CHAPTER VII
OFF FOR PANAMA
It had been a day of tremendous strain from start to finish, and therewas a general sigh of relief, as they gathered up their traps andprepared to leave the camp. Not since their fight with the pirates, hadthe boys had a closer "shave." It had been a case of touch and go, andthey had barely escaped with their lives. But they had won out, afterall, and, as Tom said, "a miss was as good as a mile." And their heartswarmed at the sense of comradeship, that had once again been tested tothe limit and proved equal to the emergency. They had risked their livesfor each other, and the "fortune that favors the brave" had not desertedthem.
For Melton, their feeling was too deep for words. His was a heart ofgold. Without the slightest personal end to be served, and promptedsolely by his great, big, generous soul, he had come to their aid in themoment of deepest need, and fought shoulder to shoulder, in their effortto save their friend. Again and again they sought to voice their thanks,but the hardy old frontiersman would have none of it.
"Cut it out, boys," he laughed. "I didn't do a thing that you wouldn'thave done for me, if you knew that an American was in trouble. Some dayperhaps, you can pay me back, if you insist on considering it a debt. Ionly hope, if I ever do get in a scrape, I'll have some young fellows ofyour brand behind me."
As none of them could read the future, they did not know that there was atouch of prophecy in his words, and that the time was coming, when, inhis own native Rockies, the boys would pay the debt with interest.
From the loot found in the hut of the bandit chief, Dick had recoveredhis watch and money and clothes, and declared that he felt like a humanbeing again for the first time since he had been trapped by the guerillaband on the morning before.
They shuddered, as, on their way through the camp, they passed the bodiesof the snakes, still tethered to the posts. They lay, quiet enough now,like the human fiend whose venom had been as dangerous as their own.
"The snakes and the Tiger," mused Bert. "They both lost out."
But now the cavalry were mounted and ready for the start. The horses ofthe guerillas had been released from their hobbles, and were led by ropesbehind a number of the soldiers. One was assigned to Dick, while Meltonand the boys mounted three, that they were to use temporarily, until theyhad recovered their own that had been left further down the trail.
As they were gathering up the reins, Bert felt a touch on his leg. Helooked down and saw the Chinaman, who in the hurry of preparation hadbeen overlooked.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "The Chink! We forgot all about him."
The poor fellow's eyes were full of dread at the thought of being leftalone in the wilderness.
"Of course we'll take you along, John," Bert continued, "though I don'tknow what on earth we'll do with you. But we'll settle that later on."
Dismounting, he gave the Chinaman a leg up on one of the led horses. TheOriental had never been on a horse in his life, and he made a comicalfigure, as he bobbed up and down. After threatening to fall off at anymoment, he finally abandoned all effort to sit upright, and, leaningforward, threw he arms around the horse's neck and held on for his life.
"It's rather hard lines," laughed Dick. "But when he thinks of what he'sgetting away from, I guess he won't worry much about getting shaken up alittle."
Soon they reached their own horses, and were proceeding to make theexchange, when they remembered the sentry who had been captured on thatspot. They looked at each other with a little touch of perplexity.
"We can't leave him there to starve," said Tom. "On the other hand, ifwe remind the captain, he'll simply send one of his troopers to put abullet in him."
"He's our captive," said Bert, "and I guess we'd better tend to this onour own account. We didn't actually promise him his life, and no doubthe's deserved death many times over. We got some valuable informationout of him, though, even if it was at the point of a bowie, and I thinkwe ought to untie him and let him go."
As there was no dissent from this, they went to the tree where they hadleft the sentry. They found him nearly dead from terror. He had heardthe sounds of the fight and the cheers of the soldiers, and knew prettywell how the struggle had ended. Now, as the boys approached, he triedto read their purpose in their eyes. He knew how he would have acted,had the case been reversed, and he did not dare to hope for mercy. But,to his astonishment, they took the gag from his mouth, untied his handsand told him he was free. He shook himself and then staggered away inthe underbrush, trying to get out of sight before his deliverers shouldchange their minds. They watched him till he vanished, and then retracedtheir steps to where Melton was waiting.
"You did right, boys," he said. "Although," he added, "a good many mightthink it was a case of misplaced sympathy. While I was waiting, I wasreminded of the story of the little girl, looking at a picture of theearly Christians attacked by lions in the arena. Her mother saw that shewas crying, and was pleased to see that she was so tender-hearted. 'It issad, isn't it?' she asked. 'Yes,' sobbed the child, 'look at this poorthin little lion, that hasn't any Christian.'"
The boys laughed, as they sprang into the saddle.
"Of course," concluded Melton, "it's rough on any lion to compare him toa fellow like this. Perhaps we'd better say a hyena, and let it go atthat."
With hearts light as air, they cantered down the trail. Once more, lifewas smiling. They passed in quick succession the various land marks theyhad such good reason to remember. Here was the place where they hadpassed the night, and where Melton had come upon them, bringing cheer andhope. There was the stream, in which the outlaws had walked theirhorses. Most memorable of all was the curve in the road, where Dick hadcome upon the guerillas. Nothing in nature had changed since yesterday.But what a gulf lay between their tortured sensations of the day beforeand the joyous elation of the present!
It was long after dark, when they rode into Montillo--too late to seethe consul and the mayor that night. They bade a cordial good night tothe captain, and, with a gay wave of the hand to the troopers, went tothe leading hotel of the place. Here they found their baggage, which,thanks again to the thoughtfulness of Melton, had been taken from thetrain and sent there to await their coming--that coming which had beenso doubtful a little while before. They saw to it that the Chinaman hadfood and drink and a place to sleep. Then a good supper, a hot bath, andthey piled between sheets, to await the coming of the morrow.
It was long after sunrise the next morning, when they awoke. They hadslept soundly, and, if any haunting recollection of their experience hadtaken form in a dream, there was no trace of anything but jubilation, asthey dressed and breakfasted to an accompaniment of jest and laughter.Melton, who had risen earlier and was smoking on the veranda, rose andthrew away his cigar, and after a hearty handshake, went with them to theoffice of the consul.
"Thank God, you're back," he cried fervently, as he shook hands withMelton. "And these, I suppose," he went on, as he turned toward the boysand greeted them warmly, "are the young rascals who have given me so manyanxious moments lately. By Jove, I can't tell you how glad I am to knowthat you got out of that scrape all right. There aren't many who havefallen into the hands of El Tigre that ever came back to tell the story.Sit down now and tell me all about it."
He was a fine example of Uncle Sam's representatives abroad, keen,strong, determined, and the boys warmed toward him at once. He listenedintently, while Melton told all that had happened, and his eyes lightedup, as he learned how they had rushed the camp.
"It was splendid," he exclaimed. "It's almost a miracle and I wonderthat you pulled through alive."
"It was a narrow squeak," admitted Melton, "and, at that, I'm afraid wewouldn't have got away with it, if the troopers hadn't come up just whenthey did. The bandits had got over their surprise and were surroundingus. I tell you, that squad of soldiers looked mighty good to me."
"So I imagine," rejoined the consul. "And that reminds me that we
oughtto go round and see the mayor. You can thank your friend here," he wenton, turning to the boys, "that the mayor got busy at all in this matter.It was that 'hand on the hip pocket' idea that did the trick. It scaredhim stiff. He thinks a good deal of that precious skin of his, and hedidn't like the idea of having it shot full of holes. I don't believe heever hustled so much before in his life. No doubt by this time he hashad a report of the affair from the captain of the squad, and he'll bestrutting around like a turkey-cock."
The consul's prediction was confirmed, when, a few minutes later, theywere ushered into the mayor's office. He was fairly bursting with selfimportance. He greeted them with ineffable politeness, strongly dashedwith condescension.
He was delighted beyond measure to see his dear Americano friends again.But there--it was a foregone conclusion. Nothing could withstand hissoldiers. He had already telegraphed to Mexico City, of the rescue, andof the complete destruction of the band of El Tigre. What no other mayorhad been able to accomplish, _he_ had done in one fell swoop. It wouldprobably mean--ahem--a decoration, possibly--ahem--politicalpromotion. He trusted that his good Americano friends would report thematter at Washington. It would show how sternly the Mexican governmentprotected the lives of foreigners in its borders.
And so he went on, in a steady stream of self laudation, that so stronglystirred the risibles of the boys that they did not dare to look at eachother, for fear that they would laugh outright. But they were, afterall, deeply indebted to him, no matter what his motives, and theymaintained their gravity and thanked him heartily for the aid he hadrendered. Only after they had reached the street, did their featuresrelax.
"Hates himself, doesn't he?" laughed Tom.
"He sure does," responded Bert. "He ought to be nothing less thanpresident, if you should ask him."
"He's certainly throwing himself away to stay here as mayor," added Dick."But, considering all that's happened, I don't mind if he does pathimself on the back. But here comes the man to whom we owe an awful lot,too. I like him clear down to the ground."
It was the young captain who approached, and they greeted him heartily.He also had reason for elation, both in having avenged his brother and inhaving accomplished a military feat that would surely add to hisreputation. But he was modest, and stoutly disclaimed that the boys owedhim anything. He had simply done his duty and it was all in the day'swork.
"He's the right stuff," said Tom, as they separated, after mutualexpressions of esteem. "He ought to be an American." Which frompatriotic, if somewhat prejudiced Tom, was the highest praise.
And now, after warmest farewells had been taken of the consul, there wasnothing to keep them in Montillo. Yes, there was one thing, as Dicksuddenly remembered.
"The Chink," he said. "What about him?"
"Oh, give him a little money and let him stay here," suggested Tom. "Hecan easily get something to do."
The matter thus disposed of, they sauntered on, but as they neared thehotel, they saw the Celestial evidently waiting for them.
"Hello, John," said Bert, pleasantly.
"Hello, slelf," was the smiling answer. Then he went on calmly: "Me glowith you."
"What's that?" cried Bert, startled. "But we're going to Panama."
"Me glo too. Me glot flends, Panama."
"But have you got any money to take you there?"
"No. You glot money. Me play back," and he beamed on them blandly.
The boys looked helplessly at each other.
"How nice," murmured Tom.
"Well, of all the nerve," exclaimed Dick.
"Me glo with you," reiterated the Chinaman, kindly but firmly; and thebenevolence of his smile was beautiful to see.
The bewilderment in Bert's face was too much for the others, and theyburst into a roar of laughter.
"No use, Bert," said Dick, as soon as he could speak. "He's got theIndian sign on us, and we might as well give in."
"No," echoed Tom, "there's no getting away from that smile. If I had it,I could borrow money from the Bank of England."
"I throw up my hands," responded Bert. "He's adopted us, and that's allthere is about it. We'll take him along as handy man, till he gets tohis 'flends in Panama.'"
They put him to work at once, getting ready the baggage, and when thiswas completed, they sought out Melton to say good-bye. They wrung hishand until he laughingly protested that they wanted to cripple him.
"We'll never forget you, never," they declared with fervent sincerity.
"Same here," he replied with equal warmth, "and some day I hope to seeyou on my ranch. I'd like to show you what is meant by a Westernwelcome."
"Will we? You bet. Just watch us," came in chorus, and then theyreluctantly tore themselves away from the great hearted specimen ofNature's noblemen, whose place in their hearts was secure for all time.
"Panama, after all," exulted Dick, as they stood on the station platform.
"Yes," chimed in Tom, "they couldn't cheat us out of it."
"The quickest route to the coast for us," added Bert, "and then the restof the way by boat. I'm wild to set my feet once more beneath the Starsand Stripes."