Part 19 (1/2)
”Fifty, senor,” and the frightened wretch and his companion seemed about to collapse.
”That is all now,” declared the young sergeant. ”Secure them, men, at once.”
Nothing loath, his companions began to carry out his order, Jack a.s.sisting Riva Baez in binding the spokesman of the twain. While they were doing this, the former heard the sound of paper crumpled in the prisoner's pocket. Thrusting his hand into the receptacle, he quickly drew forth two soiled and wrinkled missives.
”What have we here?” he asked. ”As I live, here is a dispatch for Colonel Marchand from General Castro,” handing, as he spoke, the paper to Ronie. Then, his eye falling upon the well-known envelope and stamp of his own country, he exclaimed:
”A letter for you, Ronie; and from New York!”
If honest Jack Greenland had unconsciously committed a breach of good respect in thus addressing a superior, Ronie did not heed it, while he took the crumpled missive handed him, his own hand trembling and a mist coming over his eyes at this unexpected communication from his native land. This mist deepened and his hand shook more violently, as he murmured, after glancing at its superscription:
”It is from mother, Jack!”
It was fortunate for the reputation of our hero that his companions were attentive to their duty, or the prisoners might have eluded their captors. But he was certainly excusable for his temporary lack of discretion. The finding of this letter from his mother, under the circ.u.mstances and condition of affairs, was enough to rob him of his usual presence of mind. While the others completed their tasks, he examined the missive, to find that it had already been opened. With blurred sight, he ran hastily over its closely-written page, saying, when he finished:
”It is as I expected. Mother was to leave New York soon after writing this, to meet me in Caracas. This was directed in the care of Colonel Marchand, and has been forwarded through the courtesy of General Castro to the colonel. She is here in this country, and in trouble, as I have feared.”
”Let us hope it is nothing serious,” said Jack. ”At least, we can only hope for the best until we are able to learn more and do more. Has the dispatch to Colonel Marchand been opened?”
”Excuse me, Jack, for forgetting my duty. It must be duty before personal afflictions, I suppose. Yes, this has been opened. In that case, it will do no harm for me to read it, particularly as I may learn something to guide us in our work. It says,” he continued, while he scanned the doc.u.ment, ”that General Castro has been elected president of the republic for a term of six years. It says also that a body of his troops have been defeated at Barquismoto by the insurgents; that the _Libertador_ has fixed on and sunk a Venezuelan s.h.i.+p named _Crespo_ off c.u.marebo, and that Matos has succeeded in landing twenty thousand rifles and two million cartridges at Trinidad.
”Now I come to news that interests us more. General Castro has sent to San Carlos demanding that Harrie be set at liberty immediately. That is good news indeed. But he goes on to say that he cannot set Francisco free until his case has had an investigation. Well, this has proved to be a pretty fortunate capture.”
”A newsy one, certainly, and not all of it bad news, by any means.
Shall we take these fellows along with us, sergeant?”
”Pardon me, Jack, I must be more mindful of my duty. Yes, I suppose we shall have to do so. It is also necessary that one of us return to Colonel Marchand with all haste possible, apprising him of what we have done, and to take him this dispatch from the general. While you are arranging for one of the boys to undertake this duty, I will write a few words to the colonel.”
Then Ronie prepared his first war dispatch, succinctly describing what he had done and discovered. By the time he had finished this Jack had got one of the younger Venezuelans in readiness for his journey back to the regiment. Though he was loath to trust these important messages with this scout, Ronie felt that he could not do any better. He could not very well spare Jack or Riva Baez. Then, too, the latter vouched for the honesty and capability of the other, so he saw him depart with full confidence that the arduous duty would be performed faithfully.
The hands of the prisoners having been securely bound behind them, they were ordered to march in front of Jack and the younger Venezuelan, while Ronie and Riva Baez rode in front. In this manner the journey was resumed, though continued but a short time. It was now getting to be sunrise, and Riva having a friend in that vicinity, it was deemed best to stop there for a while--at least, long enough for the animals to recuperate.
The plantation of this man proved to be a huge farm of many thousand acres, but much of it valueless on account of the revolutionary state of the country. He was at home, and as soon as he learned the character of his visitors from his old friend Riva, he extended a most cordial greeting to them, promising to do everything in his power to a.s.sist them. The sight of the prisoners pleased him hugely, for he was a most p.r.o.nounced admirer and supporter of Castro, and he quickly placed the two spies in quarters from which they could not escape without help.
”How is it,” asked Ronie, ”that you keep from being molested by the insurgents, when you are situated in the heart of the debatable ground?”
”The reason is simply because I can muster a force that can outwhip any army of curs that El Capitan can muster,” he replied, rather vaingloriously. ”Oh, they have tried it, Sergeant Rand, but I have routed them like a band of monkeys, and I can do it again.”
Our little party fared sumptuously at the hands of this rather pompous Venezuelan, whose name was Don Isadora Casimiro, and so they could find no fault if he was a bit boastful and radical in his ideas. He insisted that they remain with him during the day, showing the advantage they would gain by waiting until nightfall before starting out. As much as Ronie disliked this inactivity, he believed it was wisest to do so. During the day the news was brought in by one of Don Isadora's scouts that El Capitan was mustering his forces to march on San Carlos with the purpose of liberating El Mocho.
As soon as the shadows of night began to fall, Ronie prepared to start anew on his expedition, Jack and the two Venezuelans accompanying him, the prisoners being left in care of the followers of Don Isadora. The ride for half an hour continued through an archway of trees growing on the plantation of their host, when Riva declared that they had reached the limit of his broad domains. They soon after entered a valley, the hoof-strokes of their horses m.u.f.fled by the soft, spongy earth.
It must have been nearly midnight, for they had ridden several miles up and down the country without discovering any trace of the enemy, when Riva, who was slightly ahead of the others, abruptly paused in his advance. Ronie quickly gained his side, where he stopped to learn the cause of this unexpected halt. It required no words on the part of the guide to explain his action, as he mutely pointed with his right hand to a ravine, or gorge, running parallel with the road. The sound of human voices came up distinctly to the ears of Ronie.
Handing the rein of his horse to his companion, he silently dismounted, and crept toward the brink of the chasm overhanging the place. In a moment the light of a camp-fire struggled dimly upward through the thick foliage, while with the sound of voices came the noise and confusion of a body of men moving about.
”I believe it is an encampment of El Capitan,” he whispered to Jack, who had joined him. ”I have a mind to get a little closer.”
”I need not tell you to be careful,” said Jack. ”Can I go with you?”