the young sergeant,
"for we paid in good Americans."

"We can't have war without death, can we?" half sighed the West Pointer.

Once inside the house Hal's first care was to visit the wounded men.

"Bender's gone, sir?" asked Hal.

"Yes," nodded Lieutenant Prescott gravely.

Then they went to breakfast, for the soldier must eat or presently stop
fighting.

"You'll want to know my orders from Captain Cortland," said Lieutenant
Prescott, filling his cup with coffee.

"Yes, sir; if you feel at liberty to tell me."

"The captain's instructions are few. He tells me that, as commander in
the field, I will have to use my own judgment to a great degree. But the
captain urges me, as soon as I may be satisfied that the Moros have
withdrawn, to leave Sergeant Dinsmore here with a guard of twelve men,
and to bring the white people from this plantation into town with me.
Then Dinsmore, if he sees no more of the Moros within three days, is to
march his men back to Bantoc. With the limited number of men at his
disposal Captain Cortland recognizes the impossibility of keeping a
military guard regularly at each plantation."

"But, sir, if Dinsmore and a dozen men had to brave such a charge as we
met last night he would stand a very good chance of having his
detachment wiped out, wouldn't he?"

"No; for the Moros would attempt such a charge only in the night time.
Captain Cortland has sent me a supply of various-colored rockets, and a
code by which they are to be used. So, if attacked by a rush at night,
Sergeant Dinsmore will withdraw with his men to the house, and send up
rockets that will be seen in Bantoc and at Fort Franklin. Then a column
will be sent out to overtake and punish any brown rascals who may
attack."

"Have you seen any signs of the Moros lately, sir?"

"No, Sergeant. Later in the forenoon, however, I think I shall order you
to take about twenty men out in skirmish line. You will try to draw the
enemy's fire, returning if you succeed. If you do not succeed, you will
search the woods, always keeping an alert eye open for the possibility
of running into an ambushed party of cold steel men in the woods."

"I shall be delighted to have charge of that reconnaissance, sir," Hal
replied promptly.

"Yes; it is work cut out for just such a cool head as yours, Sergeant."

"Thank you, sir."

"Well, you are cool-headed, so why should I not say it?" laughed
Lieutenant Prescott. "Sergeant, your presence here has m