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Rh I can tell you candidly, it was quite a trial to give up Company D."

"I shall arrange it so that you can have your company in your battalion before long," returned the colonel; and there the conversation came to an end.

During all the weary time spent around Tarlac Ben heard nothing of Walter, nor of General José Lupez, although he closely questioned every Filipino brought into the lines. Once he heard of some American prisoners being kept at a place called Mount Ararat, but when the village was captured by our troops and the prisoners released, Walter was not among them, nor had any of the released ones heard of the young sailor.

"He must be dead," said Ben to Larry, when the latter took a run up to see him. "If he was alive, we would surely hear from him, one way or another."

Larry's face grew very sober. "Oh, Ben, I hope you are mistaken," he returned. "I cannot, cannot think of dear Walter as being dead!" And the tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his sunburnt cheeks.

Larry had come up from Manila, where he had