Part 6 (1/2)
They all raised their gla.s.ses and shouted boisterously.
Young Glory began to breathe more freely now. There was not a word said as to the escape of Dan Daly and the search for him.
Very soon he discovered from the talk that the officers were in complete ignorance of it. They were posted with their regiment a considerable distance from the village, and were now on their way to headquarters there.
What they had said was true. They had merely stopped at the hut in the hope of obtaining refreshment. No doubt they would soon take their departure.
The wine loosened their tongues, and they began to talk freely. Young Glory lost not a word of what was being said, for it seemed likely that he would hear something that might prove valuable.
”Where to to-night, Ruiz?” asked one man.
”Why ask him? He'll be waiting for the fair Julia. Her eyes will glance at him from the balcony.”
”Wrong for once, gentlemen,” said Ruiz.
”Captain Calderon is inconstant,” laughed another officer.
”Oh! Ruiz, I did not think that of you.”
”And if you did, you would be wrong. No, comrades, luck's against me to-night. I'm on duty.”
”Garrison duty?”
”Worse.”
”Can anything be worse?”
”I said so.”
”Tell us, Ruiz.”
”I'm going to Valmosa.”
”What for?”
”There is a lot of ammunition collected there.”
”I heard of it.”
”Well, it's to be moved to-night to this place.”
”You'll have hot work. The rebels are in force between here and Valmosa.”
”Everybody knows that.”
”I wish you good-by, Ruiz,” said one of the officers, solemnly. ”Old fellow, I pity you!”
”Pshaw! there's no danger. It's only the discomfort I'm thinking of. We are going to bring the ammunition to this place by water.”
”What!”