finger on the trigger. He noted that the newcomers appeared to be unarmed, although they had both knives and pistols hidden upon their persons.
"You are an Americano sailor, not so?" asked one of the Spaniards.
"I am," was Larry's prompt reply. "Are you one of Aguinaldo's rebels?"
"No, no! We are no rebels—we are peaceful Spanish gentlemen," put in the second Spaniard.
"Do you belong here?"
"I belong here," said the man who had first spoken. "My brother, he belongs at Manila."
The brother mentioned shot an angry glance at the speaker. "Yes, I come from Manila," he said. "But I belong truly in Spain, being a merchant of Madrid."
"Well, our war with you folks is over," said Larry, slowly, hardly knowing how to proceed. "If you are not going to help the rebels, you ought to help us. We are doing all we can for your prisoners out here," he added, meaning the Spaniards that were being held by the forces under General Aguinaldo—soldiers who were captured during the struggle between Spain and her Philippine colonies.
"We can do but little," came with a shrug of
