Part 8 (2/2)
Luke's story was quickly told, and he begged the soldier to look for Larry, fearing that serious harm had befallen the lad. At once two soldiers were detailed to care for the old Yankee, while the rest went on a hunt which lasted far into the night.
As we know, nothing was seen of Larry; but from a wounded and dying Filipino, the soldiers learned that the boy had been taken a prisoner, and must now be many miles away from the city. News of this reached Luke while he was in the temporary hospital opened up after the first fight, and the information made the old fellow feel as bad as did his wound.
”If they've captured him, he's a goner, I'm afraid,” he said to Jack Biddle, who had come in to help look after his messmate. ”Poor Larry!
What will his brother Ben say, when he hears of it?”
”Better not tell him right away,” suggested Biddle. ”Give him a chance to get strong fust. Besides, Larry may give 'em the slip. He's putty cute, ye know.”
The news soon spread that Larry and several others were missing, and a description of the absent ones was given out. The next day one of the missing soldiers was found dead in the jungle, but nothing was learned of the others.
”It serves the young sailor right,” growled Lieutenant Horitz. ”He knew too much for his own good.” He had not forgotten the disaster on the river, and secretly he wished Larry all manner of ill-luck.
During the rush through the woods the Lieutenant had tumbled and struck his nose on a stone. That member was much swollen and cut in consequence, and this put him in a worse humor than ever before.
By the time the expedition was to return to Manila, Luke was able to walk around again, and he was put on one of the larger boats and Jack Biddle was detailed to look after him. The return to Manila was made without special incident, and two days later found Luke on board the _Olympia_ among all his old friends.
But the Yankee tar was thoroughly out of sorts. ”I wouldn't care for the wound at all, if only I knew Larry was safe,” he was wont to say a dozen times a day. Barrow, Castleton, and all the boy's old friends were likewise troubled because of his strange disappearance.
It was Jack Biddle who got sh.o.r.e leave and travelled up to Malolos to break the news to Ben. He found the acting captain of Company D just preparing to take his place in the command once more.
”I'm glad to see you lookin' well, leftenant,” he said, after shaking hands warmly. ”Ye look almost as healthy as ye did on the voyage from Brooklyn to Manila.”
”And I feel almost as well,” replied Ben. ”The rest has done me a world of good. But what brought you up, Jack? Did Larry come with you?”
”No, Larry didn't come,” stammered the old tar, and looked down at the floor. ”Fact is, leftenant, Larry--he--he couldn't come.”
”Couldn't come? Why, what's the matter?” cried Ben, quickly. ”Is he sick?”
”I reckon not--leas'wise, I don't know. Fact is, leftenant, none on us know. Ye see, he went upon thet Santa Cruz expedition--”
”Yes, yes, I know that. And what of it? Was he--was he--” Ben could not utter the words which came to his mind.
”No, he wasn't shot, thet is, so far as we know. But he's--well, he's missin', an' we can't find hide nor hair o' him anywhere. I might ez well tell ye fust ez last, though it cuts my heart to do it, leftenant.” And Jack Biddle shook his head dubiously.
It was a great shock to Ben, yet he stood it better than the old tar had expected. He asked immediately for details, and though he drank in every word his manner showed that his thoughts were far away.
”I wish I had been along,” he said bitterly. ”If he wasn't killed, the Filipinos must have carried him off a pretty good distance. I wonder if General Lawton tried to find out anything under a flag of truce.”
”Everything that could be done was done--I have Captain Gaston's word on that,” answered Jack Biddle. Captain Gaston and Ben were well known to each other.
Ben sank down on a bench, and for several minutes said not a word, but the tears stood in his eyes, tears which he hastily dried that n.o.body might see them. Then Gilbert Pennington came in, to tell him that the regiment was ordered to move within the hour.
”It's too bad!” declared the young Southerner. ”But brace up, Ben, 'While there is life there is hope,' and it's a pretty sure thing that he wasn't killed.” And with this ray of comfort Ben had to be content.
During the days that General Lawton had been in the vicinity of the Laguna de Bay, the regiment to which Ben and Gilbert belonged had not been idle. With a number of other troops they started for the town of Santa Maria, where they came upon the enemy and dislodged them with sh.e.l.ls. The town, already in flames, was allowed to burn, and the Americans pursued the rebels quite a distance into the mountains, but failed to catch them.
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