by Guy Boothby
CHAPTER XI
The island of San Diaz is some fifteen miles long by eight wide. Fromend to end it is densely wooded; in fact, a large proportion of itsarea is still primeval forest. The population numbers only a fewhundreds, and the majority of the inhabitants are black. For the mostpart they are a retiring race. How they live, or what they live upon,would at first glance seem difficult to understand; but they appear toenjoy life in their harmless way, and, being cut off from certaindoubtful blessings of our so-called Civilization, they generallymanage to elude the clutches of old Boney for a longer space of timethan do their brethren in better known and more popular climes.
As I observed at the close of the preceding chapter, I was on thebridge with Ferguson when we first sighted the island. After a closeconsultation of the chart that he held in his hand, he put his helmup, and hugged the shore for a distance of something like five miles.Then, finding himself at the entrance of a fair-sized bay, he turnedin and prepared to seek an anchorage. The view from the deck at thatmoment was a very pleasing one. First the blue water of the bay, thena white beach, after which the ground began to ascend until itreached, in a somewhat precipitous slope, a plateau at an elevation ofsomething like two hundred feet above sea-level. On this plateau,nestling among the trees, stood a long white house, with severalsmaller buildings clustered round it. As we watched, the report of afirearm reached us from the settlement, followed by another and yetanother in quick succession. It was the signal I had arranged for withSilvestre, and it proclaimed the fact that he was aware of ourarrival.
"I'm a bit distrustful about the soundings," said Ferguson, as westeamed slowly in. "This chart is no sort of good. However, I don'tthink we can do much harm here."
Then holding up his hand to the chief mate, who was in charge of theanchor on the fo'c'sle-head, he signalled to him to let go. The roarof the cable through the hawse-hole followed, and a few seconds laterthe yacht was at anchor. When the vessel was stationary I descendedthe ladder from the bridge to find the President and the Senoritaleaning on the port-bulwarks attentively studying the shore. StillFernandez showed no sign of any sort of trepidation. Yet he must haverealized how dangerous was his position. He had admitted that he haddone Silvestre a great wrong, and he could scarcely fail to be awarethat the latter, having him at his mercy, would be certain toretaliate. Yet here he was chattering as coolly with the Senorita asif he were sitting on the terrace at his palace in La Gloria. The manwas the possessor of an iron nerve which nothing could shake.Moreover, as he had informed me on another occasion, he was afatalist.
"What is arranged will certainly happen," he had then remarked to me."If I am to be assassinated in the street, it is quite certain I shallnot be drowned at sea. If I am to die in my bed, it will not be on thebattlefield. Why should I worry myself if the end is ordained for me?"
When he had seen everything secure, Ferguson left the bridge andjoined us.
"Are you going ashore, Mr. Trevelyan," he inquired, "or will you waiton board until they send out to us?"
"I think it would be better to wait," I replied.
"If I am not mistaken, they are launching a boat now," Fernandezremarked.
What he said was correct. Several men had descended the steep pathfrom the plateau already mentioned, and were even then running a boatacross the sands towards the water. When she was afloat, they hungabout her as if not certain what to do next. A few seconds later,however, a man, dressed in white, appeared from among the trees andjoined them. He entered the boat, whereupon it began to move towardsus. As she approached I noticed that she was pulled by four stalwartnegroes, and that the man steering her was not Silvestre as I hadexpected, but a younger man, and a mulatto. As soon as the boatreached the ladder, he sprang nimbly on to the grating and ran up tous.
"Senor Trevelyan!" he said, looking from one to the other of us as ifto discover whom he should address.
"That is my name," I answered. "Have you a message for me?" Before hereplied, he took me on one side.
"Don Guzman de Silvestre is not well," he said. "He bids me say,however, that you had better bring your prisoner up to the housewithout delay."
"He is not aware, of course, that a lady has accompanied us?" Iremarked.
The other shook his head, and then turned his eyes in the direction ofthe spot where the Senorita was standing.
"He will not be pleased," he said.
I felt that I would give something to know what preparations Silvestrehad made for Fernandez' reception; but I did not put any questions tothe messenger, feeling that in all probability his master had givenorders to him to be silent.
"Can you carry four people in the boat?" I inquired, going to the sideand looking down at the craft in question.
"Half-a-dozen, if you wish," he answered; "she will not sink with us."
I thereupon went back to the President.
"If you are quite ready, I think we will land at once," I said. "Itwill be dark very soon."
He shrugged his shoulders, and remarked that he would go below andfetch his cloak. The Senorita suggested that she should follow hisexample. Fearing that there was a possible chance of their outwittingme at the last moment, I declared that I could not hear of theirtaking so much trouble, and thereupon despatched one of the stewardsin search of the articles in question. When they were brought on deck,we descended to the boat alongside and started for the shore.
As soon as we reached it, I sprang from the boat and helped theSenorita to disembark. Then, guided by the half-caste, whose name Idiscovered was Manuel, we set to work to climb the steep ascent to thebuildings I had seen from the yacht. If the descent at Horejos hadbeen steep, this was ten times more so. The path, if path it could becalled, was one long climb, and wound its way in and out through thethick undergrowth in a most disconcerting and leg-wearying fashion.
At last, when the whole party were out of breath, and the Senoritaquite exhausted, we tottered on to the plateau on which the houseswere situated. The principal building, that in the centre, was a longlow affair surrounded, so far as I could see, by a broad verandah;that to the left was plainly the servants' quarters, while theramshackle huts, still further away, were probably the dwellings ofthe native hands. Crossing the open space, Manuel led us towards thelargest building. The place was much fallen to decay, but it was stillquite habitable. French windows opened from the rooms into theverandah, and towards one of these we were conducted. Opening it, andstanding in the entrance, he signed to the President and the Senoritato pass into the room. I followed them, and when he had entered, hecarefully closed the windows after us. We found ourselves in a largeroom, having a polished floor, whitewashed walls, and a raftered roof,the latter without a ceiling. A large table stood in the centre ofthe room, there were half-a-dozen curious chairs scattered about,while in the corner beside the door was a wicker-couch, upon which aman was stretched out at full length. One glance was sufficient totell me that he was Don Guzman de Silvestre, but so changed that, hadI not expected to see him, I doubt if I should have recognized him.His face was pinched and haggard, his eyes shone with an unnaturalbrilliance, while his hands trembled as if with the palsy.
"Welcome, Trevelyan, I congratulate you," he cried, as I entered theroom. "You have fulfilled your mission admirably." Then, turning tohis old enemy, he continued: "And so, my dear Fernandez, we meetagain, do we? It is long since we last saw each other. But, stay, whois the lady? What is she doing here?"
I gave him the necessary information, whereupon he raised himself uponhis couch.
"I am more than honoured," he remarked. "I did not anticipate such apleasure. I presume, Trevelyan, you could not catch one without theother? Was not that so?"
In reply, I admitted that it was, whereupon he bade Manuel move achair forward for the Senorita, then, turning to Fernandez, he beganonce more.
"Yes, it is certainly a long time since we had the pleasure ofmeeting," he said. "Let me see, I wonder if I can recall the day. Itwas the anniversary of the battle of Pl
adova, was it not? I hadarranged to preside at a banquet that evening in celebration of thegreat event. You called upon me in the morning, professing greatfriendship. Prior to that you had undermined all my officials, and hadarranged that, at the conclusion of the banquet, I was to be arrested,whereupon you were to proclaim yourself Dictator."
"I am glad to observe that, however poor your health may be, yourmemory is as good as ever," Fernandez replied. "You have described thesituation exactly."
"Yes," Silvestre continued, "I have an excellent memory! Unfortunatelyfor your scheme, however, I happened to hear of it in time. At thelast moment a sudden indisposition kept me at the palace, andprevented my being present at the dinner. So anxious were youconcerning the state of my health that you called at the palace laterto inquire after my welfare, only to find that I had taken time by theforelock and had effected my escape. It was a pity, for I fancy youwould have found it more profitable to have shot me, and so have putme out of harm's way at once."
"It certainly was rather a pity we could not do so," said thePresident, "but you can have your revenge now. What are yourintentions regarding myself?"
"I must take time to think that matter over," Silvestre replied. "Theaccount I have to settle with you is a long one, and I am not the man,as you know, to do things in a hurry."
I saw the Senorita look at him with a light in her eyes like that of abeautiful trapped animal. She was trying to appear calm, but from theway in which she laced and interlaced her fingers, I could see thestrain under which she was labouring.
"If there is likely to be anything disagreeable," said Fernandez, "Ishould be glad if you would get it over at once. Nothing is to begained by delaying matters."
"As I said just now, I must have time to think it over," the otherreplied. "Upon one thing, however, you can make up your mind, you willnever see Equinata again."
"At the present moment it certainly does not seem very probable that Ishall," Fernandez answered, still with the same good-humour. "And nowwith regard to another matter! What are your intentions concerningthis lady?"
He made a movement with his hands towards the Senorita as he spoke.
"She shall, of course, be treated with all due consideration andrespect," Silvestre returned. "Let that content you!"
He turned to Manuel, who was standing at the window, and bade him callthe guards into the room. The latter accordingly made his way into theverandah, and shouted something in a dialect with which I was notfamiliar. In response to his summons, four gigantic negroes, armedwith rifles (they had evidently been waiting somewhere in theimmediate vicinity) stalked into the room. Without waiting forinstructions, they took their places on either side of Fernandez. Myfirst fear was that they were going to dispatch the ex-President thereand then. Silvestre must have realized what was passing in my mind,for he laughed and said:
"You need have no fear, my friend. I am not going to do him anyviolence. Let him be conveyed to the hut," he continued to Manuel,"and be sure that the door is locked when you come away. Place asentry over him, and bring me the key. Allow me to wish yougood-evening, Don Fernandez, and may pleasant dreams attend yourslumbers."
The Senorita had risen, and had taken a step towards Silvestre. Shetried to speak, but failed in the attempt. At last she sank back inher chair with an ashen face, and then Fernandez was led away.
"Trevelyan, my dear fellow, may I ask you to be so good as to go tothat door and clap your hands twice," said Silvestre, when the otherhad disappeared.
I did so, and after a few moments had elapsed an elderly negress,whose curly hair was almost snow-white, put in an appearance. In allmy experience of the African race I had never seen so hideous acreature.
"Palmyre," Silvestre began, "take this lady to a room and prepare itfor her." Then to the Senorita he continued: "If there is anything Ican do to promote your comfort, pray command me. I deeply regret thatmy health is not sufficiently good to permit of my attending tomatters myself. Doubtless you will be gracious enough to take the willfor the deed."
She did not answer, but followed Palmyre from the room. When they haddisappeared Silvestre turned to me.
"You have managed the affair most excellently, friend Helmsworth," hesaid. "I congratulate you heartily. Now tell me exactly what happened.Remember I have no knowledge of your doings since we bade each othergood-bye in London."
I thereupon set to work and gave him a description of my adventures.
"You certainly had a narrow escape of it in the cartel," he remarkedwhen I had finished. "Had Hermanos not rescued you so opportunely,Fernandez would have shot you without remorse. I wish, however, thatyou had not been compelled to bring the Senorita with you. But perhapsit was for the best. If you had left her behind, she would have mademischief. You must have had a queer voyage with those two. I wonderwhat your sweetheart in England would have said, could she have lookedin upon you?"
"We will leave her out of the question, if you don't mind," I saidquietly.
There was a time when I had liked and even admired the man, but two orthree things I had heard during my stay in Equinata, and the fiendishpleasure he had just taken in gibing at his fallen enemy, had producedin me a feeling that was very near akin to loathing.
"Don Guzman," I began, more seriously than I had yet spoken, "I trustyou will bear in mind the promise you gave me in England!"
"And what promise was that?" he asked suspiciously.
"You gave me your most positive assurance that no violence of any sortshould be used towards the man who is now in your power!"
"And I am not aware that I have said that any violence would be used,"he answered angrily. "What makes you think that I want to harm him?Didn't I tell you that my only desire is to keep him out of harm's wayuntil I have once more grasped the reins of government in Equinata?Your part of the business is finished, and to-morrow I will pay youthe reward I promised you. Hand me up that quinine, there's a goodfellow. I've suffered agonies from this cursed fever for the lastthree days. It's just my luck to be struck down just at the momentwhen it is necessary for me to be most active!"
I helped him to a dose of the medicine.
"Where will you live during the time you are here?" he asked at last."Ashore or on board the yacht?"
"I should prefer the yacht if----"
"If you thought you could depend on my not knocking those miserablebeggars on the head in the meantime, I suppose? Come, come," hecontinued with a laugh, "if you go on like this, I shall begin tothink that the ex-President's niece has proved herself more dangerousthan I at first imagined."
Then, doubtless seeing from my face that he was venturing on dangerousground, he made haste to appease me.
"Don't take offence at a harmless jest, my dear fellow," he said. "Youknow very well I don't mean it."
Then, vowing that he was too ill to talk any more just then, he bademe good-bye, promising to see me on the morrow, if I would come up.Before I went, however, I had a proposition to make to him. I did notlike to leave the Senorita in his hands, so I begged that he wouldallow her to return to the yacht, giving as an excuse the plea thatshe would enjoy greater comfort there.
"There is not the least necessity," he replied. "She will be very welltaken care of here. Just for the present I prefer to have the ladyunder my own eye. Sailors are impressionable beings, and there is notelling what ideas she might put into their heads. Remember me toFerguson and the others, and be sure to be up here by eleven in themorning. Good-night!"
I thereupon left him and returned by the path to the beach below. Theniggers who had brought us ashore had departed, so taking my boat-callfrom my pocket I blew a shrill blast upon it. They must have heard meon the yacht, for a boat was immediately lowered and sent off to fetchme. Arriving on board I went in search of Ferguson, to whom I statedthat I did not at all like the look of things ashore. I communicatedto him my fear that Silvestre, in spite of the assurance he had givenme to the contrary, contemplated doing some mischief to Fernandez.
"I shoul
d not be at all surprised if he did," my companion replied."The two men have a lot to settle between them, and Silvestre is notthe sort of man to forget or to forgive an injury."
"But he gave me his word of honour, when I undertook the task ofgetting the President out of the country, that he only meant to keephim locked up until all chance of his upsetting matters in Equinatawas past and done with."
"They say that promises, like pie-crust," Ferguson returned, "are madeto be broken. I wonder what Silvestre's promises are like? Heigho! Ishall be thankful when I have done with the whole concern."
"And when do you think that will be?"
"When I have landed Don Guzman on the mainland," he replied. "Then Ihave to take this vessel back to a certain northern port, and to handher over to a man who is to meet her there. After that, old England,and, if Allah wills, a life of an entirely different description."
Next morning I returned to the house on the hill, to find Silvestre'shealth much improved, and his prisoners, as he found early occasion toinform me, still alive.
"The lady," he said, "treated me to a pretty specimen of her temperlast night. She wouldn't leave her room, and declined to eat her food.Realizing that it was not the least use arguing with her, I left herto her own devices. Her condition, I understand, has somewhat improvedthis morning."
Presently he produced from his pocket a bundle of bank-notes, which hehanded to me.
"Here is the payment I promised you for your work in Bank of Englandnotes," he said. "Just run your eye over them, will you, and see thatthe amount is right?"
A few moments' investigation convinced me that the notes in questionamounted to the value of five thousand pounds. As I dropped the bundleinto the inside pocket of my coat, I reflected that it would be a bigsum to carry about with me continually. As I had no safer place,however, I had to put up with it.
"And now there's a question I want to put to you," I said. "My work isat an end, so when will it be possible for me to leave for England?"
"You can go when you like," he answered. "You will find that I amprepared to stick to my side of the contract as faithfully as you havedone to yours. Shall we say the day after to-morrow? If that will suityou, the yacht can take you across to Cuba, drop you on the coastafter dark, and you can then find your way to Santiago, or elsewhere,as you please."
"The day after to-morrow will suit me admirably," I replied. "As youmay suppose, I am all anxiety to get home. And when do _you_ proposesailing for Equinata?"
"When the yacht returns," he answered. "I desire to get to business assoon as possible."
"And do you still think that you will be successful in yourenterprise?"
"Why not?" he asked. "I have run the risk before, and I am going to doso again. I've got some powerful friends at my back, and with one ortwo of my worst enemies, Fernandez and his niece, for instance, out ofthe way, I am fairly confident I shall be able to manage it. I supposeit would be no use asking you to come with me? I could make it worthyour while to do so."
"I would not go with you for all the money in the world," I answered."I have had enough of Equinata to last me a lifetime. I never want tosee the place again."
"Our tastes differ, I see; for I am as anxious to settle there for theremainder of my existence as you are to remain away from it."
That afternoon I went for a somewhat lengthy stroll through theisland. I was ill at ease, and I wanted to make up my mind, ifpossible, as to how I should act with regard to Fernandez and theSenorita. Common humanity forbade that I should callously leave theisland and abandon them to the fate I felt sure awaited them. Yet howcould I remain, and what good could I do if I did so? I knew that inhis heart Ferguson was well disposed towards me, but even if he werewould he dare to interfere? And again, if he did would the others takesides with us or with Silvestre? By the time I reached the beach oncemore I had come to no sort of decision. For the time being I gave thematter up as a bad job. I was in the act of stepping into the boatthat was to take me on board, when a shout from the wood behindattracted my attention. It emanated from Ferguson. When he reached theboat I noticed that he was deathly pale, and that there was a look inhis eyes I had never seen there before.
"What is the matter?" I asked. "You look as if you had seen a ghost!"
"Hush! I'll tell you when we get on board," he replied. "It would beimpossible to do so now."
