Part 26 (2/2)

A sound had reached the old sailor's ears, coming from some distance ahead. It was the sound of footsteps approaching.

”Somebody is coming!” whispered Larry, and crouched down. Then a man put in an appearance, coming from the opposite end of the pa.s.sageway.

He was an American soldier, hatless and almost in tatters.

”Hullo there!” cried Larry, leaping up. ”Oh, but I'm glad you came!”

At the cry the soldier stopped short in amazement. Larry's words echoed and reechoed throughout the pa.s.sage. He looked toward the pair at the chasm, but could make out little saving the torch which Leroy was holding.

”Who calls?” he asked at last.

”I called,” answered the boy. ”Can't you see us? We are two lost sailors, and we can't get over this beastly hole. Come this way, but be careful of where you step.”

”You must be Americans by your voices. Am I right?”

”Yes; and you are an American, too,” said Larry, as the soldier came closer. Soon he stood facing them, with a look of wonder on his bronzed features.

”How did you get here?” he demanded.

”It's a long story,” answered Leroy. ”We escaped from some rebels at the other end of this cave, and we've been wandering around since last night. Are you alone, or are our forces outside of this hole?”

”General Lawton's troops are a good many miles from here,” answered the soldier. ”I am one of his scouts, and I became separated from our command and got up here to escape being hunted down by the crowd of Filipinos that was after me. They are in the woods just outside of this hole.”

”Then you are all alone?” said Larry, his face falling a little.

”Yes, although I think a couple of our men must be in this vicinity.

We are pressing the rebels pretty hard, you know.”

The scout's name was George Boxer, and he was one of the best marksmen in Chief Young's command. He listened to their story with interest, and at once agreed to do what he could for them. They noted with satisfaction that he was provided with both a rifle and a pistol, and also a belt well filled with ammunition.

It was an easy matter for Boxer to make his way into the open air and find a fallen tree limb of sufficient thickness to throw over the chasm as a make-s.h.i.+ft bridge. As soon as the limb was secure, Larry and Leroy came over, and then the party of three made their way to the mouth of the cave.

It was a welcome sight to see the sky again and the suns.h.i.+ne, and Larry's eyes sparkled as he gazed down the mountain-side and at the vast panorama spread out before him. At their feet was a heavy jungle, and beyond a plain and a small hill, where a large body of insurgents were encamping.

”It's good to be in the fresh air again, eh, lad?” observed Leroy.

”But I'm afraid we'll have a good bit o' trouble gettin' past them rebels,” he added to George Boxer.

”We can't get past them in the daytime,” answered the scout; ”but I think we can make it after the sun goes down. And it will take us till sundown to get to the bottom of this mountain, if I am not mistaken.”

Now they were in the open, it was decided to discard the kettle; and the three ate up what remained of the stew, along with the single ration which Boxer carried. Then they began the descent of the mountain-side, slipping over rocks and dirt as best they could, and finding their way around many an ugly pitfall.

”I suppose you think it's queer I came up so far,” said Boxer, as they hurried downward. ”The truth is I was so closely pursued I didn't realize how far I was going. Those rebels can climb the mountains like so many wildcats. I'm afraid we'll never clean them out if they take a stand up here.”

It was hot, and now Leroy gazed from time to time at the sky. ”A storm or something is coming,” he said.

<script>