Part 21 (1/2)

Word soon came back from General Lawton that the battalion should hold the hill until further orders. The situation was not a pleasant one, but orders must be obeyed, and the various companies proceeded to make themselves as comfortable as possible, which was not saying much, since the top of the hill afforded little or no shelter. One company was detailed to do picket duty, but a little scouting soon proved that the rebels were a mile or more distant.

When the main body of the troops under General Lawton marched into Maasin, they found the pretty little town all but deserted. In a few of the huts the inhabitants remained, having hung out dirty white rags to show that they were _amigos_. Here were also numerous ”Chinos”

or Chinese, some of mixed blood, and all ready to do anything for the American soldiers, provided they were paid for it. Natives and ”Chinos” went about bared to the waist, casting fearful eyes at those who had so suddenly disturbed the peace of their homesteads, for the inhabitants of Maasin were peaceably inclined, and took but little interest in the war Aguinaldo and his followers had inst.i.tuted.

”Well, we are one step nearer to San Isidro,” remarked Gilbert, when he got the chance to talk to Ben. ”I suppose we can't get there any too quick for you.”

”I don't know, Gilbert. You must remember that while Larry may be near San Isidro now, he may be miles off when we reach there. These Filipinos change their capital and their prisons as quickly as a flea jumps.”

”Never mind, we'll keep them on the jump until they drop,” answered the young Southerner. ”They can't stand up before us forever.”

”To my way of thinking, I don't believe this war will come to definite end, Gilbert.”

”What do you mean, Ben? They have got to stop sometime--or else we have got to stop.”

”These Filipinos are not pulling together--on the contrary, they are split up into half a dozen factions. If we defeat one faction, the others will still keep on, and, besides that, the worst of the rebels are of Malayan blood, pirates and bandits. I believe after we have whipped them as an army they will still keep on fighting in small bodies, somewhat after the order of the brigands in Mexico and northern Africa. With the mountains to fly to, such brigands could keep on worrying an American army for years.”

”Possibly; but when the main body of the natives see what we want to do for them, they'll be as anxious as we to wipe out such brigands, and with their own people after them, life will be pretty uncomfortable, I'll wager. To be sure, there will always be robbers, just as there are outlaws and train-wreckers in the western states of our own country.”

Some of the men had found a small opening between the rocks, and over this had hung their tents, making a rude shelter which Ben and Gilbert were glad to share with them. In the crowd were Casey and Stummer, and the latter busied himself in trying to make a cup of hot chocolate over a handful of dry twigs found in the shelter. The attempt was hardly a success, yet the drink was better for the convalescent than either water or liquor would have been.

”Sure, an' if this shtorm kapes up, we'll all be dhrowned out,” was Casey's comment, as he s.h.i.+fted his feet to keep them out of a rising puddle. ”Now who would think the water would rise on the top av a hill. Things do be mighty peculiar in Luzon, an' that's a fact.”

”Never mind, Casey, you'll get back home some day,” put in another soldier. ”And in years to come you'll be telling your grandchildren what a mighty fighter you were out in the state of Luzon, recently annexed to the United States, along with the state of Hawaii.” And a laugh went up over the conceit.

”Sure an' you ton't haf nodding to grumble ofer of you ton't git shot,” said Stummer.

”Or don't get taken down with disease,” put in another. ”My, but I pity the fellows with fever and chills and malaria, and the other things that are just as bad. I believe about one-fifth of the army is now on the sick list.”

”Some of the boys are going to send a pet.i.tion to General Otis for relief. They say they can't stand it much longer.”

So the talk went on, both Ben and Gilbert saying but little. Presently Major Morris poked his nose into the opening.

”I think you boys had better come out of there,” he said shortly.

”Why, major--” began several.

”Are we to advance?” asked others.

”No, we are not going to advance, unless it's skyward,” continued the major. ”Either come out of that, or else put out that fire, and be mighty careful about it.”

”The fire ain't doing no harm,” grumbled a private, under his breath.

”I don't believe the enemy can see the smoke in this rain,” suggested another, thinking that this was the cause of their being disturbed.

”I'm not thinking of the enemy, boys, I'm thinking of you. Better come out, and then we'll put out that fire as carefully as we can.”

Seeing that something unusual was in the wind, one after another of the officers and privates came forth from the hollow, Stummer giving the fire a kick as he pa.s.sed. As soon as they were outside they surrounded the commander of the first battalion.