"Why, the boy's story is incredible, Lewis. It is simply impossiblethat a gunboat could be at the bottom of Lake Lanao," GeneralBeech protested as he walked to and fro in front of his desk in theadministration building.
"If you will search the records at headquarters, sir, I think youwill find mention of three gunboats that were shipped to this islandby the Spanish government and disappeared mysteriously on the eve ofour occupancy."
And so it turned out. Inquiries among the older natives of the barriobrought confirmation of the report, and weird tales of transportingthe diminutive gunboats in sections over the mountain passes beganto float about. Finally General Beech was convinced and gave thenecessary orders to equip and send an investigating party to thelake. Piang was to be the guide.
The transport _Seward_ carried the troops around to Iligan, and thestruggle up the mountain trail to Lake Lanao began.
Sicto was the first to give warning of the approach. He came upon theparty one morning as they were breaking camp near the Marie Christinafalls and immediately dashed off to Marahui.
"The white devils are coming," he shrieked. "Piang, the traitor,is leading them to us!"
Dato Grande assembled his council, and they awaited the comingof the soldiers with misgivings. They had good reason to fear theAmericans. General Bushing had swept that district in his marvelouscampaign, and there was many a cripple among the lake people totestify to the accuracy of his marksmen. But they were relieved bythe appearance of Ricardo, the interpreter, who explained to the datothat the troops were not hostile, but had come to make friends withthe Moros.
Proudly Piang swung along at the head of the column, guiding themto his recent platform home. Camp was pitched on the shore, and theengineers commenced work at once. The boy impatiently waited forthe divers to fix their cumbersome suits, and when all was ready,he plunged into the water and disappeared from view. The grotesquefigures floating down with him made Piang want to laugh. They lookedlike huge devil-fish, and he wondered how they could stand the clumsydress. After he had led the men to the boat he came to the top andswam with eyes down. If there were more boats, he wanted to find themfirst. The men on the bank were watching his agile movements withinterest. With a shout he disappeared again. Yes, yes, there was asecond boat. And as he circled the sunken craft he spied another nearit. Striking out for the shore, he swam to where the general and thelieutenant were waiting.
"What is he chattering about, Ricardo?" asked the general.
"He says he has seen the other two boats, sir."
"This is certainly a fortunate discovery, Lewis. I shall make areport to Washington on the matter, and you shall be commended foryour sagacity."
The young officer flushed with pleasure, but replied:
"Thank you, sir, but I think the boy Piang deserves all the credit."
It was many days before the task was completed. The rice had remaineda mystery to the last, and the officers puzzled over the fact that ithad not rotted entirely. The first report from the divers confirmedthe rumor that the boats had been scuttled, presumably to preventthe Americans from capturing them. They had all been loaded withrice packed in sacks, and secured in tin-lined boxes. Until recentlyit had been protected from the water, but something heavy from abovehad fallen on them, crushing the outside coverings. The tortoise haddone the rest.
Another surprise awaited the troops. A diver brought up a handful ofKrag cartridges.
"This _is_ a mystery," said Lieutenant Lewis. "The Spanish never usedKrags; we were the first to bring them to this part of the world,weren't we?"
A shadow crossed General Beech's face. Quietly he ordered the divers tosearch for more ammunition. Silently they waited, and Lewis wonderedwhat had brought the sad expression to his chief's face. When thedivers brought up a wooden box half filled with cartridges, the twoofficers bent over it; on one side, branded in the wood, was plainlyvisible:
"Depot Quartermaster, San Francisco, Cal."
"I thought so," murmured the general.
"Well, what do you know about that!" exclaimed Lewis. "The publichas been wondering for years what became of the thousands of roundsof ammunition General Bushing took with him on his spectacular marchthrough Mindanao. Murder will out. It is here!" He rubbed his handstogether in glee, laughing softly.
"How do you suppose this ammunition got here, Lewis?" General Beechasked gravely.
"Why, dumped here, of course. Don't you remember the Sunday editionsat home proclaiming Bushing a hero because he had used more ammunitionand apparently done more fighting, than any one on record? Why didn'the come out with the truth?"
General Beech colored at this injustice to his colleague.
"The usual hasty conclusion characteristic of Young America!" said theGeneral, sharply. "Do you know, young man, that General Bushing is notonly one of our ablest soldiers, but one of the most finished diplomatsin the service?" Lewis had never seen General Beech so agitated.
"This discovery will be no news to the war department; they arein possession of the detailed account of the accident." He paused,his eyes sweeping the lake. "Lewis, this lake is the site of a mostunfortunate accident. Out there," General Beech pointed toward thecenter of the lake, "dozens of our soldiers were lost, and the publicwill never know the tragic story of their fall. General Bushingwas trying to transport six rafts of ammunition across the laketo the troops stranded at Camp Vicars. During a wild night storm,the handful of men set out on improvised rafts, but half-way acrossthey were attacked from all sides and nearly annihilated. Only thewisdom and bravery of General Bushing saved the entire detachmentfrom death; he ordered the ammunition thrown overboard and rescuedhis remaining men after a hard fight. That the survivors, one andall, have kept faith, and never divulged the story of the lost Krags,proves the remarkable influence General Bushing had over his command,for had the Moros got wind of this handy arsenal--!"
Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy Page 21
