will stay here," was the
planter's decision.

Half an hour later the column, minus Sergeant Dinsmore and his squad,
swung off on the return march. A wagon had been provided for conveying
the dead soldiers, another for the wounded, and a third vehicle for the
women.

Four hours later the column was at barracks, from which the women were
escorted into Bantoc, where there was a military guard, and where they
could stop with friends.

Just before dark an escort of twenty men, guarding two wagons, marched
into Bantoc. Sergeant Hal had asked and secured permission to head the
escort, for he wanted to see his chum, Sergeant Noll Terry.

"Well, so you've been doing some real fighting," demanded Noll in a tone
of friendly envy.

"Yes," assented Hal.

"The Moros are not such very classy fighters, are they?"

"They're good enough for me," Hal Overton answered. "I don't mind their
rifle fire, but I can do very well with the least possible number of
brushes against their cold steel."

"But our fellows have their bayonets."

"Yes; but wait until you have to face a rush against those murderous
creeses. I can't tell you much about it. It sounds tame in the telling,
Noll, but you'll know all about it when you have to go up against it.
How have things been here in Bantoc?"

"Bad," Noll replied, with a shake of his head.

"Any serious trouble?"

"No; no fighting. For that matter, I think most of the Moros here in
Bantoc like us well enough, and are disposed to be orderly," replied
Terry thoughtfully. "Of course they're the more peaceable part of the
population, anyway. On the other hand, there are plenty of Moros here in
Bantoc who don't hesitate to let us see how sullen and restless they
are. Only a spark is needed, or maybe only a secret word from the datto,
and two or three hundred ugly fellows here in Bantoc will try to get the
upper hand, or else take to the brush with Hakkut."

"We're going to have a warm time here before we're through, I think,"
replied Sergeant Hal, with a shake of his head.

"What puzzles me," muttered Noll, "is why the government doesn't send
troops enough here to wind up the thing in short order. The whole of
our first battalion of the Thirty-fourth, for instance, ought to take
the field at once, backed by a platoon of light artillery. We ought to
be sent to chase Hakkut clean across the island and into the ocean on
the other side of Mindanao."

"It's not for me to criticize the government,