Part 15 (2/2)

”Some of the more ignorant might. But that isn't the point; Caspard may have given them some military information of vast importance. You must remember we are in a territory that may be full of pitfalls for us,” concluded the major.

Ben thought but little of the ending of this speech at the time, but had good cause to remember it before midnight. On they pushed past the picket guard and on to a side road which it was said would bring them around to the north side of Maasin. Both were in fairly good humor by this time, and the major told many an anecdote of army life which made Ben laugh outright. The major saw that his companion was indeed ”blue,” and was bound to dispel the blues if it could be done.

”And that story puts me in mind of one on General Grant,” he continued presently. ”Grant was sitting in his tent one night when--”

”Hus.h.!.+” interrupted Ben, and caught his companion by the shoulder.

Then he pointed into the semi-darkness ahead. ”Are those rebels, or friends?”

The road they were pursuing was, for the most part, a winding one. But they had now gained a straight stretch, the farther end of which was somewhat in the open. Looking in that direction Ben had discerned six or seven figures stealing silently along, guns on shoulders and packs on their backs.

Major Morris came to a halt and surveyed the figures attentively. ”I don't believe they are our men,” he whispered. ”None of the troops came as far as this--so the general stated.”

”Then, if they are rebels, what have they been doing?” went on Ben.

”See, they have picks and shovels and axes.”

”Perhaps it's an engineering corps,” and the major laughed softly at what he considered his little joke. ”These Tagals are bound to be up-to-date, you know.”

”Well, if they are an engineering corps, what have they been doing?”

demanded the young captain, who felt by no means satisfied at his companion's words.

”I'll give it up--no, I won't, I'll go forward and investigate,” came from the major. ”There they go, around the turn, and walking just as fast as they can. If we want to catch up to them, we will have to hurry.”

”We don't want to get too close, major. They are not the game we are after, remember.”

”True, captain, but it won't do any harm to find out what we can of them. We may be doing General Lawton a great service by such an action.”

The night was cloudy, and as they pushed forward to the bend in the road it became darker than ever, until they could see hardly anything of what was ahead of them. The way was evidently little used, for the gra.s.s grew thickly even in the centre of the highway.

The pair were going on, side by side, and with eyes strained to catch sight of those who had gone before, when suddenly Major Morris felt the ground giving way beneath him. ”My gracious!” he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, and caught Ben by the arm. At the same instant the young captain uttered a cry, and also felt himself going down. Then came the snapping of slender bamboo poles, and the scattering of some loose gra.s.s, and down into darkness and s.p.a.ce shot the pair, swallowed up utterly by a hole which had unexpectedly opened to receive them.

CHAPTER XVII

IN AND OUT OF A STRANGE PITFALL

Major Morris and Ben had fallen into a pit dug by the Filipinos for the purpose of catching their enemies. It was an old trick, and one which had been used quite extensively at the opening of the rebellion, but which was now falling into disuse, for the reason that few Americans were ever caught by the device.

The method was to dig a square hole in the centre of some trail or road which the Americans would probably use in their advance. At the bottom of this hole would be planted upright a number of sharp bamboo sticks, and then the top would be covered over with slender bamboo sticks and loose gra.s.s or palm leaves. If one or more persons stepped upon the top sticks, they would break at once, and the unfortunates would fall upon the sharp points below, which were certain to inflict more or less serious injury.

Fortunately, however, for the young captain and his companion, the hole into which they had tumbled was not provided with the sharp sticks mentioned. The natives had just finished the opening when an officer had called upon them to leave the vicinity as it was getting dangerous, owing to the rapid advances made by the Americans. So the trap had been set with its most dangerous element lacking.

Yet the fall was by no means a pleasant one, and for a brief instant the young captain of Company D thought that the bottom had dropped out of everything, and that he would surely be killed. He tried to catch hold of something, but all he could reach was the major's shoulder, and then both landed with a thud on the soft dirt left at the bottom of the hole.

Ben was the first on his feet, which was not saying much, since the bottom of the opening was not level, and he stood in the soft loam up to his ankles. Shaking himself to find that no bones were broken, he drew a long breath.

”Major, are you all right?” he asked.

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