CHAPTER XXVI
BOXER THE SCOUT
Much chagrined, man and boy stood on the brink of the chasm beforethem and gazed at the other side. It was sloping, as Larry had said,and wet, which was worse. A jump, even for a trained athlete, wouldhave been perilous in the extreme.
"Looks like we were stumped," remarked Leroy, laconically.
"And just as we were so near to yonder opening!" cried Larry, vexedbeyond endurance. "If we only had a plank, or something."
He looked around, but nothing was at hand but the bare stone walls,with here and there a patch of dirt and a loose stone. He walked toone end of the hole.
"A fellow might climb along yonder shelf if he were a cat," he saiddismally. "But I don't believe a human being could do it."
"No, and don't you go for to try it," put in the old sailor. "If youdo, you'll break your neck, sure as guns is guns."
"Well, we've got to do something, Leroy."
"So we have; an' I move we sit down an' eat a bite o' the stew. Maybeeatin' will put some new ideas into our heads."
"I'd rather wait until we gain the open air."
"But we can't make it--yet--so be content, lad. It's something to knowthet the blue sky is beyond."
They sat down, and soon finished one-half of what remained of the messin the kettle. Never had anything tasted sweeter, and it was only bythe exercise of the greatest self-control that they kept back aportion of the food.
"Perhaps we'll have to go back, remember that," said Leroy, as he putthe cover on the kettle once more.
"Go back? No, no, Leroy! I'll try jumping over first."
"I don't think I shall. Thet hole-- What's that?"
A sound had reached the old sailor's ears, coming from some distanceahead. It was the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Somebody is coming!" whispered Larry, and crouched down. Then a manput in an appearance, coming from the opposite end of the passageway.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 wordsechoed and reechoed throughout the passage. He looked toward the pairat the chasm, but could make out little saving the torch which Leroywas holding.
"Who calls?" he asked at last.
"I called," answered the boy. "Can't you see us? We are two lostsailors, and we can't get over this beastly hole. Come this way, butbe 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 camecloser. Soon he stood facing them, with a look of wonder on hisbronzed features.
"How did you get here?" he demanded.
"It's a long story," answered Leroy. "We escaped from some rebels atthe other end of this cave, and we've been wandering around sincelast night. Are you alone, or are our forces outside of this hole?"
"General Lawton's troops are a good many miles from here," answeredthe soldier. "I am one of his scouts, and I became separated from ourcommand and got up here to escape being hunted down by the crowd ofFilipinos that was after me. They are in the woods just outside ofthis 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 marksmenin Chief Young's command. He listened to their story with interest,and at once agreed to do what he could for them. They noted withsatisfaction that he was provided with both a rifle and a pistol, andalso a belt well filled with ammunition.
It was an easy matter for Boxer to make his way into the open air andfind a fallen tree limb of sufficient thickness to throw over thechasm as a make-shift bridge. As soon as the limb was secure, Larryand Leroy came over, and then the party of three made their way to themouth of the cave.
It was a welcome sight to see the sky again and the sunshine, andLarry's eyes sparkled as he gazed down the mountain-side and at thevast 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 insurgentswere 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 themrebels," he added to George Boxer.
"We can't get past them in the daytime," answered the scout; "but Ithink we can make it after the sun goes down. And it will take us tillsundown 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; andthe three ate up what remained of the stew, along with the singleration which Boxer carried. Then they began the descent of themountain-side, slipping over rocks and dirt as best they could, andfinding their way around many an ugly pitfall.
"I suppose you think it's queer I came up so far," said Boxer, as theyhurried downward. "The truth is I was so closely pursued I didn'trealize how far I was going. Those rebels can climb the mountains likeso many wildcats. I'm afraid we'll never clean them out if they take astand up here."
It was hot, and now Leroy gazed from time to time at the sky. "A stormor something is coming," he said.
"Yes, something is coming," added Boxer. "I can tell it by the way thebirds are flying about. They seem to be troubled."
"I see a cloud away off to the southward," put in Larry. "It's notlarge, but it's mighty black."
No more was said just then upon the subject; and they continued theirjourney down the mountain-side until they came to a fair-sized stream,where they quenched their thirst and took a wash. They were about togo on again when Boxer held up his hand as a warning.
"Great gophers, boys, we are running right into a nest of therebels!" he whispered. "Back with you, before it is too late."
They looked ahead and saw that the scout was right. They started to goback; and as they turned, a Mauser rang out and a bullet clipped thebushes beside them.
"Discovered!" came from Leroy's lips. "Larry, I'm afraid the jig isup. Those Filipi--"
Crack! It was Boxer's rifle that rang out, and as the scout was asharpshooter, it may be taken for granted that he brought down hisman. Then the three set off on a run along the side of the mountain towhere a slight rise of ground promised better hiding.
"We can't do much against such a crowd," said the scout. "But in agood spot we can hold out awhile, provided one of you can use mypistol."
"I can fire tolerably straight," answered Leroy, and took the weapon.Soon the rise was gained, and they plunged in behind a tangle ofpines. The Filipinos were following them, although taking good carenot to expose themselves needlessly to the fire of such a crackmarksman as Boxer had proved himself to be.
From behind the tangle of growth, the three Americans watched theskilful advance of the enemy with dismay. "They are trying to surroundus!" whispered Boxer. Then like a flash his rifle went up. The reportwas followed by a yell of pain, and a Filipino fell into view frombehind a tree less than fifty yards distant. The poor fellow was hitin the side, but managed to crawl back into cover again, groaningdismally.
Leroy also fired, a second later, aiming at a tall Tagal who wascrossing a clearing to their left. If he hit his mark, the rebel gaveno sign, but the man disappeared in a great hurry. Then came acrashing through the bushes below and to the left, proving that theFilipinos were massing in those directions.
"Perhaps we had better try to crawl away from this--" began Larry,when a humming sound caught his ear. At the same time the sky grewblack.
"Look! look!" yelled Leroy. "What is this--the end of the world?"
All looked up. The humming had increased to a whistle, and now came acrashing of trees and brush mingled with the wild cries of theFilipinos as they rushed away toward a near-by mountain stream. Theyknew what was coming, even if our friends did not.
And then the tornado was almost upon them.
I say almost, for, thanksto an all-ruling Providence, it did not strike them fairly, but rushedto one side, where the Filipinos had been gathering. The light of dayseemed to die out utterly, and the air was filled with flying debrisand screaming birds and wild animals made homeless on the instant. Thevery earth seemed to quake with the violence of the trees uprooted,and branches and dirt flew all over the Americans, until they wereburied as completely as Ben and his companions had been. Larry thoughtit was indeed the end of the world, and breathed a silent prayer thatGod might watch over him and those he loved.
At last the rushing wind ceased, and the crashing was lost in thedistance. But the birds kept up their wild cries, and for severalseconds neither Larry nor those with him moved, wondering if that wasthe end of the tornado, or if worse was to follow. But it was the end,and gradually they came forth one after another, to gaze on the mightywreckage about them. It was Leroy who raised his hand solemnly toheaven.
"I thank God that we have been spared," he said, and Larry and thescout uttered an amen.
Whether or not to leave the vicinity was a question. At last, seeingno more of the enemy, they plucked up courage enough to move down themountain-side once more. But the tornado had made the passage moredifficult than ever, and several times they had to turn back.Nightfall found them still some distance from the plain, with yetanother jungle to pass before the open would be gained.
"We might as well make a night of it here," said Boxer, and footsoreand weary Larry and Leroy agreed with him. It was not long before alldropped asleep, too tired to stand guard, and hardly deeming that onewas necessary.
The tornado had killed numerous birds and small animals, and it waseasy to pick up a plentiful breakfast.
"I don't know about making a fire," said Leroy. "Those rebels may spotus before we are aware."
Yet they were too hungry to go without eating, and in the end theybuilt a fire of the driest wood they could find, and while Boxercooked the birds, Larry and the old sailor scattered the smoke withtheir jackets, so that it might not go up in a cloud, and also kepttheir eyes open for the possible appearance of the rebels. But thetornado had scared the insurgents as much as it had anybody, and notone showed himself.
By eight o'clock they were once more on the way, Boxer leading withhis gun ready for use, Larry in the centre, and Leroy bringing up therear with the pistol.
They were just entering the jungle at the foot of the mountain when astrange moaning reached their ears and all halted. There was asilence, and then the moaning started up again.
"What is that?" questioned Larry. "It can't be a human being."
"I think I know what it is," returned the scout. "Wait here till Imake sure," and he glided ahead and was soon lost to sight under aclump of tall trees which grew in somewhat of a clearing. Soon theyheard him shouting for them to come on.
It was a water buffalo that was moaning. The beast had become caughtunder a partly fallen tree and could not release itself. It was ahandsome animal and weighed a good many hundred pounds.
"Here's meat and to spare!" cried Boxer, and drawing forth a huntingknife, he put the caribao out of his misery in short order. "This issome more work of that tornado," he went on, as he proceeded to cutout a choice steak. "We won't starve for the next forty-eight hours."
"I hope by that time we'll have reached the army," answered Larry, andtook the portion of meat handed to him. It was not a dainty thing tocarry, but he had to shoulder it, since Boxer and Leroy were carryingthe weapons.
As they proceeded, the jungle appeared to become more dense, until itwas next to impossible to make any progress. Yet they felt that eachstep was bringing them closer to the open plain and to a point wherefew natives were likely to be congregated. "If we once get down to thebottom, we'll be all right," said Boxer.
But the scout had not reckoned on the fact that there was a hollow atthe base of the mountain, and that the heavy rains had filled thisfull to overflowing. It was Larry who first called attention to thefact that the ground was growing damp. Then of a sudden the wholeparty stepped into the water up to their ankles.
Here was a new dilemma to face, and each looked at the others inanything but a happy mood. "Beats everything what luck we're having!"cried Leroy, in deep disgust. "I'd give a year's pay to be safe onboard the _Yorktown_ agin, keelhaul me if I wouldn't!"
"I suppose the best thing we can do is to march around the swamp-hole,"replied Larry. "What do you say, Boxer?"
"Let us try it a bit further," replied the scout, and they movedforward with care. At first the ground appeared to grow better, butthen they went down again halfway to their knees and in a muck thatstuck to them like glue.
"It's no use, we'll have to go back," groaned Leroy, and turned about.Silently the others followed him, wondering where the adventure wouldend.