the fire was being put out, +other soldiers went about stopping the Chinese from looting the +deserted mansions. The coolies were at first made prisoners and put +under guard in the public park, but later on they were released and +set to work to clean the streets. + +As Gilbert had said, the days immediately following the fall of +Malolos were not of special activity. The hard, running fight along +the railroad through Caloocan, Polo, and other places, had all but +exhausted the army under General MacArthur, and when the insurgents' +capital was taken, it was felt that the soldiers had earned a +well-needed rest. Moreover, many had been wounded and many more were +down, suffering from the heat and tropical fever, and these had to be +cared for in the temporary hospitals established at various points in +the neighborhood. In the meantime the railroad was repaired and +Malolos was made a new base for supplies. There were several +skirmishes in the neighborhood north and northeast of Malolos, and in +these the rebels were compelled to fall back still further, yet the +outbreaks amounted to but little. + +In the meantime, the Philippine Commission of the United States issued +a proclamation, translated into the Spanish and Tagalog languages, +calling upon the insurgents to throw down their arms and promising +them good local government, the immediate opening of schools and +courts of law, the building of railroads, and a civil service +administration in which the native should participate. This +proclamation was widely distributed, yet it did little good; for the +common people of the islands were given to understand by their leaders +that the Americans did not mean what they said, but had come to their +country only to plunder them, and would in the end treat them even +worse than had the Spaniards. + +It was no easy work to repair the railroad running from Manila to +Malolos Station, which was some distance from the town proper. All +tools and equipments had to be brought up from Manila and from Cavite, +and soon the engineering corps found themselves harassed by some +rebels in the vicinity of Marilao and Guiguinto. At once General +MacArthur sent out a force to clear the ground, and several sharp +attacks ensued, which resulted in the loss of twenty-three killed and +wounded on the American side, and double that number to the enemy. In +the end the rebels fled to the mountains to the eastward and to +Calumpit on the north. + +"We are going out to-morrow," said Gilbert, as he came to see Ben on +the day following the engagements just mentioned. "General Wheaton +says he is going to drive the rebels straight into the mountains--and +I reckon he'll keep his word." + +Ben was at once anxious to go along, but this was not yet to be, and +he was forced to sit at a window of the hospital and see his regiment +march by with colors flying gayly and all "the boys" eager for +another contest. The members of his own company gave him a cheer as +they passed. "You'll soon be with us again, captain," cried one. "We +won't forget you! Hurrah!" and on they marched, with a lieutenant from +Company A leading them, and with Gilbert and Major Morris and many old +friends with the regiment. Ben watched them out of sight, and heaved a +long sigh over the fact that he was not of their number. But there was +still plenty of fighting in store for the young captain, and many +thrilling and bitter experiences in the bargain. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +AN ADVENTURE ON THE PASIG RIVER + + +"Hurrah, Luke! I reckon I am going to see a bit of fighting at last." + +It was Larry who spoke, as he rushed up to his old friend, Luke +Striker, now one of the gun captains on board the _Olympia_. It was +the day after the young tar had paid the visit to Ben. + +"Fighting? where?" demanded the Yankee gunner. "Do you mean to say as +how the _Olympia_ is goin' to do some scoutin' alongshore, lad?" + +"No, the ship is going to remain right where she is. But General +Lawton is going to take an expedition up the Pasig River from San +Pedro Macati to the Laguna de Bay, and some of the sailors are going +along to help manage the cascos and other boats. I just applied for a +place, along with Jack Biddle, and we both got in." + +"And why can't I get in?" returned Luke, eagerly. "This here +everlastin' sitting still, doin' nuthin', is jest a-killin' of me." + +"You might apply, although there are already more volunteers than they +want," answered Larry. He told his old friend how to make the +necessary application, and soon Luke had joined the expedition; and +the three friends hastened ashore and on board a shallow river +transport, which was to take them and a number of others up to San +Pedro Macati. + +The brief journey to the latter-named village was without incident. +Here Larry found assembled a body of about thirteen hundred soldiers, +infantry and cavalry, and with them two hundred picked sharpshooters, +and two guns manned by members of the regular artillery. Owing to the +sickness of the commanding general, General Lawton took personal +charge of the expedition. + +No man was better fitted for fighting in the Philippines than Major +General Henry W. Lawton, who had but lately arrived in the islands, +and who was destined to die the death of a hero upon the firing line. +Of commanding appearance, being six feet three inches in height and +weighing over two hundred pounds, he was a soldier by nature and a +natural leader among leaders. He had fought all through the great +Civil War with much credit to himself, and it was he who, during the +great Apache Indian uprising, followed the crafty Geronimo through +mountain and over desert for a distance of nearly fourteen hundred +miles, and at last caused him to surrender. For this, it is said, the +Indians called him "Man-who-gets-up-in-the-night-to-fight," and they +respected him as they respected few others. + +With the outbreak of the war with Spain General Lawton was in his +element, and when the army of occupation sailed for Santiago he was +with them; and it was this same Lawton who stormed El Caney and +captured it, as related in "A Young Volunteer in Cuba." When General +Shafter wanted to call Lawton away from El Caney, after the troops had +been fighting many hours, Lawton sent him word, "I can't stop--I've +got to fight," and went forward again; and in less than an hour the +Spanish flag at the top of the hill was down, and Old Glory had taken +its place. + +General Lawton was addressing several members of his staff when Larry +first saw him at San Pedro Macati. He stood, war map in hand, in front +of the river landing, a conspicuous figure among the half-dozen that +surrounded him. + +"He's a fighter--you can see that," whispered Larry to Luke, who stood +beside him. "Just look at that square-set jaw. He won't let up on the +rebels an inch." + +"Jest the kind we're a-wantin' out here," responded the Yankee gunner. +"The more they force the fightin' the sooner the war will come to an +end. He's coming toward us," he added, as General Lawton stepped from +out of the circle around him. + +"You are from the _Olympia_, I believe?" he said, addressing Luke. + +"Yes, general," replied the old gunner, touching his forelock, while +Larry also saluted. "We volunteered for this expedition." + +"You look all right, but--" General Lawton turned to Larry. "I'm +afraid you are rather young for this sort of thing, my lad," he went +on. + +"I hope not, sir," cried Larry, quickly. "I've seen fighting before." + +"He was in the thickest of it when we knocked out Admiral Montojo, +general," interposed Luke. "You can trust him to do his full share, +come what may." + +"Oh, if he was in that fight I guess he'll be all right," responded +General Lawton, with a grim sort of a smile. And he turned away to +overlook the shipping of some ammunition on one of the tinclad +gunboats which was to form part of the expedition. + +The troops were speedily on the cascos, which were to be towed by +several steam launches and escorted by three tinclads. Although Larry +and his friends did not know it till several hours later, the +destination was Santa Cruz, a pretty town, situated on a slight hill +overlooking the placid waters of the Laguna de Bay. The general's plan +was to reach the lake by nightfall, and steal over the silent waters +in the dark until the vicinity of Santa Cruz was gained, in hopes that +the garrison might be caught "napping," as it is called. + +For the time being the sailors were separated one from another, each +being put in charge of a casco, the shallow rowboats being joined +together in strings of four to six each, and pulled along with many a +jerk and twist by the puffing little launches, which at times came +almost to a standstill. + +"We won't reach the lake by sunrise, and I know it," remarked one of +the soldiers to Larry, who stood in the bow of the casco with an oar, +ready to do whatever seemed best for the craft. "We've a good many +miles to go yet." + +At that instant the casco ahead ran aground in the shallow river, and +Larry had all he could do to keep his craft from running into it. As +the two boats came stem to stern one of the soldiers in the craft +ahead called out to those behind:-- + +"Say, Idaho, do you know where we are bound?" + +"Bound for Santa Cruz, so I heard our captain remark," answered one of +the soldiers in Larry's boat. "Got any tobacco, North Dakota?" + +"Nary a pipeful, wuss luck," was the response; and then the line +straightened out as the casco ahead cleared herself from the mud, and +the two boats moved apart once more. + +"Are we really going to Santa Cruz?" questioned Larry, as soon as he +got the chance. "I thought we were bound for the north shore of the +lake." + +"I can only tell you what I heard the captain say," answered the +soldier, with a shrug of his shoulder. "General Lawton ain't blowing +his plans through a trumpet, you know." + +"I hope we do go to Santa Cruz," mused Larry, as he thought of what +had been said of Benedicto Lupez. "And if we take the town I hope we +take that rascal, too." + +The best laid plans are often upset by incidents trifling in +themselves. It was the dry season of the year, and the Pasig River, +usually broad and turbulent, was now nothing better than a muddy, +shallow creek, winding and treacherous to the last degree. As night +came on the expedition found itself still in the stream and many miles +from the lake, and here cascos and launches ran aground and a general +mix-up ensued. + +"Hullo, what have we run up against now?" growled the lieutenant in +charge of the soldiers in Larry's boat. "Can't you keep out of the +mud, Jackie?" + +"I'm doing my best," panted the youth, as he shoved off for at least +the fourth time. "With the lines forward and aft pulling one way and +another it's rather difficult to keep to the channel, especially in +the dark." + +"Oh, you're only a boy and don't understand the trick," growled the +lieutenant, who was in a bad humor generally. "I don't see why they +let you come along." + +"Our boat is doing about as well as any of them," answered Larry, +bound to defend himself. "Two boats are aground to our left and three +behind us." + +"See here, don't talk back to me! You tend to business and keep us out +of the mud," roared the lieutenant, in worse humor than before. + +An angry retort arose to Larry's lips, but he checked it. "A quarrel +won't do any good," he thought. "But what a bulldog that fellow is--as +bad as Quartermaster Yarrow, who caused me so much trouble on the trip +out here." + +On went the cascos once more, around a tortuous bend and past a bank +fringed with bushes and reeds. The mosquitoes were numerous, likewise +the flies, and everybody began to wish the journey at an end. + +"We'd better make a charge on the insects," growled one old soldier. +"They are worse nor the rebels ten times over," and, just then, many +were inclined to agree with him. Tobacco was scarce or smoking would +have been far more plentiful than it was. + +Midnight came and went, and found the expedition still some distance +from the lake. A few of the soldiers were sleeping, but the majority +remained wide awake, fighting off the marshland pests, and aiding in +keeping the cascos and launches from running high and dry in the mud. +Had it not been for the tinclads it is doubtful if the Laguna de Bay +would have been gained at all by more than half of the craft composing +the turnout. But they came to the rescue time and again, and so the +expedition crawled along, until, at four o'clock, the clear sheet of +water beyond was sighted. + +They were making the last turn before the lake was gained when the +casco ahead of that steered by Larry went aground once more, dragging +Larry's craft behind it. The youth did all he could to back water, but +in vain, and once more they heard the unwelcome slish of mud under +their bottom. + +"Now you've done it again!" howled the lieutenant, leaping up from his +seat. "You numskull! give me that oar." And he tried to wrench the +blade from Larry's hand. + +"It was not my fault," began the youth, when the officer forced the +blade from him and hurled him back on one of the soldiers. Then the +lieutenant tried to do some poling for himself, and got the oar stuck +so tightly in the mud that he could not loosen it. + +Burning with indignation, Larry felt himself go down in a heap, and +at once tried to get up again. At the same time the soldier beneath +him gave him a shove which pitched him several feet forward. He landed +up against the lieutenant with considerable force, and in a twinkle +the officer went overboard, head first, into the water and mud where +the casco had stuck fast. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE GAP IN THE FIRING LINE + + +"Hullo, Lieutenant Horitz has fallen overboard!" + +"Pull him out of the mud, before he smothers or drowns!" + +Such were some of the cries which arose among the soldiers that filled +the casco. Then Larry was shoved back, and two of them caught hold of +the legs of the man who had disappeared, as for an instant they showed +themselves. There was a "long pull, a strong pull, and a pull +altogether," and up came the lieutenant, minus his hat and with his +face and neck well plastered with the black ooze of the river bottom. + +For a moment after he sank on the seat that was vacated to receive him, +he could not speak. One of the soldiers handed him a handkerchief, and +with this he proceeded to clear his eyes and ears, at the same time +puffing vainly to get back his breath. At last he cleared his throat +and glared angrily at Larry. + +"You--you young whelp!" he fumed. "You--you knocked me over on +purpose!" + +"No, sir, I did not," answered the young tar, promptly. "One of the +soldiers shoved me up against you." + +"I don't believe you," roared the unreasonable one, as he continued to +clean himself off. "You shall pay dearly for this assault, mark me!" + +"Didn't you shove me?" asked Larry, appealing to one of the soldiers. + +"I shoved you off of my neck, yes," answered the enlisted man. "But I +didn't throw you into Lieutenant Horitz. You did that yourself." + +"Of course he did it himself," said another soldier, who did not wish +to see his tent-mate get into trouble. "You had it in for the +lieutenant ever since he first spoke to you." + +"I shall report you the first chance I get," growled Lieutenant +Horitz. "I reckon you'll find that General Lawton won't allow any such +disgraceful conduct while he is in command." + +"What's the row back there?" came out of the darkness. "Hurry up and +get afloat, or we'll cut the rope and leave you to shift for +yourselves." + +"Our officer was just shoved overboard," answered Snapper, the +soldier who had given Larry the unlucky push. "And we've lost our +oar." + +"No, I have the oar," put in Larry, making a clutch into the water for +the article just as it was about to float out of reach. He leaped into +the bow once more, and began to work vigorously, and in a few seconds +they were again afloat. + +Fortunately for the lieutenant the night was warm, so he suffered no +inconvenience so far as his wet clothing was concerned. But it was no +mean task to clean both himself and his uniform, and what to do for +another hat he did not know. He would have taken Larry's headgear had +that article been anyway suitable, but it was not. + +It must be confessed that Larry felt thoroughly ill at ease. That +there was trouble ahead went without saying, and he half wished +himself safe back on the _Olympia_. "He'll make out the worst case he +can against me," he thought. "And his men will back him up in all he +says." Yet he felt that he was guilty of no intentional wrong-doing, +and resolved to stand up for himself to the best of his ability. + +The lieutenant had learned one lesson--that he knew no more about +handling the casco than did Larry, if as much, and, consequently, he +offered no more suggestions as to how to run the craft. But he kept +muttering under his breath at the youth, and Larry felt that he was +aching to "get square." + +It was early dawn when the casco turned into the lake proper. As the +sun came up it shed its light on one of the prettiest sheets of water +Larry had ever beheld. The lake was as smooth as a millpond, and +surrounded with long stretches of marshland and heavy thickets of +tropical growth. Fish were plentiful, as could be seen by gazing into +the clear depths below, and overhead circled innumerable birds. +Villages dotted the lake shore at various points, but these the +expedition gave a wide berth, setting out directly for Santa Cruz, +still several miles distant, behind the hill previously mentioned. + +If it had been General Lawton's intention to attack the town from in +front in the dark, that plan had now to be changed, and the expedition +turned toward shore at a point at least three miles from the town +proper. + +But even here the rebels could be seen to be on the alert, and a +rapid-firing gun was put into action and directed along the lake +front. The gun was manned by some men from the _Napadan_, and did such +wonderful execution that soon the insurgent sentries were seen to be +fleeing toward the town at utmost speed. Then a small detachment from +some brush also retreated, and the coast was clear. + +It was no easy matter to land, as the water here was shallow and the +cascos had to be poled along over the soft mud. The sharpshooters were +the first ashore, and they soon cleared a spot for the others. But a +few of the rebels were "game," and as a result one man was wounded, +although not seriously. The cavalry remained on the boats, to land +closer to the hill later on. + +The landing had consumed much valuable time, and it was now after +noon. A hasty meal was had, and then the column moved off, spreading +out in fan shape as it advanced, the sharpshooters to the front and +the rear, and a number of special scouts on the alert to give the +first warning of danger. Soon the scouts in front came back with the +news that the insurgents were forming in front of our troops and that +Santa Cruz and its garrison seemed thoroughly aroused to the danger +which threatened. + +"Forward, boys!" was the cry. "The more time we give them, the better +they will be prepared to meet us. Forward without delay!" And the +"boys" went forward with a wild hurrah, for everything promised well, +and they were much pleased to have General Lawton lead them, even +though they had no fault to find with their other commanders. + +The first skirmish began on the extreme right. Some rebels had found +their way to a hill behind the town, and they began the attack from a +patch of wild plantains, thickly interlaced with tropical vines. Up +the hill after them dashed the right wing, and the sharp rattle of +musketry resounded upon both sides for the best part of half an hour. +Then the rebels broke and ran, and in their eagerness our troops +followed them until a point less than two miles from Santa Cruz was +gained. Here the insurgents scattered, and could not be rounded up, +and the right wing fell back, to unite with the main body of the +expedition. But the woods were thick, the ground new to the Americans, +and in the gathering darkness it was several hours before the firing +line was compact once more. Then the expedition rested for the night. + +Larry had landed with the soldiers, and, as the other cascos came up, +he was speedily joined by Luke Striker and Jack Biddle. + +"I wonder what part we air to take in this comin' mix-up?" queried +Luke. + +"Like as not they will leave us here to mind the boats," replied +Larry. "I can tell you that I am rather sorry I came along," he added +soberly. + +"Sorry!" ejaculated Jack Biddle. "Surely, Larry, ye ain't afraid--" + +"No, I'm not afraid," interrupted the youth. And then he told of the +scene in the casco, and of what Lieutenant Horitz had said. When he +had finished, Jack cut a wry face and Luke uttered a low whistle. + +"You've run up agin a rock fer sartin, Larry," remarked Luke. "I +reckon he can make things look putty bad for ye if he's of a mind to +do it." + +"Keep quiet an' say nuthin', an' he may forgit all about it," was Jack +Biddle's advice. + +The boats having been cared for, the sailors followed the soldiers +through the field and into the woods. All told there were twenty-five +jackies, and by common consent they formed themselves into a company +of their own, with a petty officer named Gordell at their head. +Gordell went to General Lawton for directions, and was told to follow +the volunteers until given further orders. Each sailor was armed with +a pistol and a ship's cutlass. + +The march was a hot one, but Larry was now getting accustomed to the +tropics and hardly minded this. The little company advanced with +caution, nobody desiring to run into an ambush. Soon the firing on the +right reached their ears, and they knew that some sort of an +engagement was on. Then came a halt, and presently the darkness of +night fell over them; and they went into camp beside a tiny +watercourse flowing into a good-sized stream which separated the +expedition from the outskirts of Santa Cruz. + +Supper disposed of, Larry and Luke Striker took a stroll forward, to +find out what the firing line was really doing and if the insurgents +were in front in force. "We may have a bigger fight on hand nor any of +us expect," suggested the old Yankee gunner. + +"You can trust General Lawton not to run his head into the lion's +mouth," returned Larry. "A soldier who has whipped the Apache Indians +isn't going to suffer any surprise at the hands of these Tagals, no +matter how wily they are." + +"Don't be too sure o' thet, Larry. The best on us make mistakes +sometimes," answered the Yankee, with a grave shake of his head. But +General Lawton made no mistake, as we shall speedily see. + +As has been said, the right wing had become detached from the main +body of the expedition during the fight on the hill back of Santa +Cruz. The firing line of this wing had not yet united with the centre, +consequently there was a gap of over a quarter of a mile in the front. +Had the Tagalogs known of this they might have divided the expedition +and surrounded the right wing completely, but they did not know, so +the temporary separation did no damage to the soldiers. But that gap +brought a good bit of trouble to Larry and his friend. + +On and on went the pair, down a narrow road lined on either side with +palms and plantains and sweet-smelling shrubs. From the hollows the +frogs croaked dismally, and here and there a night bird uttered its +lonely cry, but otherwise all was silent. + +"Humph, they've pushed the firing line ahead further than I thought," +remarked Luke, after half a mile had been covered. "Here's a small +river. Do ye reckon as how they went over thet, lad?" + +"It must be so," answered the boy. "Certainly, we haven't been +challenged." + +Crossing the rude bridge, they found that the road made a sharp turn +to the southward. Beyond was a nipa hut, back of which burnt a small +camp-fire. Both hut and fire seemed deserted. + +"They have cleaned the rebels out from there," said Larry. "Come +ahead," and they continued on their way, little dreaming of the trap +into which they were walking. + +The nipa hut passed, they came to a tall fence built of bamboo stalks, +sharpened at the tops and bound with native rope-vine. Farther on +still were a dozen shelters, and here could be seen several women and +children sitting in the doorways. + +"Perhaps they can give us some information," said Larry, as they +approached the natives. As soon as they saw the Americans the children +shrieked dismally and rushed out of sight. But the women held their +ground, feeling that they would not be molested. + +"See anything of our soldiers?" demanded Luke of the women, but one +and all shook their heads. "No Englees talk," mumbled one, meaning +they did not understand or speak our tongue. + +The natives' manner made Larry suspicious, and he glanced around +hurriedly. As he did so there was a click of a trigger from behind +the bamboo fence. + +"_Americanos_ surrender," came in bad English from back of the fence. +"Surrender quick, or we shoot both dead on the spot!" + + + + +CHAPTER V + +AN ENCOUNTER AT THE RIVER + + +To say that both Larry and his old friend were surprised at the sudden +demand which had been made upon them would be to put the truth very +mildly. They had been of the firm belief that the insurgents had +retreated, and to find themselves in a "reg'lar hornet's nest," as +Luke afterward expressed it, dumfounded them. + +"Do you surrender, or not?" came the words, after an awkward pause. + +It was dark about the huts, yet not so dim but that they could see the +barrels of several Mauser rifles thrust toward them. The sight made +Larry shiver, for he had never before met the rebel soldiers at such +close quarters. + +"We're in a box," muttered Luke. "Somethin' wrong somewhar--our +soldiers didn't come this way, ye kin reckon on thet." + +"I move we run for it," whispered Larry. "If they take us prisoners--" +He did not finish, but his silence was more impressive than mere words +would have been. He had heard many stories of terrible cruelty +practised by the insurgents on their prisoners, and whether these +tales were true or not, they had had their full effect on both him +and his shipmates. + +"Where are ye goin' to run to, lad? We don't want to run an' be shot +down in cold blood." + +"Get in front of me and take to the woods opposite, Luke," was the +hurried reply. "Here goes! I don't think they'll fire now!" + +As Larry concluded, he sprang to the side of one of the native women +standing nearest to him. Before the woman could resist, he had her in +his arms behind him and was running off as speedily as the weight of +his living load permitted. Seeing this, Luke scuttled off before, and +away they went for the woods, not twenty yards distant. + +A howl arose on the night air, and one gun went off, but the bullet +did no damage. Then the leader of the rebels was heard, calling to his +men not to fire, for fear of killing the woman, who chanced, by good +luck, to be a close relative; for the soldiers behind the bamboo fence +were part of a home guard brought out that very afternoon to defend +the road and Santa Cruz. + +The woman on Larry's back shrieked in terror and clawed at his neck +and hair, causing him considerable pain. But he held his burden tight +until the shelter of the trees was gained, when he let her slip to the +ground and darted after Luke, who was running with all the speed of +his lanky limbs. + +It was pitch dark in the jungle, and the pair had not advanced more +than a hundred yards when they found themselves going down into a +hollow which both felt must lead to a dangerous swamp, or morass, for +the island of Luzon is full of such fever-breeding places. + +"Go slow, lad," whispered Luke, as he caught Larry by the hand. "We +don't want to land out o' the fryin'-pan into the fire." + +They both became silent and listened attentively. At a distance they +heard the insurgents coming on slowly and cautiously, spreading out as +they advanced. Probably they knew the topography of the country and +meant to surround the hollow completely. + +"They are coming, that's sure," whispered Larry, and clutched his +pistol. "I wonder if we can't get away from them by climbing a tree." + +"We can--if they ain't a-followin' the trail putty close," answered +his companion. + +They began to search around for a tree, and in doing so came to +several large rocks, much over-grown with trailing vines. There was an +opening between two of the rocks, and Luke slipped into this, hauling +Larry after him. + +"Jest as good as a tree, an' mebbe better," he whispered, as he +rearranged the vines over the opening. + +The hiding-place was not a large one, and Larry felt very much like a +sardine in a box as he crouched close to his Yankee friend. The vines +covered the opening completely, yet they remained on guard, each with +his finger on the trigger of his weapon, resolved, if the worst came +to the worst, to fight the best they knew how before surrendering. + +The Filipinos were evidently puzzled, for they had come to a halt and +made not the slightest noise. Possibly they were listening for some +sound from those they were pursuing, but if so, none came, for Luke +clapped his hand warningly over Larry's mouth, and the youth +understood and remained as motionless as a statue. + +Five minutes went by--to the boy they seemed an age--and then the +rebels came on again, halting every few steps to make sure of their +ground. Three passed close to the rocks, so close in fact that Larry +and Luke could have shot them down without trouble. But this would +have given the alarm to the entire party, and neither the boy nor the +man wanted to shed blood unless it became absolutely necessary. + +At last the Filipinos had left the rocks behind and were circling +around the swamp at the bottom of the hollow. "Now is the time to give +'em the slip," whispered Luke, and crawled once more into the open. +Larry followed, and both hurried away from the vicinity with all +possible speed. It was the last seen or heard of the party who had so +unexpectedly blockaded their progress on the highway. + +The jungle at the top of the hill was as dense as that below, and the +pair had not proceeded far before they found themselves in a veritable +tangle of bushes and vines. The bushes were of the thorny kind +peculiar to this locality, and more than once Larry found himself +caught and held as if in a vice. + +"My clothing will be in tatters if this keeps on," he panted, as he +cut himself loose with difficulty. "Did you ever see such a thicket!" + +"We missed it when we started out to-night," returned Luke, gravely. +"We've gone astray o' the firm' line and everything else, to my way o' +lookin' at it." + +Bad as was their situation, they felt it would be worse with the +coming of daylight. "We must get out of the enemy's territory before +the sun rises," said Larry. "If we don't, we'll have no show at all." + +But getting out was not easy; indeed, the farther they advanced, the +more difficult did it seem to become, until both came to the +conclusion that they had missed their bearings entirely, and were +lost. "And can't even see the stars to read 'em," groaned Luke. +"Larry, we might as well make the best of it, and wait for daylight." + +But the youth demurred and insisted on going ahead. "We're bound to +strike something soon," he said, and did, immediately afterward. It +was a log lying on the edge of an incline, and down he pitched, and +log and lad rolled over and over, with Luke following, to bring up +with a loud splash in the river below. + +The force of their fall took them under the surface of the stream, and +in the struggle to save themselves both lost their cutlasses. But, as +old readers know, each could swim well, and they speedily came up and +struck out for the most available landing-place, which was on the +opposite bank. + +"_Alto!_" came the sudden cry, in Spanish. "Halt!" And now a sentry +appeared from behind a pile of cord-wood lying but a short distance +away. + +[Illustration: "Alto!" came the sudden cry.--_Page 47._] + +"Discovered again," muttered Luke, and felt for his pistol. "Soaked!" +he muttered, in disgust. + +The cry of the rebel on guard had given the alarm to several others, +and in a twinkling Larry and the old Yankee tar found themselves +confronted by an even more determined crowd than that encountered on +the road. With the water behind them, escape was out of the question, +for a jump back into the river would have courted a fire which must +have resulted in death. + +"_Americanos!_" muttered one of the rebels, drawing closer. "And +sailors, not soldiers," he added, in his native tongue. "Where did you +come from?" + +Larry and Luke shook their heads. "Talk United States and we'll speak +to you," said the old sailor. + +"You gif up?" demanded an under officer, as he pushed his way forward, +with his pistol covering Larry's heart. + +"Ain't nuthin' else to do, I reckon," replied Luke, before Larry could +answer. He was afraid the boy might be rash and try running away +again. + +"Throw down de pistoles, den," muttered the Tagal, with an ugly +frown. + +Down went the weapons on the ground, and then two of the rebels +advanced to search them. They found nothing of special value excepting +the pair's jack-knives, and these were confiscated and turned over to +the officer in command. + +The prisoners were then told to march up the river shore to a road +leading into Santa Cruz. With their hands bound tightly behind them, +they were placed in charge of a detail of four Filipinos, who were +instructed to take them without delay before the general in charge of +the city's defences. + +"They may hold information of importance," said the under officer. +"Do not delay a minute;" and off went the crowd, the soldiers prodding +the prisoners with their bayonets whenever Larry and Luke did not walk +fast enough to suit them. + +The course taken was through a narrow and exceedingly dirty street. It +was after midnight, yet the expected attack of the Americans had kept +all the inhabitants awake. The prisoners were jeered at repeatedly, +and at one point were covered with a shower of mud and stale +vegetables. The onslaught might have been more serious had not the +soldiers interfered. + +"Get back, you dogs," shouted the leader, a little Tagal scarcely five +feet in height, but with an air of magnificent importance. "These men +are to go before the general, and at once!" And much abashed the +natives fell back, and the prisoners were molested no further. + +It would naturally be supposed that the general in command would be +found at the front at such a time, when an attack on the city was but +a matter of a few hours. Instead, however, General Bamodo was found at +one of the government buildings, calmly smoking a cigar, and +conversing with several native business men. + +"Spies, eh?" he queried, when the guard had told him about the +prisoners. "Bring them in immediately." + +Larry and Luke were told to enter the room, and did so, their still +wet clothing forming little puddles at their feet. The guards stood +beside and behind them. General Bamodo eyed them critically. He spoke +no English, and so called in an interpreter. + +"Where are you from?" demanded the interpreter, presently, after a few +words with his superior. + +"We are from the warship _Olympia_," answered Luke, briefly. + +"You were sent here by General Otis as spies, not so?" + +"No, sir, we are jest plain, everyday sailors." + +"Then what brought you here?" demanded the interpreter, after +translating their words to General Bamodo. + +"We missed our way on the road," put in Larry, before Luke could +answer. He thought it best not to say anything about accompanying +General Lawton's expedition. + +"You must have missed it very much, General Bamodo says," growled the +interpreter, after another consultation with his superior. "Santa +Cruz is a good many miles from Manila harbor." + +To this Larry remained silent, and another talk in Spanish followed. +Then a sudden shot from a distance caused General Bamodo to leap to +his feet and dash down his cigar. + +"Take them to the prison--I will examine them later on," he said, in +Spanish, and hurried away. + +A few minutes later Larry and his Yankee friend were marched off, this +time to a stone building several squares away. Here they were taken +inside, thrust into a cell, the iron-barred door was locked upon them, +and they were left to their fate. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN WHICH LUKE STRIKER IS WOUNDED + + +The plan to surprise Santa Cruz had failed, yet General Lawton's +command was just as eager as ever to press forward and do battle with +the native garrison, of which the town on the Laguna de Bay boasted. +It was thought the Filipino command could not be a strong one, and +even if it had been the Americans would have gone ahead just the same, +so accustomed were they to victory over their misguided foes. + +It was arranged that the centre and left wing of the infantry should +move directly upon the town, while the right wing should swing around, +to cut off the Filipinos' retreat, should they start such a movement. +In the meantime, protected by a cross fire from the tinclads, _Laguna_ +and _Oeste_, the cavalry landed on the hill overlooking the bay, and +began to do battle with the enemy's force in that territory, cutting +its way over field and brush to the left wing as it swung closer to +the river already mentioned several times. The cavalry developed a +strong resistance which lasted for over an hour; but in the end the +Filipinos were glad enough to fall back into the town proper. + +Out on the main road leading to the principal bridge over the river +the sun was boiling hot, and many a soldier felt more like seeking +shelter and resting than like pushing forward with his heavy gun and +other equipments. But General Lawton was here and there, encouraging +every one, and they pushed on until a sharp fire between the enemy and +the advance guard told that a running fight, and perhaps a regular +battle, would soon be at hand. + +"At them, my men!" cried the various commanders. "They'll run, no +doubt of it. They haven't stood up against us yet!" And away went the +long skirmishing line, and soon there was a steady crack and pop of +guns and pistols as the Americans pushed on, catching many a poor +Filipino who was too late in either running or throwing down his arms. +A number surrendered, and these were promptly sent to the rear. + +Presently the river was gained, and here the Americans came to an +unexpected halt. There was a long bridge to cross, and beyond was a +barricade of stone and wood. Were the insurgents massed behind that +barricade? If they were, to cross the bridge in column of fours or +otherwise would mean a terrible slaughter. + +"Here goes!" sang out one petty officer, and made a dash forward, +which was as reckless as it was daring. As he moved along the bridge +several held their breath, expecting to see him go down at any +instant. But then came a rush of first half a dozen, then a score, and +then whole companies, and it was speedily seen that the barricade was +practically deserted. The insurgents were hurrying into the town as +hard as they could, with Uncle Sam's men after them, both sides +keeping up a steady firing as they ran. + +In the meantime, soaked to the skin and utterly miserable over their +capture, Larry and his Yankee friend had been thrust into the prison +cell and left to themselves. After the door was locked and the jailer +walked away, the youth uttered a long-drawn sigh. + +"Luke, we're in a pickle, this trip," he groaned. "What do you suppose +they will do with us?" + +"Heaven alone knows, my lad," responded the old tar. "Bein' as how +they ain't cannibals, I don't reckon they'll eat us up," and he smiled +grimly. + +"They think we are spies." + +"Thet's so." + +"Do you know that they shoot spies--and do it in short order, too?" + +"And why shouldn't I know it, Larry? I've heard tell on it often +enough. But they have got to prove we air spies first, ain't they?" + +"They'll do what they please. I believe half of these Filipinos think +the Americans are nothing but cut-throats. They can't conceive that we +should want to come here and govern them for their own good." + +"Because they would rather govern themselves, even if they made a mess +of it, than be under anybody's thumb nail, Larry. Howsomever, thet +ain't the p'int jest now. The p'int is, kin we git out o' here before +they settle to do wuss with us?" + +"Get out? You mean break jail?" + +"Exactly. We don't want to stay here if we kin git out, do we?" + +"To be sure not." Larry leaped up from the bench upon which he had +been resting and ran to the door. At this Luke smiled glumly and +shook his head. + +"Ye won't go it thet way, lad--the guard locked it, I seen him do +it,--and the lock is a strong one, too." + +Luke was right, as a brief examination proved. Then the boy turned to +the window, an affair less than a foot square, having over it several +iron bars set firmly into the stones. "No thoroughfare there," was his +comment. + +The two next examined the floor, to find it of brick, and as solid as +the walls. "Only the ceilin' left now," said Luke. "I reckon we might +as well give it up. Even if we do git out, more'n likely a guard +outside will shoot us down." + +But Larry was determined to test the ceiling, which was but a couple +of feet over their heads. So he had his companion hold him for that +purpose. + +"There is a loose board up there," he cried, as he was feeling his way +along. "Hold me a little higher, Luke, and perhaps I can shove it +up." + +The old sailor did as requested, and with a strong push Larry shifted +one end of the plank above, so that it left an opening ten inches wide +and several feet long. Catching a good hold he pulled himself to the +apartment above, to find it stored with boxes and barrels containing +old military uniforms and other army equipments, relics of Spanish +rule. + +"Any way out up thar?" queried Luke. "If there is, we don't want to +waste any time, ye know." + +"I'll tell you in a minute," replied Larry, in a low voice, and ran +first to one end window of the storeroom and then the other. In front +was the street, fast filling with soldiers. In the rear was a stable +which just now seemed deserted. The several windows of the storeroom +were all barred, but here the bars were screwed fast to wood instead +of being set in stone. + +"I think there is a chance here," said the boy, coming back to the +opening. "Here, give me your hand, and I'll help you up," and he bent +down; and soon Luke stood beside him. + +"Think we can git out thet way, eh!" said the Yankee tar, surveying +the prospect in the rear. "Well, I reckon it's worth workin' for, +Larry. But the drop from the window, even if we pull away the bars--" + +"Here is a rope--we can use that," answered the boy, pointing out the +article around several small boxes. While Luke pried away the bars of +one of the rear windows he possessed himself of the rope, and tied it +fast to a bar which was not disturbed. As soon as the opening was +sufficiently large to admit of the passage of each one's body, Luke +swung himself over the window-sill. + +"Come on," he cried softly, and slipped from view. Never had he gone +down a ship's rope quicker, and never had Larry followed his friend +with such alacrity. Both felt that life or death depended upon the +rapidity of their movements. + +The ground was hardly touched by Luke when a Filipino boy appeared at +the entrance to the stable. For an instant the youth stared in +opened-mouthed astonishment, then he uttered a yell that would have +done credit to an Indian on the war-path. + +"The jig's up!" cried the Yankee tar. "Come, Larry, our legs have got +to save us, if we're to be saved at all." + +He leaped across the yard and for the corner of the stable, where he +collided with a Tagal soldier, who was coming forward to learn what +the yelling meant. Down went both the sailor and the guard; but the +rebel got the worse of it, for he lay half stunned, while Luke was up +in a trice. As the soldier fell, his gun flew from his hands, and +Larry tarried just long enough to pick the weapon up. + +Behind the stable was a narrow, winding street, lined on either side +with huts and other native dwellings, with here and there a barnlike +warehouse. Into this street darted our two friends, and there paused, +not knowing whether to move toward the wharves or in the opposite +direction. + +"Look out!" suddenly yelled Larry, and dropped flat, followed by the +Yankee tar. A sharp report rang out, and a bullet whistled over their +heads, coming from the prison yard. On the instant Larry fired in +return, and the prison guard disappeared as if by magic. Long +afterward, Larry learned that he had hit the Tagal in the arm. + +There was now a general alarm throughout the prison, and the two +escaped prisoners felt that any other locality would be better for +them than the one they now occupied. "Let us try to find our +soldiers," said Luke, and once again they started to run, this time up +the road where, far away, they could make out a forest of some sort. +Then came a second report, and Luke Striker staggered back, hit in the +shoulder. + +"Luke! Luke, you are struck!" gasped Larry. His heart seemed to leap +into his throat. What if his dearest friend had been mortally +wounded? + +"I--I--reckon it--it ain't much!" came with a shiver. The sailor +straightened himself up and started to run again. "They are after us +hot-like, ain't they?" + +A turn in the road soon took them out of sight of the prison, and they +breathed a bit more freely. But the strain was beginning to tell upon +Luke, and watching him, Larry saw that he was growing deathly pale. + +"You can't keep this up, Luke," he said, and put out his arm to aid +his friend. As he did so, the Yankee tar gave a short groan, threw up +both hands, and then sank down in a heap at the boy's feet. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE RETREAT TO THE RICE-HOUSE + + +Larry was greatly alarmed, not knowing but that his companion was +about to die on his hands. Quickly he knelt at the Yankee's side, to +learn that Luke had fainted away from loss of blood. The shoulder of +his shirt and jacket were saturated through and through. + +"What shall I do?" the boy asked himself, and gazed hurriedly at the +surroundings. To one side of the road were several nipa huts, to the +other a long, rambling warehouse. The doorways of all the buildings +stood open, and no one seemed to be in sight. + +As quickly as he could the youth took up his friend and staggered with +his heavy burden to the warehouse, which was about half filled with +rice. Entering the structure, he passed to a small apartment somewhat +in the rear. Here there was a quantity of old sacking in a heap, and +upon this rude couch Larry placed the unconscious form. + +The boy had been taught on shipboard just what to do in case of such +an emergency, and now he worked as he never had before, for Luke was +very dear to him, and the thought that his friend might die was +horrible to contemplate. He prayed to Heaven that the old gunner's +life might be spared to him. + +The wound was an ugly one; yet even to Larry's inexperienced eye it +did not look as if it could be fatal, and the boy breathed a long sigh +of relief as he bound it up. Then he went in search of water, and +finding a well back of the warehouse brought a bucketful in and began +to bathe Luke. Soon the sufferer stirred and opened his honest eyes +wonderingly. + +"Why--er--how's this?" he stammered. "Did I--oh, I remember now!" And +he sank back again. + +"Keep quiet," whispered the boy. He had heard voices coming toward the +warehouse. "If you make a sound, it may be all up with both of us." + +The old tar breathed heavily and nodded. Throwing some sacking over +the prostrate form, Larry slipped back into the main apartment of the +warehouse. He still held the gun, but it was empty and could be used +only as a club. + +Two men were approaching the warehouse, both tall, slim, and evidently +of Spanish extraction. They were talking loudly and excitedly to one +another; but as Larry understood but few words of Spanish, what they +were saying was lost upon the boy. + +"I don't believe they are after us," thought the lad, when the +strangers came to a halt just outside the warehouse. As they did so a +long volley of rifle shots came from a distance, followed by another +and then another. The shooting came from the centre of the town and +made Larry's heart beat fast. "Our soldiers must be coming in," he +thought. "Oh, I hope they make the town ours!" + +The shots appeared to disturb the two Spaniards greatly, for both +clutched each other by the arm and looked thoroughly frightened. + +Presently an old woman came running out of one of the huts. She yelled +at the two Spaniards in her own tongue and pointed at the warehouse. +Evidently she had seen Larry and Luke, but had been afraid to expose +herself. + +The strangers listened to the old woman with interest, then began to +talk to each other. "Perhaps we can get some information, José," said +one, in Spanish. + +"Perhaps we shall get a bullet," answered his companion, grimly. +Nevertheless, he consented to enter the building, and both passed +through the great doorway of the warehouse. + +Hardly knowing how to receive the newcomers, Larry stepped for a +moment behind a bin of rice. But then, as the pair moved toward where +Luke lay, he raised his gun threateningly. + +"Halt!" he called, as sternly as he could. "Halt, or I shall fire!" + +"We are betrayed!" roared one of the Spaniards, in his native tongue. +"No shoot! no shoot!" he added, in broken English. "We mean you no +harm." + +"Up with your hands, then," went on Larry, resolved to make the most +of the situation, even though the gun was empty; and four hands went +promptly into the air, for the two men before him were as cowardly as +they were unprincipled. + +There was an awkward silence for several seconds, while boy and men +surveyed each other. Larry lowered the gun slightly, but still kept +his finger on the trigger. He noted that the newcomers appeared to be +unarmed, although they had both knives and pistols hidden upon their +persons. + +"You are an _Americano_ sailor, not so?" asked one of the Spaniards. + +"I am," was Larry's prompt reply. "Are you one of Aguinaldo's +rebels?" + +"No, no! We are no rebels--we are peaceful Spanish gentlemen," put in +the second Spaniard. + +"Do you belong here?" + +"I belong here," said the man who had first spoken. "My brother, he +belongs at Manila." + +The brother mentioned shot an angry glance at the speaker. "Yes, I +come from Manila," he said. "But I belong truly in Spain, being a +merchant of Madrid." + +"Well, our war with you folks is over," said Larry, slowly, hardly +knowing how to proceed. "If you are not going to help the rebels, you +ought to help us. We are doing all we can for your prisoners out +here," he added, meaning the Spaniards that were being held by the +forces under General Aguinaldo--soldiers who were captured during the +struggle between Spain and her Philippine colonies. + +"We can do but little," came with a shrug of the shoulders. "We are +not armed, and if we help the _Americanos_, Aguinaldo says he will +behead all the Spanish prisoners he is holding." Such a threat was +actually made, but it is doubtful if the Filipinos would have been +base enough to carry it out. + +"We came in here not to make trouble," went on the second Spaniard. +"We came to learn what the firing means. Are the _Americanos_ coming +here in force?" + +"They are." + +"Then Santa Cruz is doomed," groaned the Spaniard. He dropped his +hands and began to pace the warehouse floor. "I shall lose much if the +city falls. The rebels will burn all my property, for they hate me." + +"I trust not," answered Larry, his fear of the pair gradually leaving +him. "Hark to that!" he added, as the rattle of guns was again heard. +"Our men must be coming in fast, and orders are to save everything +that can be saved. If the rebels--" + +He broke off short as a cry from Luke reached him. Running to the +Yankee sailor he found Luke kicking out vigorously with his foot. + +"I couldn't keep still no longer, nohow!" burst out the old tar. "A +plagued rat came right up and wanted to nibble my leg, hang him. Who's +them air fellows out thar?" + +But the Spaniards had already followed Larry, and were now gazing at +Luke in wonder. "Wounded, not so?" said one. "You were in the fight, +then." + +"No, we escaped from the prison," answered Larry, simply. "We were +captured during last night. I wish I was sure we'd be safe here until +our soldiers come along." He turned to the old sailor again. "How do +you feel now?" + +"Better, Larry, a heap better. But I ain't ready fer no more foot +races jest yet." + +"Then we'll have to remain here. Or perhaps you had better remain here +while I go scouting around and see if I can find some of our soldiers, +or the ambulance corps." + +"An' what o' these gentlemen?" + +"We shall go, too," said one of the Spaniards. "Your friend will be +safe here--if he keeps hidden under the sacks," he added. + +Waiting for the strangers to move first, Larry came behind them, still +holding the gun as though the weapon were ready for use. The men had +spoken fairly enough, yet there was that about them which did not +please Larry in the least. "They are regular rascals, or else I miss +my guess," thought the youth. + +The roadway still seemed deserted. But far off they could see the +natives flying in several directions. Then from a distance came a +cheer which Larry knew could only come from American throats. + +"Our soldiers must be over there," he said to the Spaniards. "Will you +come with me?" + +The men hesitated, and consulted together in their native tongue. "I +do not know what to say," said one, slowly, and began to follow Larry +along the highway. Seeing this, the other came, too. + +Suddenly a loud shout came to them from a thicket back of some nipa +huts, and instantly a band of insurgents burst into view, armed with +guns and bolos. They were firing as they retreated, and made a stand +on the opposite side of the road. + +"José Lupez!" cried one of the officers of the rebels, addressing one +of the two Spaniards. "What do you here?" + +"And have I no right here?" asked the Spaniard, sharply. + +"Who is that with you?" + +"My brother, Benedicto, from Manila, who was visiting me." + +"He has betrayed us into the hands of the _Americanos_! If he--" + +The rest of the sentence was drown out in a volley of musketry, and +two rebels were seen to fall. Some started to run, but others held +their ground. + +Larry listened in amazement. He had heard the names José Lupez and +Benedicto, and knew that the two Spaniards were brothers. Could this +Spaniard, Benedicto Lupez, be the man who had made off with the money +Braxton Bogg had stolen from the Hearthstone Saving Institution? + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A PRISONER OF THE FILIPINOS + + +Larry had retreated to a small nipa hut standing close to the roadway, +feeling that if the Americans were coming in that direction, they +would soon be at hand to give Luke and himself aid. + +While the insurgents and the Spaniards were conversing, the latter had +approached the hut, and now both followed the young sailor inside. + +"Is your name Benedicto Lupez?" demanded Larry, approaching the taller +of the pair. + +"Yes," was the short response. + +"Then you are from Manila--you ran away from there about two weeks +ago?" + +"Ha! what do you know of that?" demanded the Spaniard, eying Larry +darkly. + +"I know a good deal about you," answered the youth, boldly. "After +Braxton Bogg was arrested you made off with the money he had left at +your residence." + +"'Tis false!" roared the Spaniard, but his face blanched even as he +spoke. "I know nothing of that man or his money. I--I was deceived in +him." + +"If that is so, why did you leave Manila in such a hurry?" + +"I--I wanted to help my brother, who was in trouble. I have not seen a +dollar of Bogg's money. 'Tis he who still owes me for his board, black +wretch that he was!" roared Benedicto Lupez, savagely. + +At these words Larry was startled. Was Lupez really telling the +truth, and if so, where was the money that had wrecked the saving +institution? + +"He didn't even pay his board?" + +"Not one piaster, boy,--nothing. And I thought him honest, or I would +not have taken him in." + +"But his valise is gone, and the bands around the money--" + +"Were as he left them. I can swear I touched absolutely nothing," +answered Benedicto Lupez, earnestly. + +Larry was nonplussed. Had the Spaniard looked less of a villain, the +young sailor would have been inclined to believe him. But that face +was so crafty and calculating that he still hesitated. + +"Well, if you are innocent, you will not object to helping me rejoin +our soldiers," he ventured. + +"I want nothing to do with the _Americanos_,--they mean to get me into +trouble, even though I am innocent," growled Benedicto Lupez. "Come, +José, we will go," he added to his brother, in their native language. + +His brother was already at the doorway. The shouting and firing +outside was increasing. Leaping forward, Larry caught Benedicto Lupez +by the arm. + +"You'll stay here," he began, when the Spaniard let out a heavy blow +which hurled the young sailor flat. + +"I will not be held by a boy!" cried the man. "Let go, do you hear?" +For Larry had caught him by the foot. The boy's hold was good, and in +a trice Benedicto Lupez lay flat on his back. Then he rolled over and +over and a fierce tussle ensued, which came to a sudden end when José +Lupez leaped forward and kicked Larry in the head, rendering him +partly unconscious. + +What followed was more like a dream than reality to the bruised youth. +He heard a confused murmur of voices and a dozen or more shots, and +then, as Benedicto Lupez and his brother ran off, several rebels +swarmed into the hut, one stumbling over the lad's form and pitching +headlong. This insurgent was about to knife Larry when he saw that the +young sailor's eyes were closed, and that he was bleeding about the +head. + +"_Un Americano_, and wounded," he said, speaking in the Tagalog +dialect. "If he lives, he may make us a useful prisoner;" and a few +minutes later Larry felt himself picked up and borne away, first in a +man's arms and then on horseback. He tried to "locate" himself, but +when he opened his eyes all went swimming before them, and he was glad +enough to sink back once more and shut out the swirling sight. + +On and on, and still on went the rebels, some on foot and a few on +their steeds. In front were a few wagons and caribao carts piled high +with camping outfits, and also one or two light guns--all that had +been saved from the garrison. General Lawton's attack had been a +brilliant success, and Santa Cruz itself had surrendered with hardly +the loss of a man to the Americans. The troops coming in did their +best to round up the insurgents, but they had scattered in all +directions and only a few were caught, and these swore that they were +_amigos_, or friends, and had to be given their liberty. This +pretending to be friends after they were routed was a great trick with +thousands of the natives. They would come into the American camp under +the pretext that they had just escaped from the insurgents who had +threatened to kill them if they would not join Aguinaldo's forces. +What to do with such people was one of the most difficult problems of +the rebellion. They could not be placed under arrest, and yet that is +what nine out of ten deserved. + +When Larry was once more himself he found that it was night. He was in +a heap in a large casco which several Tagals were propelling with all +speed across the Laguna de Bay. There were several other cascos in +front and behind, all filled with natives with guns. The entire +procession moved along in almost utter silence. + +The youth wanted to know where he was being taken, but no sooner did +he open his mouth than one of the soldiers clapped a dirty hand over +it and commanded him to be silent. As the soldier carried a bolo in +his hand, Larry considered "discretion the better part of valor," and +for the time being, held his peace. + +A swarm of mosquitoes soon told the boy that they were approaching a +marsh, and presently the casco ran in between the reeds and under some +high, overhanging tropical bushes. Then those on board leaped ashore, +and the youth was made to follow them. + +A weary tramp over the marsh and then up a high hill followed. The +hill was covered with wild plantains, monstrous ferns, and a species +of cedar tree, all thickly interlaced with the ever present tropical +vines, which crossed and recrossed the tortuous path the party was +following. Overhead the stars shone down dimly, while the forest was +filled with the cries of the birds, the chattering of an occasional +monkey, and the constant drone and chirp of the innumerable insects. +The path was uneven, and more than once Larry pitched into a hollow +along with the Tagal who accompanied him and who never let go his hold +on the youthful prisoner. + +At last they came to a halt before a series of rocks. Here there was a +rude cave, partly concealed by bushes. As the party halted, several +natives came from the cave to give them welcome. There was no doubt +but that this was a rendezvous well known to the insurgents. + +"A prisoner is it?" said one of the natives, coming forward and +holding up a torch of pitch. "A mere boy. Bah, Lanza, cannot you do +better?" + +"He was with the soldiers who took Santa Cruz, and he wears the cap +from a warship," replied Lanza. "It may be we can get more out of him +than out of somebody older." + +"Well, perhaps; but I would rather you had brought in a man," was the +brief response. + +The conversation was in the Tagalog dialect, and consequently Larry +did not understand a word of it. The boy was made to march into the +cave, which he found to be much larger than he expected. It was fully +forty feet broad by sixty feet deep, and at the farther end a bright +fire was burning, the blaze mounting high up in a natural chimney and +rendering the surroundings as light almost as day. + +On coming to his senses, the youth's hands had been bound behind him, +and now he was made to sit down with his back against a fair-sized +tree trunk which had been dragged into the cave for firewood. A rope +was passed around the log and this in turn was fastened to the cord +about his wrists, thus making him a close prisoner. + +For several hours the rebels paid but scant attention to him, further +than to furnish him a bowl of rice "pap," from which he might sup +while it was held to his lips. They also gave him a drink of water, +and one young rebel considerately washed the wound on his head, on +which the blood had dried, presenting anything but a pleasant sight. + +As the hours went by the rebels around the cave kept increasing in +numbers until there were several hundred all told. Those who came in +last told of the complete downfall of Santa Cruz, but none of them had +the least idea of what the Americans were going to do next. "Perhaps +they will follow us to here," said one, grimly. + +"No, they know better than to follow us into the jungles and +mountains," said the leader, Fipile. "If they did that, we could shoot +them down like so many monkeys." They had still to learn the true +character of the tireless general who had now taken up their trail, +and who knew no such words as fear or failure. + +It was well toward noon of the day following when Captain Fipile came +in to have a talk with Larry. He spoke English remarkably well, for he +had spent several years of his life in San Francisco, and in Hong Kong +among the English located at that port. + +"Your name, my boy," he said, sitting down beside the young tar. And +when Larry had given it, he continued, "You were with the American +troops who carried Santa Cruz?" + +"I was, sir, although I got into the city before they did." + +"Indeed, and how was that?" questioned the Filipino leader, and Larry +told as much of his story as he deemed necessary. + +To the tale Captain Fipile listened with interest, even smiling when +Larry told how he had broken out of the prison. "You did wonderfully +well for a boy," he remarked. "A man could not have done more. What +became of your friend?" + +"I left him at the warehouse. I hope he rejoined the soldiers." + +"And what of Señors Benedicto and José Lupez?" + +"I don't know what became of them." + +"I know this José Lupez fairly well, and I always thought him an +honest man." Captain Fipile stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We are +fighting you Americans, it is true, but we would not wish to shelter a +thief who had run away from among you. We are above that, even though +a good many of your countrymen will not give us credit for it." + +"We know that some of the Filipinos are honest enough," said Larry, +hesitatingly. "What do you intend to do with me?" he went on, after a +pause. + +"That remains to be seen. Would you like to join our army?" + +"Me? No, sir!" cried the youth, promptly. + +Captain Fipile laughed outright. "You are honest enough about it, I +must say. How about giving us a little information? Will you object to +that?" + +"I have given you considerable information already." + +"I mean military information." + +"I haven't anything to say on that point." + +"Can't I persuade you to tell me what you may happen to know?" + +"No, sir." + +"If I can get you to talk, it may go much easier with you while you +remain our prisoner," went on the captain, suggestively. + +"I'm sorry, but I haven't anything to say." + +"Very well, then, Master Russell, if you are rather harshly treated in +the future, remember you have only yourself to blame. As a general +rule, we take prisoners only for the purpose of squeezing what +information we can out of them." + +And thus speaking, Captain Fipile arose and quitted the cave, leaving +Larry to his own reflections, which were more dismal than they were +encouraging. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE ADVANCE INTO THE JUNGLE + + +Santa Cruz had been taken, but there was still much to do around the +shores of the Laguna de Bay to make it safe territory for the +Americans to hold. From the city the rebels were pursued eastward, and +a number of cascos and larger boats were captured. Inside of a few +days Paete, Longos, Lumban, and several other villages, were visited +by detachments of General Lawton's command, and the insurgents fled in +each instance, leaving all behind them. Nearly a hundred who stopped +to fight were either killed or wounded, and victory was entirely upon +the side of the Americans. + +But now it was learned that the forces under General Aguinaldo and +General Luna were concentrating once more to the north and east of +Malolos, and much as he regretted the necessity, General Otis was +compelled to order General Lawton and his command back to the +territory above Manila. No garrisons could be spared for Santa +Cruz, or the other places captured, so these settlements were +allowed to fall once more into the hands of the enemy, after all the +fortifications had been destroyed and the arms and munitions of war +confiscated. It seemed a pity to leave these towns and villages after +having once taken them, but to garrison them properly would, according +to General Lawton's estimate, have taken thousands of soldiers. + +With the taking of Santa Cruz, the Americans marched through all the +streets and by-ways, looking for lurking rebels and hidden arms, and +in this search a squad of infantry came upon Luke Striker, who had +propped himself up on the sacking in the warehouse and was making +himself as comfortable as possible. + +"Hullo, sailor," cried the sergeant in charge of the squad. "Where did +you come from?" + +[Illustration: "Hullo, sailor, where did you come from?"--_Page 82._] + +Luke's story was quickly told, and he begged the soldier to look for +Larry, fearing that serious harm had befallen the lad. At once two +soldiers were detailed to care for the old Yankee, while the rest went +on a hunt which lasted far into the night. + +As we know, nothing was seen of Larry; but from a wounded and dying +Filipino, the soldiers learned that the boy had been taken a prisoner, +and must now be many miles away from the city. News of this reached +Luke while he was in the temporary hospital opened up after the first +fight, and the information made the old fellow feel as bad as did his +wound. + +"If they've captured him, he's a goner, I'm afraid," he said to Jack +Biddle, who had come in to help look after his messmate. "Poor Larry! +What will his brother Ben say, when he hears of it?" + +"Better not tell him right away," suggested Biddle. "Give him a chance +to get strong fust. Besides, Larry may give 'em the slip. He's putty +cute, ye know." + +The news soon spread that Larry and several others were missing, and a +description of the absent ones was given out. The next day one of the +missing soldiers was found dead in the jungle, but nothing was learned +of the others. + +"It serves the young sailor right," growled Lieutenant Horitz. "He +knew too much for his own good." He had not forgotten the disaster on +the river, and secretly he wished Larry all manner of ill-luck. +During the rush through the woods the Lieutenant had tumbled and +struck his nose on a stone. That member was much swollen and cut in +consequence, and this put him in a worse humor than ever before. + +By the time the expedition was to return to Manila, Luke was able to +walk around again, and he was put on one of the larger boats and Jack +Biddle was detailed to look after him. The return to Manila was made +without special incident, and two days later found Luke on board the +_Olympia_ among all his old friends. + +But the Yankee tar was thoroughly out of sorts. "I wouldn't care for +the wound at all, if only I knew Larry was safe," he was wont to say a +dozen times a day. Barrow, Castleton, and all the boy's old friends +were likewise troubled because of his strange disappearance. + +It was Jack Biddle who got shore leave and travelled up to Malolos to +break the news to Ben. He found the acting captain of Company D just +preparing to take his place in the command once more. + +"I'm glad to see you lookin' well, leftenant," he said, after shaking +hands warmly. "Ye look almost as healthy as ye did on the voyage from +Brooklyn to Manila." + +"And I feel almost as well," replied Ben. "The rest has done me a +world of good. But what brought you up, Jack? Did Larry come with +you?" + +"No, Larry didn't come," stammered the old tar, and looked down at the +floor. "Fact is, leftenant, Larry--he--he couldn't come." + +"Couldn't come? Why, what's the matter?" cried Ben, quickly. "Is he +sick?" + +"I reckon not--leas'wise, I don't know. Fact is, leftenant, none on us +know. Ye see, he went upon thet Santa Cruz expedition--" + +"Yes, yes, I know that. And what of it? Was he--was he--" Ben could +not utter the words which came to his mind. + +"No, he wasn't shot, thet is, so far as we know. But he's--well, he's +missin', an' we can't find hide nor hair o' him anywhere. I might ez +well tell ye fust ez last, though it cuts my heart to do it, +leftenant." And Jack Biddle shook his head dubiously. + +It was a great shock to Ben, yet he stood it better than the old tar +had expected. He asked immediately for details, and though he drank in +every word his manner showed that his thoughts were far away. + +"I wish I had been along," he said bitterly. "If he wasn't killed, the +Filipinos must have carried him off a pretty good distance. I wonder +if General Lawton tried to find out anything under a flag of truce." + +"Everything that could be done was done--I have Captain Gaston's word +on that," answered Jack Biddle. Captain Gaston and Ben were well known +to each other. + +Ben sank down on a bench, and for several minutes said not a word, but +the tears stood in his eyes, tears which he hastily dried that nobody +might see them. Then Gilbert Pennington came in, to tell him that the +regiment was ordered to move within the hour. + +"It's too bad!" declared the young Southerner. "But brace up, Ben, +'While there is life there is hope,' and it's a pretty sure thing that +he wasn't killed." And with this ray of comfort Ben had to be +content. + +During the days that General Lawton had been in the vicinity of the +Laguna de Bay, the regiment to which Ben and Gilbert belonged had not +been idle. With a number of other troops they started for the town of +Santa Maria, where they came upon the enemy and dislodged them with +shells. The town, already in flames, was allowed to burn, and the +Americans pursued the rebels quite a distance into the mountains, but +failed to catch them. + +In the meantime the camp of the Third Artillery, situated some +distance to the west of Malolos, was attacked. A fierce engagement in +the swamps took place, and in the end the rebels were driven northward +and began then to concentrate at Tarlac, which soon became one of +their new capitals--they shifting the seat of government as often as +it suited their convenience. + +It was now felt by General Otis and others in command that no time +should be lost in an endeavor to round up the insurgents to the north +of Malolos, who were the main support of the rebellion, although +scattering bands were still operating to the south and southeast. The +rainy season was but a few weeks off, and once this set in military +operations would be much retarded, if not stopped altogether, for, +taken as a whole, the roads throughout the Island of Luzon are bad, +and heavy rains render them well-nigh impassable. + +In order to make the campaign against the rebels as effective as +possible, General Otis decided to send out two columns, one under +General MacArthur to strike out for Calumpit, and the second, under +General Lawton, to take a route to the eastward, along the base of the +hills leading to San Isidro. By this it was hoped, if the rebels at +Calumpit were defeated and tried to take to the mountains, they would +fall directly into Lawton's hands, and not only have to surrender but +also give up all their war supplies. + +It was in the furtherance of this plan that General Lawton left Manila +with his brigade and struck out for Novaliches which was gained after +a small skirmish at Tuliahan River. From here the column moved to +Norzagaray to await reënforcements which were coming in from Malolos +and vicinity. To these reënforcements belonged the command to which +Ben and Gilbert were attached. + +It had begun to rain, and those who understood tropical weather +predicted that the wet season was at hand. Yet it was very hot, and +the water which fell arose in clouds of steam on the road, rendering +marching anything but comfortable. + +"Sure, an' it makes a man feel as if he was takin' a stame bath, so it +does," remarked Dan Casey, as he swung along on the route step. "I +don't know as I iver see it rain hot wather before, bedad," he added, +as he wiped the perspiration from his sadly freckled face. + +During the day's march, which was trying to everybody, Ben was silent, +wondering what had become of Larry and if he would ever again see his +younger brother. When the command went into camp under the shelter of +a grove of tall trees, both Gilbert and Major Morris visited his tent +to comfort him. + +"He is not the only one who is missing," remarked the major of the +first battalion. "So far I understand the warships have lost about a +dozen men who went ashore and failed to return. And you know there are +six men missing from our own regiment." + +"That is true, major," was the acting captain's answer. "But it's only +when it's a close relative that the blow really comes home to one, you +know." + +"I suppose that is true, captain. But don't be disheartened. It may +be that your brother is already back at Manila." + +"I can't see what the rebels would do with him as a prisoner," said +Gilbert. "They have to move around so lively that I can't see what +they want with prisoners anyway." + +And so the talk ran on until it came time to retire. That night Ben +slept but little, and it was not the rain or the aching of his wound +that kept him awake either. He was bound to think of Larry constantly +until something was heard of the missing lad. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE TAKING OF ANGAT + + +"We are out for a fight to-day." + +It was Sergeant Gilmore who spoke, and he addressed Ben. The sergeant +was still acting as first lieutenant of Company D, and it looked as if +he might hold the position permanently. As for Ben, it was settled +that he would be appointed permanent captain of the command as soon as +the necessary papers could be made out. + +The regiment had joined General Lawton's command and was now in the +vicinity of Angat, a pretty town, full of quaint buildings, and a +place which, as yet, the rebellion had scarcely touched. But the +insurgents had been developed in force by the sharpshooters in front, +and now a constant rattle of musketry was heard, which made Ben's +blood tingle as of old, when the cry had been, "On to Santiago!" and +"On to Malolos!" + +"Yes, you are right, Gilmore," answered the young captain. "And I am +not sorry. It will help us to forget the rain and our other +discomforts." Ben did not say it would help him to forget about Larry, +but that is what he meant. + +The regiment was soon advancing on the double-quick. It was spread out +in skirmish order, and the route lay over what had once been a +rice-field, but which was but little more than a sheet of dirty water +four to eight inches deep. Here and there were holes, and into these +some of the soldiers would sometimes step, thus getting an involuntary +bath, much to their disgust. + +"It ain't all a picnic," remarked one of the unfortunates, as he +leaped up out of a hole and shook himself like a big dog. "Folks at +home as just read the newspaper accounts of the war don't know +anything of what us fellows have to put up with. All they think we do +is to rush forward, kill the enemy, and cover ourselves with glory. +I'll wager some of 'em would put on a mighty sour face if they had to +tramp ten or twenty miles in the mud and wet, carry a gun and other +luggage, and hardly knowing when the next meal was going to turn up +and what it was going to amount to." + +"Oh, you've got 'em bad, Bradner!" shouted a comrade. "Here, light my +pipe and take a smoke. It will dry off your nose if nothing else." And +Bradner took the pipe and was thankful that tobacco, at least, was +still forthcoming. + +Half an hour later Ben received orders to take his company up to the +firing line, and away went the command on the double-quick, with the +young captain at the head. The rain had let up a bit, and the rebels +could be seen making a stand behind a grove of half-wild plantains, +where were located a score of nipa huts. + +"Run them out, boys!" shouted Ben, as they drew closer. "If we go at +them with a rush we'll soon have them on the run!" And on swept the +company, with orders to fire at will. Soon there was a constant +cracking of rifles, and Ben and the other officers joined in with +their pistols. The insurgents fired in return, and one man of the +company fell back, hit in the arm. + +Just before the grove was gained there was a brook to cross. This was +much swollen, and here a number of the soldiers came to a halt, +fearing that fording was out of the question. + +"Don't stop!" came in a loud cry from Major Morris. "You can leap the +stream easily enough. Come, I'm going!" And over he went with a +bound, and a score of soldiers followed. A raking fire came from the +nipa huts, but now the rebels were seen to be fleeing. The Americans +answered the fire with volley after volley from their own guns, and +the huts were surrounded as quickly as possible. + +"Captain Russell, you will take the trail to the left," said an +orderly, dashing up. "Major Morris will rejoin you at the fork in the +road." + +"The trail to the left," repeated Ben, and turned to his company. +"Forward, boys,--left oblique!" he shouted, and on they went again, +past the nipa huts and down a trail leading along the edge of a rich +plantation. Several more huts were passed, but the inmates were +nothing but women and children, and offered no resistance. Then at a +distance could be seen a stone wall, as if the insurgents had +endeavored to construct a rude fortification in a great hurry. + +The company was going at the stone wall pell-mell when Ben called a +sudden halt. "To the right, boys, and come at the end of the wall," +were his orders, and the command swept around as desired. + +Bang! The report was hardly expected, and with it half a dozen of the +stones composing the rude fortification gave way, disclosing a cannon +made of a bored-out tree-trunk, wound round and round with telegraph +wire stolen from the lines along the railroad. This wooden cannon had +been heavily charged with cartridges, old nails, and bits of iron, and +the first discharge rent the mouth into a dozen pieces. + +"That was a narrow shave!" cried Gilmore, as he and Ben looked around, +to find all the company unharmed. "Who ever supposed the rascals would +put up such a job as that on us?" + +"They'll do anything," replied the young captain. "But that isn't a +new idea. Wooden cannons were used in the Civil War, so I've been +told." + +With the discharge of the wooden gun, the rebels concealed behind the +stone fortification had fled. The Americans now made after them, more +"hot-footed" than ever, and the incessant crack of firearms was +followed by many a groan and yell of pain as over a dozen Filipinos +went down, three to their death. + +At the fork mentioned by Major Morris, Ben brought his company to a +halt. All were panting for breath, for the brush at close quarters had +put them on their mettle. The rest of the battalion soon came up, and +the other battalions followed, from another road, and then the +regiment, with the other troops, pushed on into Angat. + +Much to the astonishment of all, the beautiful town, with its +century-old churches and quaint government buildings, was found +practically deserted. The only inhabitants left were a few women and a +handful of aged men, all of whom said they would do anything for the +_Americanos_ if they were spared their lives. These frightened people +were soon put at ease, and then an inspection of the captured place +was instituted. + +In various places, such as the vaults of convents and government +buildings, huge quantities of _pilai_, that is, unhulled rice, were +found. Some of the rice was confiscated for army use, and a large +quantity was distributed to the natives who gradually drifted in, +saying they wanted to be friendly, and that they were starving. + +"It may be that the rice we give away may go to the rebels," said the +general in command. "But we can't let these poor wretches starve, war +or no war;" and so the bags were given out until very little +remained. + +It was not General Lawton's intention to quarter at Angat for any +length of time, and, having entered the town in the morning, he left +it in the afternoon, to begin an advance up the river the next day, +striking San Rafael on the right bank and Muronco on the left bank. + +"Somebody has set Angat on fire!" exclaimed Ben, as the regiment +marched away. A thick column of smoke had suddenly risen from the +upper end of the town. + +"I don't believe it was our men," answered Major Morris, who walked +beside the young captain. "They had strict orders not to loot or +burn." + +The flames speedily increased, as one nipa hut after another caught, +and the warehouses added to the blaze. The Americans always thought +the rebels started this conflagration, while the insurgents laid the +crime at our door. However it was, Angat burned fiercely, and by +nightfall little remained of its many picturesque buildings. + +The weather was beginning to tell upon the troops, and out of Ben's +regiment fully forty men were on the sick list, with either colds or +tropical fever, and these had to be sent back to a sick camp. The +balance of the command, it was decided, should join the troops that +were to attack San Rafael. + +As before, the sharpshooters were in front, while the infantry were +escorted by Scott's battery, who, as soon as the enemy's firing line +was located, began to pour in a hot fire of shrapnel, much to the +latter's discomfiture. Then Ben's regiment went into action once more, +the young captain's company on the edge of some heavy brush. + +The sharp clip, clip of Mauser bullets made unpleasant music as the +soldier boys rushed through the thickets, to surprise not a few +Filipinos who were in hiding, and who imagined that the Americans +would pass them by unnoticed. Once Ben came upon a man lying on his +face in a mass of tall grass, every part of his body concealed but his +back. + +"Can he be dead?" thought the young captain, when of a sudden the +native leaped up like lightning and darted behind the nearest bushes +before anybody could stop him. Half a dozen soldiers fired on him, and +he fired in return, but none of the shots took effect; and Ben could +not but think that the poor creature had earned his escape. "For ten +chances to one he doesn't know what he is fighting about," he said to +Gilmore. + +"Right you are," answered the lieutenant. "I believe if we could +corral the whole crowd and explain the true situation to them, they +would throw down their arms without hesitation. It is only the leaders +who are keeping this rebellion alive." + +Over near the battery just mentioned stood General Lawton, tall and +erect, directing every movement, without a single thought of personal +danger. Many a shot was directed at him, but he seemed to bear a +charmed life. + +"San Rafael will soon be ours," said one of the officers of the staff. +"See, the enemy are retreating!" he cried enthusiastically. + +At that moment an orderly dashed up, carrying an order from General +Otis. The order read that the column must rest at Angat until supplies +could be forwarded from Malolos. A shadow fell over the commando's +face. Another victory was at hand--but orders were orders, and must be +obeyed. Slowly the retreat was sounded, and the insurgents were left +in possession of the field. They thought the Americans were being +forced back on account of a heavy loss, and went almost wild with +delight, proclaiming the encounter a great victory for the Filipino +cause. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE CROSSING OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER + + +"For gracious' sake, what did we want to retreat for?" demanded Ben, +as soon as the command halted and Major Morris had come within +speaking distance. The young captain had been at the very front of the +firing line, and had seen that complete victory was only the work of a +quarter of an hour or less. + +"Orders from general headquarters," replied the major, in a low tone. +"I fancy the staff is pretty angry, too," he added. + +"We could have whipped them with ease." + +"So we could, captain, but--" And Major Morris finished with a shrug +of his shoulders which meant a good deal. + +"I don't believe General Otis would have given such an order had he +been here to see what was going on," continued Ben, earnestly. + +"Well, we're ordered back to Angat, and that is all there is to it. +The army must have supplies, you know." + +"Hang the supplies!" muttered Gilmore, but under his breath. "We can +get all the supplies we want as we go along." And Ben was rather +inclined to agree with him. + +There was no help, however, for the turn in the situation; and with +crestfallen faces the soldiers moved still further back and went into +temporary camp. Only a few had suffered, and the wounded ones were +promptly cared for by the hospital corps. + +"And how do you feel?" asked Gilbert, as he came up to see Ben. "Does +the wound hurt still?" + +"It itches, that's all," answered Ben. "But this retreat--" + +"Makes one feel sore all over, doesn't it?" finished the young +Southerner. "I must say I don't understand it at all. If we are going +to round up any of these rebels, we can't do it by falling back and +waiting for supplies." + +Impatient as they were, however, the troops had to wait for two days +before another movement was made. During this time supplies were +hurried forward in large quantities, that there might be no more +delays in the future. + +In the meantime the troops under General MacArthur were by no means +idle. They consisted of two brigades, that of General Hale on the +right wing, and that of General Wheaton on the left wing. Of these +troops the first advance was by some men of the Fourth Cavalry, who +went forward to reconnoitre the enemy's position near Quingua. The +start was made during the early morning, and before long the +insurgents opened a heavy fire which the Americans returned with +difficulty, as the rebels were well concealed by the tall grass and +their intrenchments. To aid the cavalry a number of other troops were +hurried forward, also several field-pieces; and in the end the +Filipinos were forced from their position, with a heavy loss. In this +battle the Americans lost six killed and forty wounded. Among the +killed was Colonel Stotsenburg, commanding the First Nebraska +Volunteers, who, after most gallantly leading his men, was shot down +in the final rush upon the enemy's earthworks. + +From Quingua the whole of General Hale's brigade moved down the +Quingua River to Pulilan. Here no resistance was encountered, and +after a brief rest the brigade pushed on toward Logundi. That town +was not yet reached when the advance guard reported a breastwork +across the main road, running to the river on the west and into the +jungle on the east. + +"Never mind, we'll go ahead anyhow!" shouted the soldiers of the +Nebraska regiment; and go ahead they did, with the South Dakota and +Iowa troops beside them, and several guns of the Sixth Artillery +protecting their advance. The fight at the earthworks was a fierce +one, some of the Filipinos refusing to surrender even when they knew +they were beaten; and as a consequence many of them were slain whose +lives might otherwise have been spared to them. + +A short distance to the northwest of Logundi, the Quingua and the +Bagbag rivers join in flowing into the Calumpit. The railroad crosses +the Bagbag but a short distance away, and at this point General Hale's +command reunited with that of General Wheaton, which had come up along +the tracks from Malolos without difficulty. General Wheaton had with +him the troops from Montana and Kansas, some Utah artillery, and one +or two other commands, along with two armored cars, fitted out with +Gatling and Hotchkiss guns and six-pounders. + +It was soon discovered that the rebels had built strong breastworks in +a semicircle along the north bank of the Bagbag and the western bank +of the Calumpit Rivers, and had injured the railroad track for a +distance of several hundred yards, and also the bridge spanning the +river. As the approach to both rivers was largely an open one, how to +dislodge the Filipinos became a serious problem. + +"Forward with the armored cars!" was the cry, and they were rushed +ahead as far as the torn-up condition of the railroad tracks admitted. +A cannonading lasting for half an hour followed, in which one of the +batteries on the highway also took part. The aim of the gunners was +good, and soon the insurgents were seen to be pouring from the +trenches, which were getting too hot to hold them. Yet a fair number +held their ground, and when the troops on foot advanced they opened a +blistering fire which laid not a few Americans low. But the victory +was ours, and soon the followers of Old Glory were wading or swimming +the river, while the engineering corps set to work to repair the +damage done to railroad and bridge, so that the armored and baggage +cars might pass through. + +The cry was now, "On to Calumpit!" which town lies on the Calumpit +River, and is divided into two parts by another stream, called the Rio +Grande. It was found that the insurgents had practically deserted the +lower half of the town, but had intrenchments on the upper bank of the +Rio Grande which were even more formidable than those taken on the +Bagbag. Here the rebels had also a Maxim and other guns, and it seemed +as if for once the advance of the Americans was thoroughly blocked. +Numerous good positions along the south bank of the river were held by +our troops, but it looked as if they could not get over the stream +without a tremendous loss of life. + +It is said that the opportunity makes the man, and in this instance +the saying proved a true one. With the soldiers under General Wheaton +were the Twentieth Kansas Volunteers, who had already made a record +for themselves at Malolos and elsewhere, as related in a previous +volume of this series. They were commanded by Colonel Frederick +Funston, a man comparatively young in years and small in stature, but +one who was daring to the last degree, and who had seen much of +fighting and hardships during his adventurous existence. In Cuba, +Funston had fought most valiantly under Garcia for Cuban liberty long +before any interference by the United States. + +To Colonel, afterward Brigadier General, Funston belongs the honor of +the passage of the Rio Grande, for it was he who planned what was +done, and he and a score of his fighting Kansans who carried it out. +The daring of the scheme is one which will live long in American +history. + +As before mentioned, the bridge was partly broken, but enough +remained for the passage of soldiers who could climb from one iron +cross-section to another. At first it was hoped that a body might go +over the bridge in the dark, raise a great commotion, and cause +the Filipinos a panic. This scheme was tried, but it failed; for the +enemy was on strict guard, and would have shot down the men as +rapidly as they appeared on the bridge. + +Colonel Funston then proposed to go down the river bank for a +considerable distance, build rafts, and, by means of a stout rope, +ferry some of the best of his men across the stream in the dark. The +landing of the men was to be covered by the heaviest possible fire +from the American side, and, as soon as they were safe ashore, the +Kansas soldiers were to secure some position where they might enfilade +the enemy's trenches, that is, fire through them from one end, so +that the Filipinos might no longer find them safe. In the meantime +more troops were to come over with all possible speed. + +On the way down the stream the Kansas soldiers demolished several +huts, selecting the best of the timber with which to build their +rafts. The moon was under a cloud, and it looked as if they might get +across the river without serious trouble. + +But as the crowd were constructing their rafts and getting their ferry +rope ready for use, the moon came out brightly; and very soon the +insurgents became suspicious and fired on the Americans, who were +forced to retreat to the nearest shelter. The firing kept up the +greater part of two hours, and at last the plan to cross over that +night was abandoned. + +But the Kansas colonel and his gallant men had determined to be the +first into the enemy's camp, and once again they went to the spot +previously selected, but this time in the broad daylight, when they +might clearly see the shore opposite. No insurgents were in sight; +and, after having made three rafts all right and tight, the rope was +brought forth, and two men, named White and Trembly, were asked to +carry it across the stream. The soldiers plunged into the water +without delay, being watched by hundreds of their comrades left +behind. The men were without their uniforms or weapons of any kind. + +Slowly the pair swam the turbulent waters of the stream, and hardly +had they gotten fifty feet from shore when the rebels opened fire upon +them, at first a few scattering shots and then a perfect volley. That +the swimmers escaped is little short of a miracle. But they remained +untouched, and, gaining the opposite bank, they ran forward and tied +the rope's end to a tree-stump. In the meantime two other soldiers +started over the Rio Grande in a dugout, but this upset and let the +men into the water, and they had to swim as had the others. But they +landed with their guns intact, and at once opened fire at the nearest +natives that showed themselves. + +All this had happened with great rapidity, and now the first raft was +coming across the river, loaded with Kansas soldiers officered by +Colonel Funston himself. The raft became the target for the hottest +kind of fire, and as the ferrying had to be done by the soldiers +pulling along the rope stretched from shore to shore, the passage was +as slow as it was dangerous. But the soldiers on the craft went over +in safety, and soon more followed, until over fifty were on the beach +fronting the enemy's intrenchments. Then, with a wild yelling, to give +the rebels the impression that a large body had come over, they pushed +forward to enfilade the enemy's trenches as first proposed. + +But now another difficulty arose. There was a small stream flowing +into the Rio Grande near this spot, and this had to be crossed before +the fire of the Americans could be made effective. How to get across +was a problem, as the insurgents had a machine gun trained on the +spot. This worked for a while and then stopped; and in the lull +Colonel Funston secured a rowboat and went over with some of his men, +and the others soon followed. + +The Filipinos were now thoroughly frightened, for the Americans were +making a great outcry down by the railroad bridge, and they imagined +that they were to be attacked from several points at once. Some +started to run, and as soon as Colonel Funston's men began to rain +their bullets into the long trenches, more followed, until the enemy +was in a panic. Then the Americans began to cross the bridge and +stream in great numbers, and the Filipinos, although reënforced by a +body of Macabebes just at this time, could not make an effective +stand. Calumpit was left behind, and a running fight ensued which +ended at Apalit, when a violent tropical thunderstorm put an end to +the day's operations. It was thought that the rebels' headquarters +would be found at Apalit; but this had, at the last moment, been +removed to San Isidro, toward which General Lawton was now advancing. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +SOMETHING ABOUT A POISONED WELL + + +After the rest at Angat, the taking of San Rafael by General Lawton's +troops was an easy matter, and on May 1--the anniversary of Admiral +Dewey's great victory in Manila Bay--the soldiers set out for the town +of Baliuag, five miles to the northward. + +In spite of the recent rain, the road was hard and even dusty in +spots. The heat was still as great as ever, and Ben was glad to take +the benefit of any shade that afforded itself as he marched along at +the head of his command. The date made him think of the battle just +mentioned, and this brought him around to Larry once more, and he +began to wonder if his brother would ever turn up again. + +"I suppose I'll have to write to Walter and to Uncle Job about this," +he muttered dismally. "But I hate to do it, especially if Larry does +turn up, for I know it will worry both of them greatly." + +The road was thick with palms and plantains and trailing plants, the +latter of gorgeous colorings. Nipa huts and bamboo cottages were +numerous, but the inmates kept themselves well hidden as the little +army passed by. In the distance were paddy-fields and cane-brakes, and +along the road were numerous mud-holes, some of which had to be +bridged over before the artillery could pass in safety. More than once +horses and cannon got stuck, and many a shoulder had to be put to the +pieces to budge them. + +"If there was no war, this would be a delightful spot in which to +spend a vacation," remarked Gilbert, who had come up for a little +talk, as was his habit when they were pushing ahead in irregular +formation. "I reckon the natives take solid comfort in their homes." + +"I suppose it puts you in mind of the South at home," returned Ben, +with a smile, "It is nice, certainly. But I fancy this continual heat +would make one mighty lazy in time." + +"Well, the natives are lazy, you can easily see that," laughed the +young Southerner. "I wish I could get a good drink of water," he +added, a minute later. + +They soon came to a pretty dwelling, set in a perfect wilderness of +flowers and shrubs. Toward the side they made out a well, and ran +forward to fill their canteens. + +The pair were at the well when a shrill cry from one of the side rooms +of the house attracted their attention. Looking up, they saw a native +girl waving her hand frantically at them. The girl was nicely dressed +and evidently belonged to the better classes. + +"We only want a drink!" shouted Ben, thinking that the maiden might +imagine they had come into the garden to steal. + +But the girl shouted more loudly than ever, and waved them away from +the well. "Bad! bad!" she cried. + +"Oh, no, we are not so bad as you think," Gilbert shouted back; and +was about to take a drink from a cocoanut-shell dipper which hung +handy, when the girl came out of the cottage on a run and dashed the +dipper to the ground. At the same time an evil-looking Filipino +appeared at the doorway, shook his fist at the girl, and then suddenly +ran for the barns behind the dwelling and disappeared. + +"I want a drink and I'm going to have it," began Gilbert, sternly, for +he did not like the manner in which the water had been spilt over his +clothing. "If you--" + +"The well is poisoned; don't drink, it will kill you!" gasped the +girl, in Spanish. + +[Illustration: "The well is poisoned! don't drink! it will kill +you!"--_Page 115._] + +As old readers know, Gilbert understood a little of the language, +having picked it up while on a trip to Cuba, and also while serving as +a Rough Rider in that island. He started back and caught the maiden by +the arm. + +"Poisoned! you are certain?" he cried. + +"Yes, señor; my uncle put the poison in only yesterday. He lost much +at Angat, and he is very angry at the _Americanos_ in consequence. He +knew the soldiers were coming this way, and he wanted to poison as +many as he could. He put a water-barrel down on the road full of the +poisoned water, too." + +"Who is your uncle, the man who just ran off?" + +"Yes, señor. But, oh, do not go after him, I pray you!" cried the +girl, in high alarm. "I would not have spoken, but I could not see you +poisoned before my very eyes; no, not that!" + +As quickly as he could, Gilbert translated her words to Ben, who +listened in amazement. + +"The villain!" ejaculated the young captain. "I've heard of this sort +of thing being done before. I wonder where that barrel is that she +spoke about? We must find it and empty it of its contents." + +Gilbert put the question to the girl, who announced that the barrel +was on another road back of the plantation. Whether any of the +soldiers had reached it or not was a question. + +As quickly as he could Ben reported the situation to his superior, and +received orders to divide his company, leaving a part to guard the +poisoned well so that no Americans might drink from it, while the rest +should go and hunt up the water-barrel. Gilbert was detailed to +accompany Ben, and the girl was given to understand that she must take +the soldiers to where the barrel had been set up. + +At first the maiden demurred; but there was no help for it, and the +kind smiles which Gilbert and Ben gave her were an assurance that no +harm was about to befall her. Yet she was afraid that when the +reckoning came her uncle would deal harshly with her, and trembled +violently as she moved through the rice-fields with the two young +officers beside her. + +The little command had nearly reached the back road when the report of +a gun rang out, coming from the direction of a wood behind the +rice-fields. The bullet sped past Ben's shoulder, to bury itself in +the fleshy part of one of his private's arms. + +"'Tis my uncle!" cried the girl. "Oh, he will kill us all, I am sure +of it!" And she became so agitated that she sank down and could not go +another step. + +Without hesitation, Ben ordered his men forward on the run, and away +went the detachment for the spot from whence the unexpected shot had +come. As the soldiers neared the wood they beheld a Filipino in the +act of running across a small opening. + +"That's him, the rascal!" roared Dan Casey, and taking a hasty aim he +fired, and the rebel was seen to plunge forward on his face. When the +party came up they found that the man had been hit in the hip, and +that the wound, while not necessarily dangerous, was serious, and +would put the fellow out of the contest for several months. + +"It serves him right," said Ben. "Poisoning drinking water is not fair +fighting." + +The girl soon came up, crying bitterly. She wished to remain by her +uncle, but Ben made her understand that she must point out the +water-barrel first, and after that he would have two soldiers remove +the wounded man to the cottage. + +Ten minutes later the rear road was gained, and here the water-barrel +was found, set up on end, with the top knocked out. It was +three-quarters full of water, and a dozen or more soldiers were +drinking and filling their canteens. + +"Stop drinking!" ordered Ben, when still at a distance. "That water +has been doctored and will make you sick." He refrained from saying +the water was poisoned for fear of creating a panic. + +The water was at once poured out on the ground and the barrel smashed +up. Then a surgeon was found, to whom Ben related the facts of the +case. A canteen of the water was examined, and the surgeon decided to +give the man who had drunk the stuff an emetic. A few of the soldiers +were taken with cramps inside of an hour afterward, and two of them +were seriously sick for a week; but no lives were lost. But if the +soldiers could have got at the Filipino who had poisoned the water, +they would have shot him on the spot. + +As soon as the danger was over, Ben returned to the wood, and had two +men carry the wounded man back to the cottage, where he was left in +charge of his wife and his niece. Through Gilbert it was learned that +the wife had also remonstrated against using the poison, so it was +fair to suppose that the aunt would protect her niece to a certain +degree. "But she'll have a hard time of it for doing us a service, +I'm afraid," said the young Southerner, as he and Ben resumed the +march. + +The scouts, under Chief Young, were in advance, and now a steady +firing from the front told that another battle was at hand. Soon +General Lawton came dashing through the crowd on the road, followed by +his staff. + +"Forward, boys!" was the cry, and then Ben's command left the road and +took to the rice-fields on the outskirts of Baliuag. The line was a +long one, with the Oregon and Minnesota soldiers forming the +skirmishing end, and Scott's battery in a paddy-field on the extreme +right. So far the insurgents had kept well hidden; but as the +Americans drew closer to the town they could be seen running in half a +dozen directions, as if undecided whether to fight or to flee. + +The townspeople themselves were in a panic, and down the streets ran +Filipinos and Chinese, some with their household effects piled high on +their backs. They had heard of the coming of the _Americanos_, but had +hoped almost against hope that their beloved town would be passed by +unmolested. + +Ben's regiment was moving along rapidly when they came to a ditch +which seemed to divide the rice-field in half. A short pause followed, +when along came the cry of "Down!" and every man dropped, and none too +soon, for the insurgents had opened up unexpectedly from a cane-brake +behind the rice-field. + +"We must take that cane-brake," came the order from the colonel, and +the word was passed along quickly, and away went the companies with a +ringing cheer, firing as they ran, and reloading with all possible +speed. + +Ben was now truly in his element, and, waving his sword, he urged +Company D well to the front, so that the cane was soon reached. But +the rebels were not game for a hand-to-hand encounter and fled once +more, through the cane and over a field of heavy grass leading to the +very outskirts of the town beyond. + +"They are running away!" was the cry. "On we go, boys, and the town +will be ours in less than half an hour." + +But now a halt was ordered, on the edge of the cane-brake. From the +outskirts of the town appeared a Filipino waving a white rag over his +head. + +"Flag of truce!" cried the American general. "Cease firing!" And the +order was instantly obeyed. "Major Morris, you can select a detail of +three men and find out what they want." + +"I will, general," answered the major of the first battalion, and +saluted. He had soon chosen his men, one of whom was Gilbert +Pennington, and, waving a white flag before them, the party of four +advanced into the open field. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +IN WHICH A FLAG OF TRUCE IS FIRED UPON + + +Major Morris well knew the wiliness of the Filipinos, yet he did not +doubt but that they would pay due respect to a flag of truce which +they had themselves invited. Accordingly he advanced boldly with his +little party, until the four had covered fully one-half of the +distance which separated the American troops from the point where the +rebels had taken a stand. + +"He is thrustin' thim a whole lot!" groaned Dan Casey, who was the +closest man in the ranks to Ben. "If he gits plugged--" + +"They won't dare to fire, Dan," said a companion. "If they did--" + +The speech was cut short by the pop of a Mauser rifle, followed by two +more pops, and the private who carried the white flag was seen to +fling the banner down and fall headlong. In the meantime, the +Filipinos who had appeared with the white rag were running back to +their own ranks with all possible speed. + +"They have fired on the flag of truce!" The cry arose from a hundred +throats, and then a scattering volley rang out. At the same time the +Filipinos opened up in a body, and Major Morris, Gilbert, and the +third man were seen to pitch into the tall grass in such a manner that +they were almost hidden from view. + +"Gilbert is shot! And Major Morris too!" Such was the painful thought +which ran through Ben's brain. He looked at the colonel pleadingly. + +"Advance at once, Captain Russell, with the first battalion, to the +rescue of the flag of truce," ordered the colonel, understanding him +fully. "After this, give the enemy no quarter." + +"Forward, men, to the rescue!" shouted the young captain, almost +before his superior had finished. "Deploy to the left and fire at +will. And make every shot tell!" he added bitterly. + +"Forward it is!" shouted Dan Casey. "Down wid the haythins that don't +know the manin' av honor!" And he led in the rush over the long +grass. + +The whole line was soon advancing, but Ben's company was in front, and +kept there until within a hundred feet of where the four men had gone +down. Then, to his amazement, the young captain saw Major Morris leap +up, followed by Gilbert and the third soldier, and run with all speed +toward the American line. + +"Not shot!" cried Ben, joyfully. "Heaven be thanked for that!" And he +almost felt like embracing his two friends. Only the flag-bearer had +been struck, and he not seriously. The others had gone down in the +long grass to destroy the enemy's aim. The wounded flag-carrier was +taken to the rear, and then the whole line pushed on with a yell which +was as savage as it was loud and long. The incident, short as it was, +was not forgotten, and when one end of the American line closed in on +the retreating insurgents the latter fought to the last, knowing only +too well that little quarter would be given to them because of their +perfidy. + +The long American line had swung toward Baliuag in a semicircle, and +now, when the insurgents tried to flee by way of the north, they found +themselves confronted front and rear. This put them in more of a +panic than ever; and had General Lawton had a thousand additional +troops, it is more than likely he could have surrounded the rebels +completely and compelled every one in that territory to throw down his +arms. + +But he had not the extra men, nor could he get them. Moreover, he had +hardly a decent map of the territory, while the enemy knew every +field, every road, and every stream. They could not make a stand at +Baliuag, nor could they run in the direction of San Rafael, so their +only course was to take to the rice-fields, the cane-brakes, and the +jungle, and this they did in short order. + +By the time the outskirts of the town was gained Ben's command was +almost exhausted; yet the colonel of the regiment felt that now was no +time to rest, and company after company was sent out in the hope that +some of the scattering bands of insurgents might be rounded up. + +"Major Morris, you will take your four companies up yonder road," said +the colonel, after receiving orders from General Lawton's orderly, and +the head of the regiment pointed out the road in question. Soon the +battalion was off on the double-quick, the major more than eager to +wipe out the treachery which had been shown to him and his companions +but an hour or two before. + +The road which the battalion followed was a winding one, lined with +cottages of the better sort, showing that this was a fashionable +outskirt of the town. Only a few people showed themselves, and nothing +was seen or heard of the insurgents until a quarter of a mile had been +covered, and the best of the habitations had been left behind. Then +came an unexpected fire from a cane-brake, and out dashed fully two +hundred savage-looking Tagals armed with guns and bolos. + +"Halt! Fire!" came the commands, and the Americans obeyed as quickly +as possible. Several of our men had been hit, one seriously, and now +half a dozen Filipinos went down. For several minutes the fighting was +at close quarters, and it looked as if the battalion had run into an +ambush and were about to be slaughtered. + +"To the shelter of the trees!" shouted Ben, and was about to guide his +men when a fierce-looking rebel officer leaped before him with drawn +sword. His own blade met that of the enemy, and both flashed fire. But +the Tagal was a fine swordsman and kept at his work, feeling certain +that he could run the _Americano_ through and through. Clack! clack! +went the blades, up and down, side to side, and straight forward. + +"Take care there!" came from Major Morris, and just then the Tagal's +sword pricked Ben's arm. The young captain leaped back a step, then +came forward, and as quick as lightning his sword found the Tagal's +ribs. At the same time Dan Casey fired at the enemy, and the officer +went down flat on his back, shot through the breast. + +"I had to do it," cried the Irish volunteer. "I thought he was afther +stickin' ye like a pig!" + +"It was a close shave," murmured Ben, as he passed on. "He handled his +sword like an expert. I shan't forget you for that, Casey." + +"Sure, an' that's all right, captain," answered the soldier, quickly. +"Is your arm hurted much?" + +"I guess not. Come, we've got them on the run again." And away the +pair went, into the cane-brake, through which the rebels were crashing +like so many wild cattle. + +The day had been full of excitement, but much more was to follow. The +cane-brakes were heavy, and soon Ben and Casey found themselves +separated from the main body of the battalion and out of sight of +their own company. Then several Filipinos confronted them and called +upon them to surrender. + +"We ain't surrenderin' just yit, we ain't!" howled the Irish soldier, +and let drive at the nearest rebel, while Ben discharged his pistol. +Two of the enemy were wounded, and in an instant the others took to +their heels, evidently convinced that such fighters were "too many" +for them. + +The encounter, however, had taken time, and now Ben called upon his +companion to stop running. "We want to know where we are running to +first," he said. "Listen." + +They listened and made out a distant firing to both the right and the +left. "I'm afther thinkin' our b'ys is to the right," said Dan Casey. + +"I believe you are right, Casey; although both of us may be mistaken," +rejoined the young captain of Company D. "We will try that direction, +anyway." + +They continued on their way through the cane-brake until they reached +a small stream. Here the ground was soft and full of treacherous +bog-holes, and both looked at each other in dismay. + +"Sure, an' this is more than we bargained fer, eh, captain?" remarked +Casey, as he pulled himself out of a hole into which he had gone +almost to his knees. "If we don't look out we'll git stuck so tight +there'll be no budgin' av us." + +"The ground to the right seems to be firmer," replied Ben. "Come, we +will move in that direction." + +But to get out of the soft spot was not easy, and soon they found +themselves between the tall cane and up to their knees in a muck that +seemed to stick worse than glue. + +"Sure, an' this is fightin' wid a vengeance," said the Irish +volunteer, smiling grimly. "It's sthuck we are like flies on a fly +paper, eh, Captain Russell?" + +"We've got to get out somehow, Casey," answered Ben, half desperately. +"Our command is marching farther and farther away, and we'll have all +we can do to get up to them." + +"Sure thin, an' Major Morris betther send a detail back wid a long +rope to pull us out. We couldn't fly from the inimy now if we thried, +could we?" + +"This is no joke, Casey." + +"Joke, bedad? No, captain, I'm afther thinkin' it's a mighty sarious +difficulty. But there's no use av cryin', no matther how bad it is," +finished the Irish soldier, philosophically. + +A moment of reflection convinced Ben that the best thing he could do +was to go back part of the distance they had come, and make an +endeavor to cross the little stream at another point. + +They retreated with difficulty, first one sinking into some +treacherous hole and then the other. Once Casey went flat on his back, +and gave a loud yell of dismay when he found himself covered with a +mud that was more like a paste than anything else. + +"Sure, an' I'll not go in such a cane-field again, bedad," he +muttered, as he started to pick up the gun he had dropped. As he did +so a cracking of cane-stalks near them caused both to straighten up in +alarm. + +"Who comes?" cried Ben, and drew the pistol he had shoved into his +belt. + +There was no answer and he repeated the demand. "Are you Americans?" +he added. + +Still there was no reply. But the cracking of the stalks continued, +and the sounds seemed to move around the pair in something of a +circle. Then came a soft command in the Tagalog dialect. At once Dan +Casey clutched Ben by the arm. + +"They be afther surroundin' us, captain," he whispered. "Be the noises +there must be tin or a dozen av thim. Phwat shall we do, fight or run +fer it?" + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +SURROUNDED BY THE ENEMY + + +For the moment after Dan Casey spoke Ben was silent, not knowing +himself what was best to do. That the Filipinos were surrounding them +there could be no doubt, since those approaching would have answered +the young captain of Company D had they been Americans. + +The position of the pair was dangerous in the extreme, for the tall +cane-stalks surrounded them upon all sides, giving shelter to the +enemy, while the Tagals could see the volunteers with ease. + +"Keep quiet, Casey," whispered Ben, as the soldier started to speak +again. "They may not know how many there are of us here and sneak off, +fearing an ambush." + +The Irish volunteer nodded to show that he understood. He was holding +his gun before him, ready to shoot whenever it appeared necessary. + +Presently there was another whispered command, coming from directly in +front of our friends. A slight movement in the cane-brake followed, +and then all became silent once more. + +"Come!" whispered Ben. "Don't fire until you see me do so." + +Thus speaking, the young captain moved slowly and cautiously from the +spot they had occupied for five minutes or more. He picked his steps, +and they fell as silently as those of a cat after a bird. Casey was at +his heels, almost holding his breath, and his small eyes glistening +with expectancy. Both knew that they were carrying their lives in +their hands. + +Two rods had been covered, and still nothing was seen of the +Filipinos. Was it possible that they had withdrawn? But no, there was +another cracking of cane-stalks and another command in the Tagalog +language, coming now from their left. Then of a sudden a Mauser rang +out, and a bullet whistled back of Ben's head and across Casey's +face. + +The report had not yet died out when Ben fired, straight for the flash +of fire of which he had caught a momentary glimpse. That his shot +reached its mark was proven by the wild yell of pain which followed. + +"The jig is up!" cried Dan Casey. "We must run fer it, captain!" And +as a Tagal came into view before them he fired point-blank at the +fellow, hitting him in the breast and killing him on the spot. + +As luck would have it, the Filipino whom Casey had killed was a petty +officer and the leader of the detachment, and his sudden taking-off +disconcerted the insurgents for a minute, who yelled one to another +that their leader was shot. Taking advantage of the confusion, our +friends rushed headlong through the cane-brake, firing several times +as they ran. A dozen shots answered them, but none of these took +effect. + +"I think the road is yonder," said Ben, pointing with his pistol as +they progressed. "Hark!" + +From a distance came a scattering volley, proving that the fighting +was not yet over. It came from the direction in which they were +running. But now those left behind were after them, shooting and +shouting with vigor, for they were ten to two, and were determined +that the wicked _Americanos_ should not escape their clutches. + +At last the cane-brake was left behind. Beyond was a small part of a +rice-field, and close by a cottage which appeared deserted. + +"Sure, captain, an' we'll be shot down like dogs if we show ourselves +in th' open," panted Casey, who was almost out of breath. + +"Get behind the house," answered Ben. "It is our one chance," and he +started in advance. Again the Filipinos fired on them, and this time a +bullet touched the young captain's side, cutting a straight hole +through his clothing. + +They were yet a hundred feet from the cottage when two American +soldiers came rushing forth, guns in hand. The strangers took in the +situation at a glance, and let drive with such good aim that two of +the enemy fell back wounded. The others paused, not knowing how many +Americans might be concealed in the building, and in another minute +Ben and Casey were for the time being safe. + +"By gum, ef it ain't Captain Russell!" cried one of the soldiers, as +he faced Ben. "I'm right glad to be yere to help ye, cap'n," and he +smiled broadly. + +"Ralph Sorrel!" returned Ben, as he recognized the tall Tennesseean +who had once accompanied him on a search for Gilbert when the young +Southerner was missing. "What are you doing here?" + +"Jeming an' me hev got a wounded man with us--Sergeant Kaser o' our +company. We war takin' him back o' the lines, when he got so bad we +brung him in yere to rest a spell. But you--" + +"Thim rebels is comin' agin!" announced Dan Casey. "Six, eight, nine +av thim, wid wan limpin'. How many av us are there here?" he asked, as +he looked around. + +"Four," answered Ben. "Load up, boys, and when you shoot--" + +"We'll make every shot tell," answered Jeming, a hardy-looking +soldier, almost as tall as his companion. + +"I don't believe they will come very close," continued Ben. "They know +that we have the advantage of them, even if we are but four to nine." + +The young captain was right. The Filipinos had showed themselves only +for a few seconds. Now, as Sorrel raised his gun, they lost no time in +darting behind cover. + +The cottage consisted of four rooms, all on the ground floor, and a +low loft upstairs. It was well built and fairly furnished in native +fashion. On the single bed it contained lay the wounded soldier, +Sergeant Kaser, whom Ben had met several times. He was hit in the +neck, and looked as if he could last but a few hours at the most. + +"Sorry we can't git ye back to camp, sergeant," said Sorrel, as he did +what he could to ease the wounded one's pain. "The house is surrounded +by the enemy. I reckon we kin keep 'em out, but I reckon likewise thet +they kin keep us in--at least fer a while." + +"It--don't--matter," gasped Sergeant Kaser. "I am not--not--long for +this world. What a terrible thing war is! I never thought I was going +to be shot down like this!" And he gave another gasp. His eyes were +staring from his head, for he was suffering severe pain. + +Ben looked around the cottage for something which might be given to +the sufferer to ease him. But the dwelling had been stripped of all +small things, and nothing in the way of food, drink, or medicine +remained. Sorrel had already bound a handkerchief soaked in cold water +around the wounded neck, so nothing more could be done, excepting to +raise the sufferer up to a sitting position, at his request. "I don't +know as thet is best fer him," whispered the tall Tennesseean to Ben. +"But he ain't long fer this world, as he says, an' he might as well +hev his wish as not." + +In the meantime Casey and Jeming were on guard, one watching to the +front and right, the other to the left and rear. The nearest building +to the cottage was a hundred and fifty feet away, but bushes and small +trees were numerous, and the Americans were afraid the rebels might +try to sneak up behind these and surprise them. + +"Something is moving over there," announced Jeming, after watching +several of the bushes for a short spell. "Can't make out, though, if +it's man or beast." + +"Have you plenty of ammunition?" asked Ben, who, as an officer, felt +in charge of the party. + +"Seventeen rounds, captain." + +"And how about you, Casey?" + +"Fifteen rounds," returned the Irish volunteer, after counting up the +contents of his belt. + +"I have twelve rounds, captain," came from Sorrel. "But I reckon you +know how I shoot, an' Jeming's jest as good, mebbe better." + +"I think the supply is sufficient," said Ben, "so don't run any +chances. If you think that is an enemy give him a shot. But don't hit +one of our fellows by mistake," he added, by way of caution. + +"It's a Tagal!" cried Jeming, while the young captain was yet beside +him. The gun was levelled like a flash, a report followed, and the +Filipino fell behind the bushes and was seen no more. + +"Thet will teach 'em to keep their distance," was Sorrel's comment. +"Perhaps they'll clear out soon, bein' afeered some more o' our troops +will come this way." + +But the natives were "game," as Ben expressed it; and instead of +withdrawing, they began to come closer, using every bush, tree, and +outbuilding to the best advantage. Some of their fellows had joined +them, so that the attacking party now numbered fifteen, and each well +armed. They had seen that Ben wore the uniform of a captain, and felt +that the capture of such an officer would be much to their credit. + +Sergeant Kaser was now groaning so that he could be heard even outside +of the building, and as the rebels had fired through the windows +several times, they concluded that they had wounded one of the four +men they knew to be inside. If this was so, but three _Americanos_ +were now left, and they felt that victory would soon be within their +grasp. + +"Surrendor, or we kill eferyboddy!" cried one of the number, in +English that could scarcely be understood. "We haf dreety mens +outside." + +"We ain't surrenderin', not by a jugful!" answered Sorrel. "What in +thunder does he mean by 'dreety mens'?" he added, to his companions. + +"I think he means thirty," answered Ben. "But I don't believe there +are that many." + +"Yes, but there are more than there was," announced Casey, quickly. +"I'm just afther seein' 'em pass yonder bushes." He had pointed his +gun, but the Filipinos had been too quick for him. + +"Do you surrendor?" demanded the voice again. "We shall begin to shoot +if you no gif up." + +"No surrender," answered Ben, firmly. + +Hardly had he spoken when something came rolling toward the cottage +and stopped close to the porch. It was a rude ball made of sugar-cane +husks and over a foot in diameter. The ball was ablaze and burning +fiercely, as if covered with pitch. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE ESCAPE FROM THE BURNING HOUSE + + +"Hullo, that's a new wrinkle!" exclaimed Ben. "They are going to try +burning us out." + +"Sure, an' thim haythins is up to all sorts av dodges," cried Dan +Casey. "It's meself as would like to git a squint at th' feller that +threw that." + +"I've got him, I reckon," whispered Sorrel, taking a ready aim at a +thin hedge to the left of the house. The report of his gun was +followed by a shriek of pain, and a Filipino fell into view, the blood +flowing freely from a wound in his neck. Soon his companions caught +him by the legs and dragged him back into cover. + +After this brief exchange of "compliments," as the tall Tennesseean +called it, there came a lull. Evidently the natives were disconcerted +by the unexpected fall of the man who had thrown the fire-ball and +knew not what to do. + +"Do you suppose they have quitted the vicinity?" questioned Jeming, +after listening vainly for some sound from without. From a distance +came a scattering fire, but around the native house was the silence of +death, for the man who had been shot by Sorrel had fainted from loss +of blood. + +"They are up to something, you can be certain of that," answered Ben. +"The Filipino is at his worst when he is silent." + +"Right ye air, cap'n," put in Sorrel. "Yere she comes agin--an' a +scorcher, too!" + +From over the bushes came a huge fire-ball, blazing brightly. It +struck the thatch of the cottage close to the edge of the roof, and +before it fell to the ground had set fire to the abode, which began to +burn as though no shower had wet it for a month. + +"That settles it!" came from Jeming. "We've got to get out, or we'll +be burnt up like rats in a corn-crib." + +"But the sergeant--" began Sorrel, when a low moan issued from the +corner. + +"Never--mind--me, boys," came, with several gasps. "I'm--I'm going! +Good--good--bye--to--to-- Tell mother--" + +He said no more, but fell back exhausted. All rushed to him, but ere +anybody could raise his form again he was gone from this earth +forever. + +Tears stood in the eyes of Ralph Sorrel, and Jeming was scarcely less +affected, for both had known the sergeant intimately. "Another +victim," murmured the tall Tennesseean. "How long is this yere blamed +war goin' ter last, anyhow?" + +"Not much longer, I hope," answered Ben, in a low voice. "I, for one, +have seen enough of bloodshed." Then the young captain straightened +up, for fear he might break down. "But we must attend to our duty, and +get away if we can. See, the flames are eating in at the window." + +"All right, cap'n, I'm ready," said Sorrel. "But we must carry this +yere body outside fust. We can't let it be burnt up, nohow." + +He nodded to Jeming, who understood, and covering the form of the dead +man with a blanket, they marched to the door with the stiffening form. +The coast seemed clear, and they darted out and deposited their +grewsome burden on the grass. They were just returning to the shelter +of the doorway when two shots rang out, but neither was effective. + +By this time the cottage was burning so fiercely that to remain +inside longer would have proved highly dangerous. Accordingly, Ben +called a council of war. + +"I think we had best strike out for the grove of trees on the right," +he announced. "The distance is shorter than to the other shelters, and +the grass is so high that perhaps we can get some benefit by stooping +down as we run." + +"Right ye air, cap'n," answered Sorrel, and Casey and Jeming nodded. + +"Surrendor, you _Americanos_!" came in a shout from without. +"Surrendor, you beasts!" + +"Let them burn up, they deserve it!" came in Spanish. + +"All ready?" asked Ben, and receiving a nod, he hurried to a side +window. Below was a small bush, and in a moment he had dropped to the +ground. As he started through the long grass, Casey and the others +followed him. + +A wild yell speedily showed that this new movement had been +discovered, and a dozen shots rang out. But the Filipinos were too +excited to shoot straight, and the bullets merely clipped their way +through the mango and other trees, or buried themselves in the side of +the burning building. + +At first Ben thought to fire in return. But to find shelter was the +prime consideration, and on he went, holding his pistol in readiness, +but without pulling the trigger. Here and there a Filipino could be +seen flitting from bush to tree, but these glimpses were short and far +from satisfactory. + +"They are coming!" came from Dan Casey, just as the nearest of the +trees was gained. "Back, ye rascals!" he shouted, and fired as quickly +as he could. Casey was right; the Tagals were surrounding them, and +now they had to fight back to back, in as hot a contest as the young +captain had ever seen. They were clearly outnumbered, but retreat was +impossible, for the Filipinos surrounded them upon every side. + +What happened during the next five minutes is almost impossible to +describe, for every movement was executed with lightning-like +rapidity, the Filipinos bound to kill or capture the Americans, and at +the same time afraid that they would slip like eels through their +fingers. After a score of shots taken at a distance, they closed in, +and Ben found himself confronted by two fierce-looking men, one armed +with a Mauser rifle and the other with a wicked-looking bolo. The +Mauser was empty, and its owner evidently out of ammunition, for as +he advanced he used the weapon as a club. + +Ben was hard pressed, for his pistol was now empty, and there was no +chance to reload it. But his sword kept the two Tagals back, and had +it not been for his gun, one of the enemy would have had his head +split open from the blade. But now the rascal with the bolo tried to +attack the young captain from one side, while he with the gun swung +around to the other. + +[Illustration: "His sword kept the two Tagals back."--_Page 147._] + +Ben could expect no aid from his companions, for all were as hotly +engaged as himself; indeed, Sorrel more so, for he was fighting three +men, while Jeming and Dan Casey, side by side, and with their backs +against a heavy thorn-bush, were fighting the balance of the +detachment. + +The young captain felt that he could do little or nothing more, and +expected each instant to have his assailants hurl themselves directly +upon him, when a shout came from Sorrel which gave all of our friends +hope. + +"Some soldiers air comin'!" sang out the Tennesseean. "This way, boys, +this way, an' be quick about it!" + +"What's the matter?" came in a hoarse growl from the roadway, and in +a few seconds a whole company of the North Dakota troops burst into +view. Their captain, a short, fat man, but one who was an excellent +fighter, took in the situation at a glance, and ordered the Filipinos +surrounded. + +Taken by surprise, the Tagals were dumfounded, and for half a minute +knew not what to do. Then they started to run, but this movement came +too late, and four went down at the first volley from the newly +arrived men. The others, realizing their helplessness, threw down +their arms and surrendered. + +"Had it hot, eh, captain," said the North Dakota man to Ben as he came +up with a quizzical smile on his round face, from which the +perspiration was pouring in a stream. + +"Yes," panted Ben. "You came up in the nick of time, and I must thank +you for--" + +"That's all right, captain--no more than you would do for me, and I +know it." The North Dakota man shook hands. "It's been a long running +fight to-day," he added. "Where is your command?" + +"That remains to be found out," answered Ben. "Have you seen any of +them during the last two hours? I and one of my men became separated +from them in the cane-brakes." + +"I guess you'll find them up near Baliuag. Most of the troops are up +there. But I wouldn't try going around by this road, for the rebels +are scattered in small bands all over this territory. You'll find the +main road all right." + +"What will you do with these prisoners?" + +"Take them up to the main road and send to the colonel for orders." + +"Then I will go with you," said Ben, and spoke to the others about it. +Soon the whole party was on the way, Sorrel and Jeming carrying the +dead form of Sergeant Kaser between them, with Casey trudging near to +give them a lift whenever necessary. + +It was now growing dark, and looked as if a thunderstorm was at +hand. Seeing this, the detachment pushed forward rapidly, until at +last the main road was gained. Here, from one of the drivers of a +quartermaster's turnout, they learned that Ben's regiment had gone +into temporary camp on the outskirts of the town of Baliuag, which was +a mile further on. A number of Americans were missing, having +become lost in a manner similar to Ben and Casey. + +The young captain now lost no time in marching forward once more, and +reached his regiment in less than half an hour. He found his company +in charge of Gilmore. Many had given him up for dead, and they were +delighted at his reappearance. + +"We can't do without you," said the acting first lieutenant. And as he +shook hands his honest face showed that he meant what he said. + +"And I don't know that I can do without my company," replied Ben. +"Anyway, I'm awfully glad to be back. In the future, I must be a +little more careful about keeping the boys in sight." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +NEWS FROM HOME + + +It was evident that the majority of the insurgents had now had enough +of fighting, for while the engagement just mentioned was taking place, +General Luna of the Filipinos sent forward his chief of staff to +General MacArthur, with a request that hostilities cease, pending a +conference of Americans and Filipinos looking toward a settlement of +existing difficulties. + +But our leaders knew only too well what delay meant, and refused to +enter into any compact unless the natives first threw down their arms. +The Filipinos wanted their freedom, but events had now so shaped +themselves that absolute freedom for them appeared to be out of the +question. So the conference practically amounted to nothing. And while +this was taking place, General Hale began to move eastward to join +General Lawton's command on its march toward San Isidro. It was the +policy of all the American commanders to give the Filipinos no rest +during the short time left to them before the heaviest of the rainy +season set in. + +A rest of two days did Ben's company a world of good. Communications +with Malolos were now opened, and supplies were coming forward +rapidly. With the supply wagons came Carl Stummer, just from the +hospital and still somewhat "shaky," but eager to be again on the +firing line. + +"I could not dink me of stayin' any longer," he said, as he shook +hands all around. "Der docther say, 'You vos besser here,' und I say, +'I ton't gits me no besser bis I schmell dot powder purning vonce more +alretty!'" + +"Well, it's powdher ye'll be afther shmellin' soon," put in Dan Casey. +"It's forward we go to-morrow, so th' colonel is afther sayin'." + +"Goot!" said Carl. Then he added with a faint smile. "You see, Tan, I +vos afraid you kill all dem Filibenos off pefore I could git here." + +"Sure an' I saved a couple fer ye, Carl," replied his chum. "Ye'll not +be wantin' fer a scrap, I'll warrant!" And then he related his own and +Ben's adventures, to which the German volunteer listened with much +interest. + +The wagon train had brought in the mail, and this included the usual +letters for Ben--one from Walter and the other from Uncle Job Dowling. +Ben breathed a long sigh as he opened the communications. + + "I'm going to spring a surprise on you," so wrote Walter. "I've + been reading the newspapers, and it makes me weary to think that I + am just cruising around with our squadron doing nothing, while you + and Larry are right in it, head and heels. I've applied for a + transfer to one of the warships in Manila waters, and it may be + that before this reaches you I will be on the bounding Pacific on + my way to join you and Larry in our fight with Aguinaldo and his + supporters. Si Doring, my old Yankee chum, has applied with me, so + we'll probably come on together, and when we get there you and + Larry will have to look to your laurels, that's all." + +"Dear Walter!" murmured Ben, after reading the letter twice. "What +will he say when he hears that Larry is missing? If Larry doesn't show +up, it will break his heart, and it will break mine, too!" And he +brushed away the tears that sprang up in spite of his efforts to keep +them down. Then he turned to the heavy, twisted scrawl from his Uncle +Job. + + "It's rare good news you have sent, Ben," wrote the old man, after + stating that he was in good health, "and the news comes none too + soon, for the party who took a mortgage on my house wants his + money, and where I am going to get it I don't know, with money so + tight and interest and bonus so high. I've told him that Braxton + Bogg is captured,--and he saw it in the newspaper, too,--and he is + about of a mind to wait for his money now until the bank gets back + what was stolen, and settles up. For myself, I can't hardly wait + till that time comes; and after this you can be sure I'll be + mighty careful where I put my cash and what's coming to you three + boys, too. You won that thousand dollars' reward fairly, and I + hope you and Larry won't squander it like most soldiers would. I + thought that war would end soon, but it appears like it would go + on forever. Tell Larry to take good care of himself, and mind that + you don't get shot." + +"Poor Uncle Job--he'll be in a hole again," murmured Ben. "Evidently +he wrote this right after I sent word Braxton Bogg was caught, and he +doesn't know anything of my being shot and getting over it, and of +Benedicto Lupez skipping out with what Bogg stole. Hang the luck, but +everything seems to be going wrong." And Ben grated his teeth, in a +mood hard to explain. + +"What's up, Ben?" The question came from Gilbert, who had just come up +to watch the young captain, in considerable surprise. + +Ben showed the two communications. "I'm just thinking of what I had +best write to my Uncle Job," he returned. "I'm afraid it will break +the old fellow's heart to learn that the money is gone--and after he +is trying to turn over a new leaf, too." + +"And the news about Larry will cause him pain, too, I reckon." + +"No doubt, but--but--well, between you and me, Gilbert, I'm afraid the +money will hurt the worst--Uncle Job always did set such a store by a +few dollars. As for me, I'd give all I'll ever be worth if only I knew +Larry was safe," concluded the young captain, arising from a seat +under a palm tree as Major Morris came forward to speak to him. + +"Captain, I'm ordered to the front to-night, to do a little +reconnoitring," said the major of the first battalion. "I thought +perhaps you would like to go out with me. Possibly we can again get on +the track of that Bogg fortune;" and he smiled faintly, for he had +been with Ben on the night Braxton Bogg had been first made a +prisoner. + +"I'll go out with you gladly," answered the young captain, promptly. +"But I doubt if that money is ever found--or my brother Larry, +either," he added, with bitterness. + +"Oh, cheer up, captain, you are blue to-night. Come, a little danger +will put you on your mettle once more, and you'll forget all about +this thing--although I'll allow it's enough to make anybody +heart-sick." + +Supper was served, and the sun had long since sunk to rest over the +vast plain and ocean to the westward, when Ben and Major Morris set +out, taking with them an ample supply of ammunition and likewise a +day's rations, for they were to move directly into the heart of the +enemy's country and might be absent for a day or longer. The object +of their going was to find out if a certain Lieutenant Caspard, who +had deserted the American ranks, was with the rebels now gathering at +Maasin, and if so, whether or not he was acting as an officer of the +Filipino forces. If they could catch the deserter and bring him back, +they were to be well rewarded. Strange to say, the orders were not to +shoot him if it could be avoided. + +"It's a strange mission," said Major Morris, as they set out. "But +such are Colonel Darcy's orders, and he is backed up in them by the +general. Between you and me, I think this Caspard has been playing a +double game between our forces and those of the Filipinos, and those +at headquarters want to find out just what it means. One man told me +that this Caspard was out of his head, and had an idea that he could +stop the war by telling the rebels we would grant them everything they +want if only they would throw down their arms." + +"Would the rebels swallow such a yarn?" + +"Some of the more ignorant might. But that isn't the point; Caspard +may have given them some military information of vast importance. You +must remember we are in a territory that may be full of pitfalls for +us," concluded the major. + +Ben thought but little of the ending of this speech at the time, but +had good cause to remember it before midnight. On they pushed past the +picket guard and on to a side road which it was said would bring them +around to the north side of Maasin. Both were in fairly good humor by +this time, and the major told many an anecdote of army life which made +Ben laugh outright. The major saw that his companion was indeed +"blue," and was bound to dispel the blues if it could be done. + +"And that story puts me in mind of one on General Grant," he continued +presently. "Grant was sitting in his tent one night when--" + +"Hush!" interrupted Ben, and caught his companion by the shoulder. +Then he pointed into the semi-darkness ahead. "Are those rebels, or +friends?" + +The road they were pursuing was, for the most part, a winding one. But +they had now gained a straight stretch, the farther end of which was +somewhat in the open. Looking in that direction Ben had discerned six +or seven figures stealing silently along, guns on shoulders and packs +on their backs. + +Major Morris came to a halt and surveyed the figures attentively. "I +don't believe they are our men," he whispered. "None of the troops +came as far as this--so the general stated." + +"Then, if they are rebels, what have they been doing?" went on Ben. +"See, they have picks and shovels and axes." + +"Perhaps it's an engineering corps," and the major laughed softly at +what he considered his little joke. "These Tagals are bound to be +up-to-date, you know." + +"Well, if they are an engineering corps, what have they been doing?" +demanded the young captain, who felt by no means satisfied at his +companion's words. + +"I'll give it up--no, I won't, I'll go forward and investigate," came +from the major. "There they go, around the turn, and walking just as +fast as they can. If we want to catch up to them, we will have to +hurry." + +"We don't want to get too close, major. They are not the game we are +after, remember." + +"True, captain, but it won't do any harm to find out what we can of +them. We may be doing General Lawton a great service by such an +action." + +The night was cloudy, and as they pushed forward to the bend in the +road it became darker than ever, until they could see hardly anything +of what was ahead of them. The way was evidently little used, for the +grass grew thickly even in the centre of the highway. + +The pair were going on, side by side, and with eyes strained to catch +sight of those who had gone before, when suddenly Major Morris felt +the ground giving way beneath him. "My gracious!" he ejaculated, and +caught Ben by the arm. At the same instant the young captain uttered a +cry, and also felt himself going down. Then came the snapping of +slender bamboo poles, and the scattering of some loose grass, and down +into darkness and space shot the pair, swallowed up utterly by a hole +which had unexpectedly opened to receive them. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +IN AND OUT OF A STRANGE PITFALL + + +Major Morris and Ben had fallen into a pit dug by the Filipinos for +the purpose of catching their enemies. It was an old trick, and one +which had been used quite extensively at the opening of the rebellion, +but which was now falling into disuse, for the reason that few +Americans were ever caught by the device. + +The method was to dig a square hole in the centre of some trail or +road which the Americans would probably use in their advance. At the +bottom of this hole would be planted upright a number of sharp bamboo +sticks, and then the top would be covered over with slender bamboo +sticks and loose grass or palm leaves. If one or more persons stepped +upon the top sticks, they would break at once, and the unfortunates +would fall upon the sharp points below, which were certain to inflict +more or less serious injury. + +Fortunately, however, for the young captain and his companion, the +hole into which they had tumbled was not provided with the sharp +sticks mentioned. The natives had just finished the opening when an +officer had called upon them to leave the vicinity as it was getting +dangerous, owing to the rapid advances made by the Americans. So the +trap had been set with its most dangerous element lacking. + +Yet the fall was by no means a pleasant one, and for a brief instant +the young captain of Company D thought that the bottom had dropped out +of everything, and that he would surely be killed. He tried to catch +hold of something, but all he could reach was the major's shoulder, +and then both landed with a thud on the soft dirt left at the bottom +of the hole. + +Ben was the first on his feet, which was not saying much, since the +bottom of the opening was not level, and he stood in the soft loam up +to his ankles. Shaking himself to find that no bones were broken, he +drew a long breath. + +"Major, are you all right?" he asked. + +"No--no--I'm not all--all right," came with a gasp. "I've had my +wi--wind knocked ou--out of me." + +"Any bones broken?" + +"I gue--guess not. But wh--who ever heard of such a con--founded +trick?" + +"I've heard of it several times, major. But we are not as bad off as +we might have been had the rebels put some sharp sticks down here to +spit us with." + +"True." Major Morris gave a grunt, and wiped the dirt from his eyes. +"Well, I reckon we've learned what their engineering corps was up +to." + +This was said so dryly that in spite of his discomfiture Ben was +compelled to laugh. + +"Yes, we've learned. The question is, now we are down here, how are we +going to get out?" + +"Better make a light and see how deep the hole is first," replied the +commander of the first battalion. + +Fortunately Ben had plenty of matches with him, and striking one, he +lit a bamboo stalk and held it up as a torch. By the flickering light +thus afforded they saw that the hole was about eight feet wide and +twice as long. The level of the road above was fully eight feet over +their heads. + +"Looks as if we were in a box, eh, captain?" said the major, grimly. + +"We're certainly in a hole," responded Ben. "But I think we can get +out without much trouble. I wish we had a spade." + +"Well, wishing won't bring one, and there is nothing here to take the +place of one, either." + +"Nothing but our hands. Here, if you'll hold the light, I'll see what +I can do." + +"Here is a bit of a flat stick, try that," rejoined Major Morris; and +taking the article mentioned, Ben set to work with vigor, attacking +one end of the hole by loosening the dirt so that a large portion of +it soon fell at their feet. Standing upon the fallen portion he +continued his operations, and presently more of the dirt fell, leaving +an incline up which both began to scramble on hands and knees. It was +not a very dignified thing to do, but it was far better than to remain +in the hole, and besides, there was nobody at hand to comment on the +want of dignity in the movement. + +"We are well out of that," began Major Morris, brushing off his +clothing as he spoke. "In the future--" + +"Hold on, major, somebody is coming," interrupted Ben, and pulled his +companion back. He had seen a faint light advancing toward them, from +a side road which joined the main road at a point but a few yards +distant. Soon he made out a heavy cart approaching, drawn by a pair of +caribaos, or water buffaloes. On the seat of the cart sat two +sleepy-looking natives. + +"We must stop that cart," was the major's comment. "If we don't, there +will be a bad smash-up." + +"I don't think it's a good plan to expose ourselves," replied Ben. + +"But do you want those chaps to break their necks?" demanded the +commander of the first battalion. "More than likely they are +_amigos_." + +"I've got a plan for warning them, major." + +As Ben spoke he picked up some of the driest of the grass and palm +leaves and applied a match to the stuff. It blazed up readily, and he +threw the mass in with the other stuff about the edge of the hole. + +"There, if they can't see that they must be blind," he said. "Come, +let us get out," and off they ran for the thicket close at hand. From +here they watched the cart and saw it come to a halt near the hole and +knew that the turnout was safe. + +"I shouldn't think the rebels would care to leave those holes about," +was Major Morris' comment, as they pushed on once more. "They are as +dangerous to their own people as they are to us." + +"I suppose they tell their own people about them." + +"Those men on the buffalo cart evidently knew nothing." + +"The rebels don't care for the _amigos_. Their idea is, if a native is +not with them, he is against them, and must suffer with the +Americans." + +To play the part of spies in such a country as this was not easy, for +the Americans were easily distinguished from the natives. Had Ben and +the major spoken Spanish fluently, they might have passed for +Spaniards, as each was tanned from constant exposure to the strong +sun. But this could not be, and so they had to go ahead and trust to +luck to see them through with their dangerous errand. + +At length they felt that they must be close to the enemy's picket +line, and paused to consider the situation. Before them was a gentle +slope, terminating at a small but deep stream which flowed into the +Rio Grande River. + +"I think some of the rebels are over there," said the major, pointing +to a hill, from the top of which could be seen a faint glow. "There is +certainly a camp-fire back there." + +"There is a house just below us," returned Ben. "Or is it a mill?" + +"A mill most likely. They wouldn't build an ordinary dwelling right at +the water's edge." + +"Perhaps the rebels are using the mill as a sort of headquarters. What +do you say if we investigate?" + +The major agreed, and they began to pick their way along the stream. +Soon they reached a rude bridge, and were on the point of crossing, +when a sharp cry rang out from the building they were approaching. + +"Hullo, that's a woman's voice!" exclaimed Ben. "Somebody is in +trouble." + +"Help! thief! murderer!" came in Spanish. "Oh, help, for the love of +kind Heaven, help!" + +"It's a woman, true enough!" ejaculated the major. "I wonder what the +trouble is?" + +"I'm going to find out," answered Ben. The cry for aid appealed to his +heart, and he bounded toward the mill-house, for such the building +proved to be, without further hesitation. Nor was Major Morris far +behind him. + +As they came closer they saw that the structure was dark, saving for a +faint light that came from one of the rooms built over the mill +stream. It was in this room, evidently, that some sort of struggle was +going on, for now both heard the cry for help repeated, followed by +the overturning of a table. Then came the voices of two men, and the +cry came to a sudden end. + +"Two men are misusing some woman," cried Ben, "come on!" and rushing +around to the front of the building, he found the rickety stairs +leading to the house floor, and bounded upward. The door at the top +stood ajar and he pushed it in, with Major Morris at his heels. The +room at hand was dark, the struggle was going on in the apartment next +to it. + +Ben paused long enough to see that his pistol had not sustained any +injury in the tumble into the hole, and was ready for use, and then +threw open the door before him. + +The light in the room was not very bright, but coming out of the +darkness Ben could see but little, for a few seconds. The room was +thick with the smoke of cigarettes, and through the haze the young +captain made out two men standing beside an overturned table, one with +a knife in his hand. To his intense surprise the men were Americans +and dressed in the uniforms of regulars. + +"What does this mean?" he demanded. "What are you--" + +And then Ben got no further, for a swift look around the room told him +that the two men were alone--that the woman he had heard crying for +help was not there. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +THE ADVENTURE AT THE MILL-HOUSE + + +For the moment it must be confessed that Ben was absolutely +dumfounded, and Major Morris also. They had fully expected to see a +woman in the hands of the regulars before them, and they could +scarcely believe the evidence of their own senses. + +But if the officers were astonished, the men they confronted were +likewise taken back, and stared in amazement, which quickly gave way +to consternation. + +"What do you want?" demanded one, as soon as he could speak. And then +he glanced over their shoulders to see if the newcomers were alone. + +"We thought we heard a woman in trouble," answered Ben, slowly. + +"And we did hear a woman," put in the major. "Where is she?" + +The two regulars exchanged unsteady glances, for each was somewhat the +worse for liquor. "There ain't no woman here," answered one of them, +sullenly. + +"Then who was crying for help?" persisted the young captain. + +"See here, cap'n, you are on the wrong trail," came from the older of +the regulars. "Me and Bill's jest been having a little rumpus between +ourselves. We meant no harm by it." + +"I don't believe you," came from Major Morris, promptly. "There is +some mystery here, and as sure as you're born I'm going to find out +what it is!" he went on. + +The major had scarcely finished when Ben's eyes fell to the floor, and +he saw the outline of a trap-door under one of the regular's feet. One +edge of the door was raised about half an inch above the floor proper, +as if the door had been opened and not put back evenly into place. + +"Major, look at that trap-door!" he cried. "I'll wager they used it +while we were coming up the outside stairs." + +"You must be right, captain. If you'll--" + +"We didn't use no trap-door," shouted the younger of the regulars, but +he appeared much disconcerted over the discovery Ben had made. + +"Captain, I have them covered," came from Major Morris, as he brought +out the two pistols with which he had wisely provided himself. +"Perhaps you had better investigate." + +"I will," returned the young captain, and backed out of the room. The +regulars wanted to stop him, but aiming his weapons at them the major +told them to hold their peace. + +"If everything is all right, you won't be harmed," he said. "But it +doesn't look right to me. You have no business here, for one thing." + +"And what business have you here?" demanded the older regular. And +then he changed his manner. "We were captured in the fight of last +week, and were just trying to get back to our lines again." + +"We'll talk about that when my friend the captain gets back, my man. +If we are treating you unjustly, I'll apologize and do the handsome +thing by you," he added. + +In the meantime Ben was making his way down to the bank of the stream, +under the mill, with all possible speed. It was extremely dark, and he +had to pick his way with caution for fear of tumbling into some ugly +hollow. Below the mill was a fall of water, and here the stream ran +between a series of sharp rocks. + +Ben had just gained the bank of the stream when a low moan reached +his ears. At first he could not locate the sound, but presently +discovered that it came from the vicinity of the rocks. Feeling his +way along he managed, but not without great difficulty, to gain the +top of the rocks. Here he saw the water foaming and boiling twenty +feet below. + +"That woman must be down there," he muttered. Then he raised his +voice. "Where are you?" + +"Down here, by the rocks!" came back faintly. "Help! please help me!" + +Locating the voice as well as he was able, the young captain began +crawling down from one rock to another. This was difficult work, and +he had to move with extreme care for fear of a tumble, which would +land him directly into the boiling stream. At last, however, he found +himself perched on a bit of a shelf, with the water less than two feet +away. + +From this point of view he beheld the sufferer, who was swinging in +the water, with her arms tightly clutching a sharp stone which reared +its point just above the surface of the stream. He saw that she was +evidently a Spanish woman, well along in years, and that her dress was +sadly torn, and her long hair was floating loosely over her neck and +face. + +It must be confessed that the young captain was perplexed over the +situation that confronted him. The sufferer was just beyond his reach, +and he felt that to plunge into the water after her would be to take a +big risk, for if the stream at this point was over his waist, the +force of the current would carry him off in an instant. + +"Can you hold on a few minutes longer?" he called out. + +[Illustration: "Can you hold on a few minutes longer?"--_Page 173._] + +"No! no! I am too weak," came more faintly than ever. "Help me +quickly, and Heaven will reward you!" + +"I will do what I can--but you must hold tight for a minute," answered +Ben. + +Just above his head a number of bushes were growing, and among these +he had espied a long, stout-looking shoot. Clambering to this, he +pulled out his pocket-knife and cut it off. Then he leaped down once +more, and holding tight to the rocks with one hand, shoved out the +branch with the other. "Catch hold, if you can," he cried. + +The woman understood and gave up the rock for the stick, and Ben +pulled her toward him. It was no easy task, and once it looked as if +she would lose her hold and be swept away. But in a minute the danger +was past, and the young captain was hauling her up to where he stood. +She was thoroughly exhausted, and no sooner did he have her in his +arms than she fainted. + +One difficulty had been overcome, but another still remained, and that +was to get up to the safe ground above the rocks. But once again the +bushes growing out of the crevices came into play, and, hauling +himself from one to another, Ben at last found himself safe, with his +burden resting heavily over his shoulder. + +It was now that the young captain found the woman was suffering +from a blow over the left temple, from which the blood was slowly +trickling. Laying the form down, he brought out his handkerchief and +bound up the wound as well as he was able. This had just been +accomplished when the sufferer came again to her senses and stared +around her in bewilderment. + +"You--you--am I safe?" she asked, in broken English, but in a sweet +voice which went straight to Ben's heart. + +"Yes, madam, you are safe," he answered. "Did those two men throw you +into the stream?" + +"Yes, yes! Oh, they are villains, señor--great villains." + +"I must say they look it, even if they are of our troops," replied the +young captain. "Come, do you think you can walk back to the mill with +me?" + +The woman said she would try, and he assisted her to her feet. She was +still very weak, and readily consented to lean on his arm; and thus +they moved slowly back the way the captain of Company D had come. + +During all this time Ben had not heard a sound from the house, and he +was anxious to know how Major Morris was faring, although feeling +positive that the major was fully capable of taking care of himself. +Now, as they came closer, he heard loud talking. + +"We ain't goin' to stay, major,--an' it ain't right fer you to ask us +to," the older of the regulars was saying. + +"You will stay, and that's the end of it," came in the major's +clean-cut tones. "If you attempt to pass through that doorway, I'll +put a bullet through you." + +"But we are friends, major, and--" + +"I don't know that I am a friend to you. It depends upon what my +companion the captain will have to report when he gets back." + +"He won't have nuthin' to report, so far as we are concerned," put in +the younger regular. "We ain't done any wrong, 'ceptin' to quarrel a +bit between us. Everybody has a set-to once in a while, you know." + +By this time Ben was tramping up the outside stairs, supporting the +woman as before. Now he pushed his way into the outer room of the +mill-house, the woman following with some hesitancy. At the appearance +of their late victim the regulars fell back as though struck a blow. + +"Nice sort of chaps you are," exclaimed Ben, hotly. "You don't deserve +to wear Uncle Sam's uniform. A set of prison stripes would suit both +of you much better." + +"Hullo, you've found the lady," cried the major. "Sit down, madam, and +tell us what this means." + +A bench was handy, and the sufferer dropped heavily upon it. The +regulars looked as if they wished themselves anywhere but in their +present situation, yet they did not dare to budge, for Major Morris +still held "the drop" upon them, and the commander of the first +battalion looked as if he would stand no nonsense. + +"These men came here to rob me," said the woman, slowly. "They are of +your kind, but they are not honest." + +"Then they are not of our kind," answered Ben, promptly. "We do not +allow our soldiers to rob anybody." + +"We didn't come to steal--" began the older regular, when Major Morris +stopped him. + +"Silence! Not another word until the lady has finished her story." + +There was a second of painful silence, and the lady continued: "I am +staying at the mill alone, for my husband has gone to the Laguna de +Bay on business. Several hours ago, these two soldiers came in and +demanded that I serve them with a hot supper. Not wishing to have +trouble I gave them the best I had. But they were not satisfied, and +broke into my husband's wine closet and drank two bottles of his +choicest wine, and smoked his best cigarettes, package after package. +Then, after drinking much wine, they demanded that I give them money, +and that man," pointing to the older prisoner, "told his companion +that I must have money hidden somewhere, as all the Spanish +mill-owners in Luzon were rich, while the truth is, we are very poor, +as the war has taken away everything. Then the men drank more, and at +last they caught hold of me and threatened me with great violence if I +did not give up what I had hidden away. I gave them the little silver +I had, but they were not satisfied, and when I tried to run away, one +hit me over the head with this bench. Then they plotted to get me out +of the way entirely and go on a hunt for money themselves. I cried +louder than ever, and then you started to come in. One of the men had +opened that trap leading to the river, and as you came up the outer +stairs both dropped me down, no doubt to drown me. I was swept down to +the rocks at the falls, and there the _capitan_ saved me, God bless +him for it." + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +NEWS OF LARRY + + +For a minute after the Spanish woman finished, nobody in the +mill-house spoke. Her tale had impressed both Ben and the major +deeply, and they looked with cold contempt at the two regulars who had +so disgraced the uniform they wore. + +"This is a fine doings, truly," said Major Morris, at length. "I +wonder what your commander will say when he hears of it." + +"If you please, they have deserted the American army," put in the +woman. "They said as much while they were drinking my husband's +wine." + +"It ain't so!" burst out the older regular, fiercely. "And that woman +has told you a string of--" + +"Shut up!" interrupted the major, sternly. "I will take this lady's +word against yours every time--after what I have witnessed of both of +you. Your name, please?" + +"I ain't telling my name jest now," was the sullen response. + +"Aren't you?" Up came the major's pistol again. "Your name, I said." + +"Jack Rodgrew." + +"And what is yours?" went on the commander of the first battalion, +turning to the younger regular. + +The man hesitated for a second. "My name is Jerry Crossing." + +"Indeed! How is it your mate called you Bill awhile ago?" + +"Why--er--er--" + +"I don't believe either of the names is correct," went on the major. + +"He is called Bill, and the other is Yadder," put in the Spanish +woman. "I heard the names many times." + +"Then that will answer, since I also have your company and regiment. +Now, then, throw down your cartridge belts." + +"Throw 'em down?" howled the regular called Bill. + +"That is what I said. Throw them down at once." + +"But see here, major--" + +"I won't stop to argue with you. Throw the belts down, or take the +consequences." + +"And what will the consequences be?" questioned Yadder. + +"The consequences will be that I will form myself into a court-martial, +find you guilty of desertion, and shoot you down where you stand. +Come, do those belts go down or not?" + +"I reckon they go down," grumbled Yadder; and unloosening the article, +he allowed it to slip to the floor, seeing which, his companion +followed suit. + +"Now both of you hold your hands over your heads, while Captain +Russell searches you for concealed weapons." + +"We ain't got no concealed weapons." + +"I didn't ask you to talk, I told you to hold up your hands." + +With exceeding bad grace the two deserters, for such they really +proved to be, held up their arms. Approaching them, Ben went through +one pocket after another and felt in their bosoms. Each had a long +native knife, such as are usually used in the rice-fields. + +"I suppose you do not call those concealed weapons," was Major +Morris's comment, as Ben came over to him with the knives and the +cartridge belts. The rascals' guns stood back of the door behind the +commander of the first battalion. + +"It ain't fair to take everything away from us," began Yadder, when +two shots, fired in rapid succession, cut him short. The shots came +from up the stream and not over fifty yards from the mill-house. Soon +followed a shouting of voices, and all in the place knew that a band +of rebels were approaching. + +"They are after somebody!" exclaimed Ben. "They are coming--" + +The young captain got no further, for just then there sounded a +clatter on the outer steps, and a second later an American soldier +burst into the mill-house. He was in tatters, and his left arm hung +limply by his side, for he had been shot in the shoulder. + +"Americans!" he gasped, as he cast a hurried glance about. "Thank God +for that! The rebels are after me, half a dozen strong." + +"He went up into the house!" came from without, in the Tagalog +dialect. + +"After him, men, the _Americano_ must not escape us!" + +And then footsteps were heard around the house and on the stairs. Ben +and the major looked at each other questioningly. What was to be +done? + +"The trap," whispered the young captain. "If they come up here, we can +escape through that." + +There was no time to say more, for already the rebels were coming up +the stairs, shouting loudly for the escaped _Americano_ to give +himself up. They advanced in a body, evidently not caring to separate +in the darkness, and thinking to find the man alone. + +With quick wit Ben ran and placed the table against the door, and on +this piled the bench. + +"Now the trap, and be quick!" he whispered, and Major Morris +understood. Flinging open the door in the floor he looked down, to +behold the stream flowing beneath. + +"Follow me--it's the best way out," he said to the escaped prisoner. +Then he dropped down, holding his pistols over his head, that they +might not get wet. + +The wounded man was in a desperate humor and lost no time in +following. By this time the rebels were hammering lustily on the door +which Ben was holding shut. + +"What are we to do?" demanded the older of the deserters. "Are you--" + +"You can take care of yourselves," answered the young captain, and +rushing over to the trap-door he let himself through, closing the trap +after him. Then came a plunge into the water, but the stream here was +less than four feet deep, and he followed Major Morris and the wounded +man to the bank without difficulty. A loud shouting came from +overhead, followed by a storm of words from both rebels and deserters, +and also from the Spanish woman. Fortunately for the woman, among the +rebels was a nephew, who at once came to her aid, and had the two +deserters from the American army made prisoners. + +"We had better put a little distance between ourselves and that mill," +suggested Major Morris, as all three shook the water from their lower +garments. + +"How is it? are you badly wounded?" asked Ben, turning to their newly +made companion. + +"Oh, I can go ahead," said the soldier. "It's rather painful, +though." + +"We'll take care of it for you at the first chance we get," added Ben; +and then the three set off at a brisk pace along the stream and over +the rocks to a grove in which they felt they would be comparatively +safe until daylight, if no longer. + +As the mill-house was left behind, all became quiet, and in the grove +nothing disturbed them but the hum of the insects and the occasional +cry of some night bird. + +Lighting a match, Ben examined the man's wound and bound it up with +the major's handkerchief, his own having been left behind with the +Spanish woman. The stranger said that his name was Barton Brownell. + +"I have been a prisoner of the insurgents for some time," he said, +when asked to tell his story. "I was captured just before our troops +took Malolos. They had six prisoners all told, and they took us to a +place called Guinalo, which is probably forty miles from here, and up +in the mountains." + +"While you were a prisoner did you see or hear anything of a +Lieutenant Caspard?" asked Major Morris, quickly. + +"To be sure I did!" burst out Barton Brownell. "He came to see me +several times. He has joined hands with the insurgents, and he wanted +me to join them, too. But I told him I would rot first," added the +wounded man, and his firmness showed that he meant what he said. + +"And was Caspard in the field with the rebels?" + +"Yes. He was hand in glove with General Luna and the other rebel +leaders, and I think he had turned over some messages from General +Otis's headquarters to the rebels. But, candidly speaking, I think +Lieutenant Caspard is somewhat off in his head. Once he came to me and +said that if only I and the other prisoners would join him, we could +end this shedding of blood inside of a week." + +"He must be crazy, to join the rebels," put in Ben. "Does he hold any +position under them?" + +"They call him _capitan_, but if he has such a position, it is merely +a nominal one. I think the natives are beginning to suspect that he is +not quite right in his mind. But still they love to hear him praise +them, and they swallow a good bit of what he says, like so many +children." + +For the moment Major Morris was silent. Then he turned to Ben. "Our +mission seems to have come to a sudden end," he said. "Brownell can +tell Colonel Darcy all he wants to know." And he related to the +escaped prisoner the reason for their coming beyond the American +lines. + +"Yes, I reckon I can tell the colonel well enough," answered Barton +Brownell. "For I saw Caspard often, as I mentioned before, and he +never knew what it was to keep his tongue from wagging." + +"And how did you escape?" asked Ben, with interest. + +"In a very funny way," and the soldier laughed. "As I said before, we +were kept up in the mountains, in a large cave. There were six of our +troop, but all told the prisoners numbered twenty-eight. There was a +guard of four rebels to keep us from escaping, and an old woman called +Mother Beautiful, because she was so ugly, used to cook our food for +us--and the food was mighty scanty, I can tell you that. + +"Well, one day two of the guards went off, leaving the old woman and +the other two guards in sole charge. There had been a raid of some +kind the day before, and the guards had some fiery liquor which made +them about half drunk. The old woman got mad over this, and she was +more angry than ever when one of the guards refused to get her a pail +of water from a neighboring spring. 'I'll get the water, mother,' says +I, bowing low to her, and would you believe it, she made the two +guards let me out, just to get her the water." + +"And the water hasn't arrived yet," said Major Morris, laughing. + +"No, the water hasn't arrived yet," answered Barton Brownell. "As soon +as I reached the spring I dropped the pail and ran for all I was +worth, and hid in the brush along the mountain side. I stayed there +two days and nearly starved to death. Then they hunted me out, and I +received this wound. But I escaped them and made my way through the +jungle and over the rice-fields to here, and here I am." + +"You say there were twenty-eight prisoners all told," cried Ben. "Did +you ever hear anything of my brother, Larry Russell?" + +"Larry Russell?" repeated Barton Brownell, thoughtfully. "To be sure I +did. He is a sailor from the _Olympia_, isn't he?" + +"Yes! yes! And was he with you?" + +"He was, at first. But he wasn't when I left. They moved some of the +prisoners away, and he was among them. So he was your brother? That +beats all, doesn't it--to think I should fall in with you in such a +place as this!" + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +THE ADVANCE UPON MAASIN + + +Ben was much surprised and also delighted to learn that Barton +Brownell had met Larry, and he lost no time in questioning the escaped +soldier regarding his missing brother. + +"Yes, your brother was with me about two weeks," said Barton Brownell. +"He came up with a detachment of rebels from the Laguna de Bay, after +General Lawton left that territory." + +"And was he well, or had he been wounded?" + +"He was suffering from a cut in the head. A Spaniard had kicked +him--and, yes, he told me it was a Spaniard that you and he were after +for having robbed a bank of some money." + +"Benedicto Lupez!" ejaculated Ben, more astonished than ever. + +"That's the name. Your brother had run across that man and his brother +at Santa Cruz, and he was trying to make this Benedicto Lupez a +prisoner, when the brother kicked him in the head, and then both of +them ran away, and when your brother realized what was going on again +he found himself a prisoner. He was taken to a camp near the north +shore of the Laguna de Bay, and afterward transferred to the cave +where I was held." + +"I am thankful that he is alive," murmured the young captain, and +breathed silent thanks to God for His mercy. "Do you know where they +took Larry to?" + +"I can't say exactly, but I know that a great many of the rebels are +retreating to the mountains back of San Isidro. I wouldn't be +surprised to hear of Aguinaldo making his final stand there." + +"I would give all I am worth to gain my brother his liberty." + +"And I reckon he would give all he is worth to escape," rejoined +Brownell. "The boys hate to be kept prisoners, and try all sorts of +devices to get away. One fellow had some gold hidden on his person and +tried to bribe a guard with it. But the guard only laughed at him and +stole the money." + +"Of course you do not know what became of Benedicto Lupez and his +brother." + +"No, your brother knew nothing further than that they ran off after +the assault on him," concluded Brownell. + +The talking had somewhat exhausted the wounded man and Ben forbore to +question him further just then. While Barton Brownell rested easily on +some moss, the young captain turned to the commander of the first +battalion. + +"What shall we do next, major?" + +"I think we had better be getting back," was the ready answer. "The +sooner we report to the colonel the better he will be pleased." + +"I feel like pushing right through to San Isidro, on a hunt for my +brother." + +"It would be a foolish movement, captain, for, unless I am greatly +mistaken, the insurgents have a large force in front of us, and to +attempt breaking through would be taking a big risk. Be thankful that +your brother is safe thus far. As long as he remains quiet I don't +think the rebels will harm him." + +Ben could not but believe that this was good advice, and he agreed to +do as the major thought best. It was now three o'clock in the morning, +and half an hour later they started, thinking to rejoin their command +before daylight. + +It was an exhausting tramp, the more so because Brownell had to be +assisted by one or the other for the entire distance. + +"I'm a great drag," sighed the wounded soldier. "Perhaps you had +better push on and let me shift for myself." But the major and the +captain would not hear of this. + +They had one little brush with two of the Filipino pickets before +getting into the American lines, but the rebels were young men and not +very courageous and let them slip by without great trouble. + +It was Major Morris who made the report to the colonel, taking Ben and +Brownell with him. Colonel Darcy was greatly interested. + +"It is, then, as I supposed," he said. "This information will be of +great value to us, Major Morris," and he thanked the major and Ben for +what they had done. Brownell's report was also received with close +consideration by General Lawton himself. + +"If the prisoners have been taken to San Isidro, we must try our best +to liberate them," said the general. "I am so glad to learn, though, +that the rebels are not ill-treating them, as I had supposed." + +It was Ben, assisted by Casey, who saw Brownell to the hospital and +had the wounded soldier given every attention. When they parted, +Brownell, although now so exhausted that he could scarcely speak, +shook the young captain's hand warmly. + +"I hope you find your brother soon," he said. "I can imagine how bad +it makes you feel to know that he is a prisoner." + +The advance of General Lawton's command was now directed at Maasin, a +few miles beyond Baliuag. It was led by Colonel Summers, who took with +him some Oregon, Dakota, and Third Infantry troops and a battery of +the Utah Light Artillery, with other troops following, including Ben's +battalion with Major Morris at its head. As before, the advance was +along the main road and through the rice-fields, cane-brakes, and the +jungle, with the air so oppressive that it felt as though coming out +of a steaming oven. + +"I dink me I vos right in it from der start, alretty!" exclaimed Carl +Stummer, as he plodded along. "Dis vos vorse as der march on Malolos, +eh, Tan?" + +"Sure, an' it's no picnic," replied the Irish volunteer. "But thin, +Carl, me b'y, ye must remimber, we didn't come out here fer fun. We +kem out fer to show thim haythins how to behave thimselves an' grow +up into useful an' ornamental citizens av the greatest republic that +iver brathed th' breath av life." + +"Chust so," returned the German volunteer. "But it vos uphill vork, +ennahow," and he sighed deeply. Carl could fight as well as any +old-time trooper, but the long tramps through the jungle always +disgusted him. + +There was the river to cross upon which the mill-house was located, +and Ben could not help but wonder if the Spanish woman was still at +the structure, and how the American deserters had fared. But the +mill-house was too far away to visit, and now the battalion was +ordered into action on the upper side of the stream. + +"Gangway for General Lawton!" was the cry that reached Ben's ears a +few minutes later, and then came a crashing of horses' hoofs, and the +tall general rode through their open ranks, followed by several +members of his staff. As was usual, the general was bound for the +firing line, to personally direct the movements of the men under him. +Many were the times that the members of his staff urged him not to +make a target of himself. He would not listen; and in the end this +daring exposure cost the gallant leader his life. + +But now all was excitement, for a large force of rebels had been +uncovered and there was no telling but what the jungle ahead concealed +even more. "We are up against it, fellows!" shouted one of the +sergeants. "Let us rush 'em for keeps!" And on swept the battalion, +until the steady pop-pop of Mausers and the crack of the Springfields +could be heard upon every side. + +Ben's company was no longer as large as it had been, for death and +disease had sadly depleted the ranks. Yet the forty-six men in the +command were now thoroughly seasoned fighters, and all loved their +young and dashing leader and would have followed him anywhere. + +Presently an orderly dashed up to Major Morris. + +"Major, Colonel Darcy wishes you to take your command up yonder hill. +The rebels have a battery up there, as you can see. If you can rush +the position, he will send another battalion to your support." + +"Tell Colonel Darcy I will obey the order," answered Major Morris. +Then he turned to the four companies. "Boys, we are ordered to take +yonder hill and the two field-pieces perched on top of it. Come on, +and I will lead you!" + +He waved his sword and away went the first battalion on the double +quick, two companies to the front. There was first a slight hollow to +cross, and then came a thicket of brambles where many a uniform was +reduced to rags. The battery at the top of the hill saw them coming +and directed a heavy fire at their advance. + +"Hot work!" cried the major, as he ranged up alongside of Ben. "I am +afraid the carrying out of this order will cost us dear." + +"If you'll allow me to make a suggestion, major--" began Ben. + +"Make a dozen, captain." + +"Why not take a course to the left then." + +"For what reason?" + +"There is a big rock on that side, on the very top of the hill." + +"But we can't climb that rock." + +"No, and neither can the rebels fire over it with their field-pieces. +When we get up to the rock we can march around it." + +"Well spoken, Russell--you're a born strategist," cried the major, who +was too generous to have any ill feeling because somebody offered him +a suggestion. "We'll go that way." And he immediately gave necessary +orders. + +But the advance was by no means easy, and soon the battalion found +itself under such a galling fire that the men were glad enough to seek +the shelter of every rock and bush which came handy. The battery could +not do everything, and afraid of having his pieces taken from him, the +captain had called upon several companies of the Filipinos to assist +him in maintaining his position. + +"Down!" suddenly shouted Gilbert Pennington, and down went the men, +and the next instant a shell burst directly over their heads. + +"This is hot and no mistake," murmured Ben. Then he turned to his +command. "Forward, men, the sooner we take that position the better it +will be for us." And up the hill he dashed, with Casey, Stummer, and +the rest following as best they could, for the way was steep and +uncertain. At last the very edge of the big rock was gained, and +Company D poured around its left side, to find themselves suddenly +confronted by a body of Tagalos fully a hundred strong. In the +meantime the other companies under Major Morris were coming up on the +opposite side of the rock. Ben was on the point of shouting some +additional words of encouragement to his men, when he found himself +face to face with a mighty Igorrote warrior, who with his long lance +seemed determined to pierce the young captain through and through. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +CAMPING OVER A POWDER MAGAZINE + + +Bang! + +It was the report of Ben's pistol, and the weapon was aimed directly +for the Igorrote's head, for the young captain had learned the value +of aiming and firing quickly. + +But the Filipino "had been there before," and as the trigger went down +he dropped to the ground with the rapidity of lightning, and the +bullet intended for him struck a man some distance in the rear. Then +up leaped the Igorrote once more and bounded onward, the lance point +aimed directly for Ben's throat! + +The young captain's pistol was now empty, the other shots having been +discharged during the climb up the hill. His sword was out, but the +lance was three times the length of the blade, so he was still at a +disadvantage. Yet he aimed a blow at the barbed point and thus turned +it aside. + +"Ha!" hissed the Filipino, and drew back. Then he struck again at +Ben, and instantly both slipped on the moist grass and fell directly +into each other's clutches. The Igorrote was a powerful warrior, and +grasped Ben's throat with the tightness of a steel band. + +Ben tried to cry out, but not a sound could he make. His eyes bulged +from their sockets, and he felt his breath leaving him. A second +Igorrote leaped forward to hit him on the head with a war club, such +as some of the Igorrote still insisted upon carrying. Of the use of +rifles this tribe of the Filipinos knew little or nothing. + +"Back, ye nager!" came in Dan Casey's voice, and there followed a +sickening thud, and down went the enemy with the club, his head split +open by a blow from the Irish volunteer's gun-stock. Casey then aimed +a second blow at the rebel who had hold of Ben, but not wishing to +receive such a dose as had been meted out to his companion, the other +Igorrote sprang up, butted Casey in the stomach with his head, thus +landing the Irishman on his back, and then ran for his life toward the +nearest shelter of brush. + +"Oh, be gracious! To look at that now!" spluttered the Irishman as he +arose. "But I got wan av thim, anyhow, captain," he added, with a +jerk of his thumb toward the Igorrote, who lay with a broken head. + +"Yes, Casey; and you saved me, too," returned Ben, earnestly. "You are +worth two ordinary men;" and then captain and private drifted apart, +as the tide of battle rolled forward. + +The top of the hill was gained, but for once the insurgents did not +know when they were whipped, and held to their guns until more than +half of their number were either killed or wounded. The contest raged +to the right and the left of the battery, and this was fortunate, for +seeing they could not hold the pieces, some of the rebels overcharged +one of the guns and set it off, blowing it into a thousand pieces. +Then the main body retreated into the jungle, carrying a few of their +wounded with them. + +By this time it was raining again, and the downpour on the top of the +hill was so great that little could be seen of the condition of +affairs at a distance. Sending word that the hill was taken and one +old-fashioned Spanish field-piece captured, Major Morris rallied his +battalion around him and stood on the defensive. But the rebels had +had enough of fighting for the present, and once again took up the +retreat in the direction of San Isidro. + +"I reckon that was hot enough for anybody," said the major, as he +stalked up to Ben and the other captains under him. "I wonder if +anybody was killed by the explosion of that old cannon?" + +"Nobody was killed, but several were wounded," answered one of the +captains. "The rebel who charged her up and then fired her had lots of +nerve," he added. + +Word soon came back from General Lawton that the battalion should hold +the hill until further orders. The situation was not a pleasant one, +but orders must be obeyed, and the various companies proceeded to make +themselves as comfortable as possible, which was not saying much, +since the top of the hill afforded little or no shelter. One company +was detailed to do picket duty, but a little scouting soon proved that +the rebels were a mile or more distant. + +When the main body of the troops under General Lawton marched into +Maasin, they found the pretty little town all but deserted. In a few +of the huts the inhabitants remained, having hung out dirty white +rags to show that they were _amigos_. Here were also numerous "Chinos" +or Chinese, some of mixed blood, and all ready to do anything for the +American soldiers, provided they were paid for it. Natives and +"Chinos" went about bared to the waist, casting fearful eyes at those +who had so suddenly disturbed the peace of their homesteads, for the +inhabitants of Maasin were peaceably inclined, and took but little +interest in the war Aguinaldo and his followers had instituted. + +"Well, we are one step nearer to San Isidro," remarked Gilbert, when +he got the chance to talk to Ben. "I suppose we can't get there any +too quick for you." + +"I don't know, Gilbert. You must remember that while Larry may be near +San Isidro now, he may be miles off when we reach there. These +Filipinos change their capital and their prisons as quickly as a flea +jumps." + +"Never mind, we'll keep them on the jump until they drop," answered +the young Southerner. "They can't stand up before us forever." + +"To my way of thinking, I don't believe this war will come to definite +end, Gilbert." + +"What do you mean, Ben? They have got to stop sometime--or else we +have got to stop." + +"These Filipinos are not pulling together--on the contrary, they are +split up into half a dozen factions. If we defeat one faction, the +others will still keep on, and, besides that, the worst of the rebels +are of Malayan blood, pirates and bandits. I believe after we have +whipped them as an army they will still keep on fighting in small +bodies, somewhat after the order of the brigands in Mexico and +northern Africa. With the mountains to fly to, such brigands could +keep on worrying an American army for years." + +"Possibly; but when the main body of the natives see what we want +to do for them, they'll be as anxious as we to wipe out such +brigands, and with their own people after them, life will be pretty +uncomfortable, I'll wager. To be sure, there will always be +robbers, just as there are outlaws and train-wreckers in the western +states of our own country." + +Some of the men had found a small opening between the rocks, and over +this had hung their tents, making a rude shelter which Ben and Gilbert +were glad to share with them. In the crowd were Casey and Stummer, and +the latter busied himself in trying to make a cup of hot chocolate +over a handful of dry twigs found in the shelter. The attempt was +hardly a success, yet the drink was better for the convalescent than +either water or liquor would have been. + +"Sure, an' if this shtorm kapes up, we'll all be dhrowned out," was +Casey's comment, as he shifted his feet to keep them out of a rising +puddle. "Now who would think the water would rise on the top av a +hill. Things do be mighty peculiar in Luzon, an' that's a fact." + +"Never mind, Casey, you'll get back home some day," put in another +soldier. "And in years to come you'll be telling your grandchildren +what a mighty fighter you were out in the state of Luzon, recently +annexed to the United States, along with the state of Hawaii." And a +laugh went up over the conceit. + +"Sure an' you ton't haf nodding to grumble ofer of you ton't git +shot," said Stummer. + +"Or don't get taken down with disease," put in another. "My, but I +pity the fellows with fever and chills and malaria, and the other +things that are just as bad. I believe about one-fifth of the army is +now on the sick list." + +"Some of the boys are going to send a petition to General Otis for +relief. They say they can't stand it much longer." + +So the talk went on, both Ben and Gilbert saying but little. Presently +Major Morris poked his nose into the opening. + +"I think you boys had better come out of there," he said shortly. + +"Why, major--" began several. + +"Are we to advance?" asked others. + +"No, we are not going to advance, unless it's skyward," continued the +major. "Either come out of that, or else put out that fire, and be +mighty careful about it." + +"The fire ain't doing no harm," grumbled a private, under his breath. + +"I don't believe the enemy can see the smoke in this rain," suggested +another, thinking that this was the cause of their being disturbed. + +"I'm not thinking of the enemy, boys, I'm thinking of you. Better come +out, and then we'll put out that fire as carefully as we can." + +Seeing that something unusual was in the wind, one after another of +the officers and privates came forth from the hollow, Stummer giving +the fire a kick as he passed. As soon as they were outside they +surrounded the commander of the first battalion. + +"Now, boys, do you know why I called you out?" asked Major Morris, +with just the suspicion of a twinkle in his clear eyes. + +"No, why was it?" came from a dozen voices. + +"Because I wanted to save your lives," was the quiet response. + +"Save our lives, major? You must be joking." + +"No, I am not joking. We have just captured one of the rebel gunners, +who was in command of the piece that was blown to atoms. He says that +this hollow, where you had your camp-fire, was their powder magazine, +and that they left all of a hundred and fifty pounds of powder stored +there, hidden under the moss and dead leaves." + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +THE RESULT OF AN AMBUSH + + +"Good gracious, do you mean to say we have been camping over a powder +magazine?" gasped Gilbert, as soon as he could speak. + +"Sure, an' it's a wondher we wasn't all blowed to hivin!" came from +Dan Casey. + +"Und I boil mine chocolate so calmly as you blease," put in Carl +Stummer, with a shudder. "Py chiminy, I ton't vos build no fire no +more bis I vos sure of mine ground." + +For several minutes the excitement was intense, and all of the +soldiers retreated to a considerable distance from the hollow which +had proved such a comfortable shelter. + +Presently, however, Ben, Gilbert, and several others mustered up +courage enough to go back and haul down the coverings put up. Then +came another heavy downpour of rain, which speedily extinguished the +fire; and the danger of an explosion was past. + +An examination under the rocks proved that the Filipino gunner had +told the truth. The powder was there, in big cans bearing the old +Spanish stamp. Some was marked 1876, and was so old as to be +practically worthless. + +"They ought to have shot that off in honor of our centennial," +remarked the young captain. "I don't wonder the rebels can't hit +anything. This powder has no carrying power left to it." + +Nevertheless the powder was carted off and added to the American +stock. Then General Lawton rode up and Major Morris told in detail +what had been accomplished. + +With the fall of Maasin came another day of much-needed rest for the +majority of the troops under General Lawton. In the meantime, while +these soldiers were advancing from Angat upon San Isidro, the command +under General MacArthur was far from idle. The Filipino commissioners +wanted a three months' armistice, in order that the terms of a peace +might be discussed, but to this the Americans would not listen, as +they felt the enemy wished mainly to gain time in which to reorganize +their shattered forces. + +MacArthur's command was now in possession of Calumpit on the +railroad, and Apalit, just above, on the Rio Grande; while the rebels +in this territory began to mass at St. Tomas and at San Fernando, +still further northward on the railroad. On May the 4th MacArthur's +division set out from Apalit, with Hale's command on the right wing +and Wheaton's on the left. + +It was not supposed that the rebels would make a serious stand short +of San Fernando, but at St. Tomas they were developed in force, and a +running fight ensued, lasting several hours, but without great loss to +the Americans. Finding they could not hold St. Tomas, the Filipinos +set fire to the town and fled. They were pursued with vigor, and +attempted to burn San Fernando late that night, but failed to do so. + +Early in the morning the fighting was renewed, and near San Fernando +another battle took place. But the rebels were disheartened by the +defeat at St. Tomas, and were soon on the run, and General Hale drove +them a mile beyond San Fernando. In taking possession of the town it +was found that several of the public buildings were in ruins. The +defensive works here were very strong, and had the Filipinos stood up +to their work like real fighters, they might have held the position +for a long time. + +On Saturday, May the 6th, Ben's command moved forward again, down the +hill into Maasin, now patrolled by Americans, and then to the main +road beyond. + +"I don't believe we are in for much of a fight to-day," remarked +the young captain to Gilmore, who had now been appointed first +lieutenant. + +"I reckon you are right," answered Gilmore. "The scouts haven't found +any rebels within a mile." + +"It would almost seem as if we could march straight through to San +Isidro," went on Ben, thoughtfully. "I must say I never heard of such +a campaign." + +"They say General Lawton puts it down as a regular Indian campaign. +But then the rebels don't do much fighting in the dark." + +"They are sick of it, Gilmore. I believe they would give up in a +minute if the leaders were only assured that they would come out +whole, as the saying goes." + +"Well, they've gone too far to come out whole, captain. General +Aguinaldo may mean well, but he never went at this thing right. He +ought to know that he isn't dealing with some third-rate power." + +On went the regiment, about four hundred and fifty strong now, for +men were dropping out every day on account of fever and other tropical +troubles. Ben had had a little fever himself, but had dosed himself +with quinine before it had a chance to permeate his system and bring +him down on his back. + +The advance led the regiment along a small stream lined with fading +flowers and wild plantains and the ever present thorns and trailing +vines. Birds were numerous, and here and there a sporting soldier +could not resist the temptation to bring one of the feathered tribe +down, to be cooked at the next resting place. Once the regiment +stirred up a flock of wild turkeys, and a charge was made to capture +the prizes, a charge that was as enthusing as one on the rebels. +Soldiers are but human and must have their fun, no matter under what +difficulties. + +"It's a fine turkey dinner we'll be afther havin' to-day," remarked +Dan Casey, as he hung one of the birds over his shoulder. He had +scarcely spoken, when pop-pop went several Mausers in a thicket +beyond, the bullets singing their strange tune in the leaves over the +advancers' heads. + +"Forward!" shouted Major Morris, who was in temporary command of the +regiment, and away they went once more, to suddenly find themselves +on spongy soil which speedily let them down to their ankles. In the +meantime the insurgents' fire became thicker than ever, and it looked +as if they were caught in an ambush. + +"Fire at will!" came the order. "To the left, boys, and make every +shot tell!" + +A roar of musketry drowned out the words, and immediately Ben's +company found itself all but surrounded. To go into this quagmire had +certainly been a grave error, but all leaders make mistakes sometimes; +and Major Morris was suffering as greatly as his men. + +The next half hour was one Ben never forgot. The rebels evidently +thought they had the Americans at their mercy and pushed in closer and +closer, until more than half of the contestants were fighting hand to +hand. Many had exhausted their ammunition, and were using their +bayonets or else handling their guns as clubs. + +"Die!" cried one tall Tagal, as he flashed up before Ben with a bloody +bolo. "Die!" he repeated in bad English, and made a lunge at the young +captain. But Gilmore had his eye on the man, and the lieutenant's +sword cut the bolo from the rebel's grasp. + +"Good for you!" cried Ben. Then he drew a long breath, to think of the +narrow escape he had had. The native, his hand flowing with blood, +retreated as suddenly as he had approached. + +The tide of the battle was now taking Americans and insurgents toward +a cane-brake. The rebels still fought desperately, but they were +beginning to lose confidence, for the Americans were pushing them +hard. + +But now came a cheer from the rear, and Company B rushed up to the aid +of Ben's command. To the young captain's astonishment, Gilbert was in +command, all the upper officers being either killed or wounded. + +"Gilbert!" he called, but had no time to say more. But the young +Southerner heard and waved the sword he had picked up. Soon the two +companies were fighting shoulder to shoulder, and the enemy were +driven out into the cane-field, and then into a meadow. Here they +tried to make a stand, around an old rice-house, and it took another +half hour to dislodge them. But when they did retreat at last, they +went in great haste, many leaving their weapons and outfits behind +them. + +The fighting over, Ben started to find the major. Gilbert accompanied +him. Their first hunt for the commander, however, was unsuccessful. + +"It's queer," was Ben's comment. "I trust he isn't dead in the +bushes." + +The hunt gradually brought them to a trail through the jungle, and +presently Gilbert heard a faint moan for help. Running in the +direction, they found a soldier of Company C lying on some moss, his +knee shattered from a Mauser bullet. + +"Oh, the pain!" groaned the poor fellow. "Help me, won't you?" + +"We'll do all we can for you," answered Ben, and while he went to +work, Gilbert ran back to bring up the hospital corps with a +stretcher. + +"You want to go after Major Morris," said the wounded soldier, as soon +as he felt comfortable enough to talk. + +"We are looking for Major Morris," replied Ben, much astonished. +"Where is he?" + +"He was knocked over by one of the Dagos, and then three of 'em +carried him away." + +This was certainly news, and Ben waited impatiently for Gilbert to get +back. As soon as the young Southerner returned, both asked the +wounded soldier in what direction the captured major had been taken. + +"They went through the cane-brake," was the answer. "You'll find the +trail easily enough, I think, if you look for it. One of the rebs wore +boots with high heels, so you can't miss 'em." + +The wounded man did his best to point out the right direction, and was +then taken back to the hospital tent. Without delay Ben called Ralph +Sorrel and half a dozen others to his aid. + +"We must go after Major Morris, and at once," he said. "Are you ready +to undertake the work? It may be a dangerous proceeding." + +"We're with yer, cap'n," answered Sorrel, and his sentiment was that +of all of the others. + +The trail into the cane-brake was followed without much difficulty, +and the party of eight advanced as rapidly as the nature of the ground +permitted. The storm had cleared off the night before, and the sun +shone down hotly, making the air in the brake suffocating. + +"This yere is a putty big cane-brake, an' no error," remarked Sorrel, +after a quarter of a mile had been covered. "Cap'n, it won't do fer us +to turn ourselves about an' git lost." + +"We'll stick to the one trail," answered Ben. "As yet I've seen no +side trails, although I've been watching every foot of the ground that +we crossed." + +"Nor I, cap'n,--an' don't wan't to, neither," added the tall +mountaineer. + +A little further on was a clearing, in the centre of which stood a +small cane-house. Halting on the edge of the opening, they beheld +several Filipinos on guard outside the house. In the doorway, with his +back to the opening, stood Major Morris, his hands bound behind him. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE TORNADO IN THE CANE-BRAKE + + +"I reckon we have got 'em tight, cap'n," came from Sorrel, as the +party of Americans came to a halt and surveyed the scene before them. + +"It depends upon how many of them there are," answered Ben. "Sorrel, +supposing you skirt the clearing and try to count noses." + +The Tennesseean was willing, and started off, taking Gilbert with him. +He was gone probably ten minutes. + +"Not more than ten at the most," he reported. "And of that number two +are wounded and have their arms in slings." + +"Any other prisoners besides Major Morris?" + +"Not that we could see," came from Gilbert. "We could rush them easily +enough if it wasn't for the major," he added. + +"We don't want any harm to befall Major Morris," said Ben, thoughtfully. +"If we-- The rebels have discovered us, look out!" + +Ben had scarcely finished when a report rang out and a bullet whizzed +over their heads. One of the soldiers outside of the cane-house had +seen two of the Americans and had fired upon them. + +The discharge of the firearm caused Major Morris to turn around, and +as he did so Ben waved his cap at his commander, and was recognized. +Then two of the insurgents hurried the major out of sight. + +The Americans were not slow to return the fire; and, although nobody +was struck, the insurgents lost no time in disappearing from view. A +lull followed, as both sides tried to determine what was best to be +done next. + +"Here comes a flag of truce," said Gilbert, presently, as a rebel +appeared, holding up a white rag. "If I were you, I wouldn't honor +it." + +"I would like to hear what they have to say," replied Ben, quietly. + +"But remember how they fired on the other flag of truce," insisted the +young Southerner. "You'll be running your head into a lion's mouth." + +"Sorrel, keep that man covered," said Ben. "I won't move out any +further than he does." + +"If you go, I'll go with you," said Gilbert, promptly. + +He would not be put off, and together Ben and he moved into the +opening, Ben holding up a new handkerchief as he walked. The rebel at +once halted, as if expecting them to come over to where he stood. + +"You come over here!" cried Gilbert, and waved his hand. + +There was a full minute's delay, and then of a sudden the rebel threw +down his white flag and sped toward the house. At the same time three +reports rang out, and Gilbert fell back, struck in the shoulder. + +"What did I tell you!" he gasped. "They are treacherous to the last +degree!" And then the young Southerner fainted. + +As just mentioned, three reports had rung out, but only two had come +from the house. The third came from Ralph Sorrel's weapon, and the man +who had carried the pretended flag of truce fell dead in his tracks. + +The dastardly attack angered Ben beyond endurance, and leaving Gilbert +resting comfortably on some cut cane, he leaped to the front. "Come, +boys, we will root them out!" he cried, and ran on toward the house as +fast as he could, firing as he went. Sorrel was at his heels, and the +others fired, each "red-hot" as they afterward expressed it. + +The insurgents saw them coming and fired several shots, but nobody was +struck, and in a trice the house was surrounded. Then Major Morris +came bounding through a window, and it was Ben who cut his bonds with +a pocket-knife. + +"I saw it all," exclaimed the major. "Go for them, men, every one of +the rascals deserves death!" And stooping over the dead rebel, he took +from his bosom a bolo and joined in the attack. "They are a pack of +cowards--a mere set of camp followers." + +The major was right; the rebels in the house were no regularly +organized body, and at the first sign of real peril they fled by the +back way, over a ditch and straight for the nearest jungle. But our +friends were determined that they should not escape thus easily, and +pursued them for nearly half a mile, killing one more and wounding +three others. Long afterward they learned that those who had thus +forfeited their lives were bandits from the mountains back of San +Isidro. They had joined the forces under General Aguinaldo, merely for +the booty to be picked up in the towns through which the rebel army +passed. + +As soon as the contest had come to an end, Ben hurried back to where +he had left Gilbert. The wound from which the young Southerner was +suffering was painful, but not dangerous. Yet it was likely to put +Gilbert in the hospital for the best part of a month. + +"It's too bad--I thought I could see the thing through to the end," +said Gilbert, shaking his head dolefully. + +"You'll have to take your dose as I did," answered Ben. "I am glad it +is not serious. Our regiment couldn't afford to lose such a brave +fellow as you." + +"Brave? Didn't I hang back until you proposed to go out alone, Ben? If +anybody was brave, it was you," and then Gilbert turned his face away +to conceal the pain that was coming on. + +The hospital corps was so busy that Gilbert could not be carried back +of the firing line for some time. Feeling that there would be no more +fighting that day, Ben decided to remain by his old chum, and +requested Sorrel to do likewise, leaving the others to accompany Major +Morris back to the command proper. In the meantime, a skirmish line +was stretched to the north of the cane-brake, that the insurgents +might not regain any of the lost territory. + +It was frightfully hot, but scarcely had Major Morris left with his +party than a faint breeze sprang up which gradually increased to a +fair-sized wind. Making Gilbert as comfortable as possible under some +of the tallest of the cane, Ben and Sorrel sat down beside him to do +what they could to help him forget his pain. + +The three had been sitting in the shade for the best part of half an +hour, and Sorrel was sharpening his knife on the side leather of his +shoe, when, glancing up, Ben noticed a peculiar cloud in the sky +overhead. + +"That looks rather queer," he remarked. "Does that denote a +wind-storm, Sorrel?" + +"It denotes something, that's sartin," responded the mountaineer, +surveying the cloud with care. "It's something I ain't seed out yere +yit," and he leaped to his feet. + +The cloud was about as large as a barrel in appearance, and of a deep +black color. It seemed to be whirling around and around, and as it +came forward began to expand. Then it shot off to the southward, but +not out of sight. + +"I'm glad it's gone," said Gilbert, who had roused up to watch the +strange thing. "I don't want to get caught in a western cyclone--and +that cloud looks like those I have heard described." + +"The rainy season is coming on here, and I presume we are bound to +have more or less tornadoes," answered Ben. "They say that last year +they were something awful along the seacoast." + +The cloud was circling around the southern horizon, but now it turned +once again and came slowly toward them. While it was yet quarter of a +mile away, it shot down to earth and a strange humming sound reached +their ears, followed by a whistling that caused each of them to +shiver. + +"It's a whirlwind!" yelled Sorrel. "Come into yonder hollow, cap'n!" +and he caught hold of Gilbert and lifted him up. The hollow he +mentioned was less than fifty feet away, yet to reach it in time was +almost impossible, so swiftly did the tornado approach them. The air +became black as night and was filled with cane, grass, and branches of +trees. It struck the house in the clearing, and with a single mighty +crash the structure went up into the air, to fall with another crash a +hundred yards beyond. + +Running with the tall Tennesseean, Ben pitched into the hollow just +as the first of the tornado hurled itself at them. Down came the +mountaineer, but taking good care that Gilbert should not be hurt by +his quick leap. Then all fell flat, with their faces to earth. + +It was like some horrible nightmare to Ben,--the whistling wind and +the strange humming, the blackness, and the whirling cane and tree +limbs. In some places the ground was furrowed up as by a plough, and +down on their heads came dirt and grass, and then a shower of stalks +that buried them completely. And still the wind kept up, in a madder +gallop than ever. Ben felt as if every moment was going to be his +last. + +The time was an age; yet by the watch it was not yet five minutes when +the tornado had departed, leaving its track of ruin behind. But still +the party of three under the cane-stalks lay still, wondering if it +was safe to get up. + +"Do yer calkerlate it's over, cap'n?" came from Sorrel, after a +painful pause. + +"It appears to be, but there is no telling what such a thing will do +next," answered the young captain, as he pressed on the stalks over +him, and got up. "Gilbert, are you hurt?" + +"No," came with a gasp. "But, Ben, that was--was a terror, wasn't +it?" + +"It was, Gilbert, and something I never want to witness again." + +By this time Sorrel was also on his feet and hauling Gilbert into +daylight. The cloud was gone, and the sun shone as brightly as ever. +But at a great distance they saw the tornado sweeping up into the +mountains. + +"We are well out of it," was Ben's comment, as they watched the cloud +until it was out of sight. "That played sad havoc here. I wonder what +it will do in the mountains?" + +No one could answer that question, and no one tried. Ben would have +been very much surprised had anybody told him that the same tornado +which had visited him was also to visit his brother Larry. But so it +proved, as we shall speedily see. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +THE FLIGHT FOR LIBERTY + + +"Well, this is getting too monotonous for anything." + +It was Larry who spoke, and he sat on the stump of a tree at the mouth +of a wide cave, gazing disconsolately at a fire which several +insurgents were trying to build. + +The place was on the top of a high hill, backed up by still higher +mountains. On every hand were sharp rocks and trees, with a tangle of +thorns. Small wonder, then, that Aguinaldo and his cohorts considered +these fastnesses inaccessible for American troops. No regular body +could have gotten to such a place, and to forward supplies hither was +totally out of the question. + +The rebels numbered fifteen, all mountaineers and strong. At General +Luna's request they had brought ten prisoners to the spot, and the +other prisoners were to come up some time later. Why the Filipinos +thus divided the men they had taken is not definitely known, yet +divided they were, until some escaped and others died or were given +up. + +Since Larry had been captured he had passed through half a dozen +different hands. It must be said he had been treated fairly well, +better, perhaps, than many of my readers may suppose. To be sure, his +clothing was in rags and his shoes were almost minus their soles, but +in these respects he was no worse off than those who kept him captive. +Then, too, the food given him was very plain, but the rebels ate the +same, and to complain, therefore, would have been worse than useless. + +Larry had missed Barton Brownell, for the pair had been fairly +friendly, as we know. With the transferal to new quarters the young +sailor had struck up an acquaintanceship with Dan Leroy, one of the +_Yorktown's_ men, also a prisoner. A number of the sailors from the +_Yorktown_--in fact, a boatload, had been captured, but Leroy had +become separated from his messmates at the very start. + +"Yes, it is monotonous, lad," said Leroy, who was resting at Larry's +feet. "But, as I've said a hundred times afore, we can't help +ourselves, consequently, make the best on it. Ain't that sound +argyment, lad?" + +"I reckon so, Leroy, but--but--" + +"When ye git as old as I am you'll see things in a different light. We +can't complain o' the treatment here, lad." + +"But I would like to know how the war is going, and if my brother +knows I am alive." + +"Reckon the war is goin' agin the Tagals, or they wouldn't be +a-pushing back into the mountains like this." + +"It's a wonder they don't try to exchange us." + +At this Dan Leroy smiled grimly. "Might be as how they consider us too +vallyble," he suggested. He was a short, stout fellow, much given to +joking, and rarely out of good humor. + +It was about the middle of the afternoon, and from a long distance +came the sounds of firing. But the booming came from big field-pieces, +so Larry knew it must be far away, and so it gave him small hope. + +The rebels had just brought in some fresh meat, procured from the town +at the foot of the long hill, and they speedily proceeded to make a +beef stew with rice and yams. The smell was appetizing, and as nobody +had had a square meal that day, Larry brightened over the prospect. + +The cave in the hillside was irregular in shape, running back to a +series of openings which nobody had ever yet explored. In this cave +the insurgents kept some of their supplies, brought up from San +Fernando, San Isidro, and other places. It was a fact that Aguinaldo +hardly knew where to "jump" next. + +Before nightfall the dinner was ready, and the chief of the rebels had +the prisoners supplied with bowls of the stew. "Eat all of eet," he +said, with a grin. "For maybe no geet such t'ings to-morrow." + +"Thanks, we'll fill up then," responded Larry, and set to with a will, +as did all the other prisoners. + +The captives were unarmed, and though the rebels watched them, they +were allowed more or less of the freedom of the camp. Finishing his +bowl of stew, Larry leaned over to where Leroy sat. + +"Leroy, if we can manage to get a kettle of that stew, I'll be for +trying to get away to-night," he whispered. + +"And how are ye going to get it, lad?" asked the sailor. + +"Wait and you will see," was the answer, and Larry arose and sauntered +over toward the fire. + +"I spilt some of the stew on the ground," he said, which was true, +although the amount had not been large. "Can I have more?" + +"Yes, take what you will," returned the insurgent chief, who felt in +good humor, through having obtained a leave of absence, to start on +the morning following. "And give some to your friends. We'll fill up +for once." + +"Thank you," answered Larry, and hurried to the other prisoners with +the big pot from over the fire. The prisoners had a large tin kettle +for water, fitted with a cover so that bugs might be kept out, and +this he filled to the brim, and also gave the others all they wished. + +"Going to eat all of that?" queried one of the men, with a short +laugh. + +"Sometime--not now," answered Larry. Then he took the pot back to the +fire and carried his bowl and the kettle into the cave. At once Leroy +followed him. + +"And now, what's this nonsense you're talkin' about running away?" +demanded the _Yorktown_ sailor, as soon as they were alone. + +"I'm going to try my luck to-night, Leroy. If you don't want to go, +you can stay with the others." + +"But how are you going? There's a guard around the foot of the hill, +and they will shoot you on sight." + +"I'm not going to try the foot of the hill--at least, not this side of +it." + +"Well, you can't get to the other, for that cliff over this cave is in +the way." + +"I'm going to explore the caves back of this. They must lead to +somewhere." + +The old sailor shook his head. "More'n likely they lead to the bowels +of the earth. You'll fall into some pitfall, and that will be the end +of you." + +"I'll light a torch as soon as I am out of sight of this place, and +I'll be very careful where I step." + +"This cave may be as big as the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. You'll get +lost in one of the chambers and never find your way out." + +"I'll have to risk that. But I'm bound to try it--if they give me the +chance." + +"You're foolish. Why, confound it, I've half of a mind to report the +scheme." + +"Oh, Leroy, surely you won't do that." + +"I mean just to save you from yourself, Larry." + +"I don't intend to remain a prisoner until I am baldheaded, Leroy. +I'm going to try to escape--and that's the end of it." + +"Will you take any of the others along?" + +"If they want to go." + +"There won't a soul go--and I know it," responded the stout sailor, in +positive tones. + +When the other prisoners came in, he told them of Larry's plan. One +and all of them agreed it was foolhardy. + +"I don't believe there is any opening," said one. "Or if there is, +it's so high up in the mountains that you'll never reach it." + +"And what are you going to do for eating? That kettle of stew won't +last forever," said another. + +So the talk ran on, but the more he was opposed, the more headstrong +did Larry become--and that, as old readers know, was very much like +him. + +"I shall go, and good-bye to all of you," he said, in conclusion. And +then he shook hands with one after another, Leroy last of all. The +_Yorktown's_ man was trembling. + +"I hate ter see ye do it, lad," he said. "It seems like going to +death, but--but--hang it, I'll go along, so there!" + +"But you needn't if you don't wish to," protested the youth. "I am not +afraid to go alone." + +"But I am a-going, and we'll sink or swim together, Larry. Who else +goes?" + +Dan Leroy, looked from one face to the next. But not another prisoner +spoke, for each had taken a short walk to the rear caves and seen +quite enough of them. Then a guard came in, and the strange meeting +broke up immediately. + +The prisoners lay down to rest, but not one of them could go to sleep. +All of the others were waiting for Larry and Leroy's departure. At +last, satisfied that all was right for the night, the guard went +outside, to join several of his companions around the camp-fire. + +"Now, then," whispered Larry, and arose, to be followed immediately by +Dan Leroy. The kettle secured, they hurried for the rear of the outer +cave, without so much as looking at the others, who raised up to watch +their shadowy disappearance. + +The flight for liberty had begun. Would it succeed or fail? + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +THE CAVES UNDER THE MOUNTAIN + + +For a distance of five hundred feet the way was known to both Larry +and his sailor friend, and the pair passed along swiftly, guided in +part by the flickering rays from the camp-fire outside of the main +cave. + +"Have a care now, lad," whispered Leroy, as they reached a narrow +passage, which turned first to the left and then upward. "The roof is +low, and you don't want for to dash your brains out on the rocks." + +"Never fear but I'll be as careful as I can," responded the youth, +feeling his way along. "Better keep close, Leroy, that we don't become +separated." + +The turn made, it was no easy matter to ascend the sloping floor, with +here and there a rough bowlder to cross, or a hollow in which one +might fall and break a leg without half trying, as the _Yorktown_ +sailor said. Presently Leroy called a halt. + +"Better light the torch now, Larry." + +"I was going to save it," was the reply. "There is no telling how long +we may have to depend upon it." + +"That is true; but it's no longer safe to walk in this pitchy +darkness." + +Leroy was provided with matches, used in smoking his pipe, which had +not been denied him, and striking one he set fire to an end of the dry +cedar branch which Larry had laid away over a week before, when the +thought of running away had first crossed his mind. At the start the +branch spluttered wofully and threatened to go out, but by coaxing it +remained lit, and presently burst into a flame that was sufficient to +see by for a circle of twenty or thirty feet. + +On they plodded, up an incline that seemed to have no end, and then +around another turn. Here the chamber widened out, and beyond there +were branches, two to the left and one to the right. + +[Illustration: On they plodded, up an incline that seemed to have no +end.--_Page 236._] + +"This is as far as I've ever been," said the boy. "The passages beyond +seemed to lead downward for part of the way, and it's impossible to +judge which is the best to take. But I was of a mind to try that one +on the right." + +"Well, I reckon as how the right ought to be right," laughed Leroy. +"If it ain't, all we can do is to come back to here an' try over +again, eh?" + +"We haven't got time to waste in experimenting, Leroy. This is a +serious business. We are liable now to be shot on sight." + +"An' nobody knows thet better nor Dan Leroy, your humble servant. An' +if you say try one o' the other passages, I'm jes' as willin'." + +"No, we'll take that on the right," returned the youth, and started +onward without further delay. + +The passage was a crooked one, not over ten feet wide in any one part, +and but little over the height of a man. At one place a great rock +blocked the way, and over this they went on their hands and knees. + +"Kind o' a tight squeeze," remarked Leroy. "If that rock war a bit +bigger, we wouldn't be able to git over it at all." + +"Hark!" cried Larry, coming to a halt. "What is that, somebody +calling?" + +They listened, and from a distance ahead made out a low murmur of some +kind. "It's water running over the rocks," cried Leroy. "I hope it's +a river leading to the outer world." + +"Oh, so do I!" ejaculated the boy, and both started onward eagerly. +Long before the fall of water was gained they found themselves +splashing in an underground stream up to their ankles. The waterfall +was underground, coming from the rocks overhead and running into the +stream, which, in turn, sank out of sight some distance further on. + +"Nothing in that," muttered Leroy, his face falling. + +Nevertheless, they stopped for a drink, for the tramp through the +caves had made them thirsty. The old sailor held the torch, while +Larry carried the kettle. It was well that the top of the kettle was +on tight, otherwise the contents would have been spilled long before +this. + +Beyond the waterfall the cave opened out once more in fan shape, the +roof running upward to a high arch, from which hung stupendous +stalactites of white and brown. Here the water dripped down in the +form of a fine rain. + +"We're in a shower, lad, even though we are underground," remarked +Leroy. "I must say I hope this don't last. If it does, we'll soon be +wet to the skin." The vaulted cave soon came to an end, however, and +now they found themselves in an opening cut up into a hundred +different chambers, like a coal mine supported by arches. Each looked +at the other in perplexity. + +"We can easily miss the way here," said Larry, soberly. "We had better +lay out a course and stick to it." + +"Right you are, lad." Leroy pointed with his hand. "This seems as good +a trail as any. Shall we follow it?" + +"Yes." And forward it was again. Presently they came to another +chamber, and here the slope was again upward, much to their +satisfaction. "If we keep on going upward, we are bound to get out at +the top, sometime," was the way Larry calculated. + +Climbing now became difficult, and in a number of places each had to +help the other along. Then came a wall twelve feet high, and here they +were compelled to halt. + +"It looks as if we were blocked," remarked the _Yorktown_ sailor after +an examination. + +"I'm not going to give up yet," answered the boy. "If we can't get up +any other way, we can build a stairs with those loose stones we just +passed." + +"Hurrah! you've solved the difficulty!" exclaimed the old sailor, and +they set to work with a will. But rolling and lifting the stones into +place was no mean job, and when at last they were able to pull +themselves to the passageway above, both were utterly worn out and +glad enough to sit down. The rest lasted longer than either had +intended, for Leroy, who had not slept well the night before, dozed +off, and Larry was not of a heart to wake him up. So the boy went to +sleep too, and neither awakened until early morning. + +"Hullo! what's this?" cried Leroy, the first to open his eyes. All was +so dark about him--Larry having extinguished the torch--that for the +minute he could not collect his senses. Putting out his hand he +touched the youth on the face, and Larry awoke instantly. + +They were both hungry, and lighting the torch again, warmed up the +kettle of stew, and then ate about one-third of the stuff. "Touches +the spot," cried Leroy, smacking his lips. He could have eaten much +more, but knew it was best to be careful of their supply until the +outer world was gained. + +Much refreshed by their sleep, but somewhat stiff from the dampness +and the unaccustomed work of the evening before, they proceed on their +way, still climbing upward and still in a darkness, that was only +partly dispelled by the feeble glare of the torch, which was now +growing alarmingly small. + +"The light won't last more than a couple o' hours," said Leroy. +"Perhaps we had better split the stick in two." This was done, and +thus the feeble light was reduced one-half. + +Would the caves never come to an end? Such was the question Larry +asked himself over and over again. Was it possible that they were to +journey so far only to find themselves trapped at last? The thought +made him shiver, and he pushed on faster than ever. + +"Do you know what I think?" said Leroy, an hour later. "I think we are +moving around in a circle?" + +"A circle?" + +"Ay, lad. Don't you notice how the passageway keeps turning to the +right?" + +Larry had noticed it. "But we are going upward," he said. + +"True; but who knows but what we'll be going downward presently." + +Still they kept on, but now Larry's heart began to fail him. They had +progressed so far, had made so many turns, that to get back would +probably be impossible. The caves were so vast one might wander about +in them forever--if one's food did not give out. Larry shivered again +and clutched the precious kettle of stew tighter than ever. He was +once more hungry, but resolved to wait until the pangs of hunger +increased before reducing the stock of food. + +The passageway was now level for a considerable distance, with here +and there a rock to be climbed over or a crack to cross. Both had just +made a leap over an opening several feet wide when Leroy set up a +shout. + +"What is it?" asked Larry, eagerly. + +"Put the torch behind ye, lad, an' look ahead. Perhaps my eyes deceive +me," answered the old sailor. + +Larry did as requested, and gave a searching look up the passageway. +No, there was no mistaking it--there was a faint glimmer of light +coming from what appeared to be a bend. He, too, gave a shout, and +both set off on a run. + +As they sped onward the light became brighter and brighter, until the +torch was hardly needed. They were running side by side, each trying +to gain the outer air first. + +"Look out!" suddenly yelled Leroy, and caught Larry by the arm. The +old sailor could hardly stop, and had to throw himself flat, dragging +the boy down on top of him. + +A few feet beyond was an opening twelve to fifteen feet wide, running +from side to side of the passageway. The walls of the opening were +perpendicular, and the hole was so deep that when a stone was dropped +into it they could scarcely hear the thing strike bottom. + +"Here's a how-d'ye-do!" cried Leroy, gazing into the pit. "We can't +jump across that, nohow!" + +"A real good jumper might," answered Larry. "But I shouldn't want to +try it. The other side seems to slope down toward the hole. What's to +be done?" + +Ah, that was the question. It looked as if their advance in that +direction was cut off completely. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +BOXER THE SCOUT + + +Much chagrined, man and boy stood on the brink of the chasm before +them and gazed at the other side. It was sloping, as Larry had said, +and wet, which was worse. A jump, even for a trained athlete, would +have been perilous in the extreme. + +"Looks like we were stumped," remarked Leroy, laconically. + +"And just as we were so near to yonder opening!" cried Larry, vexed +beyond endurance. "If we only had a plank, or something." + +He looked around, but nothing was at hand but the bare stone walls, +with here and there a patch of dirt and a loose stone. He walked to +one end of the hole. + +"A fellow might climb along yonder shelf if he were a cat," he said +dismally. "But I don't believe a human being could do it." + +"No, and don't you go for to try it," put in the old sailor. "If you +do, you'll break your neck, sure as guns is guns." + +"Well, we've got to do something, Leroy." + +"So we have; an' I move we sit down an' eat a bite o' the stew. Maybe +eatin' will put some new ideas into our heads." + +"I'd rather wait until we gain the open air." + +"But we can't make it--yet--so be content, lad. It's something to know +thet the blue sky is beyond." + +They sat down, and soon finished one-half of what remained of the mess +in the kettle. Never had anything tasted sweeter, and it was only by +the exercise of the greatest self-control that they kept back a +portion of the food. + +"Perhaps we'll have to go back, remember that," said Leroy, as he put +the cover on the kettle once more. + +"Go back? No, no, Leroy! I'll try jumping over first." + +"I don't think I shall. Thet hole-- What's that?" + +A sound had reached the old sailor's ears, coming from some distance +ahead. It was the sound of footsteps approaching. + +"Somebody is coming!" whispered Larry, and crouched down. Then a man +put in an appearance, coming from the opposite end of the passageway. +He was an American soldier, hatless and almost in tatters. + +"Hullo there!" cried Larry, leaping up. "Oh, but I'm glad you came!" + +At the cry the soldier stopped short in amazement. Larry's words +echoed and reëchoed throughout the passage. He looked toward the pair +at the chasm, but could make out little saving the torch which Leroy +was holding. + +"Who calls?" he asked at last. + +"I called," answered the boy. "Can't you see us? We are two lost +sailors, and we can't get over this beastly hole. Come this way, but +be careful of where you step." + +"You must be Americans by your voices. Am I right?" + +"Yes; and you are an American, too," said Larry, as the soldier came +closer. Soon he stood facing them, with a look of wonder on his +bronzed features. + +"How did you get here?" he demanded. + +"It's a long story," answered Leroy. "We escaped from some rebels at +the other end of this cave, and we've been wandering around since +last night. Are you alone, or are our forces outside of this hole?" + +"General Lawton's troops are a good many miles from here," answered +the soldier. "I am one of his scouts, and I became separated from our +command and got up here to escape being hunted down by the crowd of +Filipinos that was after me. They are in the woods just outside of +this hole." + +"Then you are all alone?" said Larry, his face falling a little. + +"Yes, although I think a couple of our men must be in this vicinity. +We are pressing the rebels pretty hard, you know." + +The scout's name was George Boxer, and he was one of the best marksmen +in Chief Young's command. He listened to their story with interest, +and at once agreed to do what he could for them. They noted with +satisfaction that he was provided with both a rifle and a pistol, and +also a belt well filled with ammunition. + +It was an easy matter for Boxer to make his way into the open air and +find a fallen tree limb of sufficient thickness to throw over the +chasm as a make-shift bridge. As soon as the limb was secure, Larry +and Leroy came over, and then the party of three made their way to the +mouth of the cave. + +It was a welcome sight to see the sky again and the sunshine, and +Larry's eyes sparkled as he gazed down the mountain-side and at the +vast panorama spread out before him. At their feet was a heavy jungle, +and beyond a plain and a small hill, where a large body of insurgents +were encamping. + +"It's good to be in the fresh air again, eh, lad?" observed Leroy. +"But I'm afraid we'll have a good bit o' trouble gettin' past them +rebels," he added to George Boxer. + +"We can't get past them in the daytime," answered the scout; "but I +think we can make it after the sun goes down. And it will take us till +sundown to get to the bottom of this mountain, if I am not mistaken." + +Now they were in the open, it was decided to discard the kettle; and +the three ate up what remained of the stew, along with the single +ration which Boxer carried. Then they began the descent of the +mountain-side, slipping over rocks and dirt as best they could, and +finding their way around many an ugly pitfall. + +"I suppose you think it's queer I came up so far," said Boxer, as they +hurried downward. "The truth is I was so closely pursued I didn't +realize how far I was going. Those rebels can climb the mountains like +so many wildcats. I'm afraid we'll never clean them out if they take a +stand up here." + +It was hot, and now Leroy gazed from time to time at the sky. "A storm +or something is coming," he said. + +"Yes, something is coming," added Boxer. "I can tell it by the way the +birds are flying about. They seem to be troubled." + +"I see a cloud away off to the southward," put in Larry. "It's not +large, but it's mighty black." + +No more was said just then upon the subject; and they continued their +journey down the mountain-side until they came to a fair-sized stream, +where they quenched their thirst and took a wash. They were about to +go on again when Boxer held up his hand as a warning. + +"Great gophers, boys, we are running right into a nest of the +rebels!" he whispered. "Back with you, before it is too late." + +They looked ahead and saw that the scout was right. They started to go +back; and as they turned, a Mauser rang out and a bullet clipped the +bushes beside them. + +"Discovered!" came from Leroy's lips. "Larry, I'm afraid the jig is +up. Those Filipi--" + +Crack! It was Boxer's rifle that rang out, and as the scout was a +sharpshooter, it may be taken for granted that he brought down his +man. Then the three set off on a run along the side of the mountain to +where a slight rise of ground promised better hiding. + +"We can't do much against such a crowd," said the scout. "But in a +good spot we can hold out awhile, provided one of you can use my +pistol." + +"I can fire tolerably straight," answered Leroy, and took the weapon. +Soon the rise was gained, and they plunged in behind a tangle of +pines. The Filipinos were following them, although taking good care +not to expose themselves needlessly to the fire of such a crack +marksman as Boxer had proved himself to be. + +From behind the tangle of growth, the three Americans watched the +skilful advance of the enemy with dismay. "They are trying to surround +us!" whispered Boxer. Then like a flash his rifle went up. The report +was followed by a yell of pain, and a Filipino fell into view from +behind a tree less than fifty yards distant. The poor fellow was hit +in the side, but managed to crawl back into cover again, groaning +dismally. + +Leroy also fired, a second later, aiming at a tall Tagal who was +crossing a clearing to their left. If he hit his mark, the rebel gave +no sign, but the man disappeared in a great hurry. Then came a +crashing through the bushes below and to the left, proving that the +Filipinos were massing in those directions. + +"Perhaps we had better try to crawl away from this--" began Larry, +when a humming sound caught his ear. At the same time the sky grew +black. + +"Look! look!" yelled Leroy. "What is this--the end of the world?" + +All looked up. The humming had increased to a whistle, and now came a +crashing of trees and brush mingled with the wild cries of the +Filipinos as they rushed away toward a near-by mountain stream. They +knew what was coming, even if our friends did not. + +And then the tornado was almost upon them. I say almost, for, thanks +to an all-ruling Providence, it did not strike them fairly, but rushed +to one side, where the Filipinos had been gathering. The light of day +seemed to die out utterly, and the air was filled with flying débris +and screaming birds and wild animals made homeless on the instant. The +very earth seemed to quake with the violence of the trees uprooted, +and branches and dirt flew all over the Americans, until they were +buried as completely as Ben and his companions had been. Larry thought +it was indeed the end of the world, and breathed a silent prayer that +God might watch over him and those he loved. + +At last the rushing wind ceased, and the crashing was lost in the +distance. But the birds kept up their wild cries, and for several +seconds neither Larry nor those with him moved, wondering if that was +the end of the tornado, or if worse was to follow. But it was the end, +and gradually they came forth one after another, to gaze on the mighty +wreckage about them. It was Leroy who raised his hand solemnly to +heaven. + +"I thank God that we have been spared," he said, and Larry and the +scout uttered an amen. + +Whether or not to leave the vicinity was a question. At last, seeing +no more of the enemy, they plucked up courage enough to move down the +mountain-side once more. But the tornado had made the passage more +difficult than ever, and several times they had to turn back. +Nightfall found them still some distance from the plain, with yet +another jungle to pass before the open would be gained. + +"We might as well make a night of it here," said Boxer, and footsore +and weary Larry and Leroy agreed with him. It was not long before all +dropped asleep, too tired to stand guard, and hardly deeming that one +was necessary. + +The tornado had killed numerous birds and small animals, and it was +easy to pick up a plentiful breakfast. + +"I don't know about making a fire," said Leroy. "Those rebels may spot +us before we are aware." + +Yet they were too hungry to go without eating, and in the end they +built a fire of the driest wood they could find, and while Boxer +cooked the birds, Larry and the old sailor scattered the smoke with +their jackets, so that it might not go up in a cloud, and also kept +their eyes open for the possible appearance of the rebels. But the +tornado had scared the insurgents as much as it had anybody, and not +one showed himself. + +By eight o'clock they were once more on the way, Boxer leading with +his gun ready for use, Larry in the centre, and Leroy bringing up the +rear with the pistol. + +They were just entering the jungle at the foot of the mountain when a +strange moaning reached their ears and all halted. There was a +silence, and then the moaning started up again. + +"What is that?" questioned Larry. "It can't be a human being." + +"I think I know what it is," returned the scout. "Wait here till I +make sure," and he glided ahead and was soon lost to sight under a +clump of tall trees which grew in somewhat of a clearing. Soon they +heard him shouting for them to come on. + +It was a water buffalo that was moaning. The beast had become caught +under a partly fallen tree and could not release itself. It was a +handsome animal and weighed a good many hundred pounds. + +"Here's meat and to spare!" cried Boxer, and drawing forth a hunting +knife, he put the caribao out of his misery in short order. "This is +some more work of that tornado," he went on, as he proceeded to cut +out a choice steak. "We won't starve for the next forty-eight hours." + +"I hope by that time we'll have reached the army," answered Larry, and +took the portion of meat handed to him. It was not a dainty thing to +carry, but he had to shoulder it, since Boxer and Leroy were carrying +the weapons. + +As they proceeded, the jungle appeared to become more dense, until it +was next to impossible to make any progress. Yet they felt that each +step was bringing them closer to the open plain and to a point where +few natives were likely to be congregated. "If we once get down to the +bottom, we'll be all right," said Boxer. + +But the scout had not reckoned on the fact that there was a hollow at +the base of the mountain, and that the heavy rains had filled this +full to overflowing. It was Larry who first called attention to the +fact that the ground was growing damp. Then of a sudden the whole +party stepped into the water up to their ankles. + +Here was a new dilemma to face, and each looked at the others in +anything but a happy mood. "Beats everything what luck we're having!" +cried Leroy, in deep disgust. "I'd give a year's pay to be safe on +board the _Yorktown_ agin, keelhaul me if I wouldn't!" + +"I suppose the best thing we can do is to march around the swamp-hole," +replied Larry. "What do you say, Boxer?" + +"Let us try it a bit further," replied the scout, and they moved +forward with care. At first the ground appeared to grow better, but +then they went down again halfway to their knees and in a muck that +stuck to them like glue. + +"It's no use, we'll have to go back," groaned Leroy, and turned about. +Silently the others followed him, wondering where the adventure would +end. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +THE DEPARTURE OF THE _OLYMPIA_ + + +The advances of both General MacArthur and General Lawton had been so +far nothing but a series of successes, and so hard were the insurgents +pressed, that they scarcely knew what to do next. Again they sued for +peace, but as the Americans were not inclined to grant them anything +until they had surrendered unconditionally, the war went on, but in +more of a guerilla-fight fashion than ever. + +Near San Fernando the rebels continued to tear up the railroad tracks, +and likewise attacked a train of supplies, killing and wounding +several who were on board. They also attacked several gunboats coming +up the San Fernando River, keeping themselves safely hidden, in the +meantime, behind high embankments thrown up along the stream. While +this was going on General Aguinaldo called a council of war, at San +Isidro, at which fifty-six of his main followers were present. By a +vote it was found that twenty were for peace, twenty for war, and +sixteen wished to negotiate with the United States for better terms. +This gathering gave rise to a rumor that the war would terminate +inside of forty-eight hours. Alas! it was still to drag on for many +months to come. + +The day after the tornado found Ben safe in camp again, with Gilbert +in the hospital receiving every attention. It was Sunday, and a day of +rest for the majority of the troops. At a small tent a short service +was held, and Ben walked over, to hear a very good sermon on man's +duty toward God under any and all circumstances. The sermon was +followed by the singing of several hymns, and the soldiers remained at +the spot for an hour or more afterward, talking over the general +situation. + +"It always takes me back home to hear the preachin'," remarked Ralph +Sorrel. "I'm mighty glad we have it. It shows we ain't no heathens, +even though we air livin' a kind o' hit-an'-miss life a-followin' up +these yere rebs." + +On Monday the scouts went out to the front, and a small brush was +had with a number of the insurgents in the vicinity of San Miguel +de Mayumo. They reported that the Filipinos had a number of +intrenchments placed across the roads, but seemed to be retreating +toward San Isidro. + +"If Aguinaldo makes a stand anywhere, it will be at San Isidro," said +Ben to Major Morris, as the two discussed the situation. "Oh, but I do +wish we could have one big battle and finish this campaign!" + +"How about the big battle going against us?" demanded the major, but +with a twinkle in his eye. + +"It would never go against us," answered the young captain, promptly, +"and the insurgents know it. That is why they keep their distance." + +The scouts had brought in a dozen or more prisoners, and among them +were a Filipino and a Spaniard, both of whom could speak English quite +fluently. As soon as he could obtain permission, Ben hurried over to +have a talk with the prisoners. + +He found that the Filipino had belonged to those having some of the +American prisoners in charge. + +"And do you know anything of my brother?" he asked eagerly. "He is a +young sailor from the _Olympia_, and his name is Larry Russell." + +"Yes, yes, I know him," answered the Filipino, nodding his head. "He +was at the cave where they have kept some of the prisoners for a long +time." And he described Larry so minutely that Ben felt there could +be no mistake about the matter. + +"Is my brother well? How do they treat him? Please tell me the +truth." + +"You may not believe it, but we treat our prisoners good," said the +Filipino. "And when I saw your brother last he was very well." + +"And where is this prison cave?" + +At this the insurgent shrugged his shoulder. "Now, _capitan_, you are +asking me too much. I am pleased to tell you that your brother is +safe. More than that I cannot tell, for it would not be right." + +This was not encouraging, yet Ben could not help but admire the +prisoner's loyalty to his cause. "Very well," he said. "I am thankful +to know that my brother is well. I was afraid that prison life might +make him sick." + +A little later the young captain got the chance to talk to the Spanish +prisoner, who was making an application for his release, claiming that +he was friendly to the United States and had never encouraged the +rebels. Seldom had the young captain met more of a gentleman than +Señor Romano proved to be. + +"Ah, the war is terrible! terrible!" said the señor, after Ben had +introduced himself. "It is bloodshed, bloodshed, all the time. Where +it will end, Heaven alone knows--but I am afraid the Filipinos will be +beaten far worse than was my own country." + +"I think you are right there," replied Ben. "But we can't do anything +for them now until they lay down their arms." + +"The war has ruined hundreds of planters and merchants,--whole +fortunes have been swept away,--and the insurgents have levied taxes +which are beyond endurance. To some, Aguinaldo is their idol, but to +me he is a base schemer who wants everything, and only for his own +glory. But he cannot hold out much longer,--you are pressing him into +the very mountains,--and once away from the civilization of the towns, +his followers will become nothing but _banditti_--mark me if it is not +so." + +"You are a resident of Luzon?" went on Ben. + +"Hardly. I belong in Spain--but I have lived here for several years." + +"Do you know one Benedicto Lupez, or his brother José." + +At this question the brow of Señor Romano darkened. + +"Do I know them? Ah, yes, I know them only too well. They are rascals, +villains, cheats of the worst order. I trust they are not your +friends." + +"Hardly, although I should like first-rate to meet them, and +especially to meet Benedicto." + +"And for what? Excuse my curiosity, but what can an American captain +and gentleman like you have in common with Benedicto Lupez?" + +"I want to get hold of some bank money that he carried off," answered +the young captain, and told the story of the missing funds and the +part the Spaniard was supposed to have played in their disappearance. + +"It is like Lupez," answered Señor Romano. "He is wanted in Cuba for +having swindled a rich aunt out of a small fortune; and in Manila you +will find a hundred people who will tell you that both brothers are +rascals to the last degree, although, so far, they have kept out of +the clutches of the law--through bribery, I think." + +"Not during General Otis's term of office?" + +"No; before the city fell into your hands. The government was very +corrupt and winked at Lupez's doings so long as he divided with +certain officials." + +"And what did he work at?" + +"Land schemes and loan companies. He once got me interested in a land +scheme, and his rascality cost me many dollars, and I came pretty near +to going to prison in the bargain." Señor Romano paused a moment. "If +your troops take San Isidro, you will have a good chance to catch both +of the brothers." + +"What! do you mean to say they are at San Isidro?" exclaimed the young +captain. + +"They are, or, at least, they were two or three days ago. How long +they will stay there, I cannot say. They were at the council of war +held by Aguinaldo's followers." + +"I see." Ben mused for a moment. "Of course you do not know if they +had the stolen money with them?" + +"They appeared to have some money, for both were offered positions in +the army, and that would not have happened had not they had funds to +buy the offices with. They appeared to be very thick with a general +named Porlar,--a tricky fellow of French-Malay blood. I believe the +three had some scheme they wished to put through." + +"Well, I'd like to catch the pair. I wonder if Aguinaldo would keep +them around him, if he knew their real characters?" + +At this Señor Romano laughed outright. "You do not know how bad are +some of the men around the arch rebel, _capitan_. He has some bad +advisers, I can tell you that. To some of the worst of the crowd, +Aguinaldo is but a figurehead." + +The pair discussed the matter for half an hour; and during that time +Ben became convinced that Señor Romano had small sympathy for the +insurgents, and was certainly not of their number. + +"I will do what I can for you, señor," he said, on parting. "I do not +believe you will be kept a prisoner long." And the young captain was +right on this score; the Spanish gentleman was released inside of +forty-eight hours, and journeyed to Manila in company with a +detachment bound for the capital of Luzon. + +The two talks made Ben do a good deal of sober thinking. He now knew +to a certainty that Larry was alive and well, and he knew also that +Benedicto Lupez was at or near San Isidro, and more than likely had +the stolen money on his person. "I wish we could push ahead without +delay," he muttered. "I might make a splendid strike all around. I +know Larry is just aching to be at liberty once more." + +But supplies were again slow in coming to the front, and General +Lawton did not feel like risking his men when the Filipinos might +surrender at any moment. So a delay of several days occurred, with +only a little skirmish here and there to break the monotony. + +"Hullo, here's news!" cried Major Morris, as he rushed up to Ben's +quarters one morning. "Dewey is going to sail for the United States." + +"With the _Olympia_?" queried the young captain. + +"Yes. The warship leaves next Saturday, with all on board. Won't he +get a rousing reception when he arrives home?" + +"Larry won't be with him," said Ben. + +"By Jove, captain, that's so. It's too bad, isn't it? I suppose he +would like to go, too." + +"I can't say as to that. Perhaps he would just as lief stay here and +join some command on land, or some other ship, especially if he knew +that my brother Walter was coming on. But I am sure he would like to +see his old messmates off," concluded Ben. + +Admiral Dewey started for the United States at four o'clock in the +afternoon of Saturday, May 20. The departure proved a gala time, the +harbor and shipping being decorated, and the other warships firing a +salute. The bands played "Auld Lang Syne," "Home, Sweet Home," and +"America," and the jackies crowded the tops to get a last look at the +noble flagship as she slipped down the bay toward the China Sea, with +the admiral standing on the bridge, hat in hand, and waving them a +final adieu. In all the time he had been at Manila, Admiral Dewey had +served his country well, and his home-coming was indeed to be one of +grand triumph. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII + +THE ADVANCE UPON SAN ISIDRO + + +"Why, Luke Striker, is it possible! I thought you had sailed for the +United States on the _Olympia_." + +"Well, ye hadn't no right to think that, captain," responded the old +gunner, as he shook hands warmly. "It might be that the others could +go away and leave Larry behind, but he's too much my boy for me to do +that--yes, sirree. When I hears as we were to set sail for the States, +I goes up to the admiral himself, an' says I: 'Admiral,' says I, 'do +you remember how Larry Russell an' yer humble servant comes on board +of the _Olympia_?' says I. 'Yes,' says he. 'I remember it well,' says +he. 'Well,' says I, 'Larry is ashore, a prisoner of the enemy,' says +I. 'I don't want to go for to leave him, nohow. Can't you leave me +behind,' says I. And he laughs and asks me all about Larry, and +finally says I can go ashore and report to Rear Admiral Watson--who +is comin' on--sometime later. And here I am, come to the front, to +find Larry, ef sech a thing is possible." + +The old sailor's honest speech went straight to Ben's heart, and he +saw very plainly how deep was Luke's affection for his younger +brother. "You're a messmate worth having, Luke!" he exclaimed. "I +don't wonder Larry thought so much of you." + +"Avast, I'm only a common sea-dog at the best, captain,--an ef I +remained behind to cast around fer the lad, ye mustn't think thet Jack +Biddle an' the others have forgotten Larry, fer they ain't, not by a +jugful. Every man jack o' them is his friend, an' was, almost from the +start." + +Luke had come up to the camp by way of Malolos, accompanying a +pack-train of caribao carts carrying rations and army equipments. He +had left the _Olympia_ several days before, and had not waited to +witness the departure of the flagship. + +As Luke wished to remain with Ben, the latter lost no time in +presenting the matter to Colonel Darcy and to Major Morris, and Luke +was taken into the regiment camp as a cook, for he had once been a +cook on a merchantman, years before. The position was largely an +honorary one, and the sailor was permitted to leave his pots and +kettles whenever he pleased. + +"It's good news," he said, when the young captain had told him what +the prisoners had said about Larry and Benedicto Lupez. "I've an idee +we'll get to Larry soon, an' down thet tarnal Spaniard in the +bargain." + +The conversation took place on Tuesday. On Wednesday orders came to +strike camp, and the march of the regiment was taken toward San Isidro +by way of Baluarte, a small village seven miles to the southeast of +the new rebel capital. In the meantime, although the Americans were +not aware of it, Aguinaldo was preparing to decamp, with his so-called +congress, into the mountain fastnesses, still further northward. + +"We are in for another fight," said Major Morris, as he came to Ben +that afternoon. "And I've an idea it is going to be something to the +finish." + +"That means, then, that we are bound for San Isidro!" cried the young +captain. "Hurrah! that's the best news I've heard in a week." + +The regiment was soon on the road, spread out in proper battalion +form. The day was close, and it looked as if a thunderstorm was at +hand. The growth along the road was thick, and at certain points the +overhanging branches had to be cut off that the troops might pass. The +trail was bad, and often a gun, or wagon, had to stop so that a hole +might be bridged over with bamboo poles. Here and there they passed a +nipa hut, but these places were deserted, excepting in rare instances, +where an aged native would stand at the door, holding up a white rag +as a signal of surrender, or to show that he was an _amigo_, or +friend. + +"It's pitiable," said Ben to Major Morris, as they trudged along side +by side. "I reckon some of these ignorant creatures have an idea that +we have come to annihilate them." + +"You can be sure that Aguinaldo and his followers have taught them +something like that," replied the major. "Otherwise, they wouldn't +look so terrified." + +At one point in the road, they came to a tumble-down hut, at the +doorway of which rested a woman and her three small children, all +watching the soldiers with eyes full of terror. Going up to the +woman, Ben spoke kindly to her, but she immediately fled into the +dilapidated structure, dragging her trio of offspring after her. + +"You can't make friends that way," cried Major Morris. "They won't +trust you. I've tried it more than once." + +There was now a hill to climb, thick with tropical trees and brush. +The regiment had scarcely covered a hundred feet of the ascent, when +there came a volley of shots from a ridge beyond, which wounded two +soldiers in the front rank. + +"The rebels are in sight!" was the cry. "Come on, boys, let us drive +'em back! On to San Isidro!" And away went one battalion after +another, fatigued by a two miles' tramp, but eager to engage once more +in the fray. It was found that the insurgents had the ridge well +fortified, and General Lawton at once spread out his troops in a +semicircle, in the hope of surrounding the ridge and cutting off the +defenders from the main body of Aguinaldo's army. + +Ben's regiment was coming, "head on," for the top of the ridge. The +way was over ground much broken by tree-stumps, rocks, and entangling +vines, that brought many a soldier flat. + +"Sure, an' it's a rigular fish-net!" spluttered Dan Casey, as he tried +in vain to rise, with vines ensnaring both arms and legs. "I don't +know but phwat a fellow wants a wire-cutter here, just as they had 'em +in Cuby to cut the wire finces wid." + +"Nefer mind, so long as we got by der dop of dot hill," answered Carl +Stummer, as he hauled his mate out of the entanglement. "Be dankful +dot you ain't parefooted by dem dorns." And on went both once more. +There was many a slip and a tumble, but very little grumbling. + +"Down!" The cry came from the front, and down went Ben's company into +a little hollow, for the rebels had them in plain view now, and the +two lines were less than three hundred yards apart. A volley from the +insurgents followed, but nobody was struck. + +"Forward twenty-five yards!" cried Ben, and up went the company for +another dash. It was a soul-trying moment, and none felt it more than +the young commander, who ran on ahead to inspire his men. He knew that +at any instant a bullet might hit him to lay him low forever. But his +"baptism of fire" had been complete, and he did not flinch. + +"Hot work, this!" The words came from Gilmore as he came up the hill +close to Ben. "It's going to be no picnic taking that ridge." + +"True, Gilmore; but it's got to be done," answered the young +commander. "Down!" he shouted, and again the company fell flat. Then +began a firing at will, which lasted the best part of ten minutes. The +insurgents, likewise, fired, and a corporal and a private were wounded +and had to be carried to the rear. + +Looking around, Ben espied Luke Striker in the ranks of Company D. The +old sailor had provided himself with a rifle and an ammunition belt, +and was popping away at a lively rate. + +"I couldn't help it," said Luke, when the young captain came up to +him. "It's the best fun I've had sence thet air muss in Manila Bay, +when we blowed old Montojo out o' the water, off Cavite. Say, but +we'll git to the top o' the hill afore long, jes' see ef we don't!" +And Luke blazed away again, and so Ben left him. + +The rest of the battalion was now closing in, and soon another +advance was made, until the first line of the American troops was +less than a hundred and fifty yards away from the insurgents' outer +intrenchments. Then a yell came from a jungle on the left. + +"What's that? more rebels?" cried Ben, and listened. + +"No, no, the Filipinos are retreating!" came from a score of throats. +"See, they are scattering like sheep! Up the hill, fellows; the fight +is ours!" And a regular stampede occurred, each command trying to get +to the top of the ridge first. The rebels were indeed retreating into +a thicket behind the ridge. They went less than half a mile, however, +and then made another stand, this time on the upper side of a mountain +stream,--the very stream at which Larry and his companions had stopped +after the escape from the caves under the mountain. + +To ford the stream would have been an easy matter under ordinary +circumstances, but with the rebels guarding the upper bank, it was +extremely hazardous, and the regiment came to a halt on the edge of +the brush overhanging the water. + +"They are straight ahead, boys," said Major Morris, after his scouts +had reported to him. "We will make a detour to the right. Forward, and +on the double-quick!" + +Every soldier felt that delay would mean a serious loss, and a rapid +rush was made through the jungle to a point where the stream became +rocky and winding. Here an excellent ford was found, and they went +over in column of fours. They could now enfilade the rebels' position, +and this they did so disastrously that the Filipinos speedily threw +down a large part of their arms and fled helter-skelter into the +mountain fastnesses still further to the northward. + +The battle over, the battalion came to rest under the shade of the +trees lining the stream, many of the soldiers throwing themselves down +in a state bordering upon exhaustion, for the humidity in the air told +upon them greatly. There was not a breath of a breeze, and the water +hardly quenched the thirst that raged within them. As Major Morris +declared, 'It was the primest place to catch a fever in' he had ever +seen. + +Ben was sitting at the foot of a tall tree talking to Gilmore, when he +saw the advance guards bringing in two Americans, one evidently a +sailor. At once he sprang to meet the sailor, thinking the man might +know something about Larry. + +The two men proved to be Dan Leroy and Boxer, the scout, and when he +mentioned his brother's name to them, both were of course astonished. + +"Do we know him!" cried Leroy. "Sure and didn't he and I run away +together from the rebels, and Boxer, here, helping us to get out of +the prison caves. Yes, yes, I know Larry well." And then Leroy told of +the escape from the caves, and of how all three of the party had +become lost in the swamp lands. + +"We were in the swamps two days, and thought we would never get out," +he continued. "Luckily, we had some caribao meat with us; otherwise we +should have starved to death. The swamps were full of mosquitoes and +lizards and lots of other things, and we were almost eaten up alive, +eh, Boxer?" + +"So we were," replied the scout. + +"But what of my brother?" asked Ben, impatiently. + +At this the faces of both of the men fell. + +"We can't say what became o' him," said the sailor from the +_Yorktown_. "You see, after we got out of the swamp, we determined to +stick to the high ground until we found a regular trail leading to +the south. Well, our walk took us up to a high cliff overlooking a +gorge filled with trees and bushes. We were walking ahead, with Larry +at our heels, as we thought, when Boxer chanced to look around, and +the boy was gone." + +"Gone!" gasped Ben, in horror. + +"Yes, gone! We couldn't understand it, and called to him, but he +didn't answer. Then we went back about quarter of a mile, past the +spot where we had seen him last, and fired the pistol as a signal. But +he had disappeared totally, and we couldn't find hide nor hair o' him, +try our level best." + +The confession was a sickening one, and for several minutes Ben could +not trust himself to speak. + +"And--and what do you think became of my brother?" he asked, at +length. + +Both men shrugged their shoulders. "I'm afraid he fell over the +cliff," said Boxer. "You see, the footpath was narrow and mighty +slippery in spots." + +At once Ben's mind went back to that scene in far-away Cuba, when +Gerald Holgait had fallen over a cliff. Had a similar fate overtaken +his brother? and if so, was he still alive or had he been dashed to +his death? + +"How far is that spot from here?" he demanded abruptly. + +"Not over a mile, cap'n," answered Boxer. + +"I see you are a scout. Can you take me to the place?" + +"Certainly--but--but--it's mighty risky, cap'n--so many rebs lurking +about." + +"Never mind--I must find Larry, alive or dead. Take me to him, and +I'll pay you well for your services." + +"I ain't asking a cent, cap'n--that ain't my style." + +"Then you will take me?" + +"I will," said Boxer, promptly. "Only I'll have to report first and +get official permission." + +"Major Morris will arrange that for you, I feel certain," answered +Ben, turning to the major, who sat near, drinking in the conversation. + +"Yes, I'll arrange that," said the major. "But I don't see how I am +going to do without you, captain." + +"Would you keep me from looking for my brother?" + +"No, no, go ahead, and Gilmore can take the company." + +So it was arranged; and inside of quarter of an hour Ben and Boxer +were ready to depart. + +"Captain, can't I go with ye?" It was Luke Striker who asked the +question. The anxious look on his face spoke more eloquently than +words, and Ben consented without argument. + +And so the three set off on the search for Larry, little dreaming of +the strange happenings in store for them. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX + +LARRY IS SENTENCED TO BE SHOT + + +To go back to Larry, at the time mentioned by Dan Leroy, when the boy +had been following the old sailor and the scout along the cliff +overlooking the valley in which both the Filipino and the American +troops were encamped. + +The adventures in the swamp had been exceedingly tiring, and the youth +could scarcely drag one foot after the other, as the party of three +hurried along over rocks and through thickets which at certain points +seemed almost impassible. + +"O dear! I'll be glad when this day's tramp comes to an end," he +thought. "I wonder how far the American camp is from here?" + +He tried to look across the valley, but there was a bluish vapor +hanging over trees and brush which shut off a larger portion of the +view. The party had been walking over a trail which now brought them +directly to the edge of the cliff. Here the footpath was scarcely two +feet wide, and was backed up by high rocks and thorn bushes, around +which it was difficult to climb without injury. + +The men were as tired as the boy, and it must be confessed that for a +half hour or more they paid little attention to Larry. Gradually the +youth lagged behind, until those ahead were lost to view around a +sharp turn of the cliff. + +And it was then that an accident happened which put Larry in great +peril all in an instant. In trying to make the turn, the boy got hold +of a slender tree by which to support himself. Leroy and Boxer had +grasped the same tree, and their swinging around had loosened its +frail hold on the rocks, and as Larry grasped it, down went the +sapling over the edge of the cliff, carrying the youth with it. + +[Illustration: Down went the sapling over the edge of the cliff.--_Page +281._] + +The boy had no time to cry out, and he clung fast, not knowing what +else to do, until the tree landed with a mighty crash on the top of +another tree at the foot of the cliff. The sudden stoppage caused +Larry to loose his hold, and he bumped from limb to limb in the tree +below until he struck the ground with a dull thud; and then for the +time being he knew no more. + +When the boy came to his senses, he found it was night and pitch dark +under the thick tree, through the branches of which he had fallen. He +rested on a bed of soft moss, and this cushionlike substance had most +likely saved him from fatal injury. + +His first feeling was one of bewilderment, his next that his left foot +felt as if it was on fire, with a shooting pain that ran well up to +his knee. Catching hold of the foot, he felt that the ankle was much +swollen, and that his shoe-top was ready to burst with the pressure. +Scarcely realizing what he was doing, he loosened the shoe, at which +part of the pain left him. + +"I suppose I ought to be thankful that I wasn't killed," he thought, +rather dismally. "I wonder where Leroy and that scout are? I don't +suppose it will do any good to call for them. The top of that cliff +must be a hundred feet from here." + +The fall had almost finished what was left of Larry's already ragged +suit, and he found himself scratched in a dozen places, with a bad cut +over one eye and several splinters in his left hand. Feeling in his +pocket, he found several matches which Leroy had given him on leaving +the prison cave, and he lit one of these and set fire to a few dried +leaves which happened to be ready to hand. + +The light afforded a little consolation, and by its rays the boy made +out a pool of water not far off, and to this he dragged himself, to +get a drink and then bathe the ankle. This member of his body had been +so badly wrenched that standing upon it was out of the question, as he +speedily discovered by a trial which made him scream with pain. + +"I'm in for it now," he thought. "With such an ankle as this, I can't +go on, and what am I to do here, alone in the woods and with +absolutely nothing to eat? I'd be better off in a Filipino prison." + +Slowly the night wore along, until a faint light in the east announced +the coming of day. During the darkness the jungle had been almost +silent, but now the birds began to tune up, and here and there Larry +heard the movements of small animals, although none of the latter +showed themselves. + +It was more pleasant under the big tree than down by the pool, and +as daylight came on, Larry dragged himself back to his first +resting-place. As he came up to the tree he saw a broken branch +resting there and on it a bird's nest containing half a dozen speckled +eggs. + +"Here's a little luck, anyway," he murmured, and taking some of the +tree limbs, he made a fire and cooked the eggs in the hot ashes. When +they were done, he broke off the shells and ate the eggs, and although +the flavor was by no means to be prized, yet they did much toward +relieving the hunger he had felt before taking the fall over the +cliff. + +The day that followed was one which Larry says he will never forget, +and for good reason. Neither human being nor beast came near him, and +even the birds flying overhead seemed to give him a wide berth. Time +and again he cried out, but the only answer that came back was the +echo from the cliff, repeating his own words as if in mockery. +Occasionally he heard firing at a great distance, but toward nightfall +even this died out. He could scarcely move from his resting-place, and +it was not until darkness came on that the pain in his ankle subsided +sufficiently to allow of his sleeping in comfort. + +The long sleep did the boy a world of good, and when he awakened he +found the swelling in his ankle gone down, along with much of the +pain, and on getting up he found that he could walk, but it must be +slowly and with care. He was again hungry, and his first effort was +to supply himself with something to eat. + +To bring down even a small animal was out of the question, but he +thought he might possibly knock over a bird or two, and with this in +view cut himself several short, heavy sticks. The birds were coming +down to the pool to drink, and watching his chance he let fly with the +sticks and managed to bring down two of the creatures, and these +formed the sum total of his breakfast, although he could have eaten +twice as many. There were a number of berries to hand, but these he +refrained from touching, fearing they might be poisonous. + +Larry felt he must now go on. To gain the top of the cliff was out of +the question, so he decided to strike out directly for the southwest, +feeling that this must sooner or later bring him into the American +lines. To be sure, he had first to pass the Filipinos, but this could +not be helped, and he felt that the best he could do would be to keep +his eyes and ears open and walk around any body of the enemy that he +might discover, instead of trying to steal his way straight through. +This would require many miles of walking, and on the sore foot, too, +but this hardship would have to be endured. + +Half a mile was covered in a slow and painful fashion, when Larry +reached a small clearing, and here he sat down to rest on a fallen +tree and to examine the ankle, which he was afraid was again swelling. +He was engaged in looking at the wounded member, when a rough Tagalog +voice broke upon his ears. + +"What do you here?" demanded a heavy-set native, in his own tongue, as +he strode forward, gun in hand, followed by several others. + +Larry was startled and leaped up. In a twinkling he found himself +surrounded, and several Mausers were levelled at his head. + +To resist would have been the height of foolishness, and Larry did not +try. The Tagals asked him a number of questions in their own tongue, +but he shook his head to show them that he did not understand. On +their part, not one could speak English, so neither party could +communicate with the other. + +The natives, however, soon understood that he was alone, and when he +pointed to his ankle and limped, also understood that he had sprained +that member. One went into the bushes, and presently returned with +some leaves, which he crushed and packed inside of the boy's stocking. +The juice of the leaves proved very cooling, and presently much of +the pain from the sprain went away. + +The Tagals were bound for the cliff, but by a route different from +that which Larry had travelled. As the boy was unarmed and could +scarcely hobble along, they did not take the trouble to bind him in +any way. He was made to march with half of the crowd before him and +the others behind; and thus they proceeded until the cliff was +reached, at a point where the jungle hid a series of rough steps +leading to the top. Beyond the top of these steps was a mountain +trail, which by nightfall brought them to a plateau where were +encamped at least three hundred Filipinos of all classes, the Tagals +predominating. + +A shout went up as Larry appeared, and he was at once recognized as +one of the prisoners who had escaped from the caves, which were fully +four miles away. + +"So they have caught you again?" remarked an under-officer, as he +strode up with a sinister smile on his swarthy countenance. "You did +not get very far." + +"No, I had a bad fall and lamed my foot," replied Larry, as cheerfully +as he could. He was never one to "cry over spilt milk." + +"A fall? Where?" + +"I fell over the high cliff just below here." + +"And you live to tell it? Impossible!" + +"No, it is true. I fell into a large tree, and that broke my fall. But +I was badly scratched up, and my ankle was sprained." + +"A rare fall truly, boy. It would have been better, though, if you had +been killed." + +"Thank you; I like that!" + +"I say it because you are a prisoner who has tried to escape from us. +Do you know the fate of all such?" + +At these words Larry could not help but shiver. He knew what the +officer up at the cave prison had said,--that any prisoner trying to +escape would be shot at the first opportunity which presented itself. + +"Surely, you would not kill me for trying to get away?" he cried +quickly. + +The under-officer shrugged his shoulders. "It is not for me to change +our regulations of war, boy. Your words prove that you knew beforehand +the risk you were running." + +"Yes, yes--but-- You would try to get away too, if our soldiers caught +you." + +"Possibly--I understand you treat your prisoners very badly." + +"Our prisoners are treated as well as yours. And we would not kill a +Filipino for having tried to escape,--unless, of course, he was shot +in the attempt." + +"It is you who say that--I have heard vastly different stories; how +our men were starved and shot down without mercy,--not one man, but +hundreds of them. I have it from friends in Manila that your General +Otis is a monster who would rather kill than save at any time." + +"Your friends have told you that which is not true!" exclaimed Larry, +warmly. "If anything, General Otis is too kind-hearted, especially +with those who have done their best to put the city in a state of +rebellion and those who have tried to burn it to the ground. I suppose +your friends had a purpose in telling you what was not true." + +"I take my friends' words in preference to yours, boy," was the angry +answer. "Who are you that come to take our country away from us--the +country that we tried so hard to liberate from the iron grasp of +Spain? The land is ours, and no Americans shall govern us. We will +fight to the last,--from the cities to the towns, and from the towns +to the villages, and then to the mountains, from one island to +another,--and you shall never conquer us, no matter how large an army +you send from across the ocean. But, bah, I am talking to a mere boy, +when I might have better sense." And turning on his heel the +under-officer strode away, out of humor with himself as well as with +Larry. + +The youth felt utterly crushed, and sitting down on a rock, with a +heart as heavy as lead, he wondered what was going to happen next. +Would they really shoot him? The thought was agony itself. + +There were no other prisoners in the camp, so he was left for a long +time alone, although several soldiers kept their eyes upon him, that +he might not wander away. Soon supper was served, and one of the +Tagals brought him a bowl of rice and meat. It must be confessed that +he was now tremendously hungry, and ate all of what was given him, +despite his down-heartedness. + +The meal finished, the Filipinos were sitting around their camp-fires, +when a certain General Drummo was announced. At once there was a +parade, which the general reviewed with satisfaction. The newcomer was +served with supper, and then Larry was brought before him. + +The general had his head full of his plans for the morrow and gave the +boy but scant attention. + +"You knew the risk you ran when you stole away," he said, in broken +English. "It is true you are but a boy, yet I'll wager you can use a +gun better than some of our own men. I cannot pardon you, for that +would be setting a bad example. So I hereby sentence you to be shot at +sunrise to-morrow,--and may your death be an example to others who are +thinking of escape." + +Before Larry could say a word, if indeed he wanted to speak, he was +led away to a hollow back of the camp. Here he was tied fast to a +tree, and two soldiers were detailed to guard him until the hour for +his execution should arrive. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX + +A RESCUE UNDER DIFFICULTIES + + +"Nothing here, cap'n." + +It was Boxer the scout who spoke. For two hours he, Ben, and Luke +Striker had been examining the trail running along the cliff. They +could find footprints without number, but no trace of Larry. + +"He must have gone somewhere," replied Ben, who could not bring +himself to give up the hunt. "He wasn't spirited away. I've a good +mind to make a hunt at the bottom of the cliff." + +"As you will, cap'n. But, remember, this air side o' the valley is +full of rebs, and if they catch us--" + +"We must be on our guard, Boxer." + +"I've got my eyes wide open," put in Luke. "I reckon on it as how I +can see as far as any on 'em, too." + +The walk to the cliff had not been accomplished without difficulty. +Twice had they come close to running into the Filipino pickets, and +once Luke had been almost certain they were being followed, but the +alarm proved false. A night had been spent in the jungle, and at a +point within half a mile of where Larry lay senseless under the big +tree! + +The hunt had revealed to the party the series of rough steps mentioned +in the last chapter, and down these they now went and continued their +search at the base of the cliff. + +"What's this?" came from the old sailor, presently, and he pointed to +the broken sapling hanging in the branches of the big tree. With the +sapling was a shred of a garment, fluttering in the breeze like a +signal of distress. + +A close examination caused them to reach a conclusion which was, as we +already know, true; namely, that Larry had come down with the sapling +and landed in the big tree. + +"And he wasn't killed, either," said Boxer. "For here is where he +built a fire and cooked some birds' eggs." + +"And he visited the pool, too," added Ben, examining the tracks with +care. "Funny tracks these," he added, a second later. + +"He was hopping on one foot," announced the scout, gravely. "That +looks as if he had one leg hurt." + +It was an easy matter to follow the trail through the jungle, for the +ground was damp and covered with a moss which was torn with ease. Soon +they reached the clearing where Larry had stopped to examine his +ankle. + +"Hullo, more footprints!" ejaculated Boxer, his face falling. "And +rebs, too, I'll wager a new hat. Cap'n, I'm afraid your brother has +run into worse trouble." + +"It certainly looks like it," answered Ben. "Where do the footprints +lead to?" + +Where but back to the very rocks down which they had come but a few +hours before! Soon they were back at the top of the cliff again. + +Before leaving the valley Boxer studied the footprints closely, and +now, although there were other footprints above, he followed the party +having Larry in charge without making a single error. But it was slow +work, and the encampment of the Filipinos was not discovered until +nightfall. + +"We've tracked 'em to a finish," announced Boxer. "Don't go any +further, cap'n--unless you are ready to do some tall shooting." + +"I can do some shooting if it's necessary," answered Ben, with a +determined look on his face which was not to be mistaken. "I should +like to make sure my brother is here." + +"We'll walk around the camp and see," said Boxer, and this they did, +slowly and cautiously, each with his weapons ready for immediate use. +But the Filipinos were busy eating their suppers and smoking +cigarettes, and did not discover them. + +"There's Larry!" cried Luke, after a while. And he pointed to one side +of the camp. The guards were just taking the lad to the general to be +sentenced. + +"Yes, yes!" answered Ben. He handled his pistol nervously. He could +hardly restrain himself from rushing forward and embracing the long +lost. Boxer saw what was in his mind and held him back. + +"Don't be rash, cap'n," whispered the scout. "If you are, it may cost +all of us our lives." + +"I will try to be careful," was the answer, with an effort. "But what +are they going to do with him?" + +"They are taking him over to yonder tent." + +Soon Larry disappeared inside the tent, and they crouched behind the +bushes to await developments. While waiting, Ben made a mental +calculation of the number of the enemy. + +"A battalion, or more," he said to Boxer. "I wonder what they are +doing so far from the main body of the troops?" + +"Oh, their army is becoming badly scattered, cap'n. General Lawton has +'em on the run, and there won't be any of 'em left when he gets +through with 'em." + +As we know, the scene in the tent was a short one, and soon they saw +Larry come out again, and saw him tied to the tree. The two soldiers +detailed to guard him sat on either side of their prisoner, on rocks +about six or eight yards from the tree. + +"He seems to be the only prisoner in the camp," whispered Ben. "I +wonder if I can't crawl up and cut him loose. I did that once for +Gilbert Pennington." + +"No, no!" interposed Boxer. "Those guards are wide awake and will +shoot you in a minute. Wait till it gets darker--we may get a chance +to do something then." + +Slowly the minutes drifted by, Ben watching Larry every instant. He +saw that his younger brother was exceedingly tired and held one foot +up as if in pain. The young sailor had asked if he might not lie down, +but this comfort had been denied him. + +Both of the guards were puffing vigorously on their cigarettes, when +one chanced to throw down a lighted match close to the rock upon which +he was sitting. It set fire to some dry grass, but instead of putting +it out, the guard watched the tiny conflagration grow stronger. + +"Playing with fire, eh?" said his mate, lightly. + +"Yes," was the slow answer. "How I would like to see Manila go up like +that!" + +"Yes, I would like to see that, too, Carlos, and the Americans in the +flames. Ah, but the day when we are to take the capital seems a long +way off now." + +"Never mind; Aguinaldo says he is soon to have reënforcements from the +south. When they come, let the American dogs beware!" + +The talk was carried on in the Tagalog dialect, so Larry understood +not a word. In the meantime, the fire crept up, making the guard's +seat anything but comfortable. + +"That's too much," he observed, and was on the point of kicking the +fire out with his foot, when of a sudden he uttered a wild yell that +startled everybody near him. "A snake! a snake! Oh, what a long +creature!" + +For from under the rock a huge reptile had glided, roused up by the +heat. It was a snake peculiar to those mountains, and all of ten feet +long and as thick as a man's arm. It struck the guard in the knee, and +then whipped around in increased anger, for its tail had come in +contact with the fire. + +"A snake!" echoed the second guard, and fired his Mauser at the +reptile. But he was too excited to shoot straight, and the bullet +glanced along the rock and struck the first guard in the cheek, +inflicting a fairly serious wound. + +The cries of the two guards' were taken up on all sides of the camp, +and especially in the vicinity of the rock from under which the +reptile had appeared. All the soldiers recognized the snake as a +dangerous enemy; and as the reptile moved about, first one and then +another ran to get out of its way, several in the meantime taking +hasty shots at it, but failing to do any serious damage. For several +minutes the prisoner was entirely forgotten. + +It was Ben who saw the opportunity,--Ben and the ever-faithful +Luke,--and rushing up, they cut Larry's bonds and fairly hustled him +into the depth of the jungle behind the encampment. The young sailor +could hardly understand what was taking place, but when he recognized +his brother and his old messmate, he gave a shout of joy. + +"You, Ben! and Luke! Oh, I must be dreaming!" + +"No, you are not dreaming, Larry. We've been watching you for a long +while, trying to do something. Can you run?" + +"No; I sprained my ankle, and it is still sore." + +"I'll carry him," said Luke. "You lead the way, cap'n. And Boxer had +better bring up the rear guard." + +"Right you are," came from the scout. "Have your weapons ready, cap'n. +We may catch it hot, in spite of the alarm over the snake. Those rebs +will be as mad as hornets when they find the lad is missing." + +Away they went, Ben trying to find an easy path,--which was no small +thing to do in that utter darkness,--and Luke coming up behind, +breathing like a porpoise, but vowing he could carry Larry a mile were +it necessary. Boxer kept as far to the rear as he dared without +missing their trail, and the life of any Filipino who might have +appeared would not have been worth a moment's purchase at the scout's +hands. + +They had covered but a few hundred yards when the shouting and firing +at the encampment ceased. "I guess the snake is dead," said Ben. "Now +they'll be after us." + +The young captain was right; and soon they heard the enemy breaking +through the jungle in detachments of three or four men each, all +hot-footed to recapture the prisoner. They had observed the cut ropes +and wondered if it was possible that Larry had severed them without +assistance. + +It was not long before Boxer got a good shot at the nearest of the +pursuers. His aim was true, and the Tagal went down without so +much as a groan. His companions stopped short, and then called +some other soldiers to the scene. "The boy is armed and shoots like +a sharpshooter," they told each other; and after that the search was +continued with extra care. Of course Boxer kept out of sight; and as +soon as he could, he joined Ben and the others. + +"I think there must be a stream close at hand,--the one we crossed a +few days ago," said he. "If we can get to that, we'll have some chance +to hide." + +"Let's get to it, then," gasped Luke, who felt that he could keep up +but a short while longer. + +"I'll take Larry, Luke," put in Ben, and the transfer was made, in +spite of the old sailor's protests. Then Luke plunged ahead and soon +announced that he could see the river through the bushes to the right. +Soon they came out on some rocks. The stream was a mountain torrent, a +rod wide and from two to three feet deep. They plunged in without +delay. + +As they could not walk against such a current, they followed the +stream on its downward course almost to the edge of the cliff, where +the torrent formed a pretty series of waterfalls. Then they crossed to +the other side, and climbed into a tree growing directly at the +water's edge,--a species of willow, with long, drooping branches. + +"We ought to be safe here--at least for a while," said Boxer. + +"It's hard to tell where one would be safe here," answered Ben. "The +whole country seems to be invested with scattered bands of the +insurgents." + +He asked Larry about himself, and in a few words the younger brother +told his story. Then Boxer stopped the talk. + +"In a situation like this, it's best to have only ears and eyes," he +said, and all saw at once the aptness of the remark. + +But though they remained on guard the larger part of the night, nobody +came to disturb them, and the only sound that broke the stillness was +that of the water as it tumbled over the rocks below. + +Ben was much worried over Larry's ankle, which had begun to swell +again through having stood so long on it while being tied to the tree. +He brought a canteen of water up from the stream and bathed it with +this. This moistened the mashed-up leaves once more, and then the +injured member felt better, and Larry caught a nap. + +"I reckon we had better be moving again," said Boxer, while it wanted +yet an hour to daylight. "Those rebs may be waiting for to see us, you +know." + +"Well, my brother can't run, so perhaps it will be just as well if +you take a scout around and see if the coast is clear," said Ben. + +"Certainly, cap'n." And Boxer made off without delay, moving through +the jungle and along the stream as silently as some wild animal in +search of its prey. + +Fifteen minutes and more passed, and they began to wonder when the +scout would come back, when a low whistle reached their ears. + +"It's all right," came from Boxer. + +"Nobody in sight?" questioned Ben. + +"Nary a reb, cap'n." + +"I'm glad of it," put in Larry, with a sigh of relief. "I never want +to fall in with them again!" And he shuddered. He would never forget +how close he had been to death at their hands. + +They came down the tree, and after a drink from the stream, set out +again, this time following the watercourse over the rocks until the +cliff was left behind. Here they struck a bit of marsh and had to make +a detour, finally coming out, much to their surprise, on what appeared +to be a regular highway through the forest. + +"Now, if we only knew where this leads to," cried Ben. + +"I reckon it leads to San Isidro," came from Boxer. "But we may be a +good number of mil--" + +"Look! look!" ejaculated Striker, pointing up the road. "The rebels, +as sure as you air born! An' they air comin' about a thousand strong, +too. Boys, we air lost!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI + +THE FALL OF SAN ISIDRO--CONCLUSION + + +Luke Striker was right; a large force of Filipinos were sweeping down +the road at a rapid rate, bringing with them two old field-pieces and +a rapid-firing gun. They were commanded by several officers on +horseback, and presented a formidable appearance to the worn-out +Americans. + +"Out of sight, quick!" The cry came from Ben. "It's our only chance to +escape." + +The words had scarcely left his lips when the pop-pop of several +Mausers was heard, as the Filipino sharpshooters, who were in advance +of the main body, opened fire upon them. Their aim was excellent, and +both Striker and Boxer were hit, although neither seriously. + +"They've caught me!" ejaculated the old sailor, and staggered up +against Ben. At the same time Boxer pitched headlong. + +"Oh, Luke!" The call came from Larry, who was limping painfully. +"Where did they hit you? This is the worst of all!" + +"I'm struck in the shoulder. But come, Ben is right. To the jungle!" +And Striker clutched Larry's hand in a death-like grip, bound to live +or die with his closest friend, as the case might be. + +The pair started forward. Ben hesitated and looked at Boxer, and saw +the latter try to stagger up once more. "He's not dead," thought the +young captain, and picked the sharpshooter up. In a few seconds more +the whole party were in the jungle again. + +But the Filipinos were not going to let them escape thus easily, and +coming up on the double-quick, a detachment began to search the +bushes, at the same time calling on the Americans to surrender if they +wanted to save their lives. + +With Larry limping painfully, and both Luke and Boxer groaning in +spite of their efforts to keep silent, the Americans looked about for +some spot which might prove a safe hiding-place. But the ground here +was level and the jungle rather spare, and for those who were wounded +to climb trees was out of the question. + +"We'll have to make a stand, I'm afraid," said Ben, looking to his +pistol to see if it was fully loaded. "They are coming-- Hark!" + +The young captain broke off short, as a loud shouting from the road +interrupted him. Then came a volley of musketry, followed by a steady +stream of shots. + +"We've got them this time, boys!" came in a ringing, English-speaking +voice. "Forward, and don't let a man of them escape. On to San +Isidro!" + +"Our troops!" cried Larry. "Oh, God be praised that they are coming +this way!" + +"Yes, yes, our troops!" ejaculated Ben. "And what is more, my +regiment!" The revulsion of feeling was so great that he felt like +dancing a jig. + +The shouting and firing now increased, until it was almost upon them. +Then followed a rush into the woods, and the little party found itself +face to face with a score of Filipinos. + +At first our friends were greatly alarmed, and Ben and Larry did their +best to defend themselves by firing as rapidly as possible at the +Tagals as they appeared. But the enemy was retreating, and gave the +little party scant attention. Then came a yell close at hand, and in +a few seconds a squad of American soldiers burst through the thicket. + +"Dan Casey!" cried Ben, as he recognized the Irish volunteer. + +"Sure, an' is it Captain Russell?" came from the soldier, joyfully. +"It is, the saints be praised! We've been a-wonderin' what had become +of yez!" + +"Town mit dem Filibinos!" The call came from Carl Stummer, and soon he +also put in an appearance. "Dis vos von lucky tay," he said, when he +saw the party. "Ve haf dem repels on der run like neffer vos." + +"Then send them a-flying, Stummer," answered Ben. "Where is our +camp?" + +"Pack dere apout half a mile. Ve vos move up las' night und steal von +march on dem Filibinos." + +There was no time to say more, excepting to stop several of the +soldiers, and assisted by these, the whole party moved to the rear, +through line after line of American troops now hurrying to the firing +line, for it was General Lawton's plan to give the Filipinos no rest +until San Isidro and the territory in its vicinity were captured. + +Inside of half an hour, Ben had seen to it that Larry, Luke, and Boxer +were all made comfortable, and then, hastily swallowing a bowl of +coffee and some bread and meat, he hurried after his command, which +was threshing the jungle just outside of San Isidro for scattered +bands of the enemy such as the young captain and his party had met. +Soon Ben was on the firing line once more, and warmly greeted by Major +Morris, Gilmore, and his other friends. + +The fighting was hot, for the rebels felt that if San Isidro was +taken, nothing would remain to them but the mountains. They had +constructed a high embankment just outside of their capital, and this +they were defending vigorously, many of their leading generals being +at the front to direct the movements. + +But General Lawton was now in his element, and feeling that his troops +would do whatever he asked of them, he began to spread out to the +right and the left, thus enfilading the trenches behind the +embankment, which presently became so uncomfortable that the rebels +had to leave them. At the same time a centre column continued the +attack from the front--a centre column composed principally of +Minnesota troops and the regiment to which Ben belonged. + +"They are leaving the trenches!" exclaimed Major Morris, who was +watching the progress of the battle through a field-glass. "Forward, +boys! They are on the run again!" + +A rattle of rifle-shots followed, and the battalion carried the middle +of the embankment with a wild rush, planting Old Glory on the very top +a minute later. Then the regiment pushed on for San Isidro proper. A +hot skirmish was had on the main street of the town; but the Filipinos +had had enough of it, and by nightfall were making for the mountains +as rapidly as their demoralized condition would permit. + +Señor Romano had told Ben where Benedicto Lupez and his brother José +had been stopping in San Isidro, and as soon as the young captain +could get the opportunity he hurried around to the place, which was a +large private boarding-house. + +"There is a man here by the name of Lupez, I believe," he said, as he +presented himself, followed by a detachment of half a dozen of his +men. + +The boarding-house keeper, who had just hung out a white flag, eyed +him suspiciously. "How do you know that Señor Lupez is here?" he +questioned slowly. + +"I know it, and I want to see him at once," returned Ben, sharply. + +"He is--is not here--he--he went away this morning," came with much +hesitation. + +"Don't ye believe him, captain," put in Dan Casey, who was in the +detachment. + +"I will search the house," said Ben, quietly. + +The keeper of the boarding-place protested, but his protest was of no +avail. The house was searched from top to bottom, and in a back wing +they found Benedicto Lupez in bed, suffering from a badly injured leg, +the result of trying to ride a half-broken horse which the insurgents +had captured from the Americans. He greeted the visitors with a +villanous scowl. + +At first he tried to deny his identity, but the Americans had been +furnished with his photograph, and a wart on his forehead proved a +clew that was conclusive. At once his effects were searched, and under +his pillow was found a leather bag containing fifty thousand dollars +in gold and in American bank bills. + +"This is the money you stole from Braxton Bogg," said Ben, severely. +"You need not deny it. Where is the rest?" + +At first Benedicto Lupez refused to talk, but with a long term in an +American prison in Manila staring him in the face, he confessed that +just previous to the fall of San Isidro, he had divided what was left +of the money with his brother José, who had now left for parts +unknown. This confession was afterward proved to be true, and, later +on, Ben learned that with five thousand dollars of the stolen funds +José Lupez had purchased himself a general's commission in the +insurgent army. + +"Well, I suppose we are lucky to get back the fifty thousand dollars," +said Ben, when he was telling Larry of how he had found Benedicto +Lupez. "A half-loaf is far better than no bread at all, you know." + +"Yes," answered the young sailor. "And who knows but that we may run +across this José Lupez some day, and get the balance? Anyway, the +recovery of that fifty thousand dollars means at least eight or ten +thousand dollars in our pockets, as well as something for Uncle Job. +I'll wager uncle and Walter will be mighty glad to get the good news +we have to send them." And then he added enthusiastically, which was +just like Larry, "Hurrah, Ben, score one more victory for Young +America and Old Glory!" + + * * * * * + +Here we must bring to a close the adventures of Ben and Larry Russell +previous to and during "The Campaign of the Jungle" under gallant +General Lawton. The campaign had lasted three weeks, and during that +time the troops had covered about a hundred and fifty miles of +territory, fought twenty-two battles, captured twenty-eight towns, and +destroyed large quantities of army stores, including three hundred +thousand bushels of rice. The losses to the Americans had been about +fifty killed and wounded, while the losses to the Filipinos were +nearly ten times as great! + +With the fall of San Isidro, General Aguinaldo and his followers +retreated to the mountains, twelve miles to the north of that town. At +the same time the rebels who had been opposing General MacArthur's +advance fell back to Tarlac, thirty miles beyond San Fernando. But the +Americans had not sufficient troops at hand with which to garrison +the many towns they had taken, and so it was not long before some of +the rebels came back to one place and another, to take what they could +get, and to harass those natives who had been friendly to our +soldiers. In the meantime the rainy season put a stop to further +activity on a large scale, and while the Filipinos sued again for +peace (but upon their own terms), General Otis sent for additional +troops, so that the next dry season might see the rebellion brought to +such a finish that its resurrection would be an impossibility. Many +Americans pitied the sad condition of the Tagalogs, but all felt that +as matters were now situated the supremacy of the United States +throughout the Philippines must be maintained. Once the insurgents +submitted to American authority, we would do the very best we could by +them. + +Shortly after the fall of San Isidro, General Lawton's command marched +to join that of General MacArthur. In the meantime Larry and his +wounded friends were removed to the hospital at Manila, whither +Gilbert Pennington had already been taken, along with many others. +Here the sick were given every attention, and soon the majority of +our friends were on a speedy road to health. + +Ben felt that there was no need to write to Walter, as his brother +would ere long be in the Philippines, but he wrote to his Uncle Job, +telling about the capture of Benedicto Lupez, and adding that the +prisoner had been sent to join Braxton Bogg, and that the recovered +money was safe in the United States bank at Manila, waiting to be +returned to Buffalo. He also told about Larry, and added that since +the _Olympia_ had sailed away without him, the young sailor was now +going to throw in his fortunes with the soldiers. + +The letter brought great joy to Job Dowling, and he immediately wrote +back, stating how pleased he was, and adding that he hoped Ben would +catch José Lupez and recover what was still missing. + +"That is easier said than done," said Ben to Larry, as the pair read +the letter together. "Still, if this José Lupez is now a general in +the rebel army, we may meet some day." Strange as it may seem, that +day was not far off, as will be related in a sixth and concluding +volume of this series, in which we shall meet all the Russell boys, as +well as Gilbert, Luke, and many of our other friends again, and see +what each did toward carrying our flag to a final and lasting victory +in the Philippines. + +But now let us leave Ben and Larry, and also the others. All had done +well and richly deserved the rest that came to them. Many adventures +were still in store for them, but it is doubtful if any were to be +more thrilling than those encountered during "The Campaign of the +Jungle." + + + + * * * * * + + + +THE OLD GLORY SERIES. + +By EDWARD STRATEMEYER, + +_Author of "The Bound to Succeed Series," "The Ship and Shore Series," +etc._ + +Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. + + UNDER DEWEY AT MANILA Or the War Fortunes of a Castaway. + A YOUNG VOLUNTEER IN CUBA Or Fighting for the Single Star. + FIGHTING IN CUBAN WATERS Or Under Schley on the Brooklyn. + UNDER OTIS IN THE PHILIPPINES Or a Young Officer in the Tropics. + THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE Or Under Lawton through Luzon. + +PRESS NOTICES. + + "'Under Dewey at Manila' is a thoroughly timely book, in perfect + sympathy with the patriotism of the day. Its title is conducive to + its perusing, and its reading to anticipation. For the volume is + but the first of the Old Glory Series, and the imprint is that of + the famed firm of Lee and Shepard, whose name has been for so many + years linked with the publications of Oliver Optic. As a matter of + fact, the story is right in line with the productions of that + gifted and most fascinating of authors, and certainly there is + every cause for congratulation that the stirring events of our + recent war are not to lose their value for instruction through + that valuable school which the late William T. Adams made so + individually distinctive. + + "Edward Stratemeyer, who is the author of the present work, has + proved an extraordinarily apt scholar, and had the book appeared + anonymously there could hardly have failed of a unanimous + opinion that a miracle had enabled the writer of the famous + Army and Navy and other series to resume his pen for the volume + in hand. Mr. Stratemeyer has acquired in a wonderfully successful + degree the knack of writing an interesting educational story which + will appeal to the young people, and the plan of his trio of + books as outlined cannot fail to prove both interesting and + valuable."--_Boston Ideas._ + + "Stratemeyer's style suits the boys."--John Terhune, _Supt. of + Public Instruction, Bergen Co., New Jersey_. + + "'The Young Volunteer in Cuba,' the second of the Old Glory + Series, is better than the first; perhaps it traverses more + familiar ground. Ben Russell, the brother of Larry, who was 'with + Dewey,' enlists with the volunteers and goes to Cuba, where he + shares in the abundance of adventure and has a chance to show his + courage and honesty and manliness, which win their reward. A good + book for boys, giving a good deal of information in a most + attractive form."--_Universalist Leader_ + +_For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price +by_ + + LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, + BOSTON. + + + + +THE SHIP AND SHORE SERIES + +By EDWARD STRATEMEYER. + +Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.00. + + THE LAST CRUISE OF THE SPITFIRE Or Luke Foster's Strange Voyage. + REUBEN STONE'S DISCOVERY Or The Young Miller of Torrent Bend. + TRUE TO HIMSELF Or Roger Strong's Struggle for Place. + +PRESS OPINIONS OF EDWARD STRATEMEYER'S BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. + + "Mr. Edward Stratemeyer is in danger of becoming very popular + among the young people of the country."--_Burlington_ (Iowa) + _Hawk-eye_. + + "'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire' is of deep interest to the + bounding heart of an enthusiastic boy. The book leaves a good + impression on a boy's mind, as it teaches the triumph of noble + deeds and true heroism."--_Kansas City_ (Mo.) _Times_. + + "Let us mention in passing two admirable books for boys, 'Reuben + Stone's Discovery' and 'Oliver Bright's Search,' by Edward + Stratemeyer, with whom we are all acquainted. This last bit of his + work is especially good, and the boy who gets one of these volumes + will become very popular among his fellows until the book is worn + threadbare."--_N. Y. Herald._ + + "A good sea-tale for boys is 'The Last Cruise of the Spitfire,' by + Edward Stratemeyer. There is plenty of adventure in it, a + shipwreck, a cruise on a raft, and other stirring perils of the + deep."--_Detroit_ (Mich.) _Journal_. + + "In a simple, plain, straightforward manner, Mr. Edward + Stratemeyer endeavors to show his boy readers what persistency, + honesty, and willingness to work have accomplished for his young + hero, and his moral is evident. Mr. Stratemeyer is very earnest + and sincere in his portraiture of young character beginning to + shape itself to weather against the future. A book of this sort is + calculated to interest boys, to feed their ambition with hope, and + to indicate how they must fortify themselves against the wiles of + vice."--_Boston Herald._ + +_For sale by all booksellers, or sent, postpaid, on receipt of price +by_ + + LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, + BOSTON. + + + + + * * * * * + + + + + +Transcriber's note: + + Illustrations have been moved closer to their relevant paragraphs. + + The author's archaic and variable spelling and hyphenation are + preserved. + + The author's punctuation style is preserved. + + Typographical problems that were changed are listed below. + + Page 13: Was 'reconnoissance' (General MacArthur made a + =reconnaissance= in the direction of Calumpit) + + Page 42: Changed single quote mark to double quote mark ("Get in + front of me and take to the woods opposite, =Luke,"= was + the hurried reply.) + + Page 46: Changed single quote mark to double quote mark ("We must + get out of the enemy's territory before the sun =rises,"= + said Larry.) + + Page 177: Removed extra double quote mark ("=Silence!= Not another + word until the lady has finished her story.") + + Page 212: Was 'acount' (for men were dropping out every day on + =account= of fever and other tropical troubles.) + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CAMPAIGN OF THE JUNGLE*** + + +******* This file should be named 31317-8.txt or 31317-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/1/3/1/31317 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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