o the house. He
was soon after revived, however. The two men who had brought him in now
used a first-aid package in dressing the wound, after they had washed
it.

In the meantime Lieutenant Prescott discovered that none of the whites
in the house had been hit, though one of the loyal Moro defenders of the
house had been killed and two others wounded.

Then the lieutenant told of Edwards's death. A young woman in the room
promptly fainted.

"That's Miss Daly, the school teacher," explained Mr. Seaforth. "She and
Edwards were engaged to be married."

Outside more shots sounded. Lieutenant Prescott ran to the door.

Sergeant Hal, however, had detailed twenty of his men to answer the
fire, whenever they saw anything to shoot at, while the others had been
ordered to get to work with their intrenching tools.

This tool, in appearance, is about half way between a bayonet and a
trowel. With it a soldier can lie on the ground, digging and throwing up
dirt before him, while he opens a shallow trench in which to lie and
conceal himself from the enemy's fire.

"Don't waste any ammunition, Sergeant. Have your men shoot to hit,"
directed the officer. "I'm going back into the house, but send for me if
you see any suspicious move on the part of the Moros."

"Yes, sir," and Sergeant Overton turned his face towards the enemy.

Though he made his men remain prostrate on the ground, Hal Overton stood
up. He was using the lieutenant's field glass.

The walls of the planter's house were riddled with bullets, for this
house had not been constructed as a fort. Along the outer walls,
however, bags of earth had been piled in such a way as to afford
comparative safety to the defenders.

"Those of us who weren't fighting," explained Mr. Seaforth, "have been
engaged for hours in digging dirt in the cellar and bringing it up in
the sacks. But it was a fearful morning until you arrived. Now, our only
danger is from a stray bullet. The Moros won't come any closer--they
won't dare to charge the house with such a force of troops here to
defend the place."

[Illustration: Lieutenant Prescott Climbed One of the Wooden Porch
Columns.]

"Not unless the rascals are reinforced," replied Prescott. "There is no
telling how many of the natives are concerned in this uprising.
Hello--pardon me a moment."

Through the open doorway Prescott had caught sight of something moving
down the highway. He ran speedily outside, got his glasses from Sergeant