Tillotson’s keen eye was upon the letter and he stretched out his hand for it in stony silence. Phil gave it up instantly. The lieutenant broke the seal and ran his eyes quickly over its contents. His face showed keen interest as he read; then he put the letter carefully into his own pocket. The midshipmen regarded him with interest, half expecting to hear the purport of its contents; but were disappointed, for in a few minutes he arose and left them without a word. “The rest of the garrison are returning, captain,” O’Neil announced, joining the midshipmen after his dinner with the soldiers. “You can see their dust down the beach.” The lads watched with ill-concealed delight, much to Tillotson’s discomfiture, the arrival of Captain Baker and his eighty dust-covered soldiers. As they swung into the Plaza, apparently for the first time, they realized that something extraordinary had happened, for they quickened their pace and Captain Baker, unable to control his anxiety further, shouted eagerly to ask what had happened. Tillotson, assurance in his every motion, walked out to meet him. Phil could not refrain from comparing these two figures--one that of Captain Baker, alert, muscular, tanned by the sun, his uniform dirty and stained by travel, with grime on his soldierly countenance, while the other, slender, his clothes neat and of a dandified cut, seemed more in place in a drawing-room than in the jungles of the Philippines. “I saw the gunboat when we struck the beach below there,” Captain Baker exclaimed, his anxiety relieved after Tillotson had assured him all was safe, and he advanced hand outstretched, a hearty smile of greeting on his strong face. “Is this the new captain of the ‘Mindinao’? I am glad to meet you both,” he said as he shook the hands of the midshipmen in turn. “I suppose we are once more indebted to the navy.” Tillotson frowned. “I have fifty men with me,” he exclaimed protestingly. “Of course the gunboat was useful in bringing us here and shelling the beach.” “What’s become of all the town natives?” Captain Baker asked suddenly. “They all left town yesterday morning,” the sergeant replied. “That’s how we knew that all was not going just right.” “The cowardly beggars!” Captain Baker exclaimed. “You’d have thought we were their best friends. Well, I suppose they’ve got to look out for themselves. Have you buried all the bodies?” he asked suddenly. “Yes, sir,” Tillotson replied, “but your sergeant has the names of all those he recognized; apparently there were some of the town people in the attack.” Captain Baker nodded his head, a sorrowful expression on his face. “Who can we trust among these people?” he said in a low voice as he scanned the list handed him. “Even my own servant against us. Pedro might have stuck a knife in me any night he wished.” “A telegram, sir,” the captain’s orderly announced handing him a sheet of paper. “Send gunboat ‘Palilo.’ If desirable retain Tillotson and men.”