Part 31 (2/2)

”He must have gone somewhere,” replied Ben, who could not bring himself to give up the hunt. ”He wasn't spirited away. I've a good mind to make a hunt at the bottom of the cliff.”

”As you will, cap'n. But, remember, this air side o' the valley is full of rebs, and if they catch us--”

”We must be on our guard, Boxer.”

”I've got my eyes wide open,” put in Luke. ”I reckon on it as how I can see as far as any on 'em, too.”

The walk to the cliff had not been accomplished without difficulty.

Twice had they come close to running into the Filipino pickets, and once Luke had been almost certain they were being followed, but the alarm proved false. A night had been spent in the jungle, and at a point within half a mile of where Larry lay senseless under the big tree!

The hunt had revealed to the party the series of rough steps mentioned in the last chapter, and down these they now went and continued their search at the base of the cliff.

”What's this?” came from the old sailor, presently, and he pointed to the broken sapling hanging in the branches of the big tree. With the sapling was a shred of a garment, fluttering in the breeze like a signal of distress.

A close examination caused them to reach a conclusion which was, as we already know, true; namely, that Larry had come down with the sapling and landed in the big tree.

”And he wasn't killed, either,” said Boxer. ”For here is where he built a fire and cooked some birds' eggs.”

”And he visited the pool, too,” added Ben, examining the tracks with care. ”Funny tracks these,” he added, a second later.

”He was hopping on one foot,” announced the scout, gravely. ”That looks as if he had one leg hurt.”

It was an easy matter to follow the trail through the jungle, for the ground was damp and covered with a moss which was torn with ease. Soon they reached the clearing where Larry had stopped to examine his ankle.

”Hullo, more footprints!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Boxer, his face falling. ”And rebs, too, I'll wager a new hat. Cap'n, I'm afraid your brother has run into worse trouble.”

”It certainly looks like it,” answered Ben. ”Where do the footprints lead to?”

Where but back to the very rocks down which they had come but a few hours before! Soon they were back at the top of the cliff again.

Before leaving the valley Boxer studied the footprints closely, and now, although there were other footprints above, he followed the party having Larry in charge without making a single error. But it was slow work, and the encampment of the Filipinos was not discovered until nightfall.

”We've tracked 'em to a finish,” announced Boxer. ”Don't go any further, cap'n--unless you are ready to do some tall shooting.”

”I can do some shooting if it's necessary,” answered Ben, with a determined look on his face which was not to be mistaken. ”I should like to make sure my brother is here.”

”We'll walk around the camp and see,” said Boxer, and this they did, slowly and cautiously, each with his weapons ready for immediate use.

But the Filipinos were busy eating their suppers and smoking cigarettes, and did not discover them.

”There's Larry!” cried Luke, after a while. And he pointed to one side of the camp. The guards were just taking the lad to the general to be sentenced.

”Yes, yes!” answered Ben. He handled his pistol nervously. He could hardly restrain himself from rus.h.i.+ng forward and embracing the long lost. Boxer saw what was in his mind and held him back.

”Don't be rash, cap'n,” whispered the scout. ”If you are, it may cost all of us our lives.”

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