Panay. He had been dispatched by the American general
commanding at Ilo Ilo, the chief seaport of Panay, to march to
Capiz, a seaport town on the opposite side of the island, to assist
from the land side a small force of Americans besieged there by the
natives, while the gunboat Utica was to steam around the northeastern
promontory of the island and cooperate from the water side of the town,
in its relief.

The distance across the island was about fifty miles, while that
by water, by the route which the Utica must traverse, was about two
hundred miles. Captain Demauny, starting first, had covered half the
march laid out for him, without incident, until, halting at Pasi,
half way across the island and well up in the mountains, he had been
so fortunate as to obtain the information which he was about to send
back to the commander at Ilo Ilo. Panay had been, up to this time, one
of the most quiet islands in the group. He had met with no opposition
in his march, so far, and it was believed that the only natives on
the island who were under arms were those living in the northeastern
part of the territory. It was a force of these that had invested Capiz.

"Sergeant Johnson, sir," the orderly reported.

"Very well. Send him in."

A young man, wearing a faded brown duck uniform, tightly buttoned
leggings, and a wide-rimmed gray hat, entered the tent.

"I have sent for you, sergeant," said Captain Demauny, "for two
reasons. One is that I want a man who is brave, and one whom I
can trust."

The sergeant bent his head slightly, in acknowledgement of the implied
compliment, his cheeks looking a trifle darker shade of brown, where
the blood had flushed the skin beneath its double deep coat of tan.

"The other reason," the officer went on, "is that I want a man of
whose muscle and endurance as a runner, and whose skill as a boatman,
I have had some proof."

In spite of the difference in rank, and the seriousness of the
situation, which the officer knew and the man guessed, the two men
looked at each other and smiled. For one was a Harvard man, and the
other had come from Yale.

"The gunboat Utica is to leave Ilo Ilo at midnight, tonight. It is
of the very greatest importance that this dispatch," handing him
the letter, "be delivered to the American general at Ilo Ilo before
the vessel gets under way. I entrust it to you, to see that it is
delivered.

"You ought to have no trouble in getting there in ample season," the
c