The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-07
ON TINO'S TRAIL
A Story of the Filipino Outlaw and His Meeting
With Two American Waits.
By ALBERT SONNICHSEN.

--~-~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
bound to the boys ankle. Almost i'm
mediately it relieved the pain.
Good" he cried, rubbing his hands
as he finished. "by and by alright
Come, vamos.''
Carefully he lifted Reddy to his
shoulder with an ease hardly to be
expected from his slight, boyish fig
ure; and so he carried him, while Dick
trotted beside. A subtle magnetism
quite Independent of his kindness,
served to draw the children closer to
him; with the utmost confidence they
chatted to him as they went along, of
their life in the town, their longingS
to join the scouting parties after Tino
and full account of their own pri-
vate little campaign against that dar-
ing bandit
The young man encouraged them.
Laughingly he drew them out, and
spared not Tino in doing so.
1t was not long before they heard
the waters of the creek, for in spite
of their wanderings the boys had not
strayed far from the town. Their Fill
ipino friend evidently knew the coun-
try well, for he had brought them
straight to the outskirts of the viii
lage.
A native was hoeing in patch of
The youth called. AT once the laborer
approached with uncovered head. Even
to an American soldier he could not
have been more obsequious.
The dialogue that followed was car
ried on in native dialect, by the youth,
in the manner of one accustomed to
command, by the other in whining oc-
cents of cringing respect. The laborer
nodded, lifted up his arms and care
f11llV received the n i1rad
the young mans shoulders.
"Good-by, he said, taking one of
their hands in each of his. IT go home
now"
WHAT" they cried, bitterly disap-
pointed. "Ain't you coming with us?"
He only shook his head somewhat
sadly, turned as if to go, but instead
reached out his hand and stroked the
golden curls on the injured boys head.
Very good he said softly, with a
smile the child never forgot. A mo-
ment he fingered in an undecided way,
then motioned the peasant on.
From the opposite bank they turned
to wave him a last farewell. He still
stood there. dark silhouette against
the sinking sum- but when they turn
ed moment later-he was gone.
In the Colonels office sat the two
culprits, trembling before that great
official himself. Whatever uneasiness
he might have felt for the safety of
the two little motherless waits he now
concealed under a stern glance of dis
approval.
"Disobeying orders, eh?" he growl-
ed. The accusation was unanswerable;
hut the old soldier dared not speak, for
he knew that his voice would betray
the sympathy their bedraggled little
figures excited in the bottom of his
old heart. So he glared savagely at
them over the tops of his spectacles.
"Humph," he muttered at last, you
young imps-where've you been all
day."
There was no time for an answer
The door flew open and the adjutant
entered hurriedly, his face flushed with
excitement.
Colonel" he cried, Company D has
just come in with three men wounded.
They ran across Tino down by San
Quintin shortly before noon and gave
him half an hours good scrap-scat-
tered his whole band-killed fifteen
and almost bagged Tino himself-he
had his horse shot from under him
and only escaped by making for COW
err
The two boys were entirely forgot
coolest in the army. but this news In
terested him.
Cant we get hold of that scamp
and his band of cutthroats?" he cried
fiercely, turning toward the adjutant
That's a mighty hard proposition,
Colonel; he sneaks through the coun-
try in amigo clothes-all the natives
are his friends, and only few of us
know him, even if we do meet him.
The Colonel took an envelope out of
his desk. From the letter which it en-
closed he drew a small card.
Here, Major: here's something Gen.
Young sent me to-day for this very
purpose. Take it around and let every
man look at it,"
But the old soldiers fingers were
clumsy, and the card fell to the floor
For an instant it lay in the red light
of the setting sun. Before the Colonel
could recover it the two boys had seen
the photograph With startled glances
they looked into each others eyes.
The words of the two officers melted
into a distant tumble.
Suddenly their wandering thoughts
were recalled by bang of the Colo
nePs fist on the desk.
Major" he was saying, I'D give a
years pay to know whether he made
for the Pass or up the mountain-I
would, honestly, in cold, hard cash"
AS he spoke his eyes rested uncon-
sciously on the boyish figures beside
him, as if they might in some way
supply the desired information, but
they were silent.
Reddy's glance fell to his bandaged
ankle Suddenly he reached down and
carefully tucked one of the corners Of
the handkerchief under the fold, for
there, embroidered in faded red silk,
was a letter T.