The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-12-01
dow. however. nlled him with sur

dow. however. filled him with sur
prise.
What are you doing here, Isabel.
lar he demanded.
mo habla," she murmured in hel
auainr mixture OF Spanish and Eng
ltsh. NO habla. get you out"
Walters's heart ieapcd at the hope
The girl began working with some In.
strument at tile set rocks forming
the window sill into which the barn
We're lu0rtisetl. # She could remove
one he could escape. Freedom seemed
to him then the most glorious thing on
eartN-sonething he must have at any
cost.
He tiptoed up to the heavy bamboo
partition separating the long room
occupied by the PRISONERS from the
Smaller place where the guard slept.
Through the cracks he could see lying
on their cots the members of the
guard who were Oft duty; at the door
sat the sergeant aoz.ng in his chair;
In front the sentinel vas pacing up and
down.
Walters noted with satisfaction that
tue other two soldie.s confined with
him were sleeping on the side oppo-
site his bunk.
The guard-house was stone camar-
inc which had been used by its Fill.
plao owner for The storage Of sugar
aru rice. It was oy no means consid-
cred invincible Gs a prison, but the
vigilance of thhe guard was intended
to counteract its elements Of weak
ness.
However, there vas anticipated no
effort at escape on TIE part of the
three incarcerated Americans who
could hardly find en- incentive to risk
thMr lives in the dense, marshy coun-
try. filed as it was by hostile Filipinos.
The consequent relaxation of the
watchfulness maintained over the
building permitted the girl to perform
her task Yndetected. 1t was not q
difficult feat for her slowly to loosen
and finally to remove one of the
crlmhling. porous stones. The iron
upright was then quickly forced aside,
and Walters slipped through the win
dow.
AS the two crept away undor cover
OF the darkness, Walters rapidly form
ulated his plans.
Isabella" he said suddenly, I'm
going away from all this-into the
mountains. I'm done with America
and Americans forever" After q
pause. he continued. you've been
very kind to me, Isabella. VIII you
go with me to the mountains?"
The girl hesitated, while Walters
waited breathe: sly for her decision.
Yes. senor--I will go'
He pressed the hand that trembled
IN his. "You won't regret it, Isabel
Ia" he said. "You have been the only
one that's ever seen much in me to
care for, and I will not forget 1t.
Well find us place where nobody
will ever discover us, and we'll build
us home. Now" he continued, I'm
going to Slip into the quarters and
get my gun and some things; you get
what you need from home and wait
for lie at the church."
After the girl had disappeared in
the darkness. Walters stood few mo-
ments looking at the light Pickering
through the door of the guard house;
he could discern the sentinel on num-
Der one. Yes, he was satisfied. He
cared not to go back to America
Vyhorn ha hod laorro5--I,ox tie. .o,,1a
give of suffering. There was nothing
now that would cause him to turn
back; he was t1oe; he would forget
Life had still something left to Of
fer.
An hour later, while slipping eau
tiously across the road near the church
on the outskirts Of the town, he Stun
bled over some soft inanimate object
on the ground. He put dawn his hand
and touched the face Of a man. In
stinctively he realized that the man
was dead. On his kness beside the
figure he explored 1t with his hands.
His fingers travelled over the we'll
known uniform of an American soldier;
at the side his hand was wet, and he
felt a rent in the khaki blouse. The
warm blood was still flowing. Wal
tiers rose to his feet. and stepped quick
~ into the shadow Of some bushes on
the roadside.
Sentry on number three, boloed on
post" he muttered. ''That means an
attack-the devils will probably strike
just at daybreak." That would be in
less than an hour he knew. As he
crouched in his shelter. he saw dark
forms creeping silently along the road
one or two at time, all moving in
the same direction. The Americans
would be murdered in their beds.
Walters thought of the girl waiting
at the church not so yards distant; he
could join her and by daylight they
could be far away toward the noun
tains. What affair was this of his?
Had he not renowned his race? If