"Better stand guard and shoot the first rebel who tries to harm us," was Si's ready reply. Then he moved away in the darkness of several trees growing close together, while the two sailors who had been released did likewise.
An instant later came a shrill cry of alarm, one of the sailors having stepped on the arm of a Filipino lying in a dark hollow, and in a moment the entire camp was in commotion.
"The jig is up!" came from Si. "Walter, where are you?"
"Here," answered the young sailor.
As Walter spoke, one of the rebels seemed to rise up almost at his feet, and the youth saw a rifle pointed directly at his breast. But his own weapon was up, and with his heart in his throat he pulled the trigger. There was a crack and a flash, and Walter saw the Filipino fall back, badly wounded in the shoulder.
"Good for you, lad!" cried one of the released prisoners, and with a bound he was at the fallen one's side and had snatched away his Mauser. Then he, too, blazed away, and a rebel who was making for Si dropped in his tracks, shot through the head.
