SENTRY MIGGS MAKES A GRUESOME FIND
It is not necessary for even the most ardent admirer of Private William
Green to feel sorry for the fate of that soldier the next morning after
guard-mount at the capable hands of Private Kelly.
Kelly had something else to think about, and so had every other man in
the little garrison.
Just before daylight the sentry on number three post had made a horrible
discovery. Now that the old guard was relieved, and the new guard was
on, the sentry who had made the discovery was able to tell what he knew
of it, with such other particulars as had been learned since.
Private Miggs was the sentry in question. Before daylight Miggs had
patrolled down to the further end of his post. On his return along post
he had discovered something on the ground ahead of him.
When Miggs learned the nature of his discovery he was almost overcome.
Being a soldier, he did not faint, but for a few moments he did feel a
sensation of nausea.
Then, raising his voice, the sentry called the corporal of the guard to
post number three. The corporal and the two members of the guard felt a
similar nausea when they arrived on the scene, and it ended in sending
for the officer of the day, Lieutenant Dick Prescott.
Without venturing to order the removal of the find, Lieutenant Prescott
sent a member of the guard to awaken Captain Cortland.
After the post commander had seen it, the guard removed the ghastly find
to the guard house, where it still remained.
What had upset Private Miggs's mental balance was the sight of two
severed heads lying on the ground in his path along post. They were the
heads of white men.
To each had been tied a piece of coarse paper, and on each paper was
rudely traced the likeness of a crab. This crab, as Captain Cortland
already knew, was the sign manual of that arch scoundrel of brown skin,
the Datto Hakkut. The crab was meant to signify that, while the datto
could move forward, he could also crawl sideways or backward--that he
was strategist enough to crawl out of any trap that the soldiers might
set for him.
As soon as the light came Captain Cortland despatched an armed guard
party to bring over to the fort the German physician and three other
white residents of Bantoc, to see whether they could identify the
severed heads.
The heads proved to be those of two young American doctors of
philosophy, Hertford and Sanderson, who had come to Mindanao months
before, one for the purpose of securing specimens representing the
geological formation of the island, and the other in pursuit of
specimens of the plants and flowers.
Despite strong advice to the contrary, as given by the former military
commandant at Bantoc, Drs. Hertford and Sanderson, attended only by a
small party of natives, had gone into the mountains to gather their
specimens. Since then nothing had been heard of the two enthusiastic
young scientists--until Sentry Miggs had stumbled upon his gruesome
find.
The soldiers discussed little else that morning.
"Of course it was the old brown rascal, Hakkut, who had the young
scientific gentlemen killed. Didn't Hakkut have his card tied to each
head?" demanded Private Kelly, who was the centre of a group of enlisted
men.
The group of officers over in Captain Cortland's office had come to the
same conclusion.
"It is the old brown scoundrel's way of showing us his defiance,"
declared Captain Cortland in a shocked voice. "Why couldn't that pair of
enthusiastic boys take good advice and keep out of the mountains? Would
their collections of stones and plants be worth as much to any college
as the young men's lives would have been worth to themselves?"
"The question is, Cortland, what are we going to do in answer to this
defiance?" suggested Captain Freeman, of C Company.
"What are we going to do?" asked Cortland, his face becoming even
graver. "We have a very small command here, but there's only one thing
we can do. Hakkut has defied us, and, unless he is punished for it, the
native respect for American authority in these islands will soon be less
than nothing. What are we going to do? There is nothing that we can do
but send the strongest column of men that we can spare up into the
mountains on the double-quick. We've got to root out that brown
scoundrel, and send him and his band running as fast as they can go, or
else we shall be forced to admit to the natives that the claim of the
American nation to govern Mindanao is only a stupid joke. Our expedition
must start before noon!"
"Who will command the column?" inquired Captain Freeman.
"You will command, Freeman. I would give half a year's pay to head the
expedition myself, but I am post commander here, and after the greater
part of the troops have started the problem here at Bantoc is going to
be such a serious one that I feel obliged to remain here and handle it
myself."
After thinking a few moments longer, Captain Cortland continued:
"Freeman, you will take sixty men from B Company, and the same number
from C Company. I can spare you but two officers, for I shall need the
services of Bay and Hampton here. So Holmes will command the C Company
detachment, and Prescott the B Company detachment, while you will
command the expedition. You will also take one of the two Gatling guns
that we have at this post. You will take two wagons for ammunition and
one for hospital and similar supplies. Your men will carry such field
and emergency rations as you can. For the rest of your food you will
have to depend upon the country through which you will pass. I am sorry
for this, but on a swift, hard-fighting expedition a command the size of
yours cannot be burdened with more wagons."
"That is true," spoke Captain Freeman thoughtfully. "Well, we shall have
to do the best we can with the amount of transport and rations that you
can put at our disposal. I am anxious now, sir, to get started with the
preparations as rapidly as possible."
"Good; it is half-past nine now. You should be ready to march by----"
"By half-past eleven at the latest," supplied Captain Freeman, rising.
Never were preparations more rushed, nor yet more thoroughly made.
First of all, it was necessary to send into Bantoc and recall Lieutenant
Holmes and the guard stationed there. With the removal of the troops the
lives of the white people residing in Bantoc would be in immediate
danger. So the twenty-five or thirty white residents were obliged to
accompany the guard out to Fort Benjamin Franklin, where they were to be
provided with temporary quarters.
Ten minutes before the time named by Captain Freeman all had been
accomplished. The column was ready and started.
B Company's detachment marched first. Behind this came the transport
wagons and the Gatling gun. The C Company detachment, under Lieutenant
Greg Holmes, brought up the rear.
Taking into account those who had lately been killed and wounded, and
also the guard under Sergeant Dinsmore, left out at the Seaforth
plantation, Captain Cortland had remaining as a garrison about sixty
effective soldiers. These must preserve the safety of the post and the
order of Bantoc through the twenty-four hours of each day.
No soldier in the marching column deluded himself with the belief that
he was starting on a brief expedition. Every man knew that it would be
weeks before they were likely to set eyes again on Fort Franklin. It
was, moreover, wholly probable that some of the soldiers now marching
would never see the fort again.
Yet officers and men tramped away unconcernedly. All acted, and felt,
very much as though this had been merely a practice march through a
peaceful country.
Noll Terry was jubilant. Hal had seen active service on this island, and
now his chum was about to do the same thing. The first taste of real
service is always dear to the heart of a good soldier.
Night brought the command within three or four miles of the foot of the
mountains. The next morning was still young when the column wound its
way up into the lower portion of the mountains.
Captain Freeman was not marching blindly. He was provided with military
maps of the mountains. Then, again, not all the Moros were hostile to
the Americans. There were many friendly natives, and some of them had
slyly brought word to the post of the location of Datto Hakkut and his
forces at the last report.
As to the number of men with the datto, the statements of the natives
had varied. They had estimated the datto's force at all the way from
fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred fighting men. Captains Cortland
and Freeman, with their knowledge of the native tendency to exaggerate,
had thus fixed the probable number at about eight hundred men.
The second and the third days passed. The troops were now far up in the
mountains, though up to that time they had not encountered the enemy.
Captain Freeman, however, pushed forward, feeling confident that he
would sooner or later encounter the datto's forces.
On the fourth morning, an hour after daylight, the troops were again
under way. They moved slowly, for the roads were in bad condition and
the column could not go ahead at greater speed than the transport wagons
could maintain.
A "point" was out in advance, followed by a slightly larger advance
guard. Behind marched a watchful rear guard. The little column, for its
own safety and convenience, was strung out over a goodly length of road.
As Lieutenant Prescott passed, Sergeant Noll Terry stepped out and
saluted.
"What is it, Sergeant?"
"If it is proper, I would like the lieutenant's permission to go up
ahead and walk with Sergeant Overton."
"That will be all right, Sergeant--if you will remember that, in case of
emergency, you are to return hastily to your proper place in the line."
"Thank you; I will, sir."
"Very good, Sergeant."
Once more saluting, Noll hastened up forward.
"You have a message?" asked Hal.
"No; but I have the lieutenant's permission to walk with you."
"I'm glad of it, chum. Talking makes the walking easier."
"Walking--yes," grumbled Noll. "I'm afraid that's about all we're going
to get out of this hike."
"Never pray for a fight, Noll. It's all right when it has to be, but any
real fight always means the last hour for some good fellows."
"I'm no hog for a fight," grunted Terry, "but I'd like to have just a
little real practice, after the long, long time I've had to put in
preparing for it."
"Hm!" smiled Sergeant Hal. "I could almost qualify as a member of a
peace society. _I_ don't care how long it is before the next fight. I'd
hate to see it come along this stretch of road."
"Why?"
"Well, look over at our left, Noll. Below us is a deep gully, with a
swift stream flowing. Beyond it is that wooded ledge. Any number of
Moros could conceal themselves there and fire at us, and we couldn't
reach 'em with the bayonet. Ahead----"
Sergeant Hal may have finished, but, if he did, his voice was drowned
out by the savage clamor of yells ahead. Barely a hundred yards beyond
the point came a rushing mob of Moros, shooting and brandishing creeses.
From the wooded, inaccessible ledge to the left came a sudden, rapid
firing that made the air hot with bullets directed at Uncle Sam's men.