CHAPTER XVIII
A RIVER EXPEDITION
After Phil and his party had gone on their hazardous mission, Sydney went aboard the gunboat to make ready for the work which had been left in his hands. He felt it keenly that he could not share this dangerous expedition, but there was some consolation in the knowledge that O’Neil was with Phil.
Another detachment, footsore and tired from its forced march from a distant post, had arrived at the ranch, and the two staff officers were untiringly arranging all the details for the attack in force.
Sydney, upon his arrival on the gunboat, gave orders that all obstructions be cleared away from the guns, and directed the placing of iron sheeting to protect the officers and men who would be, with him, exposed on the gunboat’s bridge.
The plan of attack was to divide the force of soldiers; the gunboat to carry as many of the men as her limited deck space would accommodate, and the remainder were to go by trail, guided by Garcia. A sufficient force would remain to guard the ranch, to which point supplies were on their way up the river from Palilo.
General Wilson would command the expedition in person from on board the gunboat.
At sunrise Sydney was awake, and already the camp ashore was alive and the lad saw the companies drawn up, their rifles stacked, eating their morning meal. Hurriedly dressing he was rowed ashore, but before leaving he had ordered all his boats to be lowered for transporting the soldiers to the gunboat.
“Major Lukban, one of Rodriguez’s officers, will go with you as a guide,” Captain Blynn informed the lad as he stepped ashore. “He was wounded in the attack on the ranch, but he is well enough to go on the gunboat, and he knows the navigation of the river. He is now questioning an insurgent officer who was brought in by one of our companies; they captured him in a village several miles from here.
“Lukban is like a wild beast; they have just told him of Rodriguez’s murder by Espinosa and Salas, so I suppose we had best keep an eye on this unfortunate prisoner.”
Captain Blynn led Sydney down to the basement of the ranch house. The midshipman, when his eyes became accustomed to the gloom, gave an exclamation of surprised horror as he saw a half-strangled native on the floor with several others astride his heaving chest. Sydney noticed the wounded major in a chair, looking down upon his victim, a savage smile on his face.