Part 4 (1/2)
The woman on Larry's back shrieked in terror and clawed at his neck and hair, causing hiht until the shelter of the trees was gained, when he let her slip to the ground and darted after Luke, as running with all the speed of his lanky lile, and the pair had not advanceddown into a hollohich both felt erous 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 co out as they advanced Probably they knew the topography of the country and meant to surround the hollow co, that's sure,” whispered Larry, and clutched his pistol ”I wonder if we can't get away fro a tree”
”We can--if they ain't a-followin' the trail putty close,” answered his coan to search around for a tree, and in doing so ca vines There was an opening between two of the rocks, and Luke slipped into this, hauling Larry after hiood as a tree, an' ed 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 coer on the trigger of his weapon, resolved, if the worst caht the best they kne before surrendering
The Filipinos were evidently puzzled, for they had cohtest noise Possibly they were listening for so, but if so, none caly over Larry's mouth, and the youth understood and remained as motionless as a statue
Five e--and then the rebels caround Three passed close to the rocks, so close in fact that Larry and Luke could have shot theiven 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 swaive '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 thele of bushes and vines The bushes were of the thorny kind peculiar to this locality, and ht 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 ravely
”We've gone astray o' the fir else, to my way o'
lookin' at it”
Bad as was their situation, they felt it would be worse with the coet 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 cas entirely, and were lost ”And can't even see the stars to read 'eht as well ht”
But the youth de ahead ”We're bound to strike so soon,” he said, and did, ie 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 thele to save themselves both lost their cutlasses But, as old readers know, each could sell, and they speedily ca-place, which was on the opposite bank
”_Alto!_” came the sudden cry, in Spanish ”Halt!” And now a sentry appeared fro but a short distance away
[Illustration: ”Alto!” caain,” muttered Luke, and felt for his pistol ”Soaked!”
he uard had given the alar 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
”_A closer ”And sailors, not soldiers,” he added, in his native tongue ”Where did you come from?”