Part 31 (1/2)
”Yes, they've mines, I know,” Hal interposed, with a smile, remembering his own experience.
”So you do, young fellow. I was forgettin'. Well, we don't take kindly to the notion of walking straight in, so, if the gate is shut tight, it won't matter at all to us. But to the Don it will. He'd be just like a fly in a bottle, and he'd be as much ours as if he sailed out right away, and got knocked to pieces with our sh.e.l.ls.”
”Yes, I can see that,” Hal agreed. ”Once he allows himself to be shut in, he will be out of the game altogether. He will be harmless to you, and a dead loss to his own side. In fact, the Spanish fleet will cease to exist.”
”Put very nicely, and that is the case,” the lieutenant answered. ”But now, about this bung. Lieutenant Hobson will put it in position. He's a kind of specialist in naval construction, and this bottlin' game is his plan from the very beginnin'. I can tell you that he's a very fine fellow.”
”Why, it will be a most risky undertaking!” exclaimed Hal. ”To block the opening efficiently, the s.h.i.+p will have to be sunk close under the batteries. It will mean certain death for all.”
”Well, it may,” was the answer. ”It is frightfully risky, I'll allow; but it is not certain death. You see, the darkest night will be chosen, and every man will be wearin' a life-belt, and will have a raft close handy to swim to. Supposin' the guns do go off, the chances are that no one will be hit. But those torpedoes will be precious nasty, I'll agree.
They'll kill if anything does. Yes, now that I come to look into the matter more closely, I'm inclined to fall in with you, young Marchant.
It is bound to be very risky; but then, Hobson is a fine, gallant fellow!”
He spoke in tones of the utmost pride, and well he might, for the officer to whom he referred, though only twenty-eight years of age, had already attained to no mean reputation in his profession. And who but a bold and resolute man could have volunteered for such an undertaking as that proposed? Surely no weakling could expect to carry it out, while for a coward to attempt to take part in it, and, more than all, to lead what was no better than a forlorn hope, was ridiculous, and utterly out of the question.
Lieutenant Hobson had a fine spirit, and a glance at his face was sufficient to show the cla.s.s of man he was. ”I leave myself without anxiety in the hands of Almighty G.o.d,” he wrote, when setting out for the war, and he entered upon this hazardous and all-important enterprise in the same condition of tranquil and absolutely fearless confidence.
”Yes, he must be a plucky beggar,” Hal agreed. ”I wonder whether--er--er--er----” He became suddenly silent and thoughtful.
”Well, what is it?” the lieutenant exclaimed.
”I was wondering whether I could go with Hobson,” Hal said quietly. ”You see, it would be doing something for the cause, and for my bread and b.u.t.ter, and it would give me the opportunity for which I have been longing, and enable me to reach the island.”
”Yes, and of bein' shot,” the lieutenant answered sharply. ”Say, Marchant, don't you do somethin' that's mighty silly. All the volunteers that go with Hobson will be made prisoners as sure as eggs. They'll run a chance of bein' shot as well. Now, if you were captured with them, that rascal of a sweep--what's his name? d'Ar--d'Arousta; yes, that's the fellow--would spot you at once, and then--click! It would be all up with Mister Marchant, I reckon.”
”It might,” Hal replied thoughtfully; ”but I'll take my chance. Will you help me to join as one of the volunteers?”
”Why, man alive, you're just askin' too much,” the lieutenant answered hotly. ”When volunteers were called for, how many do you think stepped out? Every mother's son aboard the whole combined fleet! Every one of them, I tell you, and a precious fine hullabaloo they're kicking up too, now that the matter is settled. You see, only seven boys are wanted, so there's that same number walking about just now as proud as peac.o.c.ks.
And there's hundreds more, officers and men, who are sayin' all that's black, and grumbling atrociously. Seven is the number, young Marchant, and you'd better remember it.”
”I will, and I'll be the eighth,” said Hal in the same quiet voice.
”Look here, Billing, I'm very anxious to get ash.o.r.e. Will you, like a good fellow, contrive to get me included in the expedition?”
”I'll try, and I can't say more than that,” was the answer, given with obvious reluctance and hesitation. ”Tell you what it is, Marchant. For one of your country, you're one of the best fellows I know. I've taken a fancy to you, and now you've the cheek to ask me to help to get you killed! That is playing the wrong game.”
”Nonsense! It is not so bad as that,” Hal replied, with a smile. ”All I ask is that you will help to get me aboard Hobson's s.h.i.+p. I'll manage the rest.”
”Well, I'll see.” The lieutenant nodded and walked away, leaving Hal sunk in a brown study.
”It seems a chance,” he said thoughtfully--”a chance in a hundred. Every day out here I get more anxious about the hacienda, about the safety of Mr. Brindle and Dora. I've promised to fight with the Americans, and no doubt I shall have to run many risks. This is a big one, but not greater than that which I took when escaping from the island. In that case, my knowledge of Santiago helped me to get away safely, and I see no reason why it should not aid me in reaching the land and stealing into the forest without being observed. They say that every foot of the coast is watched, but it is more likely that all eyes will be fixed in the direction of the harbor entrance, where the s.h.i.+p is being sunk; so that a single individual might easily evade the sentries. Yes, I know the harbor, and will willingly take the risk. The job now is to make arrangements to go, and if the worst happens, and I am refused permission, I will slip overboard and swim to the vessel selected as the bung, and climb aboard her as best I can.”
That an attempt to close the entrance to the harbor of Santiago was about to be made was already public property in the American fleet, and everyone watched the preparations for the event with the greatest interest. Lieutenant Hobson, with a large force of men, was busily engaged upon a big tramp collier, the _Merrimac_, which was destined to be sunk across the entrance. For this purpose, a row of ten miniature torpedoes was fitted along the port-side of the steamer. They were each loaded with eighty-two pounds of gunpowder, and were connected by means of wires with a battery placed on the bridge. Pressure upon a simple b.u.t.ton would fire them, and, it was hoped, would blow such a hole in the vessel's side that she would sink immediately.
Then their duties were carefully a.s.signed to the seven men. Two were told off for the engine-room, and the remainder were to be on deck. At the critical moment steam was to be turned off, and the fore and after anchors cut away from their las.h.i.+ngs and dropped. Then the sea-c.o.c.ks were to be opened wide, and the wheel lashed. By that time all but one would have dived overboard, and would have swum to the dinghy, which was to be towed behind the s.h.i.+p, and would contain life-belts and rifles.
And then would come the final act. Hobson, the last upon the s.h.i.+p, would press the b.u.t.ton and explode the torpedoes, and follow his men into the water. All were to be dressed in underclothes only, with revolvers and ammunition strapped round their waists in waterproof belts.
”It's the finest thing that was ever thought of,” said Lieutenant Billing enthusiastically, a few hours before the attempt was to be made.
”If it does not succeed--and I tell you that that's likely--it will deserve to be remembered. I guess that the Dons will concentrate every gun on the _Merrimac_, and though it will be dark at the time, their searchlight will help the shootin'. So every one of the boys will have to run the chance of being shot. Are you still anxious to go?”