As the general finished speaking the adjutant-general, Major Marble, entered and greeted the newcomers warmly. Both the lads had known him in their Annapolis days. “Major Marble will give you the situation,” the general said as the midshipmen shook his hand in parting. “I suppose you are ready to get under way on summons.” Phil answered promptly in the affirmative. The major took the lads to his own comfortable quarters, facing the Plaza, and then told them briefly of the perplexing conditions under which the general was struggling. “The insurgents will only fight,” the major told them earnestly, “when they can surprise us, and with these untrained volunteers that has been very frequent of late.” The midshipmen told him how the American troops had marched unsuspectingly past Colonel Martinez’s party the day before Captain Blynn attacked them. Major Marble shook his head sadly. “Colonel Bane is not a soldier and never will be. He has blundered into more traps than any officer in the island.” A heavy footfall sounded on the stairs. Major Marble stopped talking suddenly, and walked quickly to the door as Captain Blynn’s stalwart figure emerged from the stairway. “Come here, Blynn,” he called. The judge-advocate general approached; upon his face was a good-natured smile which changed suddenly to an ugly frown as he caught sight of his brother officer’s guests. He would have turned sullenly away, but Major Marble put out a restraining hand. The lads had risen to their feet. Phil felt his own face suffuse with blood as he caught the glint of annoyance in Captain Blynn’s eyes. The midshipman turned his back quietly and looked out the window. A moment later he heard the captain’s heavy tread in the hall and a door slam loudly. When he turned Major Marble’s face was pale and his blue eyes flashed angrily. “Blynn’s a boor, sometimes,” he hastened to apologize. “I’ve heard the story. He’s so absorbed in his work that any one who thwarts him arouses his dislike. He cannot see the human side. He’s a veritable bull in a china shop. He and Espinosa are doing splendid service. All of our success so far has been through their secret service work. You’ll be friends after you’ve been here a while. Martinez’s escape hurts his pride just now. Martinez is something like the man with the iron mask. He comes from Luzon, but no one knows who he is. We have wired Manila and they answer that they know of no insurgent officer of that name. Yet he’s here, and from all accounts has been expected. Most of his party were destroyed by Blynn, but about seventy-five are believed to have escaped, and Espinosa says that his followers are landing every day in the neighborhood of Dumaguete. I think the general’s plan is to have you cruise off there in hopes of intercepting some of their war parties.”