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" you know much about this island of Luzon?" asked Larry of Striker, after the two had been at the gun again, seeing that everything was oiled and in perfect order, and after Larry had taken an additional lesson in handling the stout canvas bags containing fifty and a hundred pounds of brown prismatic powder.

"Well, I know a little," answered the tall down-easter, as he took a long look ashore, for now the coast line loomed up quite plainly to his trained eye. "The island is by far the largest of the Philippines, and is one of the most northern. Away to the south of the group is Mindanao, and, as you know, there are any quantity of islands, big an' little, betwixt the two. I once heard say that Luzon was about the size of all of our down-east states combined."

"It's larger then than I thought it was," cried Larry, somewhat astonished. "And what about the cities?"