“No doubt, but—but—well, between you and me, Gilbert, I’m afraid the money will hurt the worst—Uncle Job always did set such a store by a few dollars. As for me, I’d give all I’ll ever be worth if only I knew Larry was safe,” concluded the young captain, arising from a seat under a 155 palm tree as Major Morris came forward to speak to him.
“Captain, I’m ordered to the front to-night, to do a little reconnoitring,” said the major of the first battalion. “I thought perhaps you would like to go out with me. Possibly we can again get on the track of that Bogg fortune;” and he smiled faintly, for he had been with Ben on the night Braxton Bogg had been first made a prisoner.
“I’ll go out with you gladly,” answered the young captain, promptly. “But I doubt if that money is ever found—or my brother Larry, either,” he added, with bitterness.
“Oh, cheer up, captain, you are blue to-night. Come, a little danger will put you on your mettle once more, and you’ll forget all about this thing—although I’ll allow it’s enough to make anybody heart-sick.”
Supper was served, and the sun had long since sunk to rest over the vast plain and ocean to the westward, when Ben and Major Morris set out, taking with them an ample supply of ammunition and likewise a day’s rations, for they were to move directly into the heart of the enemy’s country 156 and might be absent for a day or longer. The object of their going was to find out if a certain Lieutenant Caspard, who had deserted the American ranks, was with the rebels now gathering at Maasin, and if so, whether or not he was acting as an officer of the Filipino forces. If they could catch the deserter and bring him back, they were to be well rewarded. Strange to say, the orders were not to shoot him if it could be avoided.
“It’s a strange mission,” said Major Morris, as they set out. “But such are Colonel Darcy’s orders, and he is backed up in them by the general. Between you and me, I think this Caspard has been playing a double game between our forces and those of the Filipinos, and those at headquarters want to find out just what it means. One man told me that this Caspard was out of his head, and had an idea that he could stop the war by telling the rebels we would grant them everything they want if only they would throw down their arms.”
“Would the rebels swallow such a yarn?”
“Some of the more ignorant might. But that isn’t the point; Caspard may have given them some military information of vast importance. 157 You must remember we are in a territory that may be full of pitfalls for us,” concluded the major.
Ben thought but little of the ending of this speech at the time, but had good cause to remember it before midnight. On they pushed past the picket guard and on to a side road which it was said would bring them around to the north side of Maasin. Both were in fairly good humor by this time, and the major told many an anecdote of army life which made Ben laugh outright. The major saw that his companion was indeed “blue,” and was bound to dispel the blues if it could be done.
“And that story puts me in mind of one on General Grant,” he continued presently. “Grant was sitting in his tent one night when—”