CHAPTER XX
CORPORAL DUXBRIDGE'S MISTAKE
Fortunately there was water, a clear, cool spring of it just below thetrench line. As soon as the men were rested, Captain Freeman detailed ascore of them to haul water up into camp.
"Don't get into groups, you water carriers, either," Lieutenant Prescottcalled after the men as they started down the slope with buckets. "Keepapart. If you don't, some of the Moros in the distance will be takingpot-shots and getting some of you."
The day wore on, and it looked as though the Moros were still running.
"I'd hate to have to take ten men and fight all of the enemy who arewithin two thousand yards of here," declared Captain Freeman in thehearing of a large part of his command. "The datto has us all in a bunchand he'll hang to us until he has wiped us out."
"I don't believe he can do it, sir," retorted Lieutenant Greg Holmes.
"No; but the brown rascal thinks he can, which amounts to the same thingas far as he is concerned. Mr. Holmes, you may safely take my word forit that the datto has made up his own mind not to allow one of us everto get back in safety to Bantoc."
Late in the afternoon the five soldiers who had been slain were placedin a row at the top of the hill.
"Too bad we haven't a Flag to drape the poor fellows with," said CaptainFreeman sorrowfully.
"We have a Flag with us, sir," spoke up Hal, saluting.
"Where is it, Sergeant?"
"In a small parcel in one of the ammunition wagons, sir."
"How does it happen to be there, Sergeant?"
"I put it in myself, sir. It's the Flag that the Moros hauled down fromthe flagstaff over the schoolhouse near Seaforth's--the Flag theyslashed and danced upon. I picked it up at that time, sir; and when westarted on this expedition I placed the Flag in one of the wagons."
"Why did you do that, Sergeant?"
"Because I was in hopes that before we get through with this expedition,sir, we'd find a chance to make Datto Hakkut and his men salute theAmerican Flag."
"Bring the Flag here, Sergeant."
Hal brought it, and its tattered folds were so laid that some remnant ofthe bunting touched each of the five bodies of the slain soldiers.
Assembling half his command, while the other half watched in thetrenches, Captain Freeman read the prayers and the service for the dead.Three volleys were fired over the graves after the slain men had beenlaid in them. Bugler Swanson blew "taps," after which the graves werecarefully filled and the tops sodded so that roving Moros would notafterwards find and desecrate these graves, sacred to the Americanpeople. All in good time the American military authorities would sendand exhume these remains, transferring them to marked resting places inmilitary cemeteries.
Before supper Captain Freeman summoned his two officers in council withhim.
"I want to talk with you young gentlemen," began the captain, "for thereason that, of course, by the fortunes of war, I may be removed at anymoment. If anything happens to me Mr. Prescott is to be regarded asranking officer. Now, I want you both to understand my plan in taking upmy position on this hill. Do either of you guess it?"
"I think I do, sir," replied Lieutenant Prescott, after a pause.
"Very good, Mr. Prescott. What is my reason?"
"You were sent out, sir, to meet Datto Hakkut, fight him and dispersehis forces."
"Exactly," nodded the captain.
"This hill, sir, will be a hard nut for the brown men to crack. If hehopes to do it, Hakkut must get every available fighting man here on thespot."
"You're right," nodded Freeman.
"Thus, sir, you hope to force Hakkut to concentrate his whole fightingforce in this immediate country. If you get all the rascals in front ofyou you'll have them all in one lot to whip."
"You've fathomed my plan very easily, Mr. Prescott, and you've exactlystated it. Now, though I shall take pains to be sure that the Morosremain in this neighborhood, I shall not force any very hard fightingfor two or three days. Our rations will last longer than that, withcare. After I've given Hakkut time enough to get his whole crew togetherthen I shall go after them as hard as I can considering the size of thisforce. Also, by waiting, we shall give several of our wounded men timeto get back into fighting condition."
"But what, sir," broke in Lieutenant Holmes, "if the datto takes yournegative course for a confession of weakness, and attempts to carry thishill by assault?"
"Answer that, if you can, Mr. Prescott," directed Captain Freeman,turning to the other West Pointer.
"Why, I imagine, sir, that you hope your seeming inactivity _will_provoke Hakkut into trying to carry this hill by assault. This hill,defended by regulars, will be no easy place to take from us, and Hakkutwill lose so many of his men that the experience will be a good lessonfor him."
"That's the idea," nodded the commanding officer. "Now, gentlemen, youunderstand the plan thus far. But there's another important point toremember. If we are cooped up here for very many days, then the men willhave nothing left to eat but grass and gravel. So you will understandthat, presently, it is going to be a matter of prime necessity for us tobe able to leave here and forage. Therefore, during our comparativeinactivity, we must provoke Hakkut into as many assaults as possibleupon this position. The more attempts he makes the more his fighting menwill be demoralized when we at last fight our way through his lines."
During that night no attack was made, and the men had little to dobeyond carrying out guard duty. Hakkut had undoubtedly dispatchedmessengers to bring all possible fighting men to the scene.
Nor in the morning, even two hours after daylight, was there any sign ofthe enemy. Captain Freeman at last took up his field glass again andintently studied a deep forest some twelve hundred yards below.
"Sergeant Overton!"
"Sir?"
"Have the Gatling and a belt of ammunition brought up."
"Very good, sir."
When the Gatling had been placed, Captain Freeman handed his glass tothe young sergeant.
"Overton, look through the glass and see if you can discover the line oftimber that I'm going to describe to you."
Hal very soon had the spot located.
"Now, Sergeant, sight the Gatling for twelve hundred yards. Do itcarefully. When you are ready do what you can to stir up life along thatline of timber."
While Sergeant Hal was making ready, Captain Freeman remainedattentively watching the timber line through his glass.
R-r-r-r-r-r-rip! Hal served with speed and intensity.
"Just as I thought!" exclaimed the commanding officer. "You've got aline of brown men on the nervous jump down there. Keep it up a littlelonger, Sergeant. Sweep over a wider area."
Then, after a pause:
"Cease firing."
For an hour Captain Freeman let the enemy rest. He was watching otherpoints through his glass. At last he ordered the Gatling into actionagain. The trick was played a third time that morning, and each timesome of the Moros were disturbed.
"That's one of the things I wanted to know," remarked Captain Freeman atlast. "Hakkut has this camp completely surrounded, but is keeping hismen quiet. I wish we had two or three more Gatlings and a whole wagonload of this special ammunition. We could make it interesting for thegoo-goos."
However, the datto made no move to attack, though Captain Freemanbelieved that the rebel, by this time, must have twelve hundred fightingmen, at least, in the forests below.
"Hakkut may realize the difficulty of assaulting us here, and may bewaiting for huge reinforcements," Captain Freeman confided to his twolieutenants. "Moreover, I think it extremely likely that we have beencaught underestimating the force of the enemy."
"There's one good thing about this style of campaigning, sir," smiledPrescott, "It isn't eating up any more men in casualties."
"No; but the datto is figuring that he's letting us eat up our rations."
There were no attacks that afternoon or evening. The next morningCaptain Freeman hesitated as to whether
or not he should send out aparty in force to "locate and develop" the enemy. But he decided not todo so.
"To-morrow, though," declared the captain to his lieutenants, "we'llbreak through the line somewhere."
That third night Sergeant Hal was placed in charge of the guard, withLieutenant Greg Holmes as his direct superior. On the side of camp wherethe commanding officer thought the enemy most numerous, Hal placedCorporal Duxbridge in charge.
"Don't close your eyes to-night, Corporal," warned the young sergeant."You can get your sleep in the daytime. This is the point where thegreatest vigilance is needed. This point is really the key to the camp,and every man who lies down to sleep to-night leaves his life in yourhands."
"All right," replied Corporal Duxbridge in a voice that sounded weary.
"You'll be sure to keep awake?"
"I know my business, Sergeant."
Hal Overton did not particularly like Duxbridge. He belonged to CCompany, and was a man subject to occasional fits of crankiness. ButDuxbridge, as well as the others, had his share of duty to perform.
Late that night one of the men of the guard, stationed not far fromDuxbridge, thought that he heard a slight noise down the slope. Helistened only a moment, then felt sure that he had espied a figurecrawling along further down the slope.
"Halt!" called the soldier. "Halt or I'll fire. Who's there?"
"A friend," came the answer in perfectly good English. "For Heaven'ssake don't fire. We've had enough of horrors with the fiends below.Where's Corporal Duxbridge? He knows me."
"Corporal Duxbridge is on duty at this point," returned the soldier."How many of you are there?"
"Seven; but I will come up alone first and speak with the corporal."
Duxbridge was called quietly. The corporal had been dozing for twentyminutes, and he awoke with mind somewhat befogged.
The stranger below, who had been allowed to advance, now stepped up towhere the corporal could scrutinize him.
"Why, I know this man," declared the corporal. "His name's Eusebio Davo.He's a wealthy Tagalo, loyal to the government and a good man. What'sthe trouble, Senor Davo?"
"Corporal, I went south in the island to pick up some laborers from theManobo tribe. I got forty together and was on my way through thiscountry, not knowing that the Moros were out. So we were caught, thisafternoon, and taken before the Datto Hakkut. He ordered us into hisranks to fight. We demurred, and four of my fellows were cut down beforemy eyes. Then we accepted arms. But to-night we tried to creep throughthe datto's lines and get here. All but the six men with me were caught,and their fate must have been awful."
Senor Davo shuddered, then went on:
"I come to beseech you that you allow my poor fellows to come insideyour lines. You know me, Corporal, and know that we're all right."
"Yes, bring your men inside our line," decided Corporal Duxbridge. "I'llvouch for you, Senor Davo, to our commanding officer."
Protesting his undying gratitude, Davo went below for his men, andbrought them inside the lines, a sorry looking lot of fellows who atonce threw themselves down as if to sleep.
"You'll notify Sergeant Overton, of course?" suggested the soldier whohad first halted Davo.
"You mind your business, Strong," Corporal Duxbridge rebuked him. "I'llnotify the sergeant in good time."
But Hal, as it happened, was nearer than had been imagined. Unobservedhe had listened to the whole conversation. Now, Overton hastenedsilently away, awaking Lieutenant Holmes and ten soldiers. Without unduehaste these marched down on Duxbridge's station.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
"The officer of the day and the sergeant of the guard," came theresponse, in Lieutenant Holmes's crisp tones.
"Advance, sir."
The seven new arrivals lay on the ground, apparently sound asleep. Davohad his hat over his face, and was snoring lightly.
"Who are these new men in camp, Corporal?" demanded Holmes sharply.
"Fugitives from the datto's lines, sir. I was about to notify thesergeant of the guard, sir."
"Don't let them get away," spoke Hal quickly to the men, "and rememberthat they're armed with steel! This fellow, who calls himself Davo isVicente Tomba, a Tagalo who is right-hand man to the datto," added thesergeant, bending and snatching the hat from the Tagalo's face.
It was truly Tomba, who, with a snarl, leaped to his feet ere HalOverton could grab him.
"Shoot him!" ordered Lieutenant Holmes, as Tomba went over the trenchand down the slope at sprinting speed. Three or four rifles spoke, butTomba escaped in the darkness.
Not so, however, with the men Tomba had brought with him. Not one ofthem escaped. All were stretched on the ground senseless, having beenclubbed with the butts of the soldiers' rifles. Then, a quick searchunder the shirt of each of the rascals, revealed a creese with bladeground to a razor edge.
"You see, Corporal," ripped out Sergeant Hal, "these scoundrels weregoing to watch their chance to knife you all in the dark. Then the Moroswould have rushed in at this point, and----"
Hal's prediction was verified, at that instant, by the breaking out of afiendish chorus of yells down the slope. The Moros, waiting below, wereadvancing to a night attack.
"Bugler of the guard! Sound the general alarm!" roared out LieutenantHolmes's steady tones.