Part 23 (1/2)

”Here co of truce,” said Gilbert, presently, as a rebel appeared, holding up a white rag ”If I were you, I wouldn't honor it”

”I would like to hear what they have to say,” replied Ben, quietly

”But re of truce,” insisted the young Southerner ”You'll be running your head into a lion's mouth”

”Sorrel, keep that man covered,” said Ben ”I won't o with you,” said Gilbert, proether Ben and heup a new handkerchief as he walked The rebel at once halted, as if expecting them to come over to where he stood

”You come over here!” cried Gilbert, and waved his hand

There was a full minute's delay, and then of a sudden the rebel thren his white flag and sped toward the house At the sa out, and Gilbert fell back, struck in the shoulder

”What did I tell you!” he gasped ”They are treacherous to the last degree!” And then the young Southerner fainted

As justout, but only two had come from the house The third came from Ralph Sorrel's weapon, and theof truce fell dead in his tracks

The dastardly attack angered Ben beyond endurance, and leaving Gilbert resting comfortably on some cut cane, he leaped to the front ”Come, boys, ill root them out!” he cried, and ran on toward the house as fast as he could, firing as he went Sorrel was at his heels, and the others fired, each ”red-hot” as they afterward expressed it

The insurgents saw the and fired several shots, but nobody was struck, and in a trice the house was surrounded Then Major Morris cah a , and it was Ben who cut his bonds with a pocket-knife

”I saw it all,” exclaimed the major ”Go for the over the dead rebel, he took from his bosom a bolo and joined in the attack ”They are a pack of cowards--a ht; the rebels in the house were no regularly organized body, and at the first sign of real peril they fled by the back way, over a ditch and straight for the nearest jungle But our friends were determined that they should not escape thus easily, and pursued the three others Long afterward they learned that those who had thus forfeited their lives were bandits from the mountains back of San Isidro They had joined the forces under General Aguinaldo, h which the rebel army passed

As soon as the contest had come to an end, Ben hurried back to where he had left Gilbert The wound fro was painful, but not dangerous Yet it was likely to put Gilbert in the hospital for the best part of athrough to the end,”

said Gilbert, shaking his head dolefully

”You'll have to take your dose as I did,” answered Ben ”I aiment couldn't afford to lose such a brave fellow as you”

”Brave? Didn't I hang back until you proposed to go out alone, Ben? If anybody was brave, it was you,” and then Gilbert turned his face away to conceal the pain that was co on

The hospital corps was so busy that Gilbert could not be carried back of the firing line for so that day, Ben decided to remain by his old chu the others to accompany Major Morris back to the command proper In the meantime, a skirmish line was stretched to the north of the cane-brake, that the insurgents htfully hot, but scarcely had Major Morris left with his party than a faint breeze sprang up which gradually increased to a fair-sized wind Making Gilbert as comfortable as possible under some of the tallest of the cane, Ben and Sorrel sat down beside hiet his pain

The three had been sitting in the shade for the best part of half an hour, and Sorrel was sharpening his knife on the side leather of his shoe, when, glancing up, Ben noticed a peculiar cloud in the sky overhead

”That looks rather queer,” he remarked ”Does that denote a wind-stor, that's sartin,” responded theI ain't seed out yere yit,” and he leaped to his feet

The cloud was about as large as a barrel in appearance, and of a deep black color It see around and around, and as it caan to expand Then it shot off to the southward, but not out of sight

”I'one,” said Gilbert, who had roused up to watch the strange thing ”I don't want to get caught in a western cyclone--and that cloud looks like those I have heard described”

”The rainy season is co on here, and I presume we are bound to have more or less tornadoes,” answered Ben ”They say that last year they were so the seacoast”