ber was much swollen and cut in
consequence, and this put him in a worse humor than ever before.

By the time the expedition was to return to Manila, Luke was able to
walk around again, and he was put on one of the larger boats and Jack
Biddle was detailed to look after him. The return to Manila was made
without special incident, and two days later found Luke on board the
_Olympia_ among all his old friends.

But the Yankee tar was thoroughly out of sorts. "I wouldn't care for
the wound at all, if only I knew Larry was safe," he was wont to say a
dozen times a day. Barrow, Castleton, and all the boy's old friends
were likewise troubled because of his strange disappearance.

It was Jack Biddle who got shore leave and travelled up to Malolos to
break the news to Ben. He found the acting captain of Company D just
preparing to take his place in the command once more.

"I'm glad to see you lookin' well, leftenant," he said, after shaking
hands warmly. "Ye look almost as healthy as ye did on the voyage from
Brooklyn to Manila."

"And I feel almost as well," replied Ben. "The rest has done me a
world of good. But what brought you up, Jack? Did Larry come with
you?"

"No, Larry didn't come," stammered the old tar, and looked down at the
floor. "Fact is, leftenant, Larry--he--he couldn't come."

"Couldn't come? Why, what's the matter?" cried Ben, quickly. "Is he
sick?"

"I reckon not--leas'wise, I don't know. Fact is, leftenant, none on us
know. Ye see, he went upon thet Santa Cruz expedition--"

"Yes, yes, I know that. And what of it? Was he--was he--" Ben could
not utter the words which came to his mind.

"No, he wasn't shot, thet is, so far as we know. But he's--well, he's
missin', an' we can't find hide nor hair o' him anywhere. I might ez
well tell ye fust ez last, though it cuts my heart to do it,
leftenant." And Jack Biddle shook his head dubiously.

It was a great shock to Ben, yet he stood it better than the old tar
had expected. He asked immediately for details, and though he drank in
every word his manner showed that his thoughts were far away.

"I wish I had been along," he said bitterly. "If he wasn't killed, the
Filipinos must have carried him off a pretty good distance. I wonder
if General Lawton tried to find out anything under a flag of truce."

"Everything that could be done was done--I have Captain Gaston's word
on that," answered Jack Biddle. Captain Gaston and Ben were well known
to each othe