" and he smiled
grimly.

"They think we are spies."

"Thet's so."

"Do you know that they shoot spies--and do it in short order, too?"

"And why shouldn't I know it, Larry? I've heard tell on it often
enough. But they have got to prove we air spies first, ain't they?"

"They'll do what they please. I believe half of these Filipinos think
the Americans are nothing but cut-throats. They can't conceive that we
should want to come here and govern them for their own good."

"Because they would rather govern themselves, even if they made a mess
of it, than be under anybody's thumb nail, Larry. Howsomever, thet
ain't the p'int jest now. The p'int is, kin we git out o' here before
they settle to do wuss with us?"

"Get out? You mean break jail?"

"Exactly. We don't want to stay here if we kin git out, do we?"

"To be sure not." Larry leaped up from the bench upon which he had
been resting and ran to the door. At this Luke smiled glumly and
shook his head.

"Ye won't go it thet way, lad--the guard locked it, I seen him do
it,--and the lock is a strong one, too."

Luke was right, as a brief examination proved. Then the boy turned to
the window, an affair less than a foot square, having over it several
iron bars set firmly into the stones. "No thoroughfare there," was his
comment.

The two next examined the floor, to find it of brick, and as solid as
the walls. "Only the ceilin' left now," said Luke. "I reckon we might
as well give it up. Even if we do git out, more'n likely a guard
outside will shoot us down."

But Larry was determined to test the ceiling, which was but a couple
of feet over their heads. So he had his companion hold him for that
purpose.

"There is a loose board up there," he cried, as he was feeling his way
along. "Hold me a little higher, Luke, and perhaps I can shove it
up."

The old sailor did as requested, and with a strong push Larry shifted
one end of the plank above, so that it left an opening ten inches wide
and several feet long. Catching a good hold he pulled himself to the
apartment above, to find it stored with boxes and barrels containing
old military uniforms and other army equipments, relics of Spanish
rule.

"Any way out up thar?" queried Luke. "If there is, we don't want to
waste any time, ye know."

"I'll tell you in a minute," replied Larry, in a low voice, and ran
first to one end window of the storeroom and then the other. In front
was the street, fast filling with s