THE AVENGER OF BLOOD

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THE AVENGER OF BLOOD.

RANCISCO LOPEZ was a little boy playing about the F streets of Naga, in thetSouth Camarines province when the American troops came that way. His father had been killed in the insurrection of 1896, and his brothers had instilled into his young mind a hatred of white people. He believed they were all tyrants and oppressors. He liked the Americans when they whipped the Spaniards and sunk all their ships in Manila Bay, but his admiration turned to hatred when he was told that they were going to take his country and live in it. His two big brothers had marched out with the insurgent forces to live in the marshes and mountains, and fight the Americans. ’ As Troop K of the Sixteenth Cavalry entered the town, divided into squads and explored each street, he gathered up the pennies with which he had been gambling, and stood against the wall of a tirndu, watching them. The big horses and the clanking equipment interested him. but his stolid little face gave no sign. A lieutenant at the head of a section, the support of the advance guard, rode up, halting his command near the tiendn. The older people had gone into their houses on the approach of the Americans. The lieutenant saw the boy, and, thinking him a probable source of information, went up to him. Francisco watched him stolidly. *4Donde lor insurrectos?” he asked. ‘I No irrtmdo, Setlor,” replied Francisco, lying most loyally, The officer called a Vim1 interpreter, and proceeded The information he got was for as a matter of fact he understood Spanish very well. further to question the boy.

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961 meager, and all as false as it could be made and still seem plausible. Francisco had seen many insurgents. but they had all gone away. They had gone the day before, and he didn’t know to what place. No, he didn’t know who was in command of the insurgents. He did not know where any cuartels were, and he was not familih with any of the roads about the town. “Well, you are either a remarkable ignoramus or a remarkable liar,” remarked Lieutenant Shelton. ,Vo intendo, Serior,” said Francisco. The column came in. and the town having been outposted, the cavalry was assembled and a picket line arranged, Captain Helm and Lieutenant Shelton settled themselves in an abandoned house which was marked on a plan of the town furnished from Manila, as that of “Colonel” Capistrano, of the insurgent army. They had iust finished a light lunch, sent over from the troop, when a plaintive voice called u p the stairway : Pcr-miso. Serior 1 “Come in,” called Shelton. Francisco appeared at the head of the stairs, and stood bashfully rubbing the top of one bare foot with the toes of the other, and twisting a remnant of a Spanish straw hat in his hands. “ Hello there ! What’s the matter now, vzuc/mc.ho..’” queried Shelton in army Spanish. “ Have you thought of something else to forget since I saw you?” *‘Do you want a boy to work?” asked Francisco, seeming to speak Spanish with great difficulty. I don’t want you.” returned Shelton. I am a friend,” protested the boy. **IVe’ll have to have somebody. Strike a trade with him and well try him. He doesn’t look big enough to be very villainous.” He only wanted ten pesos (five dollars gold) per month, and in a few minutes he was installed as maid of all work in the You are an insurrecto ! ‘$1 am not an insurrecto. “That boy looks all right,” said the Captain. His Spanish had improved greatly. Francisco was not hard to make a trade with.

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establishment of Captain Helm and Lieutenant Shelton. He swept and oiled the floors, cleaned the furniture, looked after clothing, polished shoes, and did all. the odd jobs. As a servant of the Captain he was tolerated about the troop, where seemingly he liked to spend his leisure moments. He didn't Seem to have any relations in town, and said that his mother had gone to another town some distance away. This was not considered strange, as a boy can safely be left ,to the care of the elements and his own devices in the Philippines. Captain Helm and Lieutenant Shelton soon forgot his existence except when he was wanted for something. They thought of him as a good servant, but somewhat dull of comprehension. The insurgents about Naga were guerillas of the worst order. Their hiding places were in the nipa swamps and hemp-covered mountains. They made sorties, wrought murder and mischief, and disappeared. The troops marched day and night, and resorted to ruses of all sorts, but to no avail. If a wagon train under small escort was sent from Naga to Nueva Caceres it was sure to be attacked by overwhelming numbers. A similar train sent as a decoy with troops following it at a distance, would be undisturbed. The insurgents knew every move of the Americans. Expeditions sent out in the dead of night failed to surprise anyone. Natives in the town would tell the garrison that the soldiers who had gone out in thewight had found nothing long before any official word had come back from them. One night Captain Helm's troop was awakened very quietly soon after midnight. No lights were made. The men were sent out one by one to saddle their horses, and ordered to assemble under a clump of mango trees, beyond the outposts, on the upper river road. The trumpeters took the officers' horses oat. After a sufficient time for the troop to assemble, Captain Helm and Shelton left their quarters and went cautiously past the outposts. Reaching the troop they mounted and without command a sergeant moved forward into the darkness as advance guard, and soon the offim and the troop followed. All was done quietly, no c 263 one speaking. Saddles were so packed that nothing rattled. I believe we got away without anyone knowing," said the Captain, when they were well on the trail. "NO one knew of the order except the commanding officer and you and I." Francisco was not told, but he found out. As the Captain came out of his room a small head was raised from a cot in the corner of the hallway, and Francisco watched him pass carefully down the stairs.. He was about to get up when the Lieutenant also came out and passed down as noiselessly. S o w Francisco was sure something was going on. Slipping on his blue checkered suit, he weht out as care-reached the picket line. The horses were gone. The troop must have gone by the upper river road. To make sure, he cut loose the only horse that was left behind. It ran toward the outpost on the upper river road. It was the work of only a f e w minutes to slip out between the outposts, the intense darkness making this easily possible for a single person. At the house of his cousin, Filipe. he rattled the bamboo door lightly and whispered, "Filipe! Filipe! Go by the upper river road. Xinericans have just gone that way."

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The officers forgot one small person. fully as the officers had gone, and dodging along by the f fence '* Si," said a vvice on the other side. Francisco turned back toward town and in a moment a figure came down the ladder, mounted a pony which was already saddled and tied under the house, and rode away, taking a dim trail through the bamboo. The next morning he went to the sergeant major's quarters and seeming greatly concerned, said that the Captain and the Lieutenant were gone. He was reassured when told that they had gone out with their troop. Filipe was one of the couriers who were always ready to carry news of American expeditions going out from Saga. He had gone many times before. He had always followed the dim trail in the bamboo until he was about four miles from town, where hezentered the main road and sped on Francisco returned to the house and slept well.

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ahead of the troops. T h i s time he failed. The troops 1 rode faster than he thought. When he entered the main trail his pony almost ran into a big American horse, and in an instant a pistol ball ended Filipe’s life. ‘‘ Now, how in the devil do you suppose he found out we were out? Well, he won’t deliver his message now.” The expedition succeeded. At dawn the following morning, aetachments of the troops $ook station around a field of nipa palms and vine-like brush, which had often been passed by expeditions. Taking. a platoon with hi;, and @ i d 9 by a Filipino prisoner who had been brought from the post and ’was now inspired by the officer’s revolver at his back, the Captain followed a barely visible path under the tangled growth. After a time they came to an open space where the prisoner pointed out a cuartel. T h e traop rushed upon it. There was a short fight, and the troop had killed or captured nearly all of ”Colonel ” Capistrano’s band, including the worthy “Colonel ” himself. The cuartel, which seemed to be also a sort of clothing depot, was burned. Among the prisoners taken back to Naga was one young Filipino officer, whose arm had been shattered by a bullet, Francisco’s heart ached when he saw this wretched prisoner being taken to the hospital that afternoon. but his face gave no evidence of grief, or even recognition. T h e prisoner was his brother, Alejandro. Filipe was not there and Fran-cw wondered where he was. One day the Captain was talking with a Spanish guide about the roads near the town. at the same time following them on a map. “Is there any road entering this upper river road about here?” the Captain asked. “The night we went out and captured Capistrano and his band a Filipino rode into the trail about here and Sergeant Short shot him. He was probably a courier, but where did he come from?” Francisco knew. The words brought new grief to him. Filipe was dead, and buried by the road side in unconsecrated ground. He was a courier,” said the Captain. Days passed, and tQere was no news from Filipe. Francisco was oiling the floor in the next room. 4 T h e guide could give DO information.

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265 Sergeant Short had killed Filipe. .Francisco hated him, and silently plotted his revenge. A few days later Sergeant Short reported that some one had stolen his revolver. A seaching investigation was made, but no trace of it could be found. There had been no natives about the quarters. Yes ! Francisco had been around there, but he didn’t take it, for the officers’ revolvers were always available for him to steal, and he had never touched them. In fact, he seemed to be afraid of firearms. The revolver was charged against the Sergeant and its loss listed with the troop mysteries. Sergeant Short was in the habit of going to a house near the river to play monte with a Filipino family, in which there were some pretty girls. One night he was returning late and, as he was passing a broken place in a wall, a shot blazed from the fragment of the wall, and he fell dead. It was another mystery. Among the broken pieces of the wall the Sergeant’s own revolver was found. Just after the officers had responded to the alarm that was raised. a little form slipped into their house by the side door. When they came back Francisco was apparently asleep in his cot in the hallway. A few days later Juan Cruz, a brother of Filipe, came in from the camp of “General” Legaspi. He had a sad story to tell. When Legaspi had heard of the taking of Colonel Capistraiio’s camp he had sent for Gregorio Lopez and demanded a reason for Filipe’s failure to perform his duty by bringing news of the expedition. ‘‘1 do not know, my General,” replied Captain Lopez. “The last I heard, he was on watch at his house. and my little brother was working in the cavalry captain’s house. I have not heard from him since, nor from my brother Alejandro. “ \‘our brother is now with the Americans and well cared for. Your family seems to do well with the Americans. Take this detachment here and make a scout to Colonel Capistrano’s old cuartel and see what you can find out.” I fear my brother was killed. You need not fear,” roared the General.

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That order was Gregorio’s death warrant. He went with the detachment, and late that day the detachment returned and reported that they had been fired upon by the Americans and that the captain had been killed. Francisco knew that no Americans were out that day, and told Juan so. Juan had suspected before that Gregorio had been murdered. “General” Legaspi, evidently controlled by the evil destiny which causes men of evil deeds to make errors which are their own undoing, had sent Juan to Naga to take the post of courier and to report what he could learn about Filipe. The “General” had overlooked the fact that he was a brother of Filipe and a cousin of Gregorio. “Do you know the way to the place where General Legaspi will be to-morrow?” asked Francisco. “Yes,” answered Juan, “and if I should be captured by the Americans they would probably torture me until I would have to show them.” “They would bind you and command you to guide them, and if you failed to guide them properly, they would kill you,” suggested Francisco. “I would have to take them to the cuartel,” said Juan. Francisco went to the Captain’s quarters, and finding him alone, said mysteriously, “One of General Legaspi’s soldiers is in town. He is not a brave man, and if he is caught and tied and you tell him you will kill him if he doesn’t guide you to the camp of the General, he will do so.” “Where is he?” asked the Captain quickly. “In the fifth house beyond the outposts on the right of “His name is Taking two men with him Captain Helm went to the house and found it an easy matter to secure Juan. He did not stop to question the prisoner, but reported at once to the commanding officer, and was given permission to take his troop and go on an expedition after Legaspi. The troop was saddled at once, and placing Juan on a big American horse, the Captain moved out, riding rapidly until the point where Filipe had entered the road was reached. . P the road to Mabato-bato,” said Francisco. ‘ Juan.’’ THE AVErC’GER OF BLOOD. 267 A short halt was made and the Captain told Juan he was to lead them to General Legaspi’s camp. 1 do not know where it is, seiior,” he replied. *‘I know you are an insurgent, just come from him,” said ‘‘1 am not an insurgent,” maintained Juan. “Sergeant! the Captain, “and it’s no use to lie.” tie him on his horse, and if he guides us into an ambush you are to kill him. Take him with you on the point.” Juan was then tied fast on the horse with a lariat. and the Captain explained the orders he had given, and also said that if he failed to take the command to the camp he would be killed and left in the jungle. Juan made no reply or comment. He looked hopelessly about him as the sergeant led his horse up to the point of the advance guard. -111 night 1mg the troop blundered along over a trail which was often so closely overhung with bamboo that the men had to dismount and walk. Juan was left on the horse to do the best he could. Toward morning they found the trail was ascending the mountain along a ravine. Just before dawn Juan wanted to speak to the Captain, as he said they were near the camp. When Captain Helm came up the prisoner explained that the camp was in the ravine, about a half mile beyond. It was in some thick bnm-boo where the ravine was wide and shallow. T h e higher ground was open. There was an outpost about a quarter of a mile ahead on the trail. There were no outposts on the flanks or rear of the camp. Shelton was sent around the right to gain the right and rear with one section, while the first sergeant was to gain the left and rear with another. When it became light enough to see, the Captain moved forward to a frontal attack. The insurgent outpost fled after firing a single shot. A storm of bullets followed them, but not a man fell. It is wonderful how many bullets can miss a man. Then firing was heard from the right and rear, and then from the left and rear. In a moment scurrying figures appeared in front of Captain Helm’s men, and were greeted with a volley that sent them scurrying back.