soldiers, and waved their arms wildly toward the ship.
"Our men!" gasped Si. "And them infernal savages air a-followin' o' 'em!" He was greatly excited, and this caused him to drop back to his old-time dialect.
"You are right!" burst from Walter's lips. "Six, eight, nine of them! They are having a hot time of it. Do you suppose they have been ashore looking for us?"
"More'n likely. See, they are firing again,—and there come the savages, two or three dozen strong. What can it mean?"
Neither knew, and breathlessly they watched the contest from afar. The soldiers emptied their weapons as rapidly as ever, while the Negritos sent volley after volley into their ranks, killing one man and wounding two others.
A small boat was now seen to put off from the transport, filled with soldiers, who began to shoot as they advanced. A gun on the Central was also brought to bear on the natives, and the low boom of the weapon echoed and reëchoed across the hills behind the two boys who watched the battle so eagerly. The cannon shot brought down several
