"That is what I said. Throw them down at once." "But see here, major--" "I won't stop to argue with you. Throw the belts down, or take the consequences." "And what will the consequences be?" questioned Yadder. "The consequences will be that I will form myself into a court-martial, find you guilty of desertion, and shoot you down where you stand. Come, do those belts go down or not?" "I reckon they go down," grumbled Yadder; and unloosening the article, he allowed it to slip to the floor, seeing which, his companion followed suit. "Now both of you hold your hands over your heads, while Captain Russell searches you for concealed weapons." "We ain't got no concealed weapons." "I didn't ask you to talk, I told you to hold up your hands." With exceeding bad grace the two deserters, for such they really proved to be, held up their arms. Approaching them, Ben went through one pocket after another and felt in their bosoms. Each had a long native knife, such as are usually used in the rice-fields. "I suppose you do not call those concealed weapons," was Major Morris's comment, as Ben came over to him with the knives and the cartridge belts. The rascals' guns stood back of the door behind the commander of the first battalion. "It ain't fair to take everything away from us," began Yadder, when two shots, fired in rapid succession, cut him short. The shots came from up the stream and not over fifty yards from the mill-house. Soon followed a shouting of voices, and all in the place knew that a band of rebels were approaching. "They are after somebody!" exclaimed Ben. "They are coming--" The young captain got no further, for just then there sounded a clatter on the outer steps, and a second later an American soldier burst into the mill-house. He was in tatters, and his left arm hung limply by his side, for he had been shot in the shoulder. "Americans!" he gasped, as he cast a hurried glance about. "Thank God for that! The rebels are after me, half a dozen strong." "He went up into the house!" came from without, in the Tagalog dialect. "After him, men, the _Americano_ must not escape us!" And then footsteps were heard around the house and on the stairs. Ben and the major looked at each other questioningly. What was to be done? "The trap," whispered the young captain. "If they come up here, we can escape through that." There was no time to say more, for already the rebels were coming up the stairs, shouting loudly for the escaped _Americano_ to give himself up. They advanced in a body, evidently not caring to separate in the darkness, and thinking to find the man alone. With quick wit Ben ran and placed the table against the door, and on this piled the bench. "Now the trap, and be quick!" he whispered, and Major Morris understood. Flinging open the door in the floor he looked down, to behold the stream flowing beneath.