CHAPTER XVII
IN AND OUT OF A STRANGE PITFALL
Major Morris and Ben had fallen into a pit dug by the Filipinos forthe purpose of catching their enemies. It was an old trick, and onewhich had been used quite extensively at the opening of the rebellion,but which was now falling into disuse, for the reason that fewAmericans were ever caught by the device.
The method was to dig a square hole in the centre of some trail orroad which the Americans would probably use in their advance. At thebottom of this hole would be planted upright a number of sharp bamboosticks, and then the top would be covered over with slender bamboosticks and loose grass or palm leaves. If one or more persons steppedupon the top sticks, they would break at once, and the unfortunateswould fall upon the sharp points below, which were certain to inflictmore or less serious injury.
Fortunately, however, for the young captain and his companion, thehole into which they had tumbled was not provided with the sharpsticks mentioned. The natives had just finished the opening when anofficer had called upon them to leave the vicinity as it was gettingdangerous, owing to the rapid advances made by the Americans. So thetrap had been set with its most dangerous element lacking.
Yet the fall was by no means a pleasant one, and for a brief instantthe young captain of Company D thought that the bottom had dropped outof everything, and that he would surely be killed. He tried to catchhold of something, but all he could reach was the major's shoulder,and then both landed with a thud on the soft dirt left at the bottomof the hole.
Ben was the first on his feet, which was not saying much, since thebottom of the opening was not level, and he stood in the soft loam upto his ankles. Shaking himself to find that no bones were broken, hedrew a long breath.
"Major, are you all right?" he asked.
"No--no--I'm not all--all right," came with a gasp. "I've had mywi--wind knocked ou--out of me."
"Any bones broken?"
"I gue--guess not. But wh--who ever heard of such a con--foundedtrick?"
"I've heard of it several times, major. But we are not as bad off aswe might have been had the rebels put some sharp sticks down here tospit us with."
"True." Major Morris gave a grunt, and wiped the dirt from his eyes."Well, I reckon we've learned what their engineering corps was upto."
This was said so dryly that in spite of his discomfiture Ben wascompelled to laugh.
"Yes, we've learned. The question is, now we are down here, how are wegoing to get out?"
"Better make a light and see how deep the hole is first," replied thecommander of the first battalion.
Fortunately Ben had plenty of matches with him, and striking one, helit a bamboo stalk and held it up as a torch. By the flickering lightthus afforded they saw that the hole was about eight feet wide andtwice as long. The level of the road above was fully eight feet overtheir heads.
"Looks as if we were in a box, eh, captain?" said the major, grimly.
"We're certainly in a hole," responded Ben. "But I think we can getout without much trouble. I wish we had a spade."
"Well, wishing won't bring one, and there is nothing here to take theplace of one, either."
"Nothing but our hands. Here, if you'll hold the light, I'll see whatI can do."
"Here is a bit of a flat stick, try that," rejoined Major Morris; andtaking the article mentioned, Ben set to work with vigor, attackingone end of the hole by loosening the dirt so that a large portion ofit soon fell at their feet. Standing upon the fallen portion hecontinued his operations, and presently more of the dirt fell, leavingan incline up which both began to scramble on hands and knees. It wasnot a very dignified thing to do, but it was far better than to remainin the hole, and besides, there was nobody at hand to comment on thewant of dignity in the movement.
"We are well out of that," began Major Morris, brushing off hisclothing as he spoke. "In the future--"
"Hold on, major, somebody is coming," interrupted Ben, and pulled hiscompanion back. He had seen a faint light advancing toward them, froma side road which joined the main road at a point but a few yardsdistant. Soon he made out a heavy cart approaching, drawn by a pair ofcaribaos, or water buffaloes. On the seat of the cart sat twosleepy-looking natives.
"We must stop that cart," was the major's comment. "If we don't, therewill be a bad smash-up."
"I don't think it's a good plan to expose ourselves," replied Ben.
"But do you want those chaps to break their necks?" demanded thecommander of the first battalion. "More than likely they are_amigos_."
"I've got a plan for warning them, major."
As Ben spoke he picked up some of the driest of the grass and palmleaves and applied a match to the stuff. It blazed up readily, and hethrew the mass in with the other stuff about the edge of the hole.
"There, if they can't see that they must be blind," he said. "Come,let us get out," and off they ran for the thicket close at hand. Fromhere they watched the cart and saw it come to a halt near the hole andknew that the turnout was safe.
"I shouldn't think the rebels would care to leave those holes about,"was Major Morris' comment, as they pushed on once more. "They are asdangerous to their own people as they are to us."
"I suppose they tell their own people about them."
"Those men on the buffalo cart evidently knew nothing."
"The rebels don't care for the _amigos_. Their idea is, if a native isnot with them, he is against them, and must suffer with theAmericans."
To play the part of spies in such a country as this was not easy, forthe Americans were easily distinguished from the natives. Had Ben andthe major spoken Spanish fluently, they might have passed forSpaniards, as each was tanned from constant exposure to the strongsun. But this could not be, and so they had to go ahead and trust toluck to see them through with their dangerous errand.
At length they felt that they must be close to the enemy's picketline, and paused to consider the situation. Before them was a gentleslope, terminating at a small but deep stream which flowed into theRio Grande River.
"I think some of the rebels are over there," said the major, pointingto a hill, from the top of which could be seen a faint glow. "There iscertainly a camp-fire back there."
"There is a house just below us," returned Ben. "Or is it a mill?"
"A mill most likely. They wouldn't build an ordinary dwelling right atthe water's edge."
"Perhaps the rebels are using the mill as a sort of headquarters. Whatdo you say if we investigate?"
The major agreed, and they began to pick their way along the stream.Soon they reached a rude bridge, and were on the point of crossing,when a sharp cry rang out from the building they were approaching.
"Hullo, that's a woman's voice!" exclaimed Ben. "Somebody is introuble."
"Help! thief! murderer!" came in Spanish. "Oh, help, for the love ofkind Heaven, help!"
"It's a woman, true enough!" ejaculated the major. "I wonder what thetrouble is?"
"I'm going to find out," answered Ben. The cry for aid appealed to hisheart, and he bounded toward the mill-house, for such the buildingproved to be, without further hesitation. Nor was Major Morris farbehind him.
As they came closer they saw that the structure was dark, saving for afaint light that came from one of the rooms built over the millstream. It was in this room, evidently, that some sort of struggle wasgoing on, for now both heard the cry for help repeated, followed bythe overturning of a table. Then came the voices of two men, and thecry came to a sudden end.
"Two men are misusing some woman," cried Ben, "come on!" and rushingaround to the front of the building, he found the rickety stairsleading to the house floor, and bounded upward. The door at the topstood ajar and he pushed it in, with Major Morris at his heels. Theroom at hand was dark, the struggle was going on in the apartment nextto it.
Ben paused long enough to see that his pistol had not sustained anyinjury in the tumble into the hole, and was ready for use, and thenthrew open the door before him.
br /> The light in the room was not very bright, but coming out of thedarkness Ben could see but little, for a few seconds. The room wasthick with the smoke of cigarettes, and through the haze the youngcaptain made out two men standing beside an overturned table, one witha knife in his hand. To his intense surprise the men were Americansand dressed in the uniforms of regulars.
"What does this mean?" he demanded. "What are you--"
And then Ben got no further, for a swift look around the room told himthat the two men were alone--that the woman he had heard crying forhelp was not there.