CHAPTER XV
THE ESCAPE FROM THE BARRIO
In an incredibly short time Columbus was back, and this time he nursed alarge bruise on the side of his head where the General's cane had fallenwith no light force.
"If my father were able to fight he would kill that nigger," exclaimedthe excited lad. "But my father was crippled in the last revolution.That general, he makes our house his own. He makes my mother to cookfor him and to wash for him. We could not leave my father when therebels occupied the barrio. We had to stay to look out for him. Theyeat our food and kill our pigs and chickens, and never pay. They----"
"Is your name Columbus?" inquired Dick in order to cut short the boy'stale of trials and tribulations.
"Si, Senor."
"Well, Columbus, here are two brand new Americano pesos for you, andthere will be many more if you do as I tell you," and Dick passed overthe silver coins.
"What must I do?"
"First of all tell me how many soldiers are in the barrio."
"Over one hundred, Senor."
"How far is it from here to Sanchez?"
"By the shore road it is nearly three kilometers. The shore road passesthrough the barrio," said the lad.
"Is the road guarded by more soldiers than the group of men I could seebefore dark on the outskirts of the town?"
"Oh, yes, Senor, they patrol the entire road every night. The big lightfrom the ship does not frighten them."
"Can you see the ship from the beach back of your house, Columbus?"
"No, a point of land prevents that, but it is not far by boat,--a littleover a kilometer."
"Who is in your house with the General?"
"The five soldiers who came with him this afternoon, my mother andfather and a little girl the general stole from her people. I do notknow her name. She weeps all the time, but makes no noise. He has toldher he will kill her if she tries to run away."
"Columbus, I want to get the little girl out of that house and returnher to her father and her mother. If you help me they will pay youwell."
"It is impossible, Senor. I overheard the General making plans to go toSanchez and attack the house of her father to-night, and he gave his menorders to guard the child carefully. There are to be men both insideand outside the house all the time."
"Would your father and mother help us?"
"No, Senor, they could not afford to. They would fear to go contrary toGeneral Gonzales' orders."
"At what hour does the General start for the town?"
"Very soon, for he expects to be there by ten o'clock, Senor."
"Are there any small boats on the beach?"
"Oh, yes, and the best canoe there is my own."
"Providing I get the little girl out of the house, will you go in thecanoe with me to the American ship?"
"No, Senor, I am afraid; but I will place paddles in my canoe and I willdo what else I can to assist you. My canoe is the last one on the beachnearest the town."
"Describe your house, Columbus. Where are the windows and doors?"
"That reminds me, Senor--after all, I can help you. If you approach ourcasa from the rear you will find a little cocina[#] which opens into themiddle room. My father and mother occupy the room on the right as youenter from the cocina. My room was on the left, but it is now theGeneral's, and the little girl is lying in there now, weeping. Long agoI loosened a board at the side near the cocina so that it will slideback, and I used it to go out when my parents believed me asleep. Iwill tell the child about you and the hole and she can escape that way.First I will put my paddles in the canoe, and then you can take her init to your ship. Keep close to the shore until you are around thepoint, then go direct to the vessel. There are no shoals to fear. Theonly thing to be careful about is passing through the cocoanut grove.Avoid the hut, for soldiers are guarding a prisoner there also."
[#] Cocina--Kitchen.
"Another prisoner? A native?" questioned Dick.
"No, he is a sailor who ran away from your ship and came here shortlyafter noon to-day, and he told the General about the money and thelittle girl. But the General had him imprisoned, for he distrusts himand he had the sailor's pistol and ammunition seized."
"Did you hear the name of the sailor, Columbus?"
"Yes, Senor, his name is Jose. He is a dark man and very dirty, andwears peculiar blue clothes."
"Joe Choiniski, or I miss my guess!" exclaimed Dick as he looked towardsthe lights flickering through the grove on the far side of the road.
"Can you get me some meat, Columbus?" Dick asked, after a brief pause.
"Has the Senor hunger?"
"No, I don't wish it for myself, but there are many dogs in the barrio,and when they discover me they will betray me to the soldiers if I comenear the houses. With the meat I could quiet them."
"Never fear, amigo mio; all the meat in this village would not be enoughto satisfy the appetite of the dogs in the barrio nor keep them quiet.They are ever barking and fighting at night, so the soldiers would notthink it strange, especially in the early part of the evening. If thatis all, Senor, I will go, for the General may miss me. What time shallI tell the nina to be ready for you?"
"Tell her to wait for three knocks on the wall of her room from the sideof the cocina, after the General leaves the house. Then she must slideback the board and I will be waiting for her in the cocina. Make herunderstand I am her friend and will take her back to her people. And,Columbus, here is all the money I have with me, but I will see that youare rewarded later on, if you carry out our plan," and Dick pressed allhis remaining currency into the hands of the boy crouching by his side.
"Thank you, Senor, but I cannot take this money. I am a common peon andmy people are poor, but they would not wish me to accept money to help alittle girl in distress," and Columbus bravely handed back the bills toDick, though his fingers were itching to keep them.
He made his little speech with such an air of pride, however, that Dickdid not insist and with a low whispered, "adios, amigo mio," the brownboy was swallowed up a moment later in the shadows and darkness.
Impatiently Dick waited in his refuge for the departure of GeneralGonzales on his proposed expedition. Finally becoming tired of suchlong inactivity he arose and boldly stepped out into and across theclearing. Dick reasoned that in the darkness of the night should hepass anyone inside the camp he would not be recognized nor suspected. Hepulled his khaki shirt outside his trousers so as to appear more inkeeping with the native soldiers' costume should he happen to meetanyone.
With rapid strides he was soon in the vicinity of the houses lining thenear side of the road. The barking of a dog at his approach caused hima little nervousness, but he kept on, remembering what Columbus had toldhim. Another dog came sniffing and growling at his heels. He pausedlong enough to kick the canine and it scampered away with shrill yelpsof pain and fright.
The following moments were the most thrilling of Dick's life. Turning,after delivering the kick which sent the cur scampering off in thedarkness, he almost ran into a man.
"Get out of my way, you spawn," said a voice which he recognized as noneother than that of General Gonzales. "Why are you on this side of theroad, anyway, when I told you to guard my quarters? Go over there whereyou belong, and let the dogs bark as much as they please, but attend toyour duties, or it will fare badly with you in the morning. Obey me,pronto!" and the rebel chief shoved Dick out into the wide street.
How grateful Dick was that no answers were required of him, otherwise hemight have been discovered. He did not know now whether or not Gonzaleswas following after him, and he feared to turn and look. He could hearno footfalls. Now directly in front of him and not fifteen feet distantwas the house where Soledad was held a prisoner. According to Columbus,and this was already verified by the remark of Gonzales, there was asentry guarding the house, and somewhere in the shadows ahead thatnative soldier was walking. What if
he was waiting to attack Dick onhis nearer approach? Perhaps he had heard the chief talking to Dick onthe opposite side of the road and was watching his movements withcatlike eyes. Dick's ears detected no sound as he drew nearer thehouse. Now he was within a few feet of the walls. The next moment hedodged around the corner of the building, and just in the nick of time,for, as he did so, the front door was thrown open and the light from theinterior streamed into the street. Flattening himself against the wallDick peered around cautiously. Before the door stood Gonzales, whileemerging from it were five men, presumably those who had accompaniedtheir leader from the outpost on Camino Real.
"Everything is ready," announced the General. "Come, let us go. Theothers have already started, and we must not delay." The party movedoff down the road in the direction of Sanchez, and once again quietreigned in the immediate vicinity. Dick now knew the time for action hadarrived. Forgetting for the moment that he had to deal with the sentinelwho was supposed to be here on duty he was about to step out in thedirection of the cocina when he observed the dim moving figure of asoldier coming from the rear of the house.
Slowly the soldier sauntered towards Dick until he arrived so near thatthe boy could have touched him. Here the man stopped. Dick's heartthumped so violently from the suspense that it almost seemed the soldiercould not fail to hear it. The noise pounded in his own ears like thestriking of a bass drum. It was so dark that he could not see what thesentry was doing. Perhaps the eyes of the native, more accustomed todarkness than Dick's own, were even then fastened on him and enjoyinghis discomfort, perhaps----
A rattling noise assailed Dick's ears. It was the sound made by safetymatches shaken in a partially empty box. The sentry had seen him, butnow was going to strike a light in order to discover his identity.
The match scraped along the box, but made no spark. At the secondattempt the yellowish flame flared up. In its light the dark brown faceof the soldier stood out boldly in the Stygian darkness. A white paperedcigarette was between the fellow's lips and his dark eyes were bentsolely on the flame, seeing nothing else. The flame wavered, then therewas the sound of a dull blow, the light disappeared and the sentinelsank to the ground. Once again Dick Comstock's hard fist had found avictim, and once again he was binding and gagging a rebel soldier.
Dick used his own regulation belt to make fast his victim's arms, whilethe soldier's belt sufficed to secure his legs. Pulling the native'sshirt over his head Dick stuffed part of it in his mouth and bound itthere with a handkerchief. In the darkness it was difficult work, buthe did the best he could, and after dragging the soldier to one side andunder a bush, the drummer boy began to feel his way towards the cocinaat the rear. A dim light, shining through the cracked walls of thecenter room, saved him from stumbling into a collection of pots and pansin the small lean-to, which Columbus had dignified by the name ofkitchen. Creeping cautiously to the wall of the building under thelean-to, the lad rapped the boards three times, giving the signal agreedupon. Then he waited breathlessly for some response. Finally he heardthe scraping of one board on another. The noise came from near thefloor where he was waiting. Then he saw the white figure of littleSoledad squirm through the opening. Quietly he assisted her to her feetand without a word, hand in hand, the two stole from the house and outinto the grove in the direction of the bay.
They had gone about fifty feet when another figure suddenly confrontedthem, and again Dick's heart seemed to jump to his throat while hisright hand sought the pistol hanging at his side.
"Silence, Senor, it is Columbus. I have come to help you find thecanoe. Follow me, carefully, for we are near the house where the sailoris imprisoned," and on the little party went like flitting shadowsthrough the grove.
Soon came the soft rustle of waves on the shore, and emerging from underthe dense overhead foliage of the palms, objects were moredistinguishable. They found the canoe, and in it the paddles which thefaithful native boy had previously placed there. Dick took his place inthe stern, the little girl tremblingly, but with no hesitation, sat inthe bottom. Then with a whispered "buenas noches,"[#] Columbus shovedthe frail craft from the sands out into the waters of the great bay, andwith a happy heart Dick sent the canoe on its way with long powerfulstrokes.
[#] Buenas noches--Good-night.