ht be that the others could
go away and leave Larry behind, but he's too much my boy for me to do
that--yes, sirree. When I hears as we were to set sail for the States,
I goes up to the admiral himself, an' says I: 'Admiral,' says I, 'do
you remember how Larry Russell an' yer humble servant comes on board
of the _Olympia_?' says I. 'Yes,' says he. 'I remember it well,' says
he. 'Well,' says I, 'Larry is ashore, a prisoner of the enemy,' says
I. 'I don't want to go for to leave him, nohow. Can't you leave me
behind,' says I. And he laughs and asks me all about Larry, and
finally says I can go ashore and report to Rear Admiral Watson--who
is comin' on--sometime later. And here I am, come to the front, to
find Larry, ef sech a thing is possible."

The old sailor's honest speech went straight to Ben's heart, and he
saw very plainly how deep was Luke's affection for his younger
brother. "You're a messmate worth having, Luke!" he exclaimed. "I
don't wonder Larry thought so much of you."

"Avast, I'm only a common sea-dog at the best, captain,--an ef I
remained behind to cast around fer the lad, ye mustn't think thet Jack
Biddle an' the others have forgotten Larry, fer they ain't, not by a
jugful. Every man jack o' them is his friend, an' was, almost from the
start."

Luke had come up to the camp by way of Malolos, accompanying a
pack-train of caribao carts carrying rations and army equipments. He
had left the _Olympia_ several days before, and had not waited to
witness the departure of the flagship.

As Luke wished to remain with Ben, the latter lost no time in
presenting the matter to Colonel Darcy and to Major Morris, and Luke
was taken into the regiment camp as a cook, for he had once been a
cook on a merchantman, years before. The position was largely an
honorary one, and the sailor was permitted to leave his pots and
kettles whenever he pleased.

"It's good news," he said, when the young captain had told him what
the prisoners had said about Larry and Benedicto Lupez. "I've an idee
we'll get to Larry soon, an' down thet tarnal Spaniard in the
bargain."

The conversation took place on Tuesday. On Wednesday orders came to
strike camp, and the march of the regiment was taken toward San Isidro
by way of Baluarte, a small village seven miles to the southeast of
the new rebel capital. In the meantime, although the Americans were
not aware of it, Aguinaldo was preparing to decamp, with his so-called
congress, into the