VIII. THE PRIVILEGES OF RANK 119 IX. THE KATIPUNAN SOCIETY 138 X. IN THE SHADOW OF A SUSPICION 158 XI. A TRAITOR UNMASKED 175 XII. THE MIDSHIPMEN RECONNOITRE 189 XIII. UNWELCOME COMPANIONS 212 XIV. CLEVERLY OUTWITTED 225 XV. A NIGHT OF ALARM 241 XVI. A FILIPINO MARTYR 259 XVII. A DARING PLAN 277 XVIII. A RIVER EXPEDITION 292 XIX. A WILLING CAPTIVE 308 XX. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE STRONGHOLD 324 XXI. THE GUNBOAT TAKES A HAND 336 XXII. THE ESCAPED OUTLAW 346 XXIII. COLONEL MARTINEZ 355 XXIV. THE GUNBOAT ON GUARD 366 XXV. CONCLUSION 377 Illustrations PAGE SOME ONE TURNED ON THE CURRENT _Frontispiece_ HERE WAS FREEDOM WITHIN HIS GRASP 69 “I AM IN COMMAND HERE!” 126 “HELLO, HERE ARE SOME CANOES!” 205 UP THE FACE OF THE CLIFF 288 HE GAZED DOWN INTO THE STILL FACE 333 A MAN STEPPED SILENTLY FROM BEHIND A TREE 356 A United States Midshipman In the Philippines CHAPTER I THE START FOR PALILO The “Isla de Negros,” a small inter-island steamer, lay moored alongside the dock in the turbulent waters of the Pasig River, the commercial artery of the city of Manila. As the last of its cargo was noisily carried on board by a swarm of half-naked stevedores, the slender lines which held the steamer to the stone quay were cast off, and with many shrill screeches from its high treble whistle the steamer swung its blunt bow out into the strength of the current. On the upper deck of the vessel, clad in white naval uniforms, two United States midshipmen stood in silent contemplation of the activity about them. They watched with undisguised interest the hundreds of toiling orientals; resembling many ant swarms, traveling and retraveling incessantly between the countless hulls of steamers and lorchas and the long rows of hastily constructed storehouses facing the river frontage. Here and there stood a khaki-clad sentry, rifle in hand and belt filled with ball cartridges, America’s guardian of the precious stores now being idly collected. Into these spacious storehouses the sinews of war for the army of occupation were being hoarded to be afterward redistributed among the small steamers plying between the metropolis, Manila, and the outlying islands of the archipelago.