They soon came to a pretty dwelling, set in a perfect wilderness of flowers and shrubs. Toward the side they made out a well, and ran forward to fill their canteens. The pair were at the well when a shrill cry from one of the side rooms of the house attracted their attention. Looking up, they saw a native girl waving her hand frantically at them. The girl was nicely dressed and evidently belonged to the better classes. "We only want a drink!" shouted Ben, thinking that the maiden might imagine they had come into the garden to steal. But the girl shouted more loudly than ever, and waved them away from the well. "Bad! bad!" she cried. "Oh, no, we are not so bad as you think," Gilbert shouted back; and was about to take a drink from a cocoanut-shell dipper which hung handy, when the girl came out of the cottage on a run and dashed the dipper to the ground. At the same time an evil-looking Filipino appeared at the doorway, shook his fist at the girl, and then suddenly ran for the barns behind the dwelling and disappeared. "I want a drink and I'm going to have it," began Gilbert, sternly, for he did not like the manner in which the water had been spilt over his clothing. "If you--" "The well is poisoned; don't drink, it will kill you!" gasped the girl, in Spanish. [Illustration: "The well is poisoned! don't drink! it will kill you!"--_Page 115._] As old readers know, Gilbert understood a little of the language, having picked it up while on a trip to Cuba, and also while serving as a Rough Rider in that island. He started back and caught the maiden by the arm. "Poisoned! you are certain?" he cried. "Yes, senor; my uncle put the poison in only yesterday. He lost much at Angat, and he is very angry at the _Americanos_ in consequence. He knew the soldiers were coming this way, and he wanted to poison as many as he could. He put a water-barrel down on the road full of the poisoned water, too." "Who is your uncle, the man who just ran off?" "Yes, senor. But, oh, do not go after him, I pray you!" cried the girl, in high alarm. "I would not have spoken, but I could not see you poisoned before my very eyes; no, not that!" As quickly as he could, Gilbert translated her words to Ben, who listened in amazement. "The villain!" ejaculated the young captain. "I've heard of this sort of thing being done before. I wonder where that barrel is that she spoke about? We must find it and empty it of its contents." Gilbert put the question to the girl, who announced that the barrel was on another road back of the plantation. Whether any of the soldiers had reached it or not was a question.