As we know, nothing was seen of Larry; but from a wounded and dying Filipino, the soldiers learned that the boy had been taken a prisoner, and must now be many miles away from the city. News of this reached Luke while he was in the temporary hospital opened up after the first fight, and the information made the old fellow feel as bad as did his wound.
“If they’ve captured him, he’s a goner, I’m afraid,” he said to Jack Biddle, who had come in to help look after his messmate. “Poor Larry! What will his brother Ben say, when he hears of it?”
“Better not tell him right away,” suggested Biddle. “Give him a chance to get strong fust. Besides, Larry may give ’em the slip. He’s putty cute, ye know.”
The news soon spread that Larry and several others were missing, and a description of the absent ones was given out. The next day one of the missing soldiers was found dead in the jungle, but nothing was learned of the others.
“It serves the young sailor right,” growled Lieutenant Horitz. “He knew too much for his own good.” He had not forgotten the disaster on the 84 river, and secretly he wished Larry all manner of ill-luck. During the rush through the woods the Lieutenant had tumbled and struck his nose on a stone. That member was much swollen and cut in consequence, and this put him in a worse humor than ever before.
By the time the expedition was to return to Manila, Luke was able to walk around again, and he was put on one of the larger boats and Jack Biddle was detailed to look after him. The return to Manila was made without special incident, and two days later found Luke on board the Olympia among all his old friends.
But the Yankee tar was thoroughly out of sorts. “I wouldn’t care for the wound at all, if only I knew Larry was safe,” he was wont to say a dozen times a day. Barrow, Castleton, and all the boy’s old friends were likewise troubled because of his strange disappearance.
It was Jack Biddle who got shore leave and travelled up to Malolos to break the news to Ben. He found the acting captain of Company D just preparing to take his place in the command once more.
“I’m glad to see you lookin’ well, leftenant,” 85 he said, after shaking hands warmly. “Ye look almost as healthy as ye did on the voyage from Brooklyn to Manila.”