He wrote a short note to his mother at home, telling her not to worry,
and assuring her that he was in good health and in no danger whatever
of being captured by the rebels, for Archie felt quite safe after his
experience with the insurgent leaders. He knew that no one of their
prisoners was ever likely to come to a very bad end. They were far too
slipshod in their methods of holding prisoners. He was sorry not to be
able to send a longer letter home, but he knew that this note was much
better than sending nothing at all, and that it would make his mother
very happy to hear from him at all.
The officers, when Archie returned to the dining-room, if such it
could be called, were engaged in making a very good meal from the
provisions in the cupboard, and they thanked Archie warmly for leading
them to such a good place. "By Jove," said one of the captains, "we
sha'n't want to return to Manila at all, when we can get such grub as
this is outside." But the colonel assured them all that they needn't
expect to find such accommodations everywhere in the interior of the
country. "No doubt we'll all be living on plantains in a day or two,
if we don't catch that fox of an Aguinaldo. And I'm willin' to bet now
that we won't find him. That feller's too slick for us. He's proved it
many a time before."
"And to think that he was here only this morning! The nerve of him, to
come within twenty-five miles of Manila!" said another.
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