Part 11 (1/2)

They soon came to a pretty dwelling, set in a perfect wilderness of flowers and shrubs. Toward the side they made out a well, and ran forward to fill their canteens.

The pair were at the well when a shrill cry from one of the side rooms of the house attracted their attention. Looking up, they saw a native girl waving her hand frantically at them. The girl was nicely dressed and evidently belonged to the better cla.s.ses.

”We only want a drink!” shouted Ben, thinking that the maiden might imagine they had come into the garden to steal.

But the girl shouted more loudly than ever, and waved them away from the well. ”Bad! bad!” she cried.

”Oh, no, we are not so bad as you think,” Gilbert shouted back; and was about to take a drink from a cocoanut-sh.e.l.l dipper which hung handy, when the girl came out of the cottage on a run and dashed the dipper to the ground. At the same time an evil-looking Filipino appeared at the doorway, shook his fist at the girl, and then suddenly ran for the barns behind the dwelling and disappeared.

”I want a drink and I'm going to have it,” began Gilbert, sternly, for he did not like the manner in which the water had been spilt over his clothing. ”If you--”

”The well is poisoned; don't drink, it will kill you!” gasped the girl, in Spanish.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”The well is poisoned! don't drink! it will kill you!”--_Page 115._]

As old readers know, Gilbert understood a little of the language, having picked it up while on a trip to Cuba, and also while serving as a Rough Rider in that island. He started back and caught the maiden by the arm.

”Poisoned! you are certain?” he cried.

”Yes, senor; my uncle put the poison in only yesterday. He lost much at Angat, and he is very angry at the _Americanos_ in consequence. He knew the soldiers were coming this way, and he wanted to poison as many as he could. He put a water-barrel down on the road full of the poisoned water, too.”

”Who is your uncle, the man who just ran off?”

”Yes, senor. But, oh, do not go after him, I pray you!” cried the girl, in high alarm. ”I would not have spoken, but I could not see you poisoned before my very eyes; no, not that!”

As quickly as he could, Gilbert translated her words to Ben, who listened in amazement.

”The villain!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the young captain. ”I've heard of this sort of thing being done before. I wonder where that barrel is that she spoke about? We must find it and empty it of its contents.”

Gilbert put the question to the girl, who announced that the barrel was on another road back of the plantation. Whether any of the soldiers had reached it or not was a question.

As quickly as he could Ben reported the situation to his superior, and received orders to divide his company, leaving a part to guard the poisoned well so that no Americans might drink from it, while the rest should go and hunt up the water-barrel. Gilbert was detailed to accompany Ben, and the girl was given to understand that she must take the soldiers to where the barrel had been set up.

At first the maiden demurred; but there was no help for it, and the kind smiles which Gilbert and Ben gave her were an a.s.surance that no harm was about to befall her. Yet she was afraid that when the reckoning came her uncle would deal harshly with her, and trembled violently as she moved through the rice-fields with the two young officers beside her.

The little command had nearly reached the back road when the report of a gun rang out, coming from the direction of a wood behind the rice-fields. The bullet sped past Ben's shoulder, to bury itself in the fleshy part of one of his private's arms.

”'Tis my uncle!” cried the girl. ”Oh, he will kill us all, I am sure of it!” And she became so agitated that she sank down and could not go another step.

Without hesitation, Ben ordered his men forward on the run, and away went the detachment for the spot from whence the unexpected shot had come. As the soldiers neared the wood they beheld a Filipino in the act of running across a small opening.

”That's him, the rascal!” roared Dan Casey, and taking a hasty aim he fired, and the rebel was seen to plunge forward on his face. When the party came up they found that the man had been hit in the hip, and that the wound, while not necessarily dangerous, was serious, and would put the fellow out of the contest for several months.

”It serves him right,” said Ben. ”Poisoning drinking water is not fair fighting.”

The girl soon came up, crying bitterly. She wished to remain by her uncle, but Ben made her understand that she must point out the water-barrel first, and after that he would have two soldiers remove the wounded man to the cottage.

Ten minutes later the rear road was gained, and here the water-barrel was found, set up on end, with the top knocked out. It was three-quarters full of water, and a dozen or more soldiers were drinking and filling their canteens.