CHAPTER XXIV.
AN ADVENTURE ON THE ROAD.
In twelve hours after she started, the AmericanPrince was in the harbor of Cadiz. Bark Lingallwas on board; and Jacob Lobo, who spoke five languages,had been engaged at the Hotel de la Alamedaas his companion. Mr. Pelham sent them ashore assoon as the anchor went over the bow.
“Do you expect to find the Count de Escarabajosain Cadiz?” asked the interpreter, as they landed.
“Of course not: I told you he would not be here,”replied Bark. “I may find out where he went to fromhere, and I may not. I left him at the Hotel de Cadiz;and we will go there first.”
“I can tell you where he went without asking aquestion,” added Lobo, to whom Bark had told thewhole story of Raymond.
“I can guess at it, as you do; but I want informationif I can obtain it,” replied Bark.
“You would certainly have been caught if you hadn’tthrown the detective off the track by going over toOran.”
“We went to Oran for that purpose.”
“The count has got out of Spanish territory, and hewill keep out of it for the present. Our next move willbe to go to Gibraltar. He is safe there.”
“I think we shall find him there.”
The landlord of the hotel recognized Bark, who hadbeen a guest in his house for several weeks. Raymondhad not told him where he was going when he left. Hehad gone from the hotel on foot, carrying his bag in hishand.
“Where do you think he went?” asked Bark.
“My opinion at the time was that he went to Gibraltar;for a steamer sailed for Algeciras that day, andthere was none for any other port,” replied the landlord.
“But he might have left by the train,” suggestedBark.
“He went away in the middle of the day, and thesteamer left at noon.”
“He did not leave by train,” added the guide.
“I don’t think he did,” said Bark. “Now, whendoes the next steamer leave for Gibraltar?”
“You will find the bills of the steamers hanging inthe hall,” replied the landlord.
One of these indicated that a Spanish steamerwould sail at noon the next day.
“Perhaps she will, and perhaps she will not,” saidLobo.
“But she is advertised to leave to–morrow,” addedBark.
“Very likely before night you may find another bill,postponing the departure till the next day: they dosuch things here.”
“What shall we do?”
“Wait till a steamer sails,” replied Lobo, shrugginghis shoulders.
“Is there any other way to get there?” asked Bark,troubled by the uncertainty.
“Some other steamer may come along: we will goto the office of the French line, and inquire when oneis expected,” replied Jacob.
They ascertained that the French steamer did nottouch at Gibraltar; and there was no other way thanto depend upon the Spanish line. As Jacob Lobo hadfeared, the sailing of the boat advertised was put offtill the next day.
“You can go by land, if you are not afraid of thebrigands,” said the interpreter.
“Brigands?”
“Within a year a party of English people wererobbed by brigands, on the way from Malaga toRonda; but that is the only instance I ever heard of.The country between here and Malaga used to befilled with smugglers; and there are some of that tradenow. When their business was dull, they used to taketo the road at times.”
“How long would it take to go by the road?” askedBark, who was very enthusiastic in the discharge ofhis duty, and unwilling to lose a single day.
“That depends upon how fast you ride,” laughedLobo. “It is about sixty miles, and you might makeit in a day, if you were a good horseman.”
“But I am not: I was never on a horse above threetimes in my life.”
“Then you should take two days for the journey.”
“If we should start to–morrow morning, we shouldnot get there as soon as the steamer that leaves thefollowing day.”
“That steamer may not go for three or four days yet:it will depend upon whether she gets a cargo, or not.”
Bark was vexed and perplexed, and did not knowwhat to do. He went down to the quay where theyhad landed, and found the boats from the ship, bringingoff the Josephines and the Tritonias. He appliedto Mr. Pelham for advice; and, after consulting Mr.Fluxion, it was decided that he should wait for asteamer, if he had to wait a week; for there was nosuch desperate hurry that he need to risk an encounterwith brigands in order to save a day or two. So theservices of Bark and Jacob Lobo were economized asguides, for both of them knew the city. Two dayslater the Spanish steamer actually sailed; and in sevenhours Bark and his courier were in Algeciras, whencethey crossed the bay in a boat to Gibraltar.
We left Raymond in Gibraltar, watching the newspapersfor tidings of the American Prince; and he hadlearned of her arrival at Cadiz, where she had beenfor three days when Bark arrived at the Rock. He hadheard nothing of the death of his uncle in Barcelona,and had no suspicion of the change of the circumstanceswe have described. He was not willing to riskhimself in Cadiz while the Prince was there. As herconsorts had not gone to Cadiz with her, he was satisfiedthat the steamer was to return to Malaga.
After he obtained the news, and had satisfied himselfthat the Princes were going overland to Cadiz,he went to his chamber at the King’s Arms, where heattempted to reason out the future movements of thesquadron. He had concluded, weeks before, that thefleet would not go to Lisbon, since all hands had visitedthat city; and now it appeared that Cadiz would beavoided for a second time, for the same reason. ThePrince would wait there till her own ship’s companyarrived, and then go back to Malaga. The Josephinesand Tritonias would do the place, and then return toMalaga overland. It looked to Raymond like a veryplain case; and he was confident that the fleet wouldcome to Gibraltar next.
He was entirely satisfied that his conclusion was acorrect one. The squadron would certainly visit theRock, for the principal could not think of such a thingas passing by a fortress so wonderful. Raymond wasout of the way of arrest, if the detective should tracehim to this place; and he could join his ship when shecame. If the principal still wanted to send him toBarcelona, he would tell his whole story; and, if thisdid not save him, he would trust to his chances toescape. He sat at the window, thinking about thematter. It was just before sunset, and the air wasdelicious. He could look into the square in front of thehotel, and he was not a little startled to see the uniformof the squadron on a person approaching thehotel. He looked till he recognized Bark as the onewho wore it.
But who was the man with him? This questiontroubled him. The man was a stranger to him; for thefugitives had not employed a guide in Malaga, andtherefore Jacob Lobo was all unknown to him. Neitherthe Prince nor her consorts were in Gibraltar; andit was plain enough to the Spaniard that Bark and hiscompanion had come in the steamer he had seen goinginto Algeciras two hours before. They had come fromCadiz, and they could have no other errand in Gibraltarthan to find him. Had Bark become a traitor? or,what was more likely, had he been required by theprincipal to conduct this man in search of him? HadMr. Lowington ascertained that he was at the Rock?It was almost impossible, for he had met no one whoknew him.
He saw Bark and his doubtful companion enter theClub–House Hotel, and he understood their businessthere. He had not seen the _alguacil_, or detective, whohad come on board of the Tritonia for him; but hejumped at the conclusion that this was the man. Theprincipal had afforded him every facility for finding theobject of his search; and now it appeared that he hadsent Bark with him, to identify his expected prisoner.Raymond decided on the moment not to wait for thedetective to see him. He rang the bell, and sent forhis bill: he paid it, and departed before Bark couldreach the hotel. He scorned to ask the landlord orwaiters to tell any lies on his account. He hasteneddown to the bay; and at the landing he found the veryboat that had brought Bark and his companion overfrom Algeciras, just hoisting her sails to return. Theboatman was glad enough to get a passenger
back, andthus double the earnings of the trip. It is about fivemiles across the bay; and, with a fresh breeze fromthe south–east, the distance was made in an hour.
On the way, Raymond learned that the boat hadbrought over two passengers; and, from the boatman’sdescription of them, he was convinced that they wereBark and his companion. He questioned the skipperin regard to them; but the man had no idea who orwhat they were. The passengers talked in English allthe way over, and he could not understand a word theysaid. It was not prudent for the fugitive to stay overnight in Algeciras; and, procuring a couple of mulesand a guide, he went to San Roque, where he passedthe night. He found a fair hotel at this place; and hedecided to remain there till the next day.
He had time to think now; and he concluded thatBark and his suspicious companion would depart fromthe Rock when they found he was not there. But hedid not lose sight of the fact that he was in Spainagain. What would his pursuers do when they foundthat he had left the hotel? They would see his nameon the books, and the landlord would tell them he hadjust left. There were plenty of boatmen at the landing,who had seen him embark in the boat for Algeciras.Raymond did not like these suggestions as they cameup in his mind. They would cross the bay, and findthe boatman, who would be able to describe him, as hehad them. Then, when they had failed to find him atthe _fondas_, they would visit the stables. It was easyenough to trace him.
At first he thought of journeying on horseback toXeres, and there taking the train to the north, andinto Portugal; but he abandoned the thought when heconsidered that he was liable to meet the students atany point on the railroad. Finally he decided to startfor Ronda, an interior city, forty miles from the Rock.At eight o’clock in the morning, he was in the saddle.He had retained the mules that brought him fromAlgeciras. José, his guide, was one of the retiredbrigands, of whom there are so many in this region.As it was too soon for him to be pursued, he did nothurry, and stopped at Barca de Cuenca to dine.
After dinner he resumed his journey. José was asurly, ugly fellow, and Raymond was not disposed toconverse with him. This silence made the miles verylong; but the scenery was wild and grand, and thetraveller enjoyed it. After he had ridden about fivemiles he came to a country which was all hills androcks. The path was very crooked; and it requiredmany angles to overcome steeps, and avoid chasms.Suddenly, as he passed a rock which formed a cornerin the path, he was confronted by three men, all armedto the teeth, with muskets, pistols, and knives. Joséwas provided with the same arsenal of weapons; buthe did not offer to use any of them.
The leading brigand was a good–natured ruffian, andhe smiled as pleasantly as though his calling was perfectlylegitimate. He simply held out his hand, andsaid, “_Por Dios_,” which is the way that beggars generallydo their business.
“_Perdon usted por Dios hermano_,” replied Raymond,shaking his head.
This is the usual way to refuse a beggar: “Excuseus for God’s sake, brother.” Raymond did not yetunderstand whether the three men intended to beg orrob; but he soon ascertained that the leader had onlyadopted this facetious way of doing what is commonlydone with the challenge, “Your money or your life!”It was of no avail to resist, even if he had been armed.Most of his gold was concealed in a money–belt wornnext to his skin, while he carried half a dozen Isabelinosin his purse, which he handed to the gentlemanlybrigand.
“_Gracias, señorito!_” replied the leader. “Yourwatch, if you please.”
Raymond gave it up, and hoped they would be satisfied.Instead of this, they made him a prisoner,leading his mule to a cave in the hills, where theybound him hand and foot. José waited for his mule,and then, with great resignation, began his returnjourney.