V
The day we attacked the capital Joseph Fiske and his party were absentfrom it, visiting Graham, the manager of the Copan Mines, at his countryplace, and when word was received there that we had taken the city,Graham urged Mr. Fiske not to return to it, but to ride at once to thecoast and go on board the yacht. They told him that the capital was inthe hands of a mob.
But what really made Graham, and the rest of the Copan people, and theIsthmian crowd, who now were all working together against us, so anxiousto get Fiske out of Honduras, was that part of Laguerre's proclamationin which he said he would force the Isthmian Line to pay its just debts.They were most anxious that Fiske should not learn from us the trueversion of that claim for back pay. They had told him we were a lot ofprofessional filibusters, that the demand we made for the half-millionof dollars was a gigantic attempt at blackmail. They pointed out to himthat the judges of the highest courts of Honduras had decided againstthe validity of our claim, but they did not tell him that Alvarez hadordered the judges to decide in favor of the company, nor how much moneythey had paid Alvarez and the judges for that decision. Instead theyurged that Garcia, a native of the country, had submitted to the decreeof the courts and had joined Alvarez, and that now the only peoplefighting against the Isthmian Line were foreign adventurers. They asked,Was it likely such men would risk their lives to benefit the natives?Was it not evident that they were fighting only for their own pockets?And they warned Fiske that while Laguerre was still urging his claimagainst this company, it would be unwise for the president of thatcompany to show himself in Tegucigalpa.
But Fiske laughed at the idea of danger to himself. He said arevolution, like cock-fighting, was a national pastime, and no moreserious, and that should anyone attempt to molest the property ofthe company, he would demand the protection of his own country asrepresented by the Raleigh.
He accordingly rode back to the capital, and with his son and daughterand the company's representatives and the Copan people, returned to thesame rooms in the Hotel Continental he had occupied three days before,when Alvarez was president. This made it embarrassing for us, as theContinental was the only hotel in the city, and as it was there we hadorganized our officers' mess. In consequence, while there was no openwar, the dining-room of the hotel was twice daily the meeting-place ofthe two opposing factions, and Von Ritter told me that until matters hadbeen arranged with the seconds of young Fiske I could not appear there,as it would be "contrary to the code."
But our officers were not going to allow the Copan and Isthmian peopleto drive them out of their head-quarters, so at the table d'hoteluncheon that day our fellows sat at one end of the room, and Fiske andMiss Fiske, Graham and his followers at the other. They entirely ignoredeach other. After the row I had raised in the street, each side wasanxious to avoid further friction.
As I sat in the barracks over my solitary luncheon my thoughts wereentirely on the duel.
It had been forced on me, so I accepted it; but it struck me as a mostsilly proceeding. Young Fiske had insulted my General and my comrades.He had done so publicly and with intent. I had thrashed him as I said Iwould, and as far as I could see the incident was closed. But Miller andVon Ritter, who knew Honduras from Fonseca Bay to Truxillo, assured methat, unless I met the man, who had insulted me before the people, ourprestige would be entirely destroyed. To the Honduranian mind, the factthat I had thrashed him for so doing, would not serve as a substitutefor a duel, it only made a duel absolutely necessary. As I haddetermined, if we did meet, that I would not shoot at him, I knew Iwould receive no credit from such an encounter, and, so far as I couldsee, I was being made ridiculous, and stood a very fair chance of beingkilled.
I sincerely hoped that young Fiske would apologize. I assured myselfthat my reluctance to meet him was due to the fact that I scorned tofight a civilian. I always classed civilians, with women and children,as non-combatants. But in my heart I knew that it was not this prejudicewhich made me hesitate. The sister was the real reason. That he was herbrother was the only fact of importance. Had his name been Robinson orBrown, I would have gone out and shot at the calves of his legs mostcheerfully, and taken considerable satisfaction in the notoriety thatwould have followed my having done so.
But I could never let his sister know that I had only fired in the air,and I knew that if I fought her brother she would always look upon me asone who had attempted to murder him. I could never speak to her, or evenlook at her again. And at that moment I felt that if I did not meet her,I could go without meeting any other women for many years to come. Shewas the most wonderful creature I had ever seen. She was not beautiful,as Beatrice was beautiful, in a womanly, gracious way, but she had thebeauty of something unattainable. Instead of inspiring you, she filledyou with disquiet. She seemed to me a regal, goddess-like woman, onethat a man might worship with that tribute of fear and adoration thatsavages pay to the fire and the sun.
I had ceased to blush because she had laughed at us. I had begun tothink that it was quite right that she should do so. To her we werelawless adventurers, exiles, expatriates, fugitives. She did notknow that most of us were unselfish, and that our cause was just.She thought, if she thought of us at all, that we were trying to levyblackmail on her father. I did not blame her for despising us. I onlywished I could tell her how she had been deceived, and assure her thatamong us there was one, at least, who thought of her gratefully anddevotedly, and who would suffer much before he would hurt her or hers. Iknew that this was so, and I hoped her brother would not be such an assas to insist upon a duel, and make me pretend to fight him, that herfather would be honest enough to pay his debts, and that some day sheand I might be friends.
But these hopes were killed by the entrance of Miller and Von Ritter.They looked very grave.
"He won't apologize," Miller said. "We arranged that you are to meetbehind the graveyard at sunrise to-morrow morning." I was bitterlydisappointed, but of course I could not let them see that.
"Does Laguerre know?" I asked.
"No," Miller said, "neither does old man Fiske. We had the deuce ofa time. Graham and Lowell--that young Middy from the Raleigh--are hisseconds, and we found we were all agreed that he had better apologize.Lowell, especially, was very keen that you two should shake hands, butwhen they went out to talk it over with Fiske, he came back with themin a terrible rage, and swore he'd not apologize, and that he'd eithershoot you or see you hung. Lowell told him it was all rot that twoAmericans should be fighting duels, but Fiske said that when he wasin Rome, he did as Romans did; that he had been brought up in Paris tobelieve in duels, and that a duel he would have. Then the sister camein, and there was a hell of a row!"
"The sister!" I exclaimed.
Miller nodded, and Von Ritter and he shook their heads sadly at eachother, as though the recollection of the interview weighed heavily.
"Yes, his sister," said Miller. "You know how these Honduranian placesare built, if a parrot scratches his feathers in the patio you can hearit in every room in the house. Well, she was reading on the balcony, andwhen her brother began to rage around and swear he'd have your blood,she heard him, and opened the shutters and came in. She didn't staylong, and she didn't say much, but she talked to us as though we were somany bad children. I never felt so mean in my life."
"She should not have been there," said Von Ritter, stolidly. "It wasmost irregular."
"Fiske tried the high and mighty, brotherly act with her," Millercontinued, "but she shook him up like a charge of rack-a-rock. She toldhim that a duel was unmanly and un-American, and that he would be amurderer. She said his honor didn't require him to risk his life forevery cad who went about armed, insulting unarmed people--"
"What did she say?" I cried. "Say that again."
Von Ritter tossed up his arms and groaned, but Miller shook his fist atme.
"Now, don't you go and get wrathy," he roared. "We'll not stand it.We've been abused by everybody else on your account to-day, and we won'ttake it from you. It doesn't ma
tter what the girl said. They probablytold her you began the fight, and--"
"She said I was a cad," I repeated, "and that I struck an unarmed man.Didn't her brother tell her that he first insulted me, and struck mewith his whip, and that I only used my fists. Didn't any of you tellher?"
"No!" roared Miller; "what the devil has that got to do with it? She wastrying to prevent the duel. We were trying to prevent the duel. That'sall that's important. And if she hadn't made the mistake of thinking youmight back out of it, we could have prevented it. Now we can't."
I began to wonder if the opinion the Fiske family had formed of me, onso slight an acquaintance, was not more severe than I deserved, but Idid not let the men see how sorely the news had hurt me. I only asked:"What other mistake did the young lady make?"
"She meant it all right," said Miller, "but it was a woman's idea of abluff, and it didn't go. She told us that before we urged her brother onto fight, we should have found out that he has spent the last fiveyears in Paris, and that he's the gilt-edged pistol-shot of the _salled'armes_ in the Rue Scribe, that he can hit a scarf-pin at twenty paces.Of course that ended it. The Baron spoke up in his best style and saidthat in the face of this information it would be now quite impossiblefor our man to accept an apology without being considered a coward, andthat a meeting must take place. Then the girl ran to her brother andsaid, 'What have I done?' and he put his arm around her and walkedher out of the room. Then we arranged the details in peace and came onhere."
"Good," I said, "you did exactly right. I'll meet you at dinner at thehotel."
But at this Von Ritter protested that I must not dine there, that it wasagainst the code.
"The code be hanged," I said. "If I don't turn up at dinner they'llsay I'm afraid to show myself out of doors. Besides, if I must be shotthrough the scarf-pin before breakfast to-morrow morning, I mean to havea good dinner to-night."
They left me, and I rode to the palace to make my daily report to thepresident. I was relieved to find that both he and Webster were so deepin affairs of state that they had heard nothing of my row in the Plaza,nor of the duel to follow. They were happy as two children buildingforts of sand on the sea-shore. They had rescinded taxes, altered thetariffs, reorganized the law-courts, taken over the custom-housesby telegraph, and every five minutes were receiving addresses fromdelegations of prominent Honduranians. Nicaragua and Salvador had bothrecognized their government, and concession hunters were already coolingtheir heels in the ante-room. In every town and seaport the adherents ofGarcia had swung over to Laguerre and our government, and our flag wasnow flying in every part of Honduras. It was the flag of Walker, withthe five-pointed blood-red star. We did not explain the significance ofthe five points.
I reported that my scouts had located Alvarez and Garcia in the hillssome five miles distant from the capital, that they were preparing apermanent camp there, and that they gave no evidence of any immediateintention of attacking the city. General Laguerre was already informedof the arrival of Mr. Fiske, and had arranged to give him an audiencethe following morning. He hoped in this interview to make clear to himhow just was the people's claim for the half million due them, and toobtain his guaranty that the money should be paid.
As I was leaving the palace I met Aiken. He was in his most cynicalmood. He said that the air was filled with plots and counter-plots, andthat treachery stalked abroad. He had been unsuccessful in trying topersuade the president to relieve Heinze of his command on Pecachua. Hewanted Von Ritter or myself put in his place.
"It is the key to the position," Aiken said, "and if Heinze should sellus out, we would have to run for our lives. These people are all smilesand 'vivas' to-day because we are on top. But if we lost Pecachua, everyman of them would turn against us."
I laughed and said: "We can trust Heinze. If I had your opinion of myfellow-man, I'd blow my brains out."
"If I hadn't had such a low opinion of my fellow-man," Aiken retorted,"he'd have blown your brains out. Don't forget that."
"No one listens to me," he said. "I consider that I am very hardly used.For a consideration a friend of Alvarez told me where Alvarez had buriedmost of the government money. I went to the cellar and dug it up andturned it over to Laguerre. And what do you think he's doing with it!"Aiken exclaimed with indignation. "He's going to give the governmenttroops their back pay, and the post-office clerks, and the peons whoworked on the public roads."
I said I considered that that was a most excellent use to make of themoney; that from what I had seen of the native troops, it would turn ourprisoners of war into our most loyal adherents.
"Of course it will!" Aiken agreed. "Why, if the government troops outthere in the hills with Alvarez knew we were paying sixty pesos forsoldiers, they'd run to join us so quick that they'd die on the way ofsunstroke. But that's not it. Where do we come in? What do we get out ofthis? Have we been fighting for three months just to pay the troops whohave been fighting against us? Charity begins at home, I think."
"You get your own salary, don't you?" I asked.
"Oh, I'm not starving," Aiken said, with a grin. "There's a lot of lootin being chief-of-police. This is going to be a wide-open town if I canrun it."
"Well, you can't," I laughed. "Not as long as I'm its provost marshal."
"Yes, and how long will that be?" Aiken retorted. "You take my adviceand make money now, while you've got the club to get it with you. Why,if I had your job I could scare ten thousand sols out of these merchantsbefore sunrise. Instead of which you walk around nights to see theirfront doors are locked. Let them do the walking. We've won, and let'senjoy the spoil. Eat, live, and be merry, my boy, for to-morrow youdie."
"I hope not," I exclaimed, and I ran down the steps of the palace andturned toward the barracks.
"To-morrow you die," I repeated, but I could not arouse a singleemotion. Portents and premonitions may frighten some people, but theonly superstition I hold to is to believe in the luck of Royal Macklin.
"What if Fiske can hit a scarf-pin at twenty paces!" I said to myself,"he can't hit me." I was just as sure of it as I was of the fact thatwhen I met him I was going to fire in the air. I cannot tell why. I wasjust sure of it.
The dining-room at the Continental held three long tables. That nightour officers sat at one. Mr. Fiske and his party were at the onefarthest away, and a dining-club of consular agents, merchants, and theTelegraph Company's people occupied the one in between. I could see herwhenever the German consul bent over his food. She was very pale andtired-looking, but in the white evening frock she wore, all soft andshining with lace, she was as beautiful as the moonlit night outside.She never once looked in our direction. But I could not keep my eyesaway from her. The merchants, no doubt, enjoyed their dinner. Theylaughed and argued boisterously, but at the two other tables there wasvery little said.
The waiters, pattering over the stone floor in their bare feet, mademore noise than our entire mess.
When the brandy came, Russell nodded at the others, and they filledtheir glasses and drank to me in silence. At the other table I saw thesame pantomime, only on account of old man Fiske they had to act evenmore covertly. It struck me as being vastly absurd and wicked. Whatright had young Fiske to put his life in jeopardy to me? It was not inmy keeping. I had no claim upon it. It was not in his own keeping. Atleast not to throw away.
When they had gone and our officers had shaken hands with me and riddenoff to their different posts, I went out upon the balcony by myself andsat down in the shadow of the vines. The stream which cuts Tegucigalpain two ran directly below the hotel, splashing against the rocks andsweeping under the stone bridge with a ceaseless murmur. Beyond itstretched the red-tiled roofs, glowing pink in the moonlight, and beyondthem the camp-fires of Alvarez twinkling like glow-worms against thedark background of the hills. The town had gone to sleep, and the hotelwas as silent as a church. There was no sound except the whistle of apoliceman calling the hour, the bark of the street-dogs in answer, andthe voice of one of our sentrie
s, arguing with some jovial gentleman whowas abroad without a pass. After the fever and anxieties of the last fewdays the peace of the moment was sweet and grateful to me, and I sankdeeper into the long wicker chair and sighed with content. The previousnight I had spent on provost duty in the saddle, and it must have beenthat I dropped asleep, for when I next raised my head Miss Fiske wasstanding not twenty feet from me. She was leaning against one of thepillars, a cold and stately statue in the moonlight.
She did not know anyone was near her, and when I moved and my spursclanked on the stones, she started, and turned her eyes slowly towardthe shadow in which I sat.
During dinner they must have told her which one of us was to fight theduel, for when she recognized me she moved sharply away. I did not wishher to think I would intrude on her against her will, so I rose andwalked toward the door, but before I had reached it she again turned andapproached me.
"You are Captain Macklin?" she said.
I was so excited at the thought that she was about to speak to me, andso happy to hear her voice, that for an instant I could only whip off myhat and gaze at her stupidly.
"Captain Macklin," she repeated. "This afternoon I tried to stop theduel you are to fight with my brother, and I am told that I made a veryserious blunder. I should like to try and correct it. When I spoke ofmy brother's skill, I mean his skill with the pistol, I knew you wereignorant of it and I thought if you did know of it you would see theutter folly, the wickedness of this duel. But instead I am told that Ionly made it difficult for you not to meet him. I cannot in the leastsee that that follows. I wish to make it clear to you that it does not."
She paused, and I, as though I had been speaking, drew a long breath.Had she been reading from a book her tone could not have been moreimpersonal. I might have been one of a class of school-boys to whom shewas expounding a problem. At the Point I have heard officers' wives usethe same tone to the enlisted men. Its effect on them was to drive theminto a surly silence.
But Miss Fiske did not seem conscious of her tone.
"After I had spoken," she went on evenly, "they told me of yourreputation in this country, that you are known to be quite fearless.They told me of your ordering your own men to shoot you, and of how youtook a cannon with your hands. Well, I cannot see--since your reputationfor bravery is so well established--that you need to prove it further,certainly not by engaging in a silly duel. You cannot add to it byfighting my brother, and if you should injure him, you would bring crueldistress to--to others."
"I assure you---" I began.
"Pardon me," she said, raising her hand, but still speaking in the sameeven tone. "Let me explain myself fully. Your own friends said in myhearing," she went on, "that they did not desire a fight. It is then myremark only which apparently makes it inevitable."
She drew herself up and her tone grew even more distant and disdainful.
"Now, it is not possible," she exclaimed, "that you and your friends aregoing to take advantage of my mistake, and make it the excuse for thismeeting. Suppose any harm should come to my brother." For the first timeher voice carried a touch of feeling. "It would be my fault. I wouldalways have myself to blame. And I want to ask you not to fight him. Iwant to ask you to withdraw from this altogether."
I was completely confused. Never before had a young lady of a classwhich I had so seldom met, spoken to me even in the words of everydaycivility, and now this one, who was the most wonderful and beautifulwoman I had ever seen, was asking me to grant an impossible favor, wasspeaking of my reputation for bravery as though it were a fact whicheveryone accepted, and was begging me not to make her suffer. What addedto my perplexity was that she asked me to act only as I desired to act,but she asked it in such a manner that every nerve in me rebelled.
I could not understand how she could ask so great a favor of one sheheld in such evident contempt. It seemed to me that she should not haveaddressed me at all, or if she did ask me to stultify my honor and sparethe life of her precious brother she should not have done so in the sametone with which she would have asked a tradesman for his bill. Thefact that I knew, since I meant to fire in the air, that the duel was afarce, made it still more difficult for me to speak.
But I managed to say that what she asked was impossible.
"I do not know," I stammered, "that I ought to talk about it to you atall. But you don't understand that your brother did not only insult me.He insulted my regiment, and my general. It was that I resented, andthat is why I am fighting."
"Then you refuse?" she said.
"I have no choice," I replied; "he has left me no choice."
She drew back, but still stood looking at me coldly. The dislike in hereyes wounded me inexpressively.
Before she spoke I had longed only for the chance to assure her of myregard, and had she appealed to me generously, in a manner suited toone so noble-looking, I was in a state of mind to swim rivers and climbmountains to serve her. I still would have fought the duel, but soonerthan harm her brother I would have put my hand in the fire. Now, sinceshe had spoken, I was filled only with pity and disappointment. Itseemed so wrong that one so finely bred and wonderfully fair should feelso little consideration. No matter how greatly she had been prejudicedagainst me she had no cause to ignore my rights in the matter. To speakto me as though I had no honor of my own, no worthy motive, to treat melike a common brawler who, because his vanity was wounded, was trying toforce an unoffending stranger to a fight.
My vanity was wounded, but I felt more sorry for her than for myself,and when she spoke again I listened eagerly, hoping she would saysomething which would soften what had gone before. But she did not makeit easier for either of us.
"If I persuade my brother to apologize for what he said of yourregiment," she continued, "will you accept his apology?" Her tone wasone partly of interrogation, partly of command. "I do not think he islikely to do so," she added, "but if you will let that suffice, I shallsee him at once, and ask him."
"You need not do that!" I replied, quickly. "As I have said, it is notmy affair. It concerns my--a great many people. I am sorry, but themeeting must take place."
For the first time Miss Fiske smiled, but it was the same smile ofamusement with which she had regarded us when she first saw us in theplaza.
"I quite understand," she said, still smiling. "You need not assure methat it concerns a great many people." She turned away as though theinterview was at an end, and then halted. She had stepped into thecircle of the moonlight so that her beauty shone full upon me.
"I know that it concerns a great many people," she cried. "I know thatit is all a part of the plot against my father!"
I gave a gasp of consternation which she misconstrued, for shecontinued, bitterly.
"Oh, I know everything," she said. "Mr. Graham has told me all that youmean to do. I was foolish to appeal to any one of you. You have set outto fight my father, and your friends will use any means to win. But Ishould have thought," she cried, her voice rising and ringing like analarm, "that they would have stopped at assassinating his son."
I stepped back from her as though she had struck at me.
"Miss Fiske," I cried. What she had charged was so monstrous, so absurdthat I could answer nothing in defence. My brain refused to believethat she had said it. I could not conceive that any creature so utterlylovely could be so unseeing, so bitter, and so unfair.
Her charge was ridiculous, but my disappointment in her was so keen thatthe tears came to my eyes.
I put my hat back on my head, saluted her and passed her quickly.
"Captain Macklin," she cried. "What is it? What have I said?" Shestretched out her hand toward me, but I did not stop.
"Captain Macklin!" she called after me in such a voice that I was forcedto halt and turn.
"What are you going to do?" she demanded. "Oh, yes, I see," sheexclaimed. "I see how it sounded to you. And you?" she cried. Her voicewas trembling with concern. "Because I said that, you mean to punish mefor it--through my brother? You m
ean to make him suffer. You will killhim!" Her voice rose to an accent of terror. "But I only said it becausehe is my brother, my own brother. Cannot you understand what that meansto me? Cannot you understand why I said it?"
We stood facing each other, I, staring at her miserably, and shebreathing quickly, and holding her hand to her side as though she hadbeen running a long distance.
"No," I said in a low voice. It was very hard for me to speak at all."No, I cannot understand."
I pulled off my hat again, and stood before her crushing it in my hands.
"Why didn't you trust me?" I said, bitterly. "How could you doubt whatI would do? I trusted you. From the moment you came riding toward me,I thanked God for the sight of such a woman. For making anything sobeautiful."
I stopped, for I saw I had again offended. At the words she drew backquickly, and her eyes shone with indignation. She looked at me as thoughI had tried to touch her with my hand. But I spoke on without heedingher. I repeated the words with which I had offended.
"Yes," I said, "I thanked God for anything so noble and so beautiful. Tome, you could do no wrong. But you! You judged me before you even knewmy name. You said I was a cad who went about armed to fight unarmedmen. To you I was a coward who could be frightened off by a tale ofbulls-eyes, and broken pipe-stems at a Paris fair. What do I care foryour brother's tricks. Let him see my score cards at West Point. He'llfind them framed on the walls. I was first a coward and a cad, and nowI am a bully and a hired assassin. From the first, you and your brotherhave laughed at me and mine while all I asked of you was to be what youseemed to be, what I was happy to think you were. I wanted to believein you. Why did you show me that you can be selfish and unfeeling? It isyou who do not understand. You understand so little," I cried, "that Ipity you from the bottom of my heart. I give you my word, I pity you."
"Stop," she commanded. I drew back and bowed, and we stood confrontingeach other in silence.
"And they call you a brave man," she said at last, speaking slowly andsteadily, as though she were picking each word. "It is like a brave manto insult a woman, because she wants to save her brother's life."
When I raised my face it was burning, as though she had thrown vitriol.
"If I have insulted you, Miss Fiske," I said, "if I have ever insultedany woman, I hope to God that to-morrow morning your brother will killme."
When I turned and looked back at her from the door, she was leaningagainst one of the pillars with her face bent in her hands, and weepingbitterly.
I rode to the barracks and spent several hours in writing a long letterto Beatrice. I felt a great need to draw near to her. I was confused andsore and unhappy, and although nothing of this, nor of the duel appearedin my letter, I was comforted to think that I was writing it to her. Itwas good to remember that there was such a woman in the world, and whenI compared her with the girl from whom I had just parted, I laughed outloud.
And yet I knew that had I put the case to Beatrice, she would havediscovered something to present in favor of Miss Fiske.
"She was pleading for her brother, and she did not understand," Beatricewould have said. But in my own heart I could find no excuse. Her familyhad brought me nothing but evil. Because her father would not pay hisdebts, I had been twice wounded and many times had risked death; theson had struck me with a whip in the public streets, and the sisterhad called me everything that is contemptible, from a cad to a hiredcut-throat. So, I was done with the house of Fiske. My hand was againstit. I owed it nothing.
But with all my indignation against them, for which there was reasonenough, I knew in my heart that I had looked up to them, and stood inawe of them, for reasons that made me the cad they called me. Ever sincemy arrival in Honduras I had been carried away by the talk of the Fiskemillions, and later by the beauty of the girl, and by the boy's insolentair, of what I accepted as good breeding. I had been impressed with hisfive years in Paris, by the cut of his riding-clothes even, by the factthat he owned a yacht. I had looked up to them, because they belonged toa class who formed society, as I knew society through the Sunday papers.And now these superior beings had rewarded my snobbishness by actingtoward me in a way that was contrary to every ideal I held of whatwas right and decent. For such as these, I had felt ashamed of my oldcomrades. It was humiliating, but it was true; and as I admitted thisto myself, my cheeks burned in the darkness, and I buried my face inthe pillow. For some time I lay awake debating fiercely in my mind as towhether, when I faced young Fiske, I should shoot the pistol out of hishand, or fire into the ground. And it was not until I had decided thatthe latter act would better show our contempt for him and his insult,that I fell asleep.
Von Ritter and Miller woke me at four o'clock. They were painfullycorrect and formal. Miller had even borrowed something of the Baron'smanner, which sat upon him as awkwardly as would a wig and patches. Ilaughed at them both, but, for the time being, they had lost their senseof humor; and we drank our coffee in a constrained and sleepy silence.
At the graveyard we found that Fiske, his two seconds, Graham andLowell, the young Middy, and a local surgeon had already arrived. Weexchanged bows and salutes gloomily and the seconds gathered together,and began to talk in hoarse whispers. It was still very dark. The moonhung empty and pallid above the cold outline of the hills, and althoughthe roosters were crowing cheerfully, the sun had not yet risen. In thehollows the mists lay like lakes, and every stone and rock was wet andshining as though it had been washed in readiness for the coming day.The gravestones shone upon us like freshly scrubbed doorsteps. It wasa most dismal spot, and I was so cold that I was afraid I would shiver,and Fiske might think I was nervous. So I moved briskly about amongthe graves, reading the inscriptions on the tombstones. Under thecircumstances the occupation, to a less healthy mind, would have beendepressing. My adversary, so it seemed to me, carried himself with alittle too much unconcern. It struck me that he overdid it. He laughedwith the local surgeon, and pointed out the moon and the lakes of mistas though we had driven out to observe the view. I could not think ofanything to do which would show that I was unconcerned too, so I gotback into the carriage and stretched my feet out to the seat opposite,and continued to smoke my cigar.
Incidentally, by speaking to Lowell, I hurt Von Ritter's feelings. Itseems that as one of the other man's seconds I should have been morehaughty with him. But when he passed me, pacing out the ground, hesaluted stiffly, and as I saluted back, I called out: "I suppose youknow you'll catch it if they find out about this at Washington?" And heanswered, with a grin: "Yes, I know, but I couldn't get out of it."
"Neither could I," I replied, cheerfully, and in so loud a tone thateveryone heard me. Von Ritter was terribly annoyed.
At last all was arranged and we took our places. We were to use pistols.They were double-barrelled affairs, with very fine hair-triggers. Grahamwas to give the word by asking if we were ready, and was then to count"One, two, three."
After the word "one" we could fire when we pleased. When each of us hademptied both barrels, our honor was supposed to be satisfied.
Young Fiske wore a blue yachting suit with the collar turned up, and nowhite showing except his face, and that in the gray light of the dawnwas a sickly white, like the belly of a fish. After he had walked to hismark he never took his eyes from me. They seemed to be probing aroundunder my uniform for the vulnerable spot. I had never before had anyonelook at me, who seemed to so frankly dislike me.
Curiously enough, I kept thinking of the story of the man who boasted hewas so good a shot that he could break the stem of a wine-glass, and howsomeone said: "Yes, but the wine-glass isn't holding a pistol." Then,while I was smiling at the application I had made of this story tomy scowling adversary, there came up a picture, not of home and ofBeatrice, nor of my past sins, but of the fellow's sister as I last sawher in the moonlight, leaning against the pillar of the balcony withher head bowed in her hands. And at once it all seemed contemptible andcruel. No quarrel in the world, so it appeared to me then, was w
orthwhile if it were going to make a woman suffer. And for an instant I wasso indignant with Fiske for having dragged me into this one, to feed hissilly vanity, that for a moment I felt like walking over and giving hima sound thrashing. But at the instant I heard Graham demand, "Are youready?" and I saw Fiske fasten his eyes on mine, and nod his head. Themoment had come.
"One," Graham counted, and at the word Fiske threw up his gun and fired,and the ball whistled past my ear. My pistol was still hanging at myside, so I merely pulled the trigger, and the ball went into the ground.But instantly I saw my mistake. Shame and consternation were writtenon the faces of my two seconds, and to the face of Fiske there came acontemptuous smile. I at once understood my error. I read what was inthe mind of each. They dared to think I had pulled the trigger throughnervousness, that I had fired before I was ready, that I was frightenedand afraid. I am sure I never was so angry in my life, and I would havecried out to them, if a movement on the part of Fiske had not soberedme. Still smiling, he lifted his pistol slightly and aimed for, so itseemed to me, some seconds, and then fired.
I felt the bullet cut the lining of my tunic and burn the flesh overmy ribs, and the warm blood tickling my side, but I was determined heshould not know he had hit me, and not even my lips moved.
Then a change, so sudden and so remarkable, came over the face ofyoung Fiske, that its very agony fascinated me. At first it wasincomprehensible, and then I understood. He had fired his last shot, hethought he had missed, and he was waiting for me, at my leisure, to killhim with my second bullet.
I raised the pistol, and it was as though you could hear the silence.Every waking thing about us seemed to suddenly grow still. I brought thebarrel slowly to a level with his knee, raised it to his heart, passedit over his head, and, aiming in the air, fired at the moon, and thentossed the gun away. The waking world seemed to breathe again, andfrom every side there came a chorus of quick exclamations; but withoutturning to note who made them, nor what they signified, I walked back tothe carriage, and picked up my cigar. It was still burning.
Von Ritter ran to the side of the carriage.
"You must wait," he protested. "Mr. Fiske wishes to shake hands withyou. It is not finished yet."
"Yes, it is finished," I replied, savagely. "I have humored you two longenough. A pest on both your houses. I'm going back to breakfast."
Poor Von Ritter drew away, deeply hurt and scandalized, but my offencewas nothing to the shock he received when young Lowell ran to thecarriage and caught up my hand. He looked at me with a smile that wouldhave softened a Spanish duenna.
"See here!" he cried. "Whether you like it or not, you've got to shakehands with me. I want to tell you that was one of the finest things Iever saw." He squeezed my fingers until the bones crunched together."I've heard a lot about you, and now I believe all I've heard. To standup there," he ran on, breathlessly, "knowing you didn't mean tofire, and knowing he was a dead shot, and make a canvas target ofyourself--that was bully. You were an ass to do it, but it was great.You going back to breakfast?" he demanded, suddenly, with the samewinning, eager smile. "So am I. I speak to go with you."
Before I could reply he had vaulted into the carriage, and was shoutingat the driver.
"Cochero, to the Barracks. Full speed ahead. Vamoose. Give way. Allezvite!"
"But my seconds," I protested.
"They can walk," he said.
Already the horses were at a gallop, and as we swung around the wallof the graveyard and were hidden from the sight of the others, Lowellsprang into the seat beside me. With the quick fingers of the sailor, hecast off my sword-belt and tore open my blouse.
"I wanted to get you away," he muttered, "before he found out he had hityou."
"I'm not hit," I protested.
"Just as you like," he said. "Still, it looks rather damp to the lefthere."
But, as I knew, the bullet had only grazed me, and the laugh of reliefLowell gave when he raised his head, and said, "Why, it's only ascratch," meant as much to me as though he had rendered me some greatservice. For it seemed to prove a genuine, friendly concern, and noone, except Laguerre, had shown that for me since I had left home. I hadtaken a fancy to Lowell from the moment he had saluted me like a brotherofficer in the Plaza, and I had wished he would like me. I liked himbetter than any other young man I had ever met. I had never had a manfor a friend, but before we had finished breakfast I believe we werebetter friends than many boys who had lived next door to each other fromthe day they were babies.
As a rule, I do not hit it off with men, so I felt that his liking mewas a great piece of good fortune, and a great honor. He was only threeyears older than myself, but he knew much more about everything thanI did, and his views of things were as fine and honorable as they wereamusing.
Since then we have grown to be very close friends indeed, and we haveventured together into many queer corners, but I have never ceased toadmire him, and I have always found him the same--unconscious of himselfand sufficient to himself. I mean that if he were presented to anEmpress he would not be impressed, nor if he chatted with a bar-maidwould he be familiar. He would just look at each of them with his graveblue eyes and think only of what she was saying, and not at all of whatsort of an impression he was making, or what she thought of him. Aikenhelped me a lot by making me try not to be like Aiken; Lowell helped meby making me wish to be like Lowell.
We had a very merry breakfast, and the fact that it was seven in themorning did not in the least interfere with our drinking each other'shealth in a quart of champagne. Nearly all of our officers came in whilewe were at breakfast to learn if I were still alive, and Lowell gavethem most marvellous accounts of the affair, sometimes representing meas an idiot and sometimes as an heroic martyr.
They all asked him if he thought Fiske had sufficient influence atWashington to cause the Government to give him the use of the Raleighagainst us, but he would only laugh and shake his head.
Later, to Laguerre, he talked earnestly on the same subject, and much tothe point.
The news of the duel had reached the palace at eight o'clock, and thepresident at once started for the barracks.
We knew he was coming when we heard the people in the cafes shouting"Viva," as they always did when he appeared in public, and, though I wasbadly frightened as to what he would say to me, I ran to the door andturned out the guard to receive him.
He had put on one of the foreign uniforms he was entitled to wear--hedid not seem to fancy the one I had designed--and as he rode across thePlaza I thought I had never seen a finer soldier. Lowell said he lookedlike a field marshal of the Second Empire. I was glad Lowell had cometo the door with me, as he could now see for himself that my general wasone for whom a man might be proud to fight a dozen duels.
The president gave his reins to an orderly and mounted the steps,touching his chapeau to the salute of guard and the shouting citizens,but his eyes were fixed sternly on me. I saw that he was deeply moved,and I wished fervently, now that it was too late, that I had told himof the street fight at the time, and not allowed him to hear of itfrom others. I feared the worst. I was prepared for any reproof, anypunishment, even the loss of my commission, and I braced myself for hiscondemnation.
But when he reached the top step where I stood at salute, although I wasinwardly quaking, he halted and his lips suddenly twisted, and the tearsrushed to his eyes.
He tried to speak, but made only a choking, inarticulate sound, andthen, with a quick gesture, before all the soldiers and all the people,he caught me in his arms.
"My boy," he whispered, "my boy! For you were lost," he murmured, "andhave returned to me."
I heard Lowell running away, and the door of the guard-room bangingbehind him, I heard the cheers of the people who, it seems, already knewof the duel and understood the tableau on the barrack steps, butthe thought that Laguerre cared for me even as a son made me deaf toeverything, and my heart choked with happiness.
It passed in a moment, and in manner he was once more
my superiorofficer, but the door he had opened was never again wholly shut to me.
In the guard-room I presented Lowell to the president, and I was proudto see the respect with which Lowell addressed him. At the first glancethey seemed to understand each other, and they talked together as simplyas would friends of long acquaintance.
After they had spoken of many things, Laguerre said: "Would it be fairfor me to ask you, Mr. Lowell, what instructions the United States hasgiven your commanding officer in regard to our government?"
To this Lowell answered: "All I know, sir, is that when we arrived atAmapala, Captain Miller telegraphed the late president, Doctor Alvarez,that we were here to protect American interests. But you probably know,"he added, "as everyone else does, that we came here because the IsthmianLine demanded protection."
"Yes, so I supposed," Laguerre replied. "But I understand Mr. Graham hassaid that when Mr. Fiske gives the word Captain Miller will land yourmarines and drive us out of the country."
Lowell shrugged his shoulders and frowned.
"Mr. Graham--" he began, "is Mr. Graham." He added: "Captain Miller isnot taking orders from civilians, and he depends on his own sourcesfor information. I am here because he sent me to 'Go, look, see,' andreport. I have been wiring him ever since you started from the coast,and since you became president. Your censor has very kindly allowed meto use our cipher."
I laughed, and said: "We court investigation."
"Pardon me, sir," Lowell answered, earnestly, addressing himself toLaguerre, "but I should think you would. Why," he exclaimed, "everymerchant in the city has told me he considers his interests have neverbeen so secure as since you became president. It is only the IsthmianLine that wants the protection of our ship. The foreign merchants arenot afraid. I hate it!" he cried, "I hate to think that a billionaire,with a pull at Washington, can turn our Jackies into Janissaries.Protect American interests!" he exclaimed, indignantly, "protectAmerican sharpers! The Isthmian Line has no more right to the protectionof our Navy than have the debtors in Ludlow Street Jail."
Laguerre sat for a long time without replying, and then rose and bowedto Lowell with great courtesy.
"I must be returning," he said. "I thank you, sir, for your goodopinion. At my earliest convenience I shall pay my respects to yourcommanding officer. At ten o'clock," he continued turning to me, "I amto have my talk with Mr. Fiske. I have not the least doubt but thathe will see the justice of our claim against his company, and beforeevening I am sure I shall be able to announce throughout the republicthat I have his guaranty for the money. Mr. Fiske is an able, uprightbusiness man, as well as a gentleman, and he will not see this countryrobbed."
He shook hands with us and we escorted him to his horse.
I always like to remember him as I saw him then, in that gorgeousuniform, riding away under the great palms of the Plaza, with thetropical sunshine touching his white hair, and flashing upon the sabresof the body-guard, and the people running from every side of the squareto cheer him.
Two hours later, when I had finished my "paper" work and was settingforth on my daily round, Miller came galloping up to the barracks andflung himself out of the saddle. He nodded to Lowell, and pulled meroughly to one side.
"The talk with Fiske," he whispered, "ended in the deuce of a row. Fiskebehaved like a mule. He told Laguerre that the original charter of thecompany had been tampered with, and that the one Laguerre submitted tohim was a fake copy. And he ended by asking Laguerre to name his priceto leave them alone."
"And Laguerre?"
"Well, what do you suppose," Miller returned, scornfully. "The Generaljust looked at him, and then picked up a pen, and began to write, andsaid to the orderly, 'Show him out.'
"'What's that?' Fiske said. And Laguerre answered: 'Merely a figure ofspeech; what I really meant was "Put him out," or "throw him out!" Youare an offensive and foolish old man. I, the President of this country,received you and conferred with you as one gentleman with another, andyou tried to insult me. You are either extremely ignorant, or extremelydishonest, and I shall treat with you no longer. Instead, I shall atonce seize every piece of property belonging to your company, and holdit until you pay your debts. Now you go, and congratulate yourself thatwhen you tried to insult me, you did so when you were under my roof, atmy invitation.' Then Laguerre wired the commandantes at all the seaportsto seize the warehouses and officers of the Isthmian Line, and evenits ships, and to occupy the buildings with troops. He means business,"Miller cried, jubilantly. "This time it's a fight to a finish."
Lowell had already sent for his horse, and altogether we started at agallop for the palace. At the office of the Isthmian Line we werehalted by a crowd so great that it blocked the street. The doors of thebuilding were barred, and two sentries were standing guard in frontof it. A proclamation on the wall announced that, by order of thePresident, the entire plant of the Isthmian Line had been confiscated,and that unless within two weeks the company paid its debts to thegovernment, the government would sell the property of the company untilit had obtained the money due it.
At the entrance to the palace the sergeant in charge of the nativeguard, who was one of our men, told us that two ships of the IsthmianLine had been caught in port; one at Cortez on her way to Aspinwall, andone at Truxillo, bound north. The passengers had been landed, and wereto remain on shore as guests of the government until they could betransferred to another line.
Lowell's face as he heard this was very grave, and he shook his head.
"A perfectly just reprisal, if you ask me," he said, "but what onelonely ensign tells you in confidence, and what Fiske will tell theState Department at Washington, is a very different matter. It's a goodthing," he exclaimed, with a laugh, "that the Raleigh's on the wrongside of the Isthmus. If we were in the Caribbean, they might order us tomake you give back those ships. As it is, we can't get marines herefrom the Pacific under three days. So I'd better start them at once," headded, suddenly. "Good-by, I must wire the Captain."
"Don't let the United States Navy do anything reckless," I said. "I'mnot so sure you could take those ships, and I'm not so sure your marinescan get here in three days, either, or that they ever could get here."
Lowell gave a shout of derision.
"What," he cried, "you'd fight against your country's flag?"
I told him he must not forget that at West Point they had decided I wasnot good enough to fight for my country's flag.
"We've three ships of our own now," I added, with a grin. "How would youlike to be Rear Admiral of the naval forces of Honduras?"
Lowell caught up his reins in mock terror.
"What!" he cried. "You'd dare to bribe an American officer? And withsuch a fat bribe, too?" he exclaimed. "A Rear-Admiral at my age! That'sdangerously near my price. I'm afraid to listen to you. Good-by." Hewaved his hand and started down the street. "Good-by, Satan," he calledback to me, and I laughed, and he rode away.
That was the end of the laughter, of the jests, of the play-acting.
After that it was grim, grim, bitter and miserable. We dogs had had ourday. We soldiers of either fortune had tasted our cup of triumph, andthough it was only a taste, it had flown to our brains like heavy wine,and the headaches and the heartaches followed fast. For some it was morethan a heartache; to them it brought the deep, drugged sleep of Nirvana.
The storm broke at the moment I turned from Lowell on the steps of thepalace, and it did not cease, for even one brief breathing space, untilwe were cast forth, and scattered, and beaten.
As Lowell left me, General Laguerre, with Aiken at his side, camehurrying down the hall of the palace. The President was walking withhis head bowed, listening to Aiken, who was whispering and gesticulatingvehemently. I had never seen him so greatly excited. When he caughtsight of me he ran forward.
"Here he is," he cried. "Have you heard from Heinze?" he demanded. "Hashe asked you to send him a native regiment to Pecachua?"
"Yes," I answered, "he wanted natives to dig trenches. I se
nt fivehundred at eight this morning."
Aiken clenched his fingers. It was like the quick, desperate clutch of adrowning man.
"I'm right," he cried. He turned upon Laguerre. "Macklin has sent them.By this time our men are prisoners."
Laguerre glanced sharply at the native guard drawn up at attention oneither side of us. "Hush," he said. He ran past us down the steps, andhalting when he reached the street, turned and looked up at thegreat bulk of El Pecachua that rose in the fierce sunlight, calm andinscrutable, against the white, glaring masses of the clouds.
"What is it?" I whispered.
"Heinze!" Aiken answered, savagely. "Heinze has sold them Pecachua."
I cried out, but again Laguerre commanded silence. "You do not knowthat," he said; but his voice trembled, and his face was drawn in linesof deep concern.
"I warned you!" Aiken cried, roughly. "I warned you yesterday; I toldyou to send Macklin to Pecachua."
He turned on me and held me by the sleeve, but like Laguerre he stillcontinued to look fearfully toward the mountain.
"They came to me last night, Graham came to me," he whispered. "Heoffered me ten thousand dollars gold, and I did not take it." In hiswonder at his own integrity, in spite of the excitement which shookhim, Aiken's face for an instant lit with a weak, gratified smile. "Ipretended to consider it," he went on, "and sent another of my men toPecachua. He came back an hour ago. He tells me Graham offered Heinzetwenty thousand dollars to buy off himself and the other officers andthe men. But Heinze was afraid of the others, and so he planned to askLaguerre for a native regiment, to pretend that he wanted them to workon the trenches. And then, when our men were lying about, suspectingnothing, the natives should fall on them and tie them, or shoot them,and then turn the guns on the city. And he _has_ sent for the niggars!"Aiken cried. "And there's not one of them that wouldn't sell you out.They're there now!" he cried, shaking his hand at the mountain. "Iwarned you! I warned you!"
Incredible as it seemed, difficult as it was to believe such baseness, Ifelt convinced that Aiken spoke the truth. The thought sickened me, butI stepped over to Laguerre and saluted.
"I can assemble the men in half an hour," I said. "We can reach the baseof the rock an hour later."
"But if it should not be true," Laguerre protested. "The insult toHeinze--"
"Heinze!" Aiken shouted, and broke into a volley of curses. But theoaths died in his throat. We heard a whirr of galloping hoofs; a man'svoice shrieking to his horse; the sounds of many people running, and oneof my scouts swept into the street, and raced toward us. He fell off atour feet, and the pony rolled upon its head, its flanks heaving horriblyand the blood spurting from its nostrils.
"Garcia and Alvarez!" the man panted. "They're making for the city.They tried to fool us. They left their tents up, and fires burning, andstarted at night, but I smelt 'em the moment they struck the trail. Wefellows have been on their flanks since sun-up, picking 'em off at longrange, but we can't hold them. They'll be here in two hours."
"Now, will you believe me?" Aiken shouted. "That's their plot. They'reworking together. They mean to trap us on every side. Ah!" he cried."Look!"
I knew the thing at which he wished me to look. His voice and my dreadtold me at what his arm was pointing.
I raised my eyes fearfully to El Pecachua. From its green crest a puffof smoke was swelling into a white cloud, the cloud was split with aflash of flame, and the dull echo of the report drifted toward us onthe hot, motionless air. At the same instant our flag on the crest ofPecachua, the flag with the five-pointed, blood-red star, came twitchingdown; and a shell screeched and broke above us.
Now that he knew the worst, the doubt and concern on the face of GeneralLaguerre fell from it like a mask.
"We have no guns that will reach the mountain, have we?" he asked. Hespoke as calmly as though we were changing guard.
"No, not one," I answered. "All our heavy pieces are on Pecachua."
"Then we must take it by assault," he said. "We will first drive Garciaback, and then we will storm the hill, or starve them out. Assemble allthe men at the palace at once. Trust to no one but yourself. Ride toevery outpost and order them here. Send Von Ritter and the gatlings tomeet Alvarez. This man will act as his guide."
He turned to the scout. "You will find my horse in the court-yard of thepalace," he said to him. "Take it, and accompany Captain Macklin. TellVon Ritter," he continued, turning to me, "not to expose his men, butto harass the enemy, and hold him until I come." His tone was easy,confident, and assured. Even as I listened to his command I marvelledat the rapidity with which his mind worked, how he rose to an unexpectedsituation, and met unforeseen difficulties.
"That is all," he said. "I will expect the men here in half an hour."
He turned from me calmly. As he re-entered the palace between the linesof the guard he saluted as punctiliously as though he were on his way toluncheon.
But no one else shared in his calmness. The bursting shells had driventhe people from their houses, and they were screaming through thestreets, as though an earthquake had shaken the city. Even the palacewas in an uproar.
The scout, as he entered it, shouting for the President's horse, hadtold the story to our men, and they came running to the great doors,fastening their accoutrements as they ran. Outside, even as Laguerre hadbeen speaking, the people had gathered in a great circle, whispering andgesticulating, pointing at us, at the dying horse, at the shells thatswung above us, at the flag of Alvarez which floated from Pecachua.When I spurred my horse forward, with the scout at my side, there wasa sullen silence. The smiles, the raised hats, the cheers were missing,and I had but turned my back on them when a voice shouted, "VivaAlvarez!"
I swung in my saddle, and pulled out my sword. I thought it was only thebravado of some impudent fellow who needed a lesson.
But it was a signal, for as I turned I saw the native guard spring likeone man upon our sergeant and drive their bayonets into his throat. Hewent down with a dozen of the dwarf-like negroes stabbing and kicking athim, and the mob ran shrieking upon the door of the palace.
On the instant I forgot everything except Laguerre. I had only onethought, to get to him, to place myself at his side.
I pushed my horse among the people, beating at the little beasts with mysword. But the voice I knew best of all called my name from just abovemy head, and I looked up and saw Laguerre with Aiken and Webster on theiron balcony of the palace.
Laguerre's face was white and set.
"Captain Macklin!" he cried. "What does this mean? Obey your orders. Youhave my orders. Obey my orders."
"I can't," I cried. "This is an attack upon you! They will kill you!"
At the moment I spoke our men fired a scattering volley at the mob, andswung to the great gates. The mob answered their volley with a dozenpistol-shots, and threw itself forward. Still looking up, I saw Laguerreclasp his hands to his throat, and fall back upon Webster's shoulder,but he again instantly stood upright and motioned me fiercely with hisarm. "Go," he cried. "Bring the gatlings here, and all the men. If youdelay we lose the palace. Obey my orders," he again commanded, with asecond fierce gesture.
The movement was all but fatal. The wound in his throat tore apart, hishead fell forward and his eyes closed. I saw the blood spreading anddyeing the gold braid. But he straightened himself and leaned forward.His eyes opened, and, holding himself erect with one hand on therailing of the balcony, he stretched the other over me, as though inbenediction.
"Go, Royal!" he cried, "and--God bless you!"