CHAPTER XV.
TROUBLE IN THE RUNAWAY CAMP.
“What are you running for?” shouted Bill Stout,as Raimundo and Bark Lingall ran ahead ofhim after the party landed from the felucca. “We areall right now.”
Bill could not quite get rid of the idea that he was theleader of the expedition, as he intended to be fromthe time when he began to make his wicked plansfor the destruction of the Tritonia. He had the vanityto believe that he was born to command, and not toobey; and such are generally the very worst of leaders.
“Never mind him, Lingall,” said the second master.“When we get to the top of this rising ground we cansee where we are.”
“I am satisfied to follow your lead,” replied Bark.
“If our plans are spoiled, it will be by that fellow,”added Raimundo.
But in a few minutes more he halted on the summitof a little hill, with Bark still at his side. Bill wassome distance behind; and he was evidently determinedto have his own way, without regard to thewishes of the second master. On the rising ground,the lights revealed the position of the city; but thefugitives looked with more interest, for the moment, atthe sea. Raimundo had run when he landed, becausehe saw that the lay of the land would conceal the movementsof the felucca from him if he remained where hehad come on shore. Perhaps, too, he considered it bestto put a reasonable distance between himself and thedangerous boatman. On the eminence they could distinctlysee the felucca headed away from the shore inthe direction from which she had come when they wereon board.
“I was afraid the villain might be treacherous, afterall,” said Raimundo. “If he had headed into the portof Tarragona, it would not have been safe for us to gothere.”
“What’s your hurry?” demanded Bill Stout, comingup at this moment. “You act as though you werescared out of your wits.”
“Shut up, Bill Stout!” said Bark, disgusted with hiscompanion in crime. “If you are going to get up arow at every point we make, we may as well go backto the Tritonia, kiss the rod, and be good boys.”
“I haven’t made any row,” protested Bill. “Icouldn’t see what you were running for, when no onewas after you.”
“Raimundo knows what he is about; and, while thething is going along very well, you set to yelling, so asto let the fellow know where we were, if he took it intohis head to follow us.”
“Raimundo may know what he is about,” snarledBill; “but I want to know what he is about too, if Iam to take part in this business.”
“You will not know from me,” added Raimundohaughtily. “I shall not stop to explain my plans to acoward and an ignoramus every time I make a move.We are in Spain; and the country is big enough for allof us. I did not invite you to come with me; and Iam not going to be trammelled by you.”
“You are a great man, Mr. Raimundo; but I wantyou to understand that you are not on the quarter–deckof the Tritonia just now; and I have something to say,as well as you,” replied Bill.
“That’s all! I don’t want to hear another word,”continued Raimundo. “We may as well part companyhere and now as at any other time and place.”
“Now you can see what you have done, Bill,” saidBark reproachfully.
“Well, what have I done? I had as lief be officeredon board of the vessel as here, when we are on a time,”answered Bill.
“All right; you may go where you please,” addedBark angrily. “I am not going about with any suchfellow as you are. If I should get into trouble, youwould lay back, and let me fight it out alone.”
“Do you mean to say, Bark Lingall, that you willdesert me, and go off with that spoony of an officer?”demanded Bill, taken all aback by what his friend hadsaid.
“I do mean to say it; and, more than that, I willstick to it,” said Bark firmly. “You are both a cowardand a fool. Before we are out of the first danger, youget your back up about nothing, and make a row.Mr. Raimundo has been a gentleman, and behavedlike a brave fellow. If it hadn’t been for him, weshould have been robbed of all our money, and perhapshave had our throats cut besides.”
“But he got us into the scrape,” protested Bill.“He hired that cut–throat to take us to this place withoutsaying a word to us about the business. I knewthat fellow was a rascal, and would just as lief cut aman’s throat as eat his dinner.”
“You knew what he was, did you?”
“To be sure I did. He looked like a villain; andI would not have trusted myself half a mile from theshore with him without a revolver in my pocket,”retorted Bill, who felt safe enough now that he was onshore.
“I don’t care to hear any more of this,” interposedthe second master. “It must be half–past seven bythis time, and I am going to hurry up to the town. Ilooked at an old Bradshaw on board, while I wasmaking up my plans, and I noticed that the nighttrains generally leave at about nine o’clock. Theremay be one from this place.”
“But where are you going?” asked Bark.
“It makes no manner of difference to me where Igo, if I only get as far away from Barcelona as possible,”replied Raimundo. “The police may havereceived a despatch, ordering them to arrest us at thisplace.”
“Do you believe they have such an order?” askedBark, with deep interest.
“I do not believe it; but it may be, for all that. Iam confident no one saw the felucca take us off thoserocks. I feel tolerably safe. But, when Filipe getsback to Barcelona, he may tell where he took us; andsome one will be on my track in Tarragona as early asthe first train from the north arrives here.”
Raimundo walked towards the town, and Bark stillkept by his side. Bill followed, for he had no intentionof being left alone by his companions. Hethought it was treason on the part of Bark to think ofsuch a thing as deserting him. He felt that he hadbeen the leader of the enterprise up to the time hehad got into the boat with the second master; andthat he had conducted Bark out of their prison, andout of the slavery of the vessel. It would be rankingratitude for his fellow–conspirator to turn againsthim under such circumstances; and he was surprisedthat Bark did not see it in that light. As for thesecond master, he did not want any thing more ofhim; he did not wish to travel with him, or to haveany thing to do with him. He was an officer of theTritonia, one of the tyrants against whom he hadrebelled; and as such he hated him. The consciousnessthat he had behaved like a poltroon in the presenceof the officer, while Bark had been a lion inbravery, did not help the case at all. Raimundodespised him, and took no pains to conceal his sentiments.
All Bill Stout wanted was to roam over the countrywith Bark. In the boat he had imagined the “goodtimes” they would have when free from restraint.They could drink and smoke, and visit the places ofamusement in Spain, while the rest of the fellows werelistening to lectures on geography and history, and visitingold churches. His idea of life and enjoyment wasvery low indeed.
After walking for half an hour in the direction of thenearest lights, they reached the lower part of the town;and the second master concluded that the railroadstation must be in this section. He inquired in thestreet, and found they were quite near it. He was alsotold that a train would leave for Alicante and Madridat thirty–five minutes past eight. It was only eightthen; and, seeing a store with “_A la Barcelona_” onits sign, he knew it was a clothing–store, and the partyentered it. Raimundo bought a long cape coat whichentirely concealed his uniform. Bark and Bill purchasedovercoats, each according to his taste, thatcovered up their nautical costume in part, though theydid not hide their seaman’s trousers. At another shopthey obtained caps that replaced their uniform headpieces.
With their appearance thus changed, they repaired tothe station, where Raimundo bought tickets to Valencia.This is a seaport town, one hundred and sixty–twomiles from Tarragona. Raimundo was going therebecause the train went there. His plans for the futurewere not definitely arranged; but he did not wish todissolve his connection with the academy squadron.He intended to return to his ship as soon as he couldsafely do so, which he believed would be when the vesselssailed from Lisbon for the
“isles of the sea;” butin this connection he was troubled about the change inthe programme which the principal had introducedthe day before, of which Hugo had informed him. If theAmerican Prince was to convey the Josephines and theTritonias to Lisbon, and bring back the Princes,—forthe several ships’ companies were called by these names,—itwas not probable that the squadron would go toLisbon. All hands would then have visited Portugaland there would be no need of going there again.Raimundo concluded that the fleet would sail on itsAtlantic voyage from Cadiz, which would save goingthree hundred miles to the northward in the middle ofwinter.
“Do you want first or second class tickets?” askedRaimundo, when they stood before the ticket–office.
“A second class is good enough for me,” repliedBill.
“What class do you take?” asked Bark.
“I shall go first class, because I think it will besafer,” replied Raimundo. “We shall not meet somany people.”
“Then get me a first class,” added Bark.
“Two first class and one second,” repeated thesecond master.
“I’m not going alone,” snarled Bill. “Get me afirst class.”
The tickets were procured; and the party took theirplaces in the proper compartment, which they had allto themselves. Bill Stout was vexed again; for, smallas the matter of the tickets was, he had once morebeen overruled by the second master. He felt asthough he had no influence, instead of being the leaderof the party as he aspired to be. He was cross anddiscontented. He was angry with Bark for thinking ofsuch a thing as deserting him. He was in just themood to make another fuss; and he made one.
“I think it is about time for us to settle our accountswith you, Mr. Raimundo,” said Bark, when they wereseated in the compartment. “We owe you a good dealby this time.”
“_Mr._ Raimundo!” exclaimed Bill, with a heavyemphasis on the handle to the name. “Why don’t youcall me Mr. Stout, Bark?”
“Because I have not been in the habit of doing so,”replied Bark coldly.
“We are not on board the ship now; and I think wemight as well stop toadying to anybody,” growled Bill.
“About the accounts, Mr. Raimundo,” continuedBark, taking no further notice of his ill–natured companion.“How much were the tickets?”
“Ninety–two _reales_ each,” replied Raimundo. “Thatis four dollars and sixty cents.”
“You paid for the boat and the provisions,” addedBark. “We will make an equal division of the wholeexpense.”
“I paid five hundred _reales_ for the boat, and sixtyfor the provisions.”
“You paid more than you agreed to for the boat,”interposed Bill sulkily. “You are not going to throwmy money away like that, I can tell you.”
“I hired the boat for my own use, and I am willingto pay the whole of the bill for it,” replied Raimundowith dignity.
“That’s the sort of fellow you are, Bill Stout!”exclaimed Bark indignantly.—“No matter, Mr. Raimundo;if Bill is too mean to pay his share, I will payit for him. You shall pay no more than one–third anyhow.”
“I am willing to pay my fair share,” said Bill, moredisturbed than ever to find Bark against him everytime. “Then three dollars for that lunch was a swindle.”
“I had to take what I could get under the circumstances,”added Raimundo; “but you drank most ofthe wine.”
“I was not consulted about ordering it,” growledBill.
“If there ever was an unreasonable fellow on theface of the footstool, you are the one, Bill Stout!”retorted Bark vigorously. “I have had enough of you.—Howmuch is the whole bill for each, Mr. Raimundo?”
“An equal division makes it two hundred andseventy–eight _reales_ and a fraction. That is thirteendollars and sixty cents.”
“But my money is in sovereigns.”
“Two and a half pence make a _real_. Can you figurethat in your head?”
Bark declined to do the sum in his head; but, standingup under the dim light in the top of the compartment,he ciphered it out on the back of an old letter.The train had been in motion for some time, and it wasnot easy to make figures; but at last he announced hisresult.
“Two pounds and eighteen shillings, lacking apenny,” said he. “Two shares will be five pounds andsixteen shillings.”
“That is about what I had made it in my head,”added Raimundo.
“Here are six sovereigns for Bill’s share and myown,” continued Bark, handing him the gold.
“You needn’t pay that swindle for me,” interposedBill. “I shall not submit to having my money thrownaway like that.”
“Of course I shall not take it under these circumstances,”replied the second master.
“I am willing to pay for the boat and the provisions,”said Bill, yielding a part of the point.
Bark took no notice of him, but continued to pressthe money upon Raimundo; and he finally consentedto take it on condition that a division of the lossshould be made in the future if Bill did not pay hisfull share.
“You want four shillings back: here are five _pesetas_,which just make it,” added Raimundo.
“Of course I shall pay you whatever you are out,Bark,” said Bill, backing entirely out of his position,which he had taken more to be ugly than because heobjected to the bill. “But I don’t like this swindle.Here’s three sovereigns.”
“You need not pay it if you don’t want to. I didnot mean that Mr. Raimundo should be cheated out ofthe money,” replied Bark.
“Stout,” said Raimundo, rising from his seat, “thisis not the first time, nor even the tenth, that you haveinsulted me to–day. I will have nothing more to dowith you. You may buy your own tickets, and payyour own bills; and we will part company as soon aswe leave this train.”
“I think I can take care of myself without any helpfrom you,” retorted Bill.—“Here is your money,Bark.”
“I won’t take it,” replied Bark.
“Why not?”
“You have insulted Mr. Raimundo ever since westarted from Barcelona; and, after you say you havebeen swindled, I won’t touch your money.”
“Are you going back on me, after all I have donefor you?” demanded Bill.
“What have you done for me?” asked Bark indignantly;for this was a new revelation to him.
“I got you out of the Tritonia; didn’t I?”
“No matter: we will not jaw about any thing sosilly as that. I won’t touch your money till you haveapologized to Mr. Raimundo.”
“When I apologize to _Mr._ Raimundo, let me knowit, will you?” replied Bill, as he returned the sovereignsto his pocket, and coiled himself away in the corner.“That’s not my style.”
Nothing more was said; and, after a while, all ofthe party went to sleep. But Bill Stout did not sleepwell, for he was too ugly to be entirely at rest. Hewas awake most of the night; but, in the early morning,he dropped off again. At seven o’clock the trainarrived at Valencia. Bill was still asleep. Raimundogot out of the car; and Bark was about to wake hisfellow–conspirator, when the second master interposed:—
“Don’t wake him, Lingall, if you please; but comewith me. You can return in a moment.”
Bark got out of the carriage.
“I wish to leave before he wakes,” said Raimundo.“I will go no farther with him.”
“Leave him here?” queried Bark.
“I will not even speak to him again,” added thesecond master. “Of course, I shall leave you to do asyou please; though I should be glad to have you gowith me, for you have proved yourself to be a pluckyfellow and a gentleman. As it is impossible for meto endure Stout’s company any longer, I shall have toleave you, if you stick to him.”
“I shall not stick to him,” protested Bark. “He isnothing but a hog,—one hundred pounds of pork.”
Bark had decided to leave Bill as soon as he could,and now was his time. They took an omnibus for the_Fonda del Cid_. They had not been gone more thanfive minutes, before a porter woke Bill Stout, whofound that he was alone. He understood
it perfectly.