CHAPTER VIII
THE RIGHT MAN IN THE GUARD HOUSE
That command, however, in a good, strong American voice, had very farfrom the effect of startling Hal Overton.
Down the street, barely a hundred feet away, a squad of a dozen soldiersof B Company had just halted in column of twos.
At the head of the squad stood Sergeant Terry and Corporal Hyman.
"Sergeant Terry," called the self-rescued Army boy briskly, "march yourmen here and halt them again."
"Very good, Sergeant Overton," answered Noll's voice, precise and formalas though on parade, but there was a note of joy, none the less, inTerry's voice.
"I will go now, senor," suggested Vicente Tomba, struggling slightly tofree himself as the squad again halted close to the Army boy.
"You will do nothing of the sort, Tomba," retorted Overton dryly. "Youare going to Fort Franklin as a military prisoner."
"This is ingratitude!" snarled the little brown man, looking decidedlycrestfallen.
"No; it is not. I owe you nothing for my freedom. Corporal Hyman, youwill take charge of the prisoner. See that he does not escape."
"Very good, Sergeant," replied Hyman, motioning to two of the men toplace themselves on either side of the prisoner.
"Now, Sergeant Terry, inform me how you came to be here with thisdetachment?"
"I was sent into town, Sergeant Overton, under orders from CaptainCortland. You were missed from parade, and the captain knew that couldnot happen with you, unless there was something decidedly wrong. So, atseven this evening, the captain directed me to take this detachment andscour the town for you. If we did not find you by half-past nine I wasto report back to the post by messenger, and a larger detachment, underan officer, was to be sent in."
"What time is it now?"
"About nine o'clock."
"We shall be back, then," nodded Hal, "within the time mentioned in yourorders. But I shall leave some of the detachment here until CaptainCortland has acted upon the report that I shall make."
At that moment Sergeant Hal, glancing into Cerverra's store, caughtsight of the bright, eager eyes of the proprietor.
"Corporal Hyman, arrest that man, also," commanded young Overtonsharply, pointing into the shop. "The fellow's name is Cerverra, and hehad a part in the plot against me."
With two other soldiers Hyman darted into the shop, from which they sooncame out with Cerverra, who protested strongly.
Meanwhile Vicente Tomba had discovered a cause of discomfort.
"Senor Sergente," he complained, "during our struggle in the cellar youknocked my cigarettes from my hand. I beg that you let one of yoursoldiers take this piece of money into a shop and buy me morecigarettes."
"Shall I do it, Sergeant?" inquired Hyman.
"Tomba," laughed Hal, "after all the trouble that that last cigarettecost you I should think you'd feel like cutting out the habit forever. Iknow I would drop any habit that had gotten me into such a mess. Had younot wanted to smoke underground I would not have had such a fine chanceto upset you. Very likely you would have won, instead of me."
"But I want cigarettes, now," retorted Tomba almost fiercely. "It isungenerous to deprive me of them."
"Shall I let a man get them for him?" asked Hyman.
"Yes; if he insists," nodded Hal. "What an idiot a man is to allowcigarettes to make such a slave of him that he can't pass an hourwithout one."
A soldier was accordingly dispatched to the nearest tobacconist onTomba's errand. While this was taking place Hal hurriedly told his chumand Corporal Hyman what had happened to him, and how he had escaped.
In all this time perhaps two score of curious natives had gathered inthe street, though all of them kept at a respectful distance. SergeantHal examined these people keenly, though he failed to see any of theeight from whom he had had such difficulty in escaping.
"Captain Cortland told me," Noll broke in at last, "that the formermilitary commander here informed him that he had had about a dozen ofhis men disappear most unaccountably, and that not one of them had everbeen heard from afterward. So, when you failed to return, Hal, thecaptain declared that he was going to sift this business to the bottombefore he stopped."
"I guess, then, that all of our poor comrades in the other regiment whohave disappeared in this miserable town of Bantoc have gone, as I did,through visiting Cerverra's store. Now, Noll, I am going to leave youhere, with eight of the men, to take possession of Cerverra's store andpremises until you receive further orders from the post commander. Hymanand I, and the other four men, will take the prisoners out to FortFranklin. I would leave you a couple more men, Noll, only I do notforget that it is possible that there may be some attempt made to rescueour prisoners."
"If the natives try that----" broke in Corporal Hyman.
"In the event of an attempted rescue, Corporal, direct your men thatthey are to shoot the two prisoners at the first sign of an attempt atrescue."
Tomba heard Hyman give the order, and spoke in a low tone to Cerverra.Both rascals thereupon looked disconcerted.
"You have your instructions, Sergeant Terry," continued Hal Overton."March the guard, Corporal Hyman."
As the guard started, Hal fell in beside Corporal Hyman, telling himmore of what had happened in the cellar under the Moro curio shop.
"I reckon, Sarge, you've made the biggest discovery of the year in thispoint of the woods," was Hyman's terse comment. "I reckon, too, thecaptain will see it that way."
It was cooler by night, though this was due mainly to the absence of thesun. The air was full of sticky moisture, and mosquitoes buzzed aboutand bit viciously.
"I was born and reared in New Jersey," laughed Hal, striking at thewinged pests, "and I have had to stand a lot of guying about themosquitoes of my state. But Jersey has been libeled. Compared with thesePhilippine pests the Jersey mosquito is mild enough to be a source ofdelight."
There was no moon up, but the starlight was bright--and how big andglowing the stars are in the tropics!
Marching at an easy route step over the firm, white road, it did nottake the returning detachment more than twenty minutes to cover thedistance to Fort Franklin.
"Halt your prisoners here, Corporal, and watch 'em until CaptainCortland gives his orders about them," directed Hal. Then the youngsergeant turned down the street leading to officers' quarters, for theadministrative office of the post had been closed for hours.
Two minutes later Sergeant Hal Overton was detailing what had happenedhim to the post commander.
"But wait before you go any further, Sergeant," cried Captain Cortland,interrupting his tale. "I want the other officers to hear the whole ofthis villainous business."
By the use of the telephone the other five commissioned officers on dutyat Fort Franklin were soon summoned.
"Now, begin again, Sergeant Overton," ordered Cortland, when all theofficers had gathered in his parlor.
The Army boy retold the entire story, leaving out nothing--not even, thereader may be sure, what Vicente Tomba had said to Hal about Draney'sconnection with the natives.
"Ray, you're officer of the day," broke in the post commander suddenly."Go out to Corporal Hyman and see that he turns Tomba and Cerverra overat the guard house. Instruct the sergeant of the guard to makeabsolutely certain that the prisoners have no chance to escape. Also,Ray, you will send Corporal Hyman and his four men back to SergeantTerry. Direct the sergeant to keep his whole detachment on the groundto-night, setting a regular guard. Hampton, as you're in charge of thecommissary and quartermaster details at this post, the first thing inthe morning you will make sure that Sergeant Terry's detachment issupplied with rations enough for breakfast. Early in the morning I shalllook further into that plague spot of Cerverra's. Now, Sergeant Overton,continue your story."
When it was finished the officers sat in silence for a few moments.
"Well, gentlemen," inquired Captain Cortland at last, "have you anythingto offer?"
"Are you going to arrest t
he man, Draney?" inquired Captain Freeman, ofC Company.
"Frankly," replied Cortland, "that is what is puzzling me. What do youthink, Freeman?"
"We cannot doubt Sergeant Overton, and he tells us that Tomba boastedthat Draney is in league with the natives in some conspiracy here."
"It is a matter of evidence," replied Captain Cortland musingly. "Notone of you gentlemen would doubt Sergeant Overton's word on any questionof fact on which he has knowledge. But his report is based only on whatVicente Tomba told him. Now, at the test, not one of you gentlemendoubts that Tomba would deny it all point blank. I believe that Draneyis a scoundrel. I never liked the looks of the man from the firstmoment, but I can't arrest him on account of my bad opinion of him. Norwould any military or civil court hold him on account of what SergeantOverton says Tomba told him. That evidence would not satisfy therequirements of any court of trial."
"Sir, is Draney really an American or an Englishman?" inquiredLieutenant Hampton.
"I don't know, Hampton, nor do I believe any one else knows for certain.Englishman or American, it is equally bad either way. If he's anAmerican, then I am sorry to say that there are multitudes of peopleback in our own country who would welcome only too gladly a chance toattack the government for locking an American up on what they would calla flimsy charge. On the other hand, if Draney is an Englishman, and wearrest him on anything but the most satisfactory evidence, then theBritish government would be sure to make a noise about the affair. Hangit all, I wish we had just a shade more evidence, and I'd have Draneybehind steel curtains in the guard house before daybreak, for hisplantation is only eight miles out from here. Personally, I haven't adoubt that Draney is behind all the trouble of which we're hearingrumors."
"What can be Draney's object?" asked Captain Freeman.
"Perhaps he hasn't really a sane object," responded Cortland. "Whateverhis motive for standing in with the worst of the Moros, and plottingagainst the government that we represent, there is sure to be somethingthat he regards as being in line with his own advantage."
"Everything connected with this fellow, Draney, seems to be a puzzle,"muttered Lieutenant Hampton.
During this discussion the two youngest officers of all, LieutenantsPrescott and Holmes, sat listening intently, and looking from face toface, though neither ventured any opinions. As "youngsters" it was theirplace to wait until they were asked to speak.
So notable, in fact, did their silence become that at last CaptainCortland remarked:
"Mr. Prescott, Mr. Holmes, you know that you are not forbidden to speakin the presence of your elders."
"I was listening, sir," replied Lieutenant Prescott, with a smile. "Ihaven't anything to offer sir, but whatever orders I may receive, I'llfollow them all the way across the island of Mindanao and out into theocean as far as I can swim or float."
"That's my answer, too, sir," supplemented Lieutenant Greg Holmes.
"Spoken like soldiers and officers," said Captain Cortland heartily.
And, indeed, these two young officers were soldiers! Young as they were,they commanded the respect of the men in their companies. B and CCompanies could be depended upon to follow Prescott and Holmes whereverthese two young West Pointers cared to lead them.
"Gentlemen," announced Captain Cortland at last, "we have the twoprisoners in the guard house, and we have a guard over Cerverra's place.We'll take counsel of the night and of sleep. In the morning, at eighto'clock, we'll meet here to deliberate further on this puzzling matter.By the morning our whole duty may be extremely clear to us."
The visiting officers arose, saluted and took their leave.
"That is all for to-night, Sergeant Overton," announced the captain."But on one point I want to caution you. You have heard the discussionhere to-night. Do not repeat it to any of the enlisted men."
"No, sir."
"That is all, Sergeant. One of these days I may have the time to tellyou what a fine piece of work you have done for us to-day. Good night,Sergeant."
"Good night, sir."
The Army boy saluted, receiving his superior's acknowledgment. Then Halstepped outside and made his way down the white roadway of ground shelland went to his own squad room in barracks.
"One point, anyway, is highly satisfactory," mused Sergeant Hal, as hecrawled in under the mosquito netting that hung over his cot. "VicenteTomba, the fellow with a dislike for seeing me alive, is safe behindbars in a guardhouse cell!"
But was he?