Part 29 (1/2)

With all his contempt for this man, Jack Starland had never dreamed of anything like this. The words of Captain Ortega came back to him.

There was a certain shadowy strength in the position of General Yozarro. No flag of truce had been called into use, and the American, after having forcibly captured the boat of the other, had voluntarily placed himself in his power, following the suggestion of General Bambos and his own impulses.

It was Bambos who broke the oppressive hush by saying to him:

”The words of General Yozarro are just; comply with what he demands, and he will be glad to restore you to your friends; am I not correct, General?”

”I suppose so,” was the sour response.

”Then my answer is that I'll see the whole gang of you hanged first!

You don't get Martella without the biggest fight of your lives, and you don't keep me on this old tub without a bigger fight; I'm not afraid of the whole pack of jail birds of you!”

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

”Arrest him!” commanded General Yozarro, speaking directly to Colonel Carlos Del Valle, his chief of staff, standing next to the American; ”put him in irons.”

The officer addressed reached out his hand to lay on the shoulder of Jack Starland, who, at that instant, recalled the knockout blow he had given Cadet Hillman of the First Cla.s.s, one memorable spring morning at old Fort Putnam, West Point. It was the same lightning-like stroke which crashed into the face of the colonel and sent him staggering and toppling back to the opposite side of the cabin. Then, whipping out his revolver, Starland backed from the cabin, ran down the steps to the bow of the boat, and before any one suspected his purpose, shouted to his own executive officer:

”Captain Winton, I am betrayed! Open fire, and sink this tug!”

Then he wheeled about and with leveled weapon, added:

”I will kill the first man who attempts to lay a finger on me!”

General Yozarro and his officers showed more prompt.i.tude than would have been expected. Seeing that a conflict was inevitable, they set out to win by their own quickness. Their armament was heavier than that of the American yacht,--that is to say, though his pieces carried smaller missiles, he had two of them, while that of the _Warrenia_ was a bra.s.s saluting twelve-pounder.

The port gun was slewed around and pointed at the other craft, now within twenty-five yards, and in a twinkling it bore fairly.

”Fire!” shouted the excited General, too savage to regard the usual preliminaries.

Major Starland shuddered, for he saw the gun seemingly directed true and knew it must do great destruction on his yacht. The gunner snapped the lanyard, but a dull click followed and there was no discharge.

General Yozarro uttered an oath and Captain Ortega called from the pilot house:

”That is the one which was not loaded!”

Jack Starland had forgotten the fact in the flurry of the moment. He smiled and looked across at his own boat. Captain Winton did not throw away a second. He signalled to the engine room, quickly veered, and the bra.s.s twelve-pounder was pointed fairly at the tug. Meantime, by working frantically, the gunners quickly loaded the piece on the Atlamalcan craft and swung it around to bear on the other.

”Look out for the Major!” called Captain Winton; ”he is standing at the front.”

While the native gunners were awaiting the critical second, there was a white puff, a red belch of flame, and a thunderous report rolled over the river and against the sh.o.r.es. A smas.h.i.+ng sound, the splintering of wood and a number of yells followed, the ball having torn its way through the cabin and splashed into the river beyond.

In this crisis, General Yozarro displayed unexpected coolness. General Bambos hurriedly sagged down behind the pile of wood at the front, as if mortally hurt, but he was merely taking precautions against becoming so.

”Quick!” roared General Yozarro; ”sink their boat!”