now," retorted Tomba almost fiercely. "It is
ungenerous to deprive me of them."

"Shall I let a man get them for him?" asked Hyman.

"Yes; if he insists," nodded Hal. "What an idiot a man is to allow
cigarettes to make such a slave of him that he can't pass an hour
without one."

A soldier was accordingly dispatched to the nearest tobacconist on
Tomba's errand. While this was taking place Hal hurriedly told his chum
and Corporal Hyman what had happened to him, and how he had escaped.

In all this time perhaps two score of curious natives had gathered in
the street, though all of them kept at a respectful distance. Sergeant
Hal examined these people keenly, though he failed to see any of the
eight from whom he had had such difficulty in escaping.

"Captain Cortland told me," Noll broke in at last, "that the former
military commander here informed him that he had had about a dozen of
his men disappear most unaccountably, and that not one of them had ever
been heard from afterward. So, when you failed to return, Hal, the
captain declared that he was going to sift this business to the bottom
before he stopped."

"I guess, then, that all of our poor comrades in the other regiment who
have disappeared in this miserable town of Bantoc have gone, as I did,
through visiting Cerverra's store. Now, Noll, I am going to leave you
here, with eight of the men, to take possession of Cerverra's store and
premises until you receive further orders from the post commander. Hyman
and I, and the other four men, will take the prisoners out to Fort
Franklin. I would leave you a couple more men, Noll, only I do not
forget that it is possible that there may be some attempt made to rescue
our prisoners."

"If the natives try that----" broke in Corporal Hyman.

"In the event of an attempted rescue, Corporal, direct your men that
they are to shoot the two prisoners at the first sign of an attempt at
rescue."

Tomba heard Hyman give the order, and spoke in a low tone to Cerverra.
Both rascals thereupon looked disconcerted.

"You have your instructions, Sergeant Terry," continued Hal Overton.
"March the guard, Corporal Hyman."

As the guard started, Hal fell in beside Corporal Hyman, telling him
more of what had happened in the cellar under the Moro curio shop.

"I reckon, Sarge, you've made the biggest discovery of the year in this
point of the woods," was Hyman's terse comment. "I reckon, too, the
captain will see it that way."

It