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.