The shot in the magazine rifle was evidently the last one; for, having fired it, the Filipino closed in by aiming a blow at Gilbert’s head with the stock of his weapon. The blow did not land as intended; but it struck the young lieutenant’s arm, and his pistol was knocked skyward just as he was on the point of pulling the trigger a second time.
All of these movements had taken but a few seconds of time to execute; and none of Gilbert’s men knew what was occurring until they followed the sounds of the shots, and found the young lieutenant in a hand-to-hand encounter with the rebel over the possession of the Mauser rifle. The rebel was a powerful fellow, much older than Gilbert, and heavier; and he was rapidly getting the better of the encounter, when Carl Stummer came up on the run.
“Drop dot!” roared the German soldier; and, taking aim, he fired on the Filipino, hitting him in the knee. At once the man sank down, moaning with pain; and the gun came into Gilbert’s possession.
A moment later a shouting was heard from down the river; and two companies of the regulars came up the bank through the water and mud, and over the rocks, as speedily as the state of the situation permitted. They soon caught sight of the insurgents, and opened a well-directed fire, at which the enemy took to their heels with all possible speed.
“I owe you one for that, Stummer,” said Gilbert, as soon as he saw that the man before him was out of the contest for good. “You came up in the nick of time.”
“Dot’s all right,” answered the private, modestly. “But say! ton’t ve besser safe dot poat?”
“To be sure, we’ll save the boat,” cried Gilbert; and, leaping out into the stream, he secured it, and tied it fast to one of the trees.
The rain was now coming down harder than ever, and this rendered the pursuit of the rebels very difficult; yet it was felt that they must not be allowed to get away, and the whole of the first battalion were sent after them, leaving the second battalion to cross the stream in four cascoes which the insurgents had possessed.
Being wounded, Gilbert was not called upon to take part in the pursuit of the fleeing guerillas; for such they properly were, having no regular military organization. He walked around until he found the surgeon of the regiment, who bound up the wound, after washing and probing it.
“It was a narrow shave for you, lieutenant,” said Surgeon Gilson. “A little lower, and you would have been a dead man.”