CHAPTER VI
IN WHICH LUKE STRIKER IS WOUNDED
The plan to surprise Santa Cruz had failed, yet General Lawton'scommand was just as eager as ever to press forward and do battle withthe native garrison, of which the town on the Laguna de Bay boasted.It was thought the Filipino command could not be a strong one, andeven if it had been the Americans would have gone ahead just the same,so accustomed were they to victory over their misguided foes.
It was arranged that the centre and left wing of the infantry shouldmove directly upon the town, while the right wing should swing around,to cut off the Filipinos' retreat, should they start such a movement.In the meantime, protected by a cross fire from the tinclads, _Laguna_and _Oeste_, the cavalry landed on the hill overlooking the bay, andbegan to do battle with the enemy's force in that territory, cuttingits way over field and brush to the left wing as it swung closer tothe river already mentioned several times. The cavalry developed astrong resistance which lasted for over an hour; but in the end theFilipinos were glad enough to fall back into the town proper.
Out on the main road leading to the principal bridge over the riverthe sun was boiling hot, and many a soldier felt more like seekingshelter and resting than like pushing forward with his heavy gun andother equipments. But General Lawton was here and there, encouragingevery one, and they pushed on until a sharp fire between the enemy andthe advance guard told that a running fight, and perhaps a regularbattle, would soon be at hand.
"At them, my men!" cried the various commanders. "They'll run, nodoubt of it. They haven't stood up against us yet!" And away went thelong skirmishing line, and soon there was a steady crack and pop ofguns and pistols as the Americans pushed on, catching many a poorFilipino who was too late in either running or throwing down his arms.A number surrendered, and these were promptly sent to the rear.
Presently the river was gained, and here the Americans came to anunexpected halt. There was a long bridge to cross, and beyond was abarricade of stone and wood. Were the insurgents massed behind thatbarricade? If they were, to cross the bridge in column of fours orotherwise would mean a terrible slaughter.
"Here goes!" sang out one petty officer, and made a dash forward,which was as reckless as it was daring. As he moved along the bridgeseveral held their breath, expecting to see him go down at anyinstant. But then came a rush of first half a dozen, then a score, andthen whole companies, and it was speedily seen that the barricade waspractically deserted. The insurgents were hurrying into the town ashard as they could, with Uncle Sam's men after them, both sideskeeping up a steady firing as they ran.
In the meantime, soaked to the skin and utterly miserable over theircapture, Larry and his Yankee friend had been thrust into the prisoncell and left to themselves. After the door was locked and the jailerwalked away, the youth uttered a long-drawn sigh.
"Luke, we're in a pickle, this trip," he groaned. "What do you supposethey will do with us?"
"Heaven alone knows, my lad," responded the old tar. "Bein' as howthey ain't cannibals, I don't reckon they'll eat us up," and he smiledgrimly.
"They think we are spies."
"Thet's so."
"Do you know that they shoot spies--and do it in short order, too?"
"And why shouldn't I know it, Larry? I've heard tell on it oftenenough. But they have got to prove we air spies first, ain't they?"
"They'll do what they please. I believe half of these Filipinos thinkthe Americans are nothing but cut-throats. They can't conceive that weshould want to come here and govern them for their own good."
"Because they would rather govern themselves, even if they made a messof it, than be under anybody's thumb nail, Larry. Howsomever, thetain't the p'int jest now. The p'int is, kin we git out o' here beforethey settle to do wuss with us?"
"Get out? You mean break jail?"
"Exactly. We don't want to stay here if we kin git out, do we?"
"To be sure not." Larry leaped up from the bench upon which he hadbeen resting and ran to the door. At this Luke smiled glumly andshook his head.
"Ye won't go it thet way, lad--the guard locked it, I seen him doit,--and the lock is a strong one, too."
Luke was right, as a brief examination proved. Then the boy turned tothe window, an affair less than a foot square, having over it severaliron bars set firmly into the stones. "No thoroughfare there," was hiscomment.
The two next examined the floor, to find it of brick, and as solid asthe walls. "Only the ceilin' left now," said Luke. "I reckon we mightas well give it up. Even if we do git out, more'n likely a guardoutside will shoot us down."
But Larry was determined to test the ceiling, which was but a coupleof feet over their heads. So he had his companion hold him for thatpurpose.
"There is a loose board up there," he cried, as he was feeling his wayalong. "Hold me a little higher, Luke, and perhaps I can shove itup."
The old sailor did as requested, and with a strong push Larry shiftedone end of the plank above, so that it left an opening ten inches wideand several feet long. Catching a good hold he pulled himself to theapartment above, to find it stored with boxes and barrels containingold military uniforms and other army equipments, relics of Spanishrule.
"Any way out up thar?" queried Luke. "If there is, we don't want towaste any time, ye know."
"I'll tell you in a minute," replied Larry, in a low voice, and ranfirst to one end window of the storeroom and then the other. In frontwas the street, fast filling with soldiers. In the rear was a stablewhich just now seemed deserted. The several windows of the storeroomwere all barred, but here the bars were screwed fast to wood insteadof being set in stone.
"I think there is a chance here," said the boy, coming back to theopening. "Here, give me your hand, and I'll help you up," and he bentdown; and soon Luke stood beside him.
"Think we can git out thet way, eh!" said the Yankee tar, surveyingthe prospect in the rear. "Well, I reckon it's worth workin' for,Larry. But the drop from the window, even if we pull away the bars--"
"Here is a rope--we can use that," answered the boy, pointing out thearticle around several small boxes. While Luke pried away the bars ofone of the rear windows he possessed himself of the rope, and tied itfast to a bar which was not disturbed. As soon as the opening wassufficiently large to admit of the passage of each one's body, Lukeswung himself over the window-sill.
"Come on," he cried softly, and slipped from view. Never had he gonedown a ship's rope quicker, and never had Larry followed his friendwith such alacrity. Both felt that life or death depended upon therapidity of their movements.
The ground was hardly touched by Luke when a Filipino boy appeared atthe entrance to the stable. For an instant the youth stared inopened-mouthed astonishment, then he uttered a yell that would havedone credit to an Indian on the war-path.
"The jig's up!" cried the Yankee tar. "Come, Larry, our legs have gotto save us, if we're to be saved at all."
He leaped across the yard and for the corner of the stable, where hecollided with a Tagal soldier, who was coming forward to learn whatthe yelling meant. Down went both the sailor and the guard; but therebel got the worse of it, for he lay half stunned, while Luke was upin a trice. As the soldier fell, his gun flew from his hands, andLarry tarried just long enough to pick the weapon up.
Behind the stable was a narrow, winding street, lined on either sidewith huts and other native dwellings, with here and there a barnlikewarehouse. Into this street darted our two friends, and there paused,not knowing whether to move toward the wharves or in the oppositedirection.
"Look out!" suddenly yelled Larry, and dropped flat, followed by theYankee tar. A sharp report rang out, and a bullet whistled over theirheads, coming from the prison yard. On the instant Larry fired inreturn, and the prison guard disappeared as if by magic. Longafterward, Larry learned that he had hit the Tagal in the arm.
There was now a general alarm throughout the prison, and the twoescaped prisoners felt that any other locality would be better fo
rthem than the one they now occupied. "Let us try to find oursoldiers," said Luke, and once again they started to run, this time upthe road where, far away, they could make out a forest of some sort.Then came a second report, and Luke Striker staggered back, hit in theshoulder.
"Luke! Luke, you are struck!" gasped Larry. His heart seemed to leapinto his throat. What if his dearest friend had been mortallywounded?
"I--I--reckon it--it ain't much!" came with a shiver. The sailorstraightened himself up and started to run again. "They are after ushot-like, ain't they?"
A turn in the road soon took them out of sight of the prison, and theybreathed a bit more freely. But the strain was beginning to tell uponLuke, and watching him, Larry saw that he was growing deathly pale.
"You can't keep this up, Luke," he said, and put out his arm to aidhis friend. As he did so, the Yankee tar gave a short groan, threw upboth hands, and then sank down in a heap at the boy's feet.