Colonel Darcy was ordered to remain at the church until the next day. This suited the soldiers very well, for the place was clean, dry, and cool. It had not been in use for several years, and most of the movable church property had been taken away.
When the wounded and dead had been cared for, Ben and the major took a walk around the building to inspect it. Ben's shoulder still ached, and his face bore several long strips of court plaster, while Major Morris's left hand was bound up because of a wound to the knuckle of the thumb.
The church was divided into several parts, after the manner of such buildings in Luzon, with here and there a little stone closet or cell. One of these cells was found to be filled with old records, now musty with age.
"These may be of value," said the major. He looked a few of the books over. "Births and deaths, I think."
"The Filipinos have lost interest in such records just now, major. Fighting has— What's that?"
Ben stopped speaking and gazed at his companion in perplexity. A loud sneeze had startled him, coming from the top of the cell. Looking up, they saw a man huddled up on a shelf, glaring down at them.
