CHAPTER XXIII
BACK TO THE MARIELLA
Perspiration dripped from the drooping ends of Villamonte's waxedmustache as the men brought the discomforted interpreter beforeO'Connor. He had suffered nothing worse than a few bruises, but he wascovered with dust and dirt and his expression was a strange mixture offear and amazement. He could not seem to comprehend what had happened.
"We couldn't lose you, could we, Monte?" said O'Connor laughing. "I amsorry to have had to deprive you of your horse, but you were ridingfaster than the speed limit. Now I think the safest thing to do with youis to take you right along with us. You seem to like our company. Pedro,bind the gentleman's hands behind him and slip a gag into his mouth. Wecannot take any more chances with you, Mr. Interpreter."
Villamonte, who knew that it would be useless to protest, contentedhimself with scowling at O'Connor and the boys. Then they took up themarch again and met with no further obstacle until they were challengedby the outposts at the trenches. General Serano's pass took them intothe presence of the officer in command, who looked the party over withsome surprise.
"You are escorting a prisoner, Captain O'Connor, I see," he said."General Serano does not mention him in his pass."
"I did not know that General Serano had to explain his affairs to hissubordinates, sir."
"It is a little unusual."
"I should advise you to ask no questions in this matter. It is a missionin which the general is deeply interested. These two young men have beenfor some days his guests, awaiting an opportunity to get to the coast.This prisoner is a man of so desperate a character that it is not deemedsafe to even grant him ordinary privileges. I dare not remove the gagfrom his mouth even while safe within the lines, lest some secret signalhe might utter bring a horde of insurgents about our ears. There is aprice on his head. General Serano does not mention him in the pass,captain, because of this. In the strictest confidence I will mention aname to you that will explain the need for extraordinary caution."
O'Connor lowered his voice almost to a whisper as he leanedconfidentially toward the officer and said:
"Captain Dynamite is in this party."
"Ah! He is the terrible Captain Dynamite?" gasped the commander, takinga few steps backward and pointing at Villamonte. O'Connor put his fingerto his lips and said:
"'Sh! Remember I have not said so."
"I understand, Captain O'Connor. I am honored by your confidence. Passon with your prisoner with what speed you may."
The party made their way rapidly through the lines and within an hour,with O'Connor as guide, they had reached the shelter of the thick brushthat separated them from the lagoon where the _Mariella_ lay.
"Now, boys," said O'Connor, as he slackened his pace, "you are as safeas if you were under your own roof trees. There are a thousand men atour command lying within these woods and stretched from the coast to themountain yonder. All of Spain's army could not fight its way throughthat line."
"Why have we not been challenged by the sentries?" asked Harry. "TheSpaniards might creep among them as we have done."
"O, no, we are expected and our approach has been watched and covered byready guns for some time. There are men now within ten feet of us. See?"
O'Connor uttered that peculiar bird cry, which was answered at once fromthe bushes near at hand, and the next moment, as silently as an Indian,a man stepped out in front of them and saluted O'Connor.
"Where is the general?" asked the captain.
"At his headquarters in the clearing. He wished to be notified of thesafe arrival of your party."
"We will go to him at once. Take this prisoner and keep him securelybound, but you can remove the gag now. My dear Monte, you will kindlyaccompany this gentleman. And now, my men," he continued to his twelvecompanions, who still grouped themselves about him, "you have done yourpart well. I thank each of you for your fidelity. You can join yourseparate companies and present my thanks to your commanders."
The men, as they passed O'Connor, shook his hand warmly. There wassomething about the man that made everyone with whom he came in contactglad to serve him.
"Now, come on, boys; we will go to the general and thank him for hisaid."
"What general is it?" asked Bert.
"General Gomez, bless him," answered O'Connor, doffing his sombrero toan imaginary presence.
"Then we shall see General Gomez," said Harry, eagerly.
"That ye will, and a fine bit of a fighter ye'll see, too."
With O'Connor in the lead they pushed their way through the dense brushuntil they came out into an open space that had been cleared by axe andmachete, but that it was no new rendezvous was evident from thedirectness with which O'Connor approached it through the pathlessunderbrush. It was about forty feet square and in the middle there hadbeen erected a rough shelter, or hut, without walls, the thatched roofbeing supported by four poles. Under this, in a reclining camp chair,sat the grizzled old warrior, with several of his staff officers. Herose as they entered the clearing and advanced toward O'Connor with hishand extended in greeting.
For some time they talked earnestly together, O'Connor making a reportof his expedition into the town and the rescue of the prisoners. Now andthen the old general would turn his weather-beaten face toward the boys,and in the flickering light of the camp fire they could see theexpression of cold severity melt away into a smile as soft and gentle asa woman's. Presently, the conference ended, he stepped over to Harry andBert, shook each by the hand, and then retired to the hut again, and atonce began to issue orders to his staff. One by one they saluted andleft him.
"Are they going to attack the town?" asked Harry.
"No, my boy, not now. Had we not appeared the attack would have beenmade within an hour. As it is, the general will return to Cubitas tocontinue his campaign as originally planned, and Captain Morgan, whomoved up here to co-operate with the general, will return and cover theremoval of our cargo. All that remains now is to take the old _Mariella_safely out of these waters and then we can say, 'All's well that endswell!' In the meantime, as I am a bit anxious myself to get away, wewill press on and make the lagoon by dawn. Then you boys will have achance to put in a little sleep, for, as our friend Washington wouldsay, I'm not such a mucher at guessing, but I'll warrant you are runninga little short of rest since your arrival on these lively shores."
The boys were indeed completely fagged out. The reaction following thenervous strain and the excitement of the past few days was beginning toset in, and Harry felt that if he could once more climb into his bunk onthe _Mariella_ he could sleep for twenty-four hours. Still, they pulledthemselves together and struck out again into the bush close in the wakeof O'Connor, who seemed to be made of iron.
As they reached the shores of the lagoon the sky was just brighteningwith the gray dawn. The outlines of the _Mariella_ were dimlydiscernable. Bert and Harry, now completely exhausted, threw themselvesat full length on the beach. O'Connor put his fingers to his lips andagain that strange bird cry floated out on the still air over the darklagoon. There was no answer, but in a moment the sound of creaking ropescould be heard, and then there was the splash of a boat in the water,followed presently by the regular sound of oars. O'Connor lighted amatch and held it for a second above his head as a signal to the rowers.
A boat's keel grated on the sand and Suarez leaped out and seizedO'Connor's hand in both of his.
"Glad to see you back safe, sir," he said, earnestly. "Miss Juanita andher mother are safe on board and I see you have the two young gentlemenwith you, so we are all accounted for again."
"Good, Suarez, and how about the cargo?"
"Nearly all on shore. We shall be ready for sea again by midnight ifMorgan returns to take charge of the removal on shore."
"Morgan and his men will be here within a few hours. Keep the cargomoving; I shall not feel at rest until I get well out to sea again."
Suarez turned toward the boat and the boys heard him mutter:
"Petticoats alw
ays do knock the pluck out of a man."
As they rowed alongside of the _Mariella_, day had dawned and the boyscould distinguish Miss Juanita, Mason, and Washington leaning over therail. Little Mason swung his cap and shouted in his joy.
At this point Washington seized him and dragged him back, at the sametime placing his finger on his own lips to indicate that he should bequiet.
"O, bother," grunted Mason, "who's afraid now the cap's back?"
Miss Juanita greeted them warmly as they came over the side. She took ahand of each boy and kissed it with a pretty little courtesy. Washingtonwas so jubilant that he could not refrain from a few steps of a doubleshuffle on the deck.
"Ah guessed Massa Cap'n Dynamite'd bring 'em all back all right, allright, an' ah ain't such a mucher at guessin' either," he said, with awide grin.
The boys, quite abashed by Miss Juanita's demonstrative thanks,stammered a few words in reply and turned to greet their eagercompanion.
"Say, fels, tell me all about it," said the Midget, dragging them off tothe forward part of the deck.
"First got to go to the galley with George Wash Jenks and get somecoffee and bite to eat. Ah bet you suah hungry, Misser Harry an' MisserBert."
"We suah are, Washington. What have you got to eat in there?"
"Ah guess ah got some suah 'nough fresh doughnuts."
"Oh, doughnuts for ours," cried the boys in chorus.
"Also for mine, Wash," said Mason solemnly. "I may not be a hero, butI've got just as good an appetite for fresh doughnuts as if I hadrescued the maiden all forlorn. How about that, Wash?"
"Suah, Misser Mason, you get doughnuts too."
"Very well, then, lead on."
They followed the grinning and happy negro into the galley, whileO'Connor and Miss Juanita joined her mother on the after deck. For halfan hour they were busy tucking away Washington's doughnuts and coffee,while Mason waited patiently for the story of their adventures. Fullstomachs and a sense of safety after a period of excitement and danger,however, brought about a lethargy that only rest and sleep could dispel,and with heavy eyes and weary legs they dragged themselves aft to theirstateroom, and crawling into their bunks, fully dressed as they were,fell into a heavy sleep despite the disgusted protests of Mason, who wasfinally obliged to leave them to their dreamless slumber.