Just as the “Mindinao” started ahead, after landing her passengers, on its way to the mouth of the river, a native canoe paddled rapidly from the landing, and ran up alongside of the gunboat. An excited hail came from its occupant, answered by an angry cry from Major Lukban who turned, his face deathly pale, and his hands trembling, to the midshipmen at his side.
“Señorita Maria is missing,” he gasped.
The midshipmen were stunned at the suddenness of this unexpected and disquieting news. Maria captured! What did it mean?
Lukban declared that his first duty was to his young mistress and the lads heartily approved of his desire to be landed to attempt to trail the lost girl and her brother.
The excited native was brought on board from his canoe and told the eager men the meagre details of her loss.
She and Juan had gone out to the cemetery in the morning, and had not returned. A search had been made in the afternoon and the footprints of men had been discovered, showing that the girl had fallen into the hands of a party of natives.
The midshipmen bade good-bye to their native friend who entered the canoe and paddled shoreward, and then Phil rang for full speed ahead on the engines.
“The loyalty of these natives to the Rodriguez family is touching,” Sydney exclaimed in admiration. “Garcia alone betrayed his friend; but he did it through superstitious fear of the Katipunan society. Lopez is as staunch as a rock, and Lukban, you can see, would lay down his life willingly for his young mistress.”
Two hours later the “Mindinao” had steamed through the harbor of Palilo and turned her bow northward.
During the night Sydney and O’Neil took turns with Phil in standing watch on the gunboat’s bridge, carefully searching the shore for the signal agreed upon with Lopez. Would he succeed in coming up with the fleeing outlaw?