SCOUTING IN DEADLY EARNEST
It was a ferocious attack, promptly and staunchly met.
Soldiers in the field on campaign sleep in their full clothing, their
rifles at their sides. It takes not more than ten seconds to turn a
soldier out in the night, fully awake and ready for orders. The
knowledge that their lives depend upon their promptness keeps the men in
condition for quick obedience.
Even the Gatling was ready at the top of the hill. From point to point
it was dragged, and wherever it was served the midnight assailants soon
drew back.
For twenty minutes the conflict was kept up, often at closest quarters.
But at last the sounding of the Moro horns in the rear called off the
assailants, who fled in the darkness.
"How did this all happen, Mr. Holmes?" asked Captain Freeman. "I must
congratulate you on being alert and ready for the brown men."
"Sergeant Overton had just called me, sir. And I think you will wish to
hear what he has to say."
Hal was sent for and reported instantly.
"I know, now, sir, why Tomba wanted to make my acquaintance, and that of
Sergeant Terry, sir," Hal explained, and then told what had happened.
"How did Corporal Duxbridge ever happen to do a thing like that?"
demanded Freeman angrily.
"Tomba had already made the Corporal's acquaintance, sir. Tomba wanted
to make mine, and Terry's, as soon as he knew the Thirty-fourth was
coming to these southern islands. It was Tomba's belief that he could
run a gang of creese men past us, and get inside where he could knife
the nearest soldiers, and then let an attacking party in."
"If the Moros had ever gotten through our line they'd have wiped the
camp out to-night," exclaimed Captain Freeman.
"Of course they would, sir, and that is the way in which Tomba, even in
Manila, had planned to make our acquaintance, and use it for just such
an undertaking as to-night's. It seems, sir, that having failed with us,
he succeeded in getting on the right side of Corporal Duxbridge."
"Where, I wonder?" muttered the captain. "And where is the Corporal?"
"Just taken up above with the wounded, sir," replied Lieutenant Holmes.
"Corporal Duxbridge was hit, sir."
"Let us go up to see him. Where are the six natives?"
"Tied, sir, and up with the wounded."
Corporal Duxbridge, when the commanding officer visited him, felt
sheepish enough, despite the great pain he was in. He now readily
explained how Tomba, under the assumed name of Davo, had made his
acquaintance in Bantoc. Tomba had spent money so freely in entertaining
him that Duxbridge had been certain that the man must be a wealthy,
good-natured Tagalo.
"I hope you've learned a lesson, Corporal," said Captain Freeman sadly.
"You're one of five wounded in to-night's performance, and two of our
finest men are dead."
Corporal Duxbridge covered his face with his hands.
"I was a big fool," he confessed brokenly.
There were no more attacks that night, but in the morning the Moros
developed a new style of trouble. All through the day, from one point or
another, they kept the American trenches under fire at frequent
intervals. Captain Freeman, however, refused to allow his men to waste
ammunition. They must not fire until the brown men attempted an assault.
That night only half rations were served to the defenders of the hill.
There was but little food left. During the night there were three
assaults against the force on the hill, though none of them were
desperately fought.
"Hakkut is going to adopt a new trick of keeping us awake day and
night," muttered Captain Freeman grimly.
The next day there was more annoying firing against the trenches, though
the Moros had learned their lesson too well to attempt any rushes during
daylight.
Just after dark, that evening, Captain Freeman sent for his officers. He
also allowed Hal and Noll and two sergeants from C Company to be on hand
to hear the discussion.
"To-morrow night, at the latest, we've got to fight our way out of
here," announced Captain Freeman. "To remain here later than to-morrow
night will be to invite starvation--which, in our position, means
nothing less than destruction. I fear, too, that we shall be obliged to
abandon our transport wagons. Our wounded we can carry on stretchers
made with poles and blankets. There must be some point in the Moro line
where we can break through--some point so weakly guarded that we can be
on our way before the brown rascals can gather in force enough to put up
a hard fight. This fact can be determined only through the work of a
scouting party."
"I shall be delighted, sir, to volunteer for scouting duty," spoke up
Lieutenant Prescott.
"And I also, sir," added Lieutenant Holmes.
"Thank you. I knew that you would both be ready," replied the commanding
officer. "Yet we must remember that, while our scouts are out to-night,
this camp is also extremely liable to attack. If the latter be the case,
I do not see how I can spare either of my officers. Now, I have cause to
remember a time when, in the mountains of Colorado, when on practice
field duty, two of our non-commissioned officers especially
distinguished themselves as scouts. I believe that both of the young men
still possess that ability in marked degree. It seems to me that the
choice of a leader for a scouting party lies between Sergeants Overton
and Terry."
"Thank you, sir," broke in Sergeant Hal gravely. "May I suggest, sir,
that there is no need of making a choice between us? I would like to go
on this duty, sir, and I'd rather have Sergeant Terry with me than any
other enlisted man in the regiment."
"I'm ready, sir," declared Noll promptly.
"It seems almost foolish to allow two such excellent sergeants to go,"
returned Captain Freeman gravely. "You see, we need as good men in the
camp as we do outside of it. However, let it be as you wish, Sergeant
Overton. How many men do you think you will need with you?"
"None, sir, except Sergeant Terry," spoke Hal.
"Are two enough for safety, Sergeant, in your opinion."
"Two men are safer than a dozen on scouting duty, I think, sir. Two men
can get through in places where even four men would be caught at it."
"But if caught, two are a small number for defensive purposes."
"There won't be much defense possible, sir, if we're caught; but I think
Sergeant Terry agrees with me that we ought not to be caught."
"Will you take your rifle and bayonet, Sergeant?"
"I'd rather not, sir. In fact, the plan that has come into my
mind at this moment is for Sergeant Terry and myself to stain our faces
and bodies with juice from the berries of the boka bush that is growing
inside our lines. Then we'll rob two of the native prisoners of their
clothing, under which we can each carry a service revolver and a creese.
That is, sir, if you approve my plan."
Captain Freeman was silent for some moments.
"I'm afraid you're planning an especially desperate undertaking,
Sergeant Overton. I quite understand your idea in dressing like natives.
But if you are seen, you will be spoken to. It will be in the native
tongue. What then? You can't answer in native speech."
"But I think, sir," argued Hal, "that you'll agree that there are
probably men from several tribes under the datto's command. In that case
many different tribal dialects will be spoken. Noll--pardon me,
sir--Sergeant Terry and I can answer in any heathen-sounding, guttural
sort of words, and look stupid."
"It's quite difficult, my lad, to improvise a pretended language on the
spur of the moment."
"Hakka kado me no tonga, lakka prada estig ferente," rejoined Hal
Overton, with a grin.
"Dikka mone peditti u nono mate ben," said Noll cheerfully.
"What language is that, lads?" demanded Captain Freeman.
"New Jersey hog-Latin, I imagine, sir," replied Sergeant Hal soberly.
"I do not believe, gentlemen, that we can send better scouts than
Sergeants Overton and Terry," said Captain Freeman.
His two subordinates expressed their agreement.
"Sergeants, you may go and prepare yourselves. Do it as speedily as you
can, and report to me as soon as you are ready."
There was sullen objection from two of the native prisoners, when their
clothing was taken from them. Hal and Noll, however, loaned their
blankets in exchange.
"You know, Noll, if we don't succeed to-night, we shall have no further
use for our blankets, anyway," Hal remarked dryly.
"I've thought of that," Sergeant Terry nodded.
After they had dyed their skin and hair with the juice of the boka the
two Army boys next distributed a liberal amount of dirt on themselves,
then drew on the borrowed clothing, consisting only of shirts and short
trousers. Inside their clothing each tucked a sharp-edged creese, also a
loaded service revolver.
"You'll do, in the dark," nodded Captain Freeman, after looking them
over keenly. "Of course, you won't show yourselves in a strong light,
anyway. Now, you don't need instructions. You understand your errand."
Captain Freeman himself took the two Army boys through the darkness to
the trench.
"I am turning these fellows loose, men," the captain announced. "But
don't allow any of the others to go through the lines."
To the captain's relief, the disguises appeared to "work" well in the
dark, for the men on guard in the trench merely saluted.