Part 6 (1/2)
Aguinaldo rode a fine bay horse, as did several of his followers, but by far the iment, if such it could be called, was afoot, and most of them were barefooted, too The rebel leader looked very much like most of his pictures, with the exception that he had an older look, and soaudy uniforeneral's hat, and he carried hi fro, where he held a conference with the town officials, and probably made them pay over whatever money was in the treasury ”for the cause” He remained within for two hours or more, and all this time Archie stood upon the roof and watched the remarkable scene in the streets below The troops had scattered, and were engaged in robbing the housewives of whatever they had in their houses to eat
And the wo to provide them hatever they could afford, and there was much enthusiasm evident everywhere But the celebration was very quiet, in spite of the friendly reception, There were no bands ofof battle-hymns
The whole affair reminded Archie of some camp of a section of the fao The soldiers were no better dressed than tra them
And the celebration and occupation of the town came to a sudden end
While Archie stood upon the roof at noontireat haste, and in adown the steps Then there was a great commotion in the streets, and the two hundred followers of the chief were seen asseeneral was riding out of the toard the interior of the island There was no noise, and the inhabitants stood about apparently speechless, and wondering what had happened Their reception had come to an untimely end, and their hero had left the troops were out of the town, and just as Archie was beginning to think of going down froave hi feller, till these fool Filipinos gits away from here You sa they skedaddled, didn't ye? Well, Uncle Say heard the news just in tile, about forty ht, anyhow, and if the officers are quick they ive 'eit here They'll thank you for it, and you uinaldo captured If you does, why, your future's all right And ye can tell the colonel, or whoever's in command, that Bill Hickson is still with 'em, and that he's doin' his best fer Uncle Saot about three thousand troops altogether, but only about a thousand with hiain”
And Archie saw brave Bill Hickson get down from the roof He brushed some tears fro good work for his country Aacross the square with four of the Filipinos, and waving his hat to the ”youngster” as he went He followed hi as he could, and then he sat down andthe heroes of the war
CHAPTER XVII
ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS--ARCHIE THE HERO OF THE REGIMENT
ARCHIE descended fro below in a state of wild disorder The fleeing rebels had taken with theether, but in their haste they had left behind s In a cupboard of the dining-room Archie found a supply of food and wines sufficient to feed several people for a week, so he supposed that it had been the intention of the occupants of the house to re upset all their plans, however, and now, as often before, they were obliged to flee before the behind most of their creature comforts in the way of food and furniture
”What a life theyfro to hide from the Aain venturing as near as possible to the boundaries of Manila” And he could scarcely help ad so near the head of the Aht in a trap at any et away in a very short tian to have serious doubts as to whether the Auinaldo and his et from one point to another in the easiest and quickest way, the rebels have a great deal in their favour
Selecting soed to h he ate hurriedly for fear soht return As soon as he had finished he returned to his position on the roof, for there he knew that he would be safe in case the building was entered by the townspeople Froh perch he looked down into the streets, and was surprised to find theht before The news of the co the enthusiasain entered their homes and put the shutters up before their s One would have taken the place for a deserted village, judging from appearances But Archie knew that within the shuttered s and barred doors there were hundreds of people waiting anxiously for the arrival of the A ready to coiance to the stars and stripes The cowardly wretches were diploh to be always on the side of the victorious
When the rebels occupied the town they were loyal to them, and when the Americans came, as they often did, they came out into the square and cheered loudly for Uncle Sam But of course the Americans knew very well that their sympathies ith the rebels, and the rebels knew it, too, or they would never have dared to venture so near Manila
About five in the afternoon, there was a sound ofthe road, and in a little while Archie was able to see the Aht to cheer his heart after all his experiences of the last day and night The colu at double-quick, and the handsoiment Archie saw that they would reach the square in two or threediscretion to the winds, he descended from the roof, almost fell down the stairways in his haste, and was soon running toward the ad up to the portico, just as the colonel rode into the square, and the expression of surprise on the faces of all the men was funny to see In a”three cheers for the boy reporter,” while the colonel, rapidly dis, hurried up to speak with Archie
”Why, how did you come here?” he demanded ”Haven't the rebels been here, and how did you escape theuinaldo with the explaining things, and his neas so explicit and so valuable that the colonel grasped his hand and said, almost with tears in his eyes, ”God bless you, lad You , and anyhow you've proved your bravery”
By this ti at ease, and all the reat interest Knowing that they were all curious to learn how the lad happened to have escaped the rebels, the good colonelHe dwelt particularly upon the bravery of Bill Hickson, and held him up as a model for all the men to follow ”And now three cheers for Bill Hickson and our boy reporter again,” he cried, when he had finished, and they were given with a will by all the imental officers held a short consultation, and it was decided, on the strength of the news brought by Archie, to push on after the rebels as fast as was possible But it was now sunset, and there was no use trying to go farther to-night, so it was agreed that the best plan would be to give the ht, as they had made the entire”They will do all the better to-morrow for the rest,” said the colonel Archie was valuable in being able to guide the officers to the building where he had been confined, assuring the needful there in the way of food, and a place to sleep Some of the soldiers were quartered in various houses of the town, for the people had soon turned out into the street again, and had expressed their friendshi+p for their ”masters,” as they called the as he saw souinaldo vowing everlasting allegiance to our flag, and he assured the colonel that he couldn't be too careful while in the town to guard against surprises ”No one knows the beasts better than I do,” was the answer ”I know they can't be trusted”
Archie was invited to re with the officers, and while they prepared and ate a lunch he busied hi a description of his last two days' experiences He knew that a er would soon start for Manila, and that a boat would leave that city on the next day for Hong Kong, so he wanted to get his narrative written in order to send it to Mr Van Bunting at once He felt that he had sos to write about, for it wasn't every correspondent who had seen Aguinaldo, and had been captured by the rebel army He knew that most of them were content to reeneral in command, and that this description of the rebels would be so new, at any rate So he wrote it very carefully, and succeeded in getting it ready in time to send, so that it would be in the office of the Enterprise in less than a reat changes which can take place in one's surroundings in a feeeks It seees to him since the day when he left home for the first time, and the experiences he had on his way to New York see to the far-away period of his boyhood He was beginning to feel very old now, because he had been through so much of late, and he could hardly realise that he was still eighteen
He wrote a short note to hisher that he was in good health and in no danger whatever of being captured by the rebels, for Archie felt quite safe after his experience with the insurgent leaders He knew that no one of their prisoners was ever likely to come to a very bad end They were far too slipshod in theirprisoners He was sorry not to be able to send a longer letter ho nothing at all, and that it would make his mother very happy to hear from him at all
The officers, when Archie returned to the dining-rooood meal from the provisions in the cupboard, and they thanked Archie warood place ”By Jove,” said one of the captains, ”we sha'n't want to return to Manila at all, e can get such grub as this is outside”
But the colonel assured them all that they needn't expect to find such accommodations everywhere in the interior of the country ”No doubt we'll all be living on plantains in a day or two, if we don't catch that fox of an Aguinaldo And I'm willin' to bet now that on't find him
That feller's too slick for us He's proved it many a time before”
”And to think that he was here only this ! The nerve of him, to come within twenty-five hty well satisfied if we can catch a few of his raggedto have accoiments have done, when they were sent after hi while If it wasn't for Bill Hickson we'd never hear tell of hiain without us ever knowin' it at all”
Archie was now called on to tell so of the rebel leader's appearance, and how he had acted while in the town
”I didn't see very much of hi with the big-bugs of the town, over in the ad But when he rode into town on his horse he looked h he fell so up He looked rather dunity, a little ht, and he received the cheers of the people as a e thereat deference, and I guess there's no doubt but what the Filipinos look upon him as their leader”