CHAPTER XIII
A COMMISSION
It was high noon when Tim awoke. A breakfast was ready for him; so washis father.
"I am very glad your mother is not with us," said Mr. O'Hagan. "Shewould have been out of her mind with anxiety about you. Don't you knowthat a soldier's first duty is to obey? You were sent to scout: youexceeded your instructions, and I am not pleased with you."
"But, Father," said Tim, with his mouth full of beans, "I have oftenheard you say that a soldier ought to think for himself. Don't youremember saying that a man who has to be told everything isn't muchgood?"
"That's all very well," said Mr. O'Hagan, feeling himself on slipperyground. "I was referring to officers, as you are perfectly aware. Ifevery private were to think and act for himself it would end indisaster."
"Am I a private?" asked Tim innocently.
"You are a raw recruit, with everything to learn. You are underdiscipline: remember that."
"I don't think it's fair," said Tim. "Senor Mollendo calls you general;I don't see why I shouldn't be an officer too! You might make me youraide-de-camp, Father."
"You are talking rubbish, sir. Understand me: you must do what you aretold, and not go larking about on risky adventures like an irresponsibleschoolboy."
Mr. O'Hagan spoke rather warmly. He had passed an anxious night.Secretly he was delighted with Tim's pluck and resourcefulness; but hispleasure was qualified by misgiving as to future dangers into which theboy's love of adventure might lead him. Besides, for his wife's sake hefelt it his duty to assume a sternness that was not quite genuine.
"Aren't you glad I got the bike?" said Tim.
"Well, yes, I suppose I am," replied his father. "How did you manageit?"
Here Senor Mollendo entered, and Tim gave the story in Spanish for hisbenefit.
"I congratulate you, my boy," said the leader warmly, "and you too,senor, on possessing a son who unites courage with ingenuity, andcaution with daring. He has twice proved himself more than a match forthe enemy, and in recognition of his signal merits and as a mark of myapproval I appoint him a lieutenant in the army of liberty."
Father and son glanced at each other. This, coming after their recentconversation, was almost too much for their gravity; they could hardlyrefrain from laughter. The contrast between Mollendo's lofty manner andhis low fortunes was very comical.
"I thank you, excellency," said Mr. O'Hagan, as gravely as he could. "Ihope my son will continue to merit your approbation--and mine."
The two men consulted together. The continued presence of the enemy atthe Inca camp was disconcerting. By covering the roads to San Rosarioand the capital, and restricting the Mollendists to the hills, they putan effectual bar upon recruiting. The northward region, sparsely settledand largely unexplored, was favourable ground for refuge, but fornothing else. A few more stragglers had rejoined their leader; but therecent reverse discouraged any large reinforcement. So long as thelittle band, now numbering about seventy, was cooped up in the hills,the cause was at a standstill. They might as well give up the struggle.
To approach the town with their present numbers would be madness. Theywould be opposed by vastly superior forces, and their retreat would becut off by the Prefect's men at the Inca camp, who themselvesoutnumbered them by three to one. Yet the only chance of bringing abouta general rising against the Prefect was to gain a brilliant success.
The situation of the Mollendists seemed desperate. There was scarcelyany food left, either for men or horses, and little ammunition. Onlyfifty of the men had rifles; the remainder were armed with revolvers andsteel weapons of various kinds, most of them rusty. Their attire wasequally diversified. Some were clad in the ordinary costume of civillife; a few in the somewhat flashy habiliments affected by professionalbrigands; some had the parti-coloured ponchos worn by Cholos. Therewere at least a dozen different styles of hat. They were certainly whatCromwell would have called a "ragged regiment." Mr. O'Hagan felt thatin casting in his lot with them he had sprung from the frying-pan intothe fire. But he reflected that he had had no alternative; and havingaccepted the responsibility of organising the paltry army he was boundto make the best of it.
The necessity of securing provisions must be dealt with at once. SenorMollendo could not offer a practicable suggestion: Mr. O'Hagan recalledTim's notion of running off with supplies from his own estate, only todismiss it as impossible of achievement. But Tim here made anotherproposal.
"Have you got any money, Father?" he asked.
"Not a peseta."
"I have L250," said Mollendo, with a conscious look.
"Let Romana and me go down to his cave in the cliff," said Tim, "and seeif we can't get into communication with Galdos. With your money,excellency, he might purchase stores secretly in the town."
"Both Romana and you are marked men," said Mr. O'Hagan. "Anybody elsewould have a better chance."
"I am sorry to differ from my generalissimo," said Mollendo. "On thecontrary, I consider that the excellent qualities already displayed byLieutenant O'Hagan and Romana are guarantees of success. I give my votecordially in favour of this admirable proposal."
Tim could not help smiling. He took a mischievous joy in the overridingof his father's views. Mr. O'Hagan might be Cincinnatus, but he wascertainly not dictator.
"Galdos will have no difficulty, of course, in buying provisions," hesaid; "the difficulty will be to convey them to us."
"It is the duty of my adherents to triumph over difficulties," returnedMollendo. "For L30 Galdos will be able to purchase provisions for threedays. They will form a comfortable load for two pack-mules. As for themeans by which he may secure their safety on the march, that must beleft to the caballero's discretion."
"We shall have to do the same thing again in three days," said Mr.O'Hagan.
"Unless, senor general, we should by that time have won a signalvictory, which is what I anticipate from your military genius."
"And that will lick old Cincinnatus hollow," thought Tim.
Mr. O'Hagan saw that to oppose the suggestion further would be to risk aloss of the harmony which ought to exist between the civil and militaryleaders of a community. He therefore yielded gracefully, and bent hismind on the details of the plan. He determined to send out one or twosmall parties to scout in the neighbourhood of the camp while Tim andRomana went down the river. It was possible that the Prefect's men,having failed in what was no doubt their chief object, the recapture ofthe prisoner, might leave their present somewhat bleak quarters, andreturn to San Rosario or San Juan. If it were discovered that such wasthe case, it would be necessary to advise Tim of it, so that he mightbeware of stumbling among the retreating enemy. Mr. O'Hagan arranged todo this by lighting a beacon on a prominent hill-top, which could beseen from many miles around. One fire would indicate that the retirementwas by the eastern road,--that by which Tim had first been brought tothe camp; two fires, some distance apart, that the western road had beenchosen. No definite instructions could be given for the guidance of thetwo scouts: they must act according to circumstances and their owndiscretion.
There was a whimsical smile on Mr. O'Hagan's face as Mollendo took froma leather case notes to the value of L30, and handed them to Tim. Astrange turn of Fortune's wheel, indeed!
Tim left the cave to find Romana, and arrange with him for theirexpedition. They agreed that they had better not start until evening;they were both tired after the work of the previous night; and anafternoon's sleep would be the best preparation for the task beforethem.
"I will choose two of the best horses," said Romana.
"We shan't need them," replied Tim. "You can ride behind me on thebicycle."
"But you have no petrol!"
"That is no matter. It is downhill all the way, and if you hold onbehind me we shall go more quickly and more quietly than on horseback."
"There is the coming back," Romana objected. "We
cannot ride backwithout petrol."
"True. Your friend Senor Galdos has got to get some petrol. That'spart of his job."
"I don't believe there is any in the town."
"Well, if there isn't we must lay up the cycle in your cave until we canget some from San Juan or elsewhere. The machine is no good up here inthe hills. We might just as well make what use of it we can."
Romana said no more. Argument was never effective with Tim when he hadmade up his mind. They slept through the afternoon, and started aboutan hour before dusk, watched with much curiosity by the motley crew ofSenor Mollendo's adherents. As Tim had said, the track ran generallydownhill, switchbacking here and there, but most of the ascents beingtoo short to necessitate their dismounting. Occasionally there was along stretch upwards, where they had to push the machine. On reachingthe river they descended the bank and pursued their way along the hardsand. The incline, though slight, was sufficient to keep the wheelsrolling, and their progress was so silent that nobody beyond a dozenyards could have detected their presence by the ear.
On approaching the western end of the gully that led up to the camp theykept a wary look-out in the gathering darkness. At this hour it wasunlikely that the enemy would be abroad unless they had some definiteobject in view. They had hitherto shown no evidence of enterprise. Thedeparture of the Prefect seemed to have robbed them of initiative.There was some slight risk of their having discovered the wheel marks ofthe cycle in the sand if any parties had been prowling in the course ofthe day. But when the scouts had passed the junction of the river withthe cross track in safety, they felt secure. A few miles farther downthey left the river and returned to the track. The only danger now wasthat they might meet some one coming from San Rosario to the camp; butthe ringing sound of hoofs on the hard track could be heard for a longdistance in the silence of the night, and they would have warning intime to hide somewhere before the riders drew near. In any case it wasunlikely that horsemen from the town would choose the longer route.
They had now an easy run down to the spot where the little hill streamcut across the track. Tim could not venture to light his lamp; but thesky was not so dark as on the previous night, and he had no difficultyin dodging the loose rocks which lay upon the track here and there. Onarriving at the stream, they dismounted and carried the machine to thecavern. This was the most toilsome portion of their journey; the restof it had been accomplished almost without exertion.
Romana lit his lamp, and brought out from the cupboard a tin of biscuitsand some potted beef. The waterfall gave them drink. As they ate theirsupper they discussed their plans.
"I will walk into the town to-night, senorito," said Romana, "see myfriend, and commission him to buy the provisions. I shall tell him topurchase only a small quantity at any one shop, so as not to awakensuspicion. To-morrow I shall remain secluded in his cottage, and returnhere with the mules in the evening."
"That's all very well, but what am I to do?" said Tim.
"You will remain here, senorito," said Romana.
"Why should I? I had enough of this cave before. If that's all I'm todo I might just as well have remained in the hills. We were both senton this job, remember."
"But there would be great danger in your going into the town. It is aneedless risk. True, you speak our language perfectly; but yourappearance, your complexion, your hair, senorito, are not those of aPeruvian. You would certainly be recognised----"
"So will you."
"Not certainly. In the dark I shall be like any other townsman; andthough everybody knows me----"
"Look here, Romana: old Moll--I mean his excellency--made me alieutenant this morning, and if I choose to say I'll go, and order youto stay here, you'll have to obey."
Romana blinked. But he was very patient with Tim, whom he had knownever since he was a two-years' toddler. He repeated his arguments, andTim was not so pig-headed as to deny their force, disgusted though hewas at the prospect of kicking his heels for a whole day while Romanawas doing the work.
"I tell you what," he said at length. "I'll agree to what you propose ifyou'll try to get me some petrol."
"How can I do that, senorito?"
"You won't leave the town till dusk. Slip up to our place and bring acan from the outhouse. Here's the key. Nobody will be about at thattime, and you can come back through the sugar-canes."
"The cans are heavy."
"Well, I'll meet you where the path joins the road to Senor Durand's.There are plenty of trees to hide amongst. I won't leave here untilit's getting dark, and I'll keep a good look-out. Between us we cancarry a can or two easily."
Romana was not unwilling to make the attempt. He knew the groundthoroughly; it would not be difficult to thread his way secretly throughthe plantations to the shed, fifty yards in the rear of the house, wherethe petrol was stored; the sugar-canes grew so high that he could passamong them without any risk of being espied. He agreed to thesuggestion, only impressing on Tim the necessity for caution. Then,pulling his hat well down over his eyes, and gathering his cloak aroundhim, he took his leave, and set off on the fifteen-mile walk to thetown.