and we don't propose to have
any Yankee spies around here to tell Otis of our whereabouts. There
ain't no troops in this town now, but there's likely to be any minute,
and we patriots was sent here to take possession of things and arrange
quarters for our army. Let me tell you that the Filipino army will be
in this town to-day, and if you don't look sharp you'll be the first
prisoner to be shot. Aguinaldo isn't a man to deal easily with spies,
and if he thought you was out here for that purpose he'd have you
riddled with bullets in a minute." The man came up to Archie and began
to undo the ropes. "I reckon I can trust you free for awhile, for
there's no use in your trying to get away, with the Filipino army all
around the town. Sit down there now, and I'll see that you get some
breakfast. You can tell, perhaps, that I ain't no Filipino, nor never
was one. I'm from Arizona, U. S. A., and I'm fightin' with these rebels
for what there is in it just now. I'm mighty curious to find out how you
come to be out in these diggin's, youngster."

Archie was willing enough to tell all about himself. He liked this man,
in spite of his being with the rebels, and he felt that he would be able
to make friends with him if he were careful to do so. And the best plan
seemed to be for him to tell all about himself, how he happened to go to
New York, and how he had been sent out here as a boy correspondent for
the Enterprise. The man from Arizona listened to the recital with
open mouth and eyes, and he frequently laughed outright at some of the
experiences Archie described. When the narrative was finished, he seized
Archie's hand, and said, "My name's Bill Hickson, and you can count on
me after this fer a friend, youngster. I'll swan if I ever heard tell
of sich nerve in my life. I'll see that you get out of this scrape all
right, but you must be careful to keep up appearances of being under
guard. I'm a big-bug in this Filipino shack, but I wouldn't dare to let
you out openly. So you jist kind of lay around and look despondent,
and depend on me to make things as easy for you as I can. You kin come
down-stairs now, if you like, and I'll present you to my friends.
There don't none of 'em speak no English but me, and all I can do is to
interduce you, and tell 'em that you ain't no spy, and that you are
very sorry you ever ran up agin this here town. And I guess I'll be
expressin' your sentiments exactly, won't I?" Archie nodded, but in his
hea