CHAPTER XXI
CAMPING OVER A POWDER MAGAZINE
Bang!
It was the report of Ben's pistol, and the weapon was aimed directlyfor the Igorrote's head, for the young captain had learned the valueof aiming and firing quickly.
But the Filipino "had been there before," and as the trigger went downhe dropped to the ground with the rapidity of lightning, and thebullet intended for him struck a man some distance in the rear. Thenup leaped the Igorrote once more and bounded onward, the lance pointaimed directly for Ben's throat!
The young captain's pistol was now empty, the other shots having beendischarged during the climb up the hill. His sword was out, but thelance was three times the length of the blade, so he was still at adisadvantage. Yet he aimed a blow at the barbed point and thus turnedit aside.
"Ha!" hissed the Filipino, and drew back. Then he struck again atBen, and instantly both slipped on the moist grass and fell directlyinto each other's clutches. The Igorrote was a powerful warrior, andgrasped Ben's throat with the tightness of a steel band.
Ben tried to cry out, but not a sound could he make. His eyes bulgedfrom their sockets, and he felt his breath leaving him. A secondIgorrote leaped forward to hit him on the head with a war club, suchas some of the Igorrote still insisted upon carrying. Of the use ofrifles this tribe of the Filipinos knew little or nothing.
"Back, ye nager!" came in Dan Casey's voice, and there followed asickening thud, and down went the enemy with the club, his head splitopen by a blow from the Irish volunteer's gun-stock. Casey then aimeda second blow at the rebel who had hold of Ben, but not wishing toreceive such a dose as had been meted out to his companion, the otherIgorrote sprang up, butted Casey in the stomach with his head, thuslanding the Irishman on his back, and then ran for his life toward thenearest shelter of brush.
"Oh, be gracious! To look at that now!" spluttered the Irishman as hearose. "But I got wan av thim, anyhow, captain," he added, with ajerk of his thumb toward the Igorrote, who lay with a broken head.
"Yes, Casey; and you saved me, too," returned Ben, earnestly. "You areworth two ordinary men;" and then captain and private drifted apart,as the tide of battle rolled forward.
The top of the hill was gained, but for once the insurgents did notknow when they were whipped, and held to their guns until more thanhalf of their number were either killed or wounded. The contest ragedto the right and the left of the battery, and this was fortunate, forseeing they could not hold the pieces, some of the rebels overchargedone of the guns and set it off, blowing it into a thousand pieces.Then the main body retreated into the jungle, carrying a few of theirwounded with them.
By this time it was raining again, and the downpour on the top of thehill was so great that little could be seen of the condition ofaffairs at a distance. Sending word that the hill was taken and oneold-fashioned Spanish field-piece captured, Major Morris rallied hisbattalion around him and stood on the defensive. But the rebels hadhad enough of fighting for the present, and once again took up theretreat in the direction of San Isidro.
"I reckon that was hot enough for anybody," said the major, as hestalked up to Ben and the other captains under him. "I wonder ifanybody was killed by the explosion of that old cannon?"
"Nobody was killed, but several were wounded," answered one of thecaptains. "The rebel who charged her up and then fired her had lots ofnerve," he added.
Word soon came back from General Lawton that the battalion should holdthe hill until further orders. The situation was not a pleasant one,but orders must be obeyed, and the various companies proceeded to makethemselves as comfortable as possible, which was not saying much,since the top of the hill afforded little or no shelter. One companywas detailed to do picket duty, but a little scouting soon proved thatthe rebels were a mile or more distant.
When the main body of the troops under General Lawton marched intoMaasin, they found the pretty little town all but deserted. In a fewof the huts the inhabitants remained, having hung out dirty whiterags to show that they were _amigos_. Here were also numerous "Chinos"or Chinese, some of mixed blood, and all ready to do anything for theAmerican soldiers, provided they were paid for it. Natives and"Chinos" went about bared to the waist, casting fearful eyes at thosewho had so suddenly disturbed the peace of their homesteads, for theinhabitants of Maasin were peaceably inclined, and took but littleinterest in the war Aguinaldo and his followers had instituted.
"Well, we are one step nearer to San Isidro," remarked Gilbert, whenhe got the chance to talk to Ben. "I suppose we can't get there anytoo quick for you."
"I don't know, Gilbert. You must remember that while Larry may be nearSan Isidro now, he may be miles off when we reach there. TheseFilipinos change their capital and their prisons as quickly as a fleajumps."
"Never mind, we'll keep them on the jump until they drop," answeredthe young Southerner. "They can't stand up before us forever."
"To my way of thinking, I don't believe this war will come to definiteend, Gilbert."
"What do you mean, Ben? They have got to stop sometime--or else wehave got to stop."
"These Filipinos are not pulling together--on the contrary, they aresplit up into half a dozen factions. If we defeat one faction, theothers will still keep on, and, besides that, the worst of the rebelsare of Malayan blood, pirates and bandits. I believe after we havewhipped them as an army they will still keep on fighting in smallbodies, somewhat after the order of the brigands in Mexico andnorthern Africa. With the mountains to fly to, such brigands couldkeep on worrying an American army for years."
"Possibly; but when the main body of the natives see what we wantto do for them, they'll be as anxious as we to wipe out suchbrigands, and with their own people after them, life will be prettyuncomfortable, I'll wager. To be sure, there will always berobbers, just as there are outlaws and train-wreckers in the westernstates of our own country."
Some of the men had found a small opening between the rocks, and overthis had hung their tents, making a rude shelter which Ben and Gilbertwere glad to share with them. In the crowd were Casey and Stummer, andthe latter busied himself in trying to make a cup of hot chocolateover a handful of dry twigs found in the shelter. The attempt washardly a success, yet the drink was better for the convalescent thaneither water or liquor would have been.
"Sure, an' if this shtorm kapes up, we'll all be dhrowned out," wasCasey's comment, as he shifted his feet to keep them out of a risingpuddle. "Now who would think the water would rise on the top av ahill. Things do be mighty peculiar in Luzon, an' that's a fact."
"Never mind, Casey, you'll get back home some day," put in anothersoldier. "And in years to come you'll be telling your grandchildrenwhat a mighty fighter you were out in the state of Luzon, recentlyannexed to the United States, along with the state of Hawaii." And alaugh went up over the conceit.
"Sure an' you ton't haf nodding to grumble ofer of you ton't gitshot," said Stummer.
"Or don't get taken down with disease," put in another. "My, but Ipity the fellows with fever and chills and malaria, and the otherthings that are just as bad. I believe about one-fifth of the army isnow on the sick list."
"Some of the boys are going to send a petition to General Otis forrelief. They say they can't stand it much longer."
So the talk went on, both Ben and Gilbert saying but little. PresentlyMajor 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 themajor. "Either come out of that, or else put out that fire, and bemighty 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," suggestedanother, thinking that this was the cause of their being disturbed.
"I'm not thinking of the enemy, boys, I'm thinking
of you. Better comeout, and then we'll put out that fire as carefully as we can."
Seeing that something unusual was in the wind, one after another ofthe officers and privates came forth from the hollow, Stummer givingthe fire a kick as he passed. As soon as they were outside theysurrounded the commander of the first battalion.
"Now, boys, do you know why I called you out?" asked Major Morris,with just the suspicion of a twinkle in his clear eyes.
"No, why was it?" came from a dozen voices.
"Because I wanted to save your lives," was the quiet response.
"Save our lives, major? You must be joking."
"No, I am not joking. We have just captured one of the rebel gunners,who was in command of the piece that was blown to atoms. He says thatthis hollow, where you had your camp-fire, was their powder magazine,and that they left all of a hundred and fifty pounds of powder storedthere, hidden under the moss and dead leaves."