Part 32 (1/2)

”I will try to be careful,” was the answer, with an effort. ”But what are they going to do with him?”

”They are taking him over to yonder tent.”

Soon Larry disappeared inside the tent, and they crouched behind the bushes to await developments. While waiting, Ben made a mental calculation of the number of the enemy.

”A battalion, or more,” he said to Boxer. ”I wonder what they are doing so far from the main body of the troops?”

”Oh, their army is becoming badly scattered, cap'n. General Lawton has 'em on the run, and there won't be any of 'em left when he gets through with 'em.”

As we know, the scene in the tent was a short one, and soon they saw Larry come out again, and saw him tied to the tree. The two soldiers detailed to guard him sat on either side of their prisoner, on rocks about six or eight yards from the tree.

”He seems to be the only prisoner in the camp,” whispered Ben. ”I wonder if I can't crawl up and cut him loose. I did that once for Gilbert Pennington.”

”No, no!” interposed Boxer. ”Those guards are wide awake and will shoot you in a minute. Wait till it gets darker--we may get a chance to do something then.”

Slowly the minutes drifted by, Ben watching Larry every instant. He saw that his younger brother was exceedingly tired and held one foot up as if in pain. The young sailor had asked if he might not lie down, but this comfort had been denied him.

Both of the guards were puffing vigorously on their cigarettes, when one chanced to throw down a lighted match close to the rock upon which he was sitting. It set fire to some dry gra.s.s, but instead of putting it out, the guard watched the tiny conflagration grow stronger.

”Playing with fire, eh?” said his mate, lightly.

”Yes,” was the slow answer. ”How I would like to see Manila go up like that!”

”Yes, I would like to see that, too, Carlos, and the Americans in the flames. Ah, but the day when we are to take the capital seems a long way off now.”

”Never mind; Aguinaldo says he is soon to have reenforcements from the south. When they come, let the American dogs beware!”

The talk was carried on in the Tagalog dialect, so Larry understood not a word. In the meantime, the fire crept up, making the guard's seat anything but comfortable.

”That's too much,” he observed, and was on the point of kicking the fire out with his foot, when of a sudden he uttered a wild yell that startled everybody near him. ”A snake! a snake! Oh, what a long creature!”

For from under the rock a huge reptile had glided, roused up by the heat. It was a snake peculiar to those mountains, and all of ten feet long and as thick as a man's arm. It struck the guard in the knee, and then whipped around in increased anger, for its tail had come in contact with the fire.

”A snake!” echoed the second guard, and fired his Mauser at the reptile. But he was too excited to shoot straight, and the bullet glanced along the rock and struck the first guard in the cheek, inflicting a fairly serious wound.

The cries of the two guards' were taken up on all sides of the camp, and especially in the vicinity of the rock from under which the reptile had appeared. All the soldiers recognized the snake as a dangerous enemy; and as the reptile moved about, first one and then another ran to get out of its way, several in the meantime taking hasty shots at it, but failing to do any serious damage. For several minutes the prisoner was entirely forgotten.

It was Ben who saw the opportunity,--Ben and the ever-faithful Luke,--and rus.h.i.+ng up, they cut Larry's bonds and fairly hustled him into the depth of the jungle behind the encampment. The young sailor could hardly understand what was taking place, but when he recognized his brother and his old messmate, he gave a shout of joy.

”You, Ben! and Luke! Oh, I must be dreaming!”

”No, you are not dreaming, Larry. We've been watching you for a long while, trying to do something. Can you run?”

”No; I sprained my ankle, and it is still sore.”

”I'll carry him,” said Luke. ”You lead the way, cap'n. And Boxer had better bring up the rear guard.”

”Right you are,” came from the scout. ”Have your weapons ready, cap'n.

We may catch it hot, in spite of the alarm over the snake. Those rebs will be as mad as hornets when they find the lad is missing.”