CHAPTER II
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SITUATION AT MALOLOS
"Do you know if the Manila authorities have any idea where thisBenedicto Lupez has gone to?" asked Ben, after partaking of somedelicacies which Larry had managed to obtain for him.
"They think he got on a small boat and went up the Pasig River. He issupposed to have a brother living in Santa Cruz on the Laguna de Bay.This brother is said to be in thorough sympathy with the insurgents."
"In that case he is out of our reach for the present, as the rebels,so I understand, have a pretty good force in and around Santa Cruz.But if this Lupez has the money, I can't understand how he would jointhe rebels. They'll try to get the cash from him, if they need it."
"Perhaps he is foolish enough to think that they will win out in thisfight, Ben. You know how hot-headed some of these people are. Theyhaven't any idea of the real power of Uncle Sam. I believe if theydid know, they would submit without another encounter."
"It would be best if they did, Larry, for now that we are in thisfight we are bound to make them yield. Once they throw down theirarms, I feel certain our country will do what is fair and honest bythem."
"It's the leaders who are urging the ignorant common people on--I'veheard more than one of the officers say so. The leaders are welleducated and crafty, and they can make the masses believe almostanything. Why, just before I came away from Manila I saw a dozen ormore Igorottes brought in--tall, strapping fellows, but as ignorant asso many children. They seemed to be dazed when their wounds were caredfor and they were offered food. The interpreter said they thought theywould be massacred on the spot by the bloodthirsty _Americanos_, andthey had a lurking suspicion that they were being cared for just sothey could be sold into slavery."
At this juncture a tall, thoroughly browned soldier came in, wearingthe uniform of a first lieutenant.
"Well, Ben, how is it to-day," he said cheerily, as he extended hishand. "And how are you, Larry?" And he likewise shook hands with theyoung tar.
"I'm hoping to get out soon, Gilbert," answered Ben. "But what'sthis--a lieutenant's uniform?"
"Yes, I've been promoted to first lieutenant of Company B," returnedGilbert Pennington. "I tell you, we are all climbing up the ladder,and Larry must look to his laurels. I understand you are to be madepermanent captain of Company D."
"But where is First Lieutenant Crunger of your company?"
"Disappeared," and the young Southerner's face took on a sober look."That's the only thing that mars my happiness over my promotion. Afterthe taking of Malolos, Jack Crunger disappeared utterly, and wehaven't been able to find hide nor hair of him, although half a dozenscouting parties have been sent out and the stream has been dragged inseveral places."
"Perhaps he was taken prisoner," suggested Larry. "I heard some of theKansas and Utah men were missing, too."
"We are afraid he is a prisoner, and if that is so, Aguinaldo's menhave probably taken him up to San Fernando, where the insurgents aresetting up their new capital."
"And what is going on at the firing line?" asked Ben, eagerly. "Arethey following up the rebels' retreat?"
"I'm sorry to say no. General MacArthur made a reconnaissance in thedirection of Calumpit, but it amounted to little."
"I understand that the _Charleston_ has sailed up the coast and isgoing to shell Dagupan," put in Larry. "Dagupan, you know, is theterminus of the railroad line."
"That's good," came from the sick brother. "If we can get a footing inDagupan, we can work the railroad territory from both ends." But thiswas not to be, as coming events speedily proved, for the shelling ofthe city by the warship amounted to but little.
Gilbert Pennington knew all about the Braxton Bogg affair and listenedwith interest to what Larry had to relate.
"It's too bad," he declared. "I'd like to give you some hope, boys,but I'm afraid you'll have to whistle for your fortune. That Spaniardwill keep out of the reach of the Americans, and if the worst comesto the worst, he'll slip off to Spain or South America; you mark mywords."
Larry's leave of absence was for forty-eight hours only, and soon hewas forced to bid his brother and his friend good-by. "Now take goodcare of yourself, Ben," he said, on parting. "And do stay here untilyou are stronger. Remember that a wounded man can't stand thisbroiling sun half as well as one who isn't wounded, and even thestrongest of them are suffering awfully from the heat."
"I'll make him stay," put in Gilbert, with mock severity. "SurgeonFallox won't give him clearance papers until I tell him, for he's agreat friend of mine."
"I'm going to have a word with Stummer before I go," added Larry, andhurried to the ward in which the sturdy German volunteer had beenplaced. He found the member of Ben's company propped up on some grasspillows, smoking his favorite brier-root pipe.
"Sure, an' I vos glad to see you, Larry," cried Carl, his round facebroadening into a smile on beholding his visitor. "Yah, I vos doin'putty goot, und I peen out on der firin' line next veek maype. Butsay, I vos sorry I peen shot town pefore we got to Malolos. I vos dinksure I help clean dose repels out."
"Never mind, you did your duty, Carl. I've heard they are going tomake you a corporal for your bravery."
"Sure, an' that's right," came in an Irish voice behind the pair, andDan Casey, another volunteer of Ben's company, appeared. "It's mesilfas has the honor av saying it first, too, Carl. You are to be firstcorporal, Carl, wid meself doin' juty as second corporal."
The German volunteer's face lit up for a second, then fell suspiciously."Say, Dan, vos dis a choke maype?" he said slowly.
"A joke, is it?" burst out Casey. "Sure, an' do ye think I'd beafther playin' a joke on a wounded man, Carl? No, it's no joke.We're raised to the dignity av officers be the forchunes av war an'the recommendations av our superior, Actin' Captain Russell, whichsame will soon be our captain be commission, Providence an' thePresident willin'."
"Good for Ben!" exclaimed Larry. "You both deserve it." And after afew words more he hurried off, leaving the two old soldiers tocongratulate themselves on their advancement and speculate upon howhigh they might rise in the service before the rebellion should close.Casey had his eye set on a captaincy, but Stummer said he would bequite content if any commissioned office came his way, even if it wasbut a second-lieutenancy.
Malolos had been captured on Friday, March 31, 1899, at a little afterten o'clock in the morning, although the fighting kept up until nearlynightfall. As soon as the rebels were thoroughly cleaned out, many ofthe soldiers were called upon to do duty as firemen, for a largeportion of the town was in flames. While the fire was being put out,other soldiers went about stopping the Chinese from looting thedeserted mansions. The coolies were at first made prisoners and putunder guard in the public park, but later on they were released andset to work to clean the streets.
As Gilbert had said, the days immediately following the fall ofMalolos were not of special activity. The hard, running fight alongthe railroad through Caloocan, Polo, and other places, had all butexhausted the army under General MacArthur, and when the insurgents'capital was taken, it was felt that the soldiers had earned awell-needed rest. Moreover, many had been wounded and many more weredown, suffering from the heat and tropical fever, and these had to becared for in the temporary hospitals established at various points inthe neighborhood. In the meantime the railroad was repaired andMalolos was made a new base for supplies. There were severalskirmishes in the neighborhood north and northeast of Malolos, and inthese the rebels were compelled to fall back still further, yet theoutbreaks amounted to but little.
In the meantime, the Philippine Commission of the United States issueda proclamation, translated into the Spanish and Tagalog languages,calling upon the insurgents to throw down their arms and promisingthem good local government, the immediate opening of schools andcourts of law, the building of railroads, and a civil serviceadministration in which the native should participate. Thisproclamation was widely distributed, yet it did little good; for thecommon people of the is
lands were given to understand by their leadersthat the Americans did not mean what they said, but had come to theircountry only to plunder them, and would in the end treat them evenworse than had the Spaniards.
It was no easy work to repair the railroad running from Manila toMalolos Station, which was some distance from the town proper. Alltools and equipments had to be brought up from Manila and from Cavite,and soon the engineering corps found themselves harassed by somerebels in the vicinity of Marilao and Guiguinto. At once GeneralMacArthur sent out a force to clear the ground, and several sharpattacks ensued, which resulted in the loss of twenty-three killed andwounded on the American side, and double that number to the enemy. Inthe end the rebels fled to the mountains to the eastward and toCalumpit on the north.
"We are going out to-morrow," said Gilbert, as he came to see Ben onthe day following the engagements just mentioned. "General Wheatonsays he is going to drive the rebels straight into the mountains--andI reckon he'll keep his word."
Ben was at once anxious to go along, but this was not yet to be, andhe was forced to sit at a window of the hospital and see his regimentmarch by with colors flying gayly and all "the boys" eager foranother contest. The members of his own company gave him a cheer asthey passed. "You'll soon be with us again, captain," cried one. "Wewon't forget you! Hurrah!" and on they marched, with a lieutenant fromCompany A leading them, and with Gilbert and Major Morris and many oldfriends with the regiment. Ben watched them out of sight, and heaved along sigh over the fact that he was not of their number. But there wasstill plenty of fighting in store for the young captain, and manythrilling and bitter experiences in the bargain.