CHAPTER VII
THE RETREAT TO THE RICE-HOUSE
Larry was greatly alarmed, not knowing but that his companion wasabout to die on his hands. Quickly he knelt at the Yankee's side, tolearn that Luke had fainted away from loss of blood. The shoulder ofhis shirt and jacket were saturated through and through.
"What shall I do?" the boy asked himself, and gazed hurriedly at thesurroundings. To one side of the road were several nipa huts, to theother a long, rambling warehouse. The doorways of all the buildingsstood open, and no one seemed to be in sight.
As quickly as he could the youth took up his friend and staggered withhis heavy burden to the warehouse, which was about half filled withrice. Entering the structure, he passed to a small apartment somewhatin the rear. Here there was a quantity of old sacking in a heap, andupon this rude couch Larry placed the unconscious form.
The boy had been taught on shipboard just what to do in case of suchan emergency, and now he worked as he never had before, for Luke wasvery dear to him, and the thought that his friend might die washorrible to contemplate. He prayed to Heaven that the old gunner'slife might be spared to him.
The wound was an ugly one; yet even to Larry's inexperienced eye itdid not look as if it could be fatal, and the boy breathed a long sighof relief as he bound it up. Then he went in search of water, andfinding a well back of the warehouse brought a bucketful in and beganto bathe Luke. Soon the sufferer stirred and opened his honest eyeswonderingly.
"Why--er--how's this?" he stammered. "Did I--oh, I remember now!" Andhe sank back again.
"Keep quiet," whispered the boy. He had heard voices coming toward thewarehouse. "If you make a sound, it may be all up with both of us."
The old tar breathed heavily and nodded. Throwing some sacking overthe prostrate form, Larry slipped back into the main apartment of thewarehouse. He still held the gun, but it was empty and could be usedonly as a club.
Two men were approaching the warehouse, both tall, slim, and evidentlyof Spanish extraction. They were talking loudly and excitedly to oneanother; but as Larry understood but few words of Spanish, what theywere saying was lost upon the boy.
"I don't believe they are after us," thought the lad, when thestrangers came to a halt just outside the warehouse. As they did so along volley of rifle shots came from a distance, followed by anotherand then another. The shooting came from the centre of the town andmade Larry's heart beat fast. "Our soldiers must be coming in," hethought. "Oh, I hope they make the town ours!"
The shots appeared to disturb the two Spaniards greatly, for bothclutched each other by the arm and looked thoroughly frightened.
Presently an old woman came running out of one of the huts. She yelledat the two Spaniards in her own tongue and pointed at the warehouse.Evidently she had seen Larry and Luke, but had been afraid to exposeherself.
The strangers listened to the old woman with interest, then began totalk to each other. "Perhaps we can get some information, Jose," saidone, in Spanish.
"Perhaps we shall get a bullet," answered his companion, grimly.Nevertheless, he consented to enter the building, and both passedthrough the great doorway of the warehouse.
Hardly knowing how to receive the newcomers, Larry stepped for amoment behind a bin of rice. But then, as the pair moved toward whereLuke lay, he raised his gun threateningly.
"Halt!" he called, as sternly as he could. "Halt, or I shall fire!"
"We are betrayed!" roared one of the Spaniards, in his native tongue."No shoot! no shoot!" he added, in broken English. "We mean you noharm."
"Up with your hands, then," went on Larry, resolved to make the mostof the situation, even though the gun was empty; and four hands wentpromptly into the air, for the two men before him were as cowardly asthey were unprincipled.
There was an awkward silence for several seconds, while boy and mensurveyed each other. Larry lowered the gun slightly, but still kepthis finger on the trigger. He noted that the newcomers appeared to beunarmed, although they had both knives and pistols hidden upon theirpersons.
"You are an _Americano_ sailor, not so?" asked one of the Spaniards.
"I am," was Larry's prompt reply. "Are you one of Aguinaldo'srebels?"
"No, no! We are no rebels--we are peaceful Spanish gentlemen," put inthe second Spaniard.
"Do you belong here?"
"I belong here," said the man who had first spoken. "My brother, hebelongs at Manila."
The brother mentioned shot an angry glance at the speaker. "Yes, Icome from Manila," he said. "But I belong truly in Spain, being amerchant of Madrid."
"Well, our war with you folks is over," said Larry, slowly, hardlyknowing how to proceed. "If you are not going to help the rebels, youought to help us. We are doing all we can for your prisoners outhere," he added, meaning the Spaniards that were being held by theforces under General Aguinaldo--soldiers who were captured during thestruggle between Spain and her Philippine colonies.
"We can do but little," came with a shrug of the shoulders. "We arenot armed, and if we help the _Americanos_, Aguinaldo says he willbehead all the Spanish prisoners he is holding." Such a threat wasactually made, but it is doubtful if the Filipinos would have beenbase enough to carry it out.
"We came in here not to make trouble," went on the second Spaniard."We came to learn what the firing means. Are the _Americanos_ cominghere in force?"
"They are."
"Then Santa Cruz is doomed," groaned the Spaniard. He dropped hishands and began to pace the warehouse floor. "I shall lose much if thecity falls. The rebels will burn all my property, for they hate me."
"I trust not," answered Larry, his fear of the pair gradually leavinghim. "Hark to that!" he added, as the rattle of guns was again heard."Our men must be coming in fast, and orders are to save everythingthat can be saved. If the rebels--"
He broke off short as a cry from Luke reached him. Running to theYankee sailor he found Luke kicking out vigorously with his foot.
"I couldn't keep still no longer, nohow!" burst out the old tar. "Aplagued rat came right up and wanted to nibble my leg, hang him. Who'sthem air fellows out thar?"
But the Spaniards had already followed Larry, and were now gazing atLuke in wonder. "Wounded, not so?" said one. "You were in the fight,then."
"No, we escaped from the prison," answered Larry, simply. "We werecaptured during last night. I wish I was sure we'd be safe here untilour soldiers come along." He turned to the old sailor again. "How doyou feel now?"
"Better, Larry, a heap better. But I ain't ready fer no more footraces jest yet."
"Then we'll have to remain here. Or perhaps you had better remain herewhile I go scouting around and see if I can find some of our soldiers,or the ambulance corps."
"An' what o' these gentlemen?"
"We shall go, too," said one of the Spaniards. "Your friend will besafe here--if he keeps hidden under the sacks," he added.
Waiting for the strangers to move first, Larry came behind them, stillholding the gun as though the weapon were ready for use. The men hadspoken fairly enough, yet there was that about them which did notplease Larry in the least. "They are regular rascals, or else I missmy guess," thought the youth.
The roadway still seemed deserted. But far off they could see thenatives flying in several directions. Then from a distance came acheer which Larry knew could only come from American throats.
"Our soldiers must be over there," he said to the Spaniards. "Will youcome with me?"
The men hesitated, and consulted together in their native tongue. "Ido not know what to say," said one, slowly, and began to follow Larryalong the highway. Seeing this, the other came, too.
Suddenly a loud shout came to them from a thicket back of some nipahuts, and instantly a band of insurgents burst into view, armed withguns and bolos. They were firing as they retreated, and made a standon the opposite side of the road.
"Jose Lupez!" cried one of the officers of the rebels, addressing oneof the two Spaniards. "What do you he
re?"
"And have I no right here?" asked the Spaniard, sharply.
"Who is that with you?"
"My brother, Benedicto, from Manila, who was visiting me."
"He has betrayed us into the hands of the _Americanos_! If he--"
The rest of the sentence was drown out in a volley of musketry, andtwo rebels were seen to fall. Some started to run, but others heldtheir ground.
Larry listened in amazement. He had heard the names Jose Lupez andBenedicto, and knew that the two Spaniards were brothers. Could thisSpaniard, Benedicto Lupez, be the man who had made off with the moneyBraxton Bogg had stolen from the Hearthstone Saving Institution?