Part 36 (1/2)

”Ensign Dalzell, you will take ten men and endeavor to find the American women.”

Then Trent, with the remainder of the command, rushed on after the advance guard. Up the stairs dashed Dave in the lead. The skylight proved not to be fastened.

Only a minute before had the machine gun stopped its murderous hail. Now some thirty Mexican soldiers crept to the edge of the roof to try their luck again with the sailormen up the street.

”There is only a handful of them,” shouted one Mexican. ”The gringos must be under the hotel, or in it!”

At that announcement there was a swift rush toward the skylight.

Just before they reached it Darrin sprang into sight, followed by his men. Short, sharp conflict followed. Twelve Mexicans, three of them killed, went down, and two American sailormen had been wounded when the enemy sent up their appeal for ”_piedad_,”

or quarter.

Saluting, a sailorman reported to Lieutenant Trent that Ensign Dalzell had found the American women in the annex of the hotel.

None had been injured, but all were much frightened.

Leaving a petty officer in charge on the roof, Trent turned to Dave to say:

”Come along, Darrin. We'll see what can be done for our countrywomen.”

Hastily descending, and following the messenger, the two officers were met at the door of a s.p.a.cious room by Ensign Dalzell.

”Ladies,” said Dan, turning, ”here are Lieutenant Trent and Ensign Darrin. The former commands this detachment.”

On the floor lay more than a dozen wounded Mexicans.

Two of the American women, having had nursing experience, had taken good care of the injured.

”Ladies,” asked Lieutenant Trent, ”have you been roughly treated by the Mexicans?”

”Far from it,” said one of the women. ”The Mexican officer in command treated us with great consideration. We were in the main part of the hotel, the wooden building. The Mexican officer told us that his men were going to occupy the roof as a military necessity, and that there would be fighting. He a.s.sured us that we would be safer in the annex, and escorted us here.”

”Where is that officer now?” asked Trent, promptly. ”I would like to shake hands with him.”

”I am afraid you would have to travel inside the Mexican lines,”

said another woman. ”A little while ago a party of hors.e.m.e.n rode up to the rear of the hotel, and one officer, a lieutenant-colonel, came up into the hotel and sought the officer in command here, ordering him to withdraw with his men, leaving only a few behind to keep up a show of resistance.”

”I will see that you are taken at once inside the American lines,”

declared Trout. ”There you will be safe.”

Preparations were quickly made. The Mexican prisoners who were able to walk were formed under guard. The American women walked on ahead of the prisoners. Ensign Darrin, with half of the command, took charge of the rescued women and prisoners, and went to the lower part of the town, to turn over the refugees and prisoners.

Trent posted a squad of his men, under Boatswain's Mate Pearson, on the roof. The rest of the seamen were stationed in the street, and Dave was placed in immediate command, with instructions to keep a sharp lookout on all sides. The boatswain's mate was to report to him anything observed from the roof.

In half an hour Danny Grin's detachment returned, coming almost on the double-quick. Dalzell, wide-eyed with news, drew his brother officers aside.

”Cantor has escaped!” Dan murmured, excitedly. ”It was not widely known on the '_Long Island_' that he was in arrest. So it seems that he went down over the side, stepped into a gig, and ordered the c.o.xswain to take him ash.o.r.e. As he was in civilian dress he was not likely to be closely observed by sentries on sh.o.r.e, and so far no trace of him has been discovered.”

”I believe he has left the Navy,” Dave nodded. ”Further, as he appeared to have strange interests ash.o.r.e, I believe that he has deserted to the enemy.”

”Don't say that,” begged Trent earnestly. ”Bad as he may have been, Cantor was trained in all the traditions of the Navy. I can believe him wild, or even bad, but I can't believe him big enough scoundrel to desert to the enemy.”