by Guy Boothby
CHAPTER XIII
Of our voyage from the island of Asturia to San Diaz there is littleto chronicle. _La Belle Josephine_, as far as her sailing capabilitieswere concerned, was all that her owner and captain had described herto be. On the other hand, her dirt and slovenliness were exactly whatI had been led to expect it would be from my first inspection of thecabin. To sleep in it, or to eat my meals there, was out ofthe question. How the Senorita would manage, when she cameaboard--provided I was able to get her away from the island--I couldnot imagine.
Monsieur Maxime's navigation, I soon discovered, was of the mostelementary description. However, perhaps by luck, and perhaps by ameasure of good judgment, he managed to pick up the island about noonon the third day after leaving Asturia.
Fearing that Silvestre might have some one on the look-out, I badeMaxime keep the schooner out of sight of land until nightfall. Thenwe put in, and brought up in a small bay some five miles from thesettlement. Immediately it was dark I went ashore, bidding the handstake the boat back, and when they got there to keep a sharp ear for mywhistle.
Fortunately for what I had in hand, it was a dark night, so darkindeed that I could scarcely see the boat when I had walked a dozenpaces from it. What the jungle would be like I could not imagine.
When the boat had disappeared I set off along the beach in thedirection of the settlement. How I was going to reach the housewithout attracting the attention of its inmates, and what I was goingto do when I got there, were two points about which I did not troublemyself very much at that time. My lucky star had so far been in theascendant, that I was trusting to it to continue so. I knew very wellthat it was a desperate enterprise I was embarking upon, for shouldSilvestre discover me, my shrift was likely to be as short as thatwhich Fernandez had so obligingly arranged for me in La Gloria. Atlast, when I reached the eastern side of the bay, that in which theyacht had anchored, I turned towards the jungle and prepared to enterit. I knew I was in for some hard work, but I did not imagine that itwould prove so difficult as I found it to be. The dense mass ofcreeper that twined from tree to tree barred my progress at everystep. I had to climb, to twist, to crawl, in places unable to see morethan a few inches ahead, scratched by aloes and thorny bushes,buffeted by low branches, and more than once tripped up and thrownheavily to the ground by logs and other obstacles. How long it took meto reach the plateau I cannot say, but I could scarcely have been lessthan an hour upon the road. Yet the distance was certainly not morethan a quarter of a mile. Somewhat to my astonishment the plateau wasall darkness; not a light showed from the house, not a sound came fromthe huts. With a stealth that would have done credit to a Sioux or anApache, I crept through the bushes towards the block-house in whichFernandez had been confined when I had left the island. A sudden fearhad come over me that, during my absence, Silvestre might have doneaway with him. If no sentry stood at the door I should believe this tobe the case. Closer and still closer I crept to it. At last I was onlya few yards distant from it. I was about to move forward on my handsand knees in order to obtain a better view, when a guttural coughreached me, coming, so it seemed, from only a few yards away. So closewas it, indeed, that I sprang back, fearing lest the man who utteredit would become aware of my presence. Then the grounding of arifle-butt on the stones before the hut door reached me, and affordedme indisputable evidence that the general was still imprisoned there.
At first a wild notion came into my head that I might be able tooverpower the negro sentry, and, having done so, to free Fernandez. Amoment's reflection, however, told me that in all probability he wouldprove more than a match for me, while he might also have time to firehis rifle and so to give the alarm. More important still, even if Idid have the good luck to overcome him, I should not be able to getinto the hut, as Silvestre kept the key.
"No," I said to myself, "I must try again to-morrow night, and thenI'll bring the two men with me."
Creeping back as carefully as I had come, I reached the beach oncemore as tired as if I had walked a dozen miles through heavy ground.Going to the water's edge, I gave a shrill whistle, and then satmyself down to await the boat's arrival. It was not long in coming,and in less than a quarter of an hour I was back on board theschooner. Calling up Monsieur Maxime, I bade him get sail on her andput to sea once more. He seemed a little surprised, I fancy, and wasabout to demur. A brief remonstrance on my part, however, sufficed toput him on good terms with me again.
The next day was spent out of sight of the island, but as soon asdarkness fell we were back once more and anchored in the bay. By thistime, as you may suppose, I had perfected my scheme as far aspossible, and knew exactly what I was going to do.
To my delight the night proved as dark as its predecessor. When, aftersome difficulty, I reached the shore, with the two men who hadvolunteered to assist me, the wind was driving the sand upon the beachin clouds, and was howling most dismally among the trees of thejungle.
"We couldn't have chosen a better night," I said to my companions, aswe hurried along. "With the elements in our favour, however, we shallhave to be very careful how we act."
We made our way down the beach as I had done on the previous night,and climbed the hill as before. Neither of the men had had anyprevious experience of jungle-work, but they were to have some nowwhich would be sufficient to last them all their lives. More than oncethey followed my example and went sprawling in the darkness, whileonce the taller of the pair managed to get his foot entangled in amass of creeper, and it required all my efforts, and those of hiscompanion, to release him.
"Lord bless us, sir," the other whispered in my ear, "I hope there areno snakes about. This seems just the sort of place to find them."
"You needn't be afraid," I replied. "I have been assured that there isnot a snake on the island."
"I'm glad of that," I heard him mutter. "I don't cotton to snakesnohow."
At last we reached the plateau, whereupon I bade both men remain wherethey were while I went to reconnoitre. Then, dropping on to my handsand knees, I crept forward until I was on the edge of the jungle. Itwas the same place from which I had watched the sentry on the previousnight. Either he or one of his comrades was there now, for I couldjust see his dark figure standing at the corner of the hut. Across theplateau streamed a bright light from the sitting-room of the house,while the faint tinkling of some native instrument reached my earsfrom the group of huts beyond. Having taken my observations, I creptback again to my companions.
As may be supposed, I had already instructed them in their duties. Inconsequence, each had brought with him a hank of thin rope, while Ihad placed two or three carefully made canvas gags in my pocket incase their services should be required. The idea I had in my mind wasthat we should creep up to the hut from behind. The two men would thentake the right-hand side and make their way round the building with aslittle noise as possible, while I was to imitate them on the left.When I reached the sentry I was to saunter slowly up to him as if itwere the most natural thing in the world for me to be there. Before hecould recover from his astonishment at seeing me, they were to springupon him and make him secure--I obtaining possession of his riflebefore he could fire it.
"Come along," I whispered, "and don't make a sound as you love yourlives."
Scarcely daring to breathe, I led them from the jungle and across theopen space that separated us from the hut. Having gained its shelter,we paused to prepare for the struggle.
"One had clutched him by the throat."]
Since I had left England I had been in some tight places, but I hadnever felt so nervous as I did at that moment. There was so much to bethought of, so much to be provided for, and yet so much to be left tochance. What if the sentry did not prove as surprised as I hoped hewould be? Suppose the men did not come up in time and gave him anopportunity of discharging his rifle, what would our fate be then? Butit did not improve matters thinking of what might happen. I had tocarry out my portion of the scheme and leave the rest to Fate. So,having seen the men ready with th
eir ropes in their hands, I calmlystrolled round the side of the hut towards the spot where the sentrywas standing. It seemed to me that on the outcome of those few steps Iwas staking all that was worth having in the world--Molly's happiness,my mother's, Fernandez' and the Senorita Dolores' lives, and in allprobability my own. Then I turned the corner and the giant figure ofthe negro was before me. He looked up and saw me, uttered anexclamation of surprise, and then took a step forward as if to makesure of my identity.
"Have you a light for my cigar, friend?" I inquired, as coolly as Icould force myself to speak.
As I said it the two figures of my companions appeared round thefurther corner. Before the man could reply they had thrown themselvesupon him; one had clutched him by the throat, while the other pinionedhis hands behind him. Springing forward, I seized the rifle he haddropped. The man made a desperate struggle for his liberty, but wewere too much for him, and almost before he could realize what hadhappened, we had got him on the other side of the hut, where we couldmake him secure and do with him as we might think best. In almostless time than it takes to tell, my two companions had lashed him sosecurely that it was impossible for him to move hand or foot or, whatwas more important still, to cry out.
"So far so good," I said, rising from my knees, where I had beenkneeling beside the prostrate man. "He will give us no more trouble.Now you, Williams, take his rifle and stand sentry in front of thatdoor, while Matthews and I go across to the house and see what we cando with Silvestre. We've got to find that key somehow."
Williams took the rifle and proceeded to the front of the hut, wherehe stood in very much the same attitude as the negro had adopted. ThenMatthews and I, in our turn, made our way quietly back to the jungle,and through it towards the spot where it approached nearest the house.The light was still streaming from Silvestre's window, and once, as wewaited, I heard the sound of his laugh. It was evident from this thathe was not alone.
"Now, Matthews," I said, "what we have to do is to get across to thatverandah without any one seeing us. If we are caught, remember ourlives will pay the penalty."
"I hope we shan't be caught then, sir," the man replied.
The night was as still as the grave; the music had ceased at the huts,and not a sound came from the house towards which we were making ourway. At last we reached the verandah and ascended the two steps thatled up to it. Silvestre's sitting-room was now only a few yardsdistant. Would it be possible for us to reach it without giving himwarning of our approach? Fortunately for us, the floor of the verandahwas of earth, beaten hard, and for this reason, unless we were morethan usually careless, the odds were in our favour. Keeping as closeto the wall of the house as possible, we approached the window, whichwas open. As we did so, Silvestre spoke again.
"Well, I have given you plenty of time to think it over," he remarked."What have you to say?"
"Only that I refuse," the Senorita replied, for she was his companion."You could not expect me to do anything else."
"Think well what you are doing," the other continued, and as he saidit I advanced a couple of steps. "You know that when I say a thing Imean it. I tell you plainly Fernandez' life is not worth an hour'spurchase. He chose to come between me and my ambition, and I havetossed him aside as I should have done a straw. When he is out of theway Equinata will listen to me, and when she has observed how I dealwith such as oppose me, I don't think she will make any more mistakes.I know that you are dangerous, but I fancy I can manage you. Give methe information I require, and I'll spare you and perhaps do more. Whyshould you bother yourself about Fernandez?"
"Do you think I have no heart?"
"I suppose you have about as much as any other woman," was thesneering reply. "Come, Senorita, you must admit that my patience hasheld out pretty well. But you mustn't overstrain it. Give me theinformation I require and I, on my side, will pledge myself to sendyou to Europe, and also to allow Fernandez to remain here in safety,provided he passes his word never to return to Equinata or to molestme further. I cannot make you a fairer offer than that, and I amafraid I am foolish to do so much."
"And if I refuse to accept your terms?"
"Then I shoot Fernandez at daybreak, and when the yacht returns sailaway, leaving you here in Palmyre's charge. I am afraid you would findthe life a trifle lonely after La Gloria."
Knowing as I did what his real intentions were, I was able to form avery fair estimate of the man's villainy. What the information couldbe that he was so anxious to obtain from her I could not imagine. Ihad not much time, however, to think about it, for as the thoughtflashed through my brain I heard some one rise from a chair and crossthe room, then Silvestre's voice continued, in a more persuasive tonethan he had used before: "Senorita, you and I together could governthat country as it has never been ruled before. I know who are myfriends there, and I am also acquainted with my enemies. The first Ishall take care to render even more loyal than they were before, theothers I shall deal with in such a fashion that they will give no moretrouble. Come, make up your mind. Go home to Europe for a year until Ihave everything in order and then come out and join me. Who knows whathappiness may be in store for us? What have you to say to myproposal?"
"I cannot," she answered in a heart-broken voice; "and yet, oh Heaven!I cannot let you kill him."
"You must decide one way or the other," he said remorselessly, "andyou'd also better be quick about it. My patience is well nighexhausted."
There was another interval of silence.
"Will you let me see Senor Fernandez for a moment before I give you myanswer?" she pleaded.
"Not for an instant," he replied. "You must have known what answer Ishould give you when you put the question. I know Senor Fernandez toowell to allow you two to meet. I see it is half-past ten! Now I willgive you five minutes in which to make up your mind, and if you don'ttell me what I want to know then, I will carry out my threat andFernandez will finish his career at daybreak."
She uttered a piteous little cry, followed by an appeal for mercy.
"Don't talk to me of mercy," he answered. "What mercy did he show me?What mercy would he have for me if our positions were reversed? Hewould have shot me like a dog. Bear the fact in mind, Senorita, thatif he comes to an untimely end you will be responsible for it!"
There was another pause.
"Time is flying. You have only four minutes left!"
It was impossible that I could listen to this sort of talk unmoved. Hehad the unfortunate woman at his mercy, and I knew him well enough bythis time to feel convinced that as soon as he had extracted hisinformation from her he would throw his promises to the wind, andcarry out the infamous project of which Manuel had spoken to Palmyre.He knew well that even if he killed Fernandez and allowed her to gofree she would begin to intrigue against him. His insinuation that sheshould return from Europe to him in Equinata was only a subterfuge toprevent her becoming suspicious as to his real intentions.
"Three minutes gone!"
The Senorita said nothing in reply, but although I could not see her Icould very well imagine the agony she was suffering. The memory of thenight we had spent together in the balcony of the Opera House at LaGloria came back to me. Then I took my revolver from my pocket, andgave the magazine a turn to see that it was in working order.
Once more Silvestre spoke.
"Time is up," he said. "I will call Palmyre and give the necessaryorders about Fernandez."
"No, no," she cried in the expostulation of despair. "Take mylife--kill me! But for the Blessed Virgin's sake, let him go free."
"Will you give me the information?" was Silvestre's reply.
The Senorita uttered a little cry as if she were suffering physicalpain.
"And send them to their deaths? No, no, I should be less than human ifI were to do that."
"Fernandez will be less than human if you do not," was the other'sbrutal response. "Permit me, and I will call Palmyre."
As he said this, I turned to the man behind me and signalled that Iwas about to e
nter the room. Then, revolver in hand, I strode in.
"That will do, Silvestre," I cried, covering him with the revolver asI approached him.
"Good heavens! you here?" he shouted, as if he found it difficult tobelieve the evidence of his own eyes. The Senorita was leaning againstthe table with a look of bewildered astonishment upon her face.
"As you see, I have returned," I answered. "But I have not time todiscuss that matter with you now. I give you fair warning that if youspeak again I shall shoot. Sit down in that chair and put your handsbehind you!"
With an oath Silvestre complied with my request.
Turning to Matthews, I signed to him to carry out the work we hadpreviously arranged. In less time than it takes to tell, Don Guzman deSilvestre was securely fastened in his chair, a gag had been placed inhis mouth, and it was then out of his power to do any mischief. Fromthe expression upon his face I could gather some notion of what hisfeelings were. It was very evident that if I should have themisfortune to fall into his hands again I should be likely toreceive but little mercy from him. As soon as he was secure, and I hadabstracted the key of the block-house from his pocket, I turned to thelady.
"'I give you fair warning that if you speak again I shall shoot.'"]
"Come, Senorita," I whispered, "you had better prepare for departure.If we are to release the President and to get away before daylightthere is not much time to be lost."
"I am quite ready to leave," she replied.
"Then be good enough to accompany this man, and be very careful tokeep in the shadow of the house," I returned. "Above all, see that youdo not make a sound. I want to have a few words alone with Silvestre."
Matthews led the way from the room and, with one last look at the manin the chair, the Senorita followed him.
When I had seen her turn the corner of the verandah, I approachedSilvestre, who glared at me as though he hoped the fire in his eyesmight consume me.
"Don Guzman," I began, speaking in a low voice, "before I take leaveof you, I want to let you know why I have played this trick upon you.You will remember that at Falstead you gave me your assurance that ifI helped you to secure Fernandez you would do him no harm. And yet youhave given orders that, as soon as you had left the island forEquinata, the Senorita and her uncle were to be poisoned. Idistinctly heard you tell the former that the latter would die atdaybreak. I am afraid you will find yourself mistaken in yourprophecy. By daybreak Fernandez should be well on his way back toEquinata. There is one other matter before I go. Here is the lastmoney you gave me." So saying, I threw upon the table the roll ofnotes he had handed to me before I left the island for Asturia.
A hideous scowl was the only response I received.
Then, when I had placed my revolver in my pocket, I made my way downthe verandah in the direction of Fernandez' prison. To my delight Idiscovered that no change had taken place there. The giant negro stilllay where we had placed him, while my own man stood sentry before thedoor.
Bidding the Senorita and Matthews remain concealed, I crept quietlyforward. The plateau was as silent as the grave, while the only lightto be seen was that which streamed from the window of the room we hadjust left.
I had passed through some momentous moments in the past six months,but I do not think that, in the whole course of this extraordinaryaffair, I experienced anything like the sensation that took possessionof me as I made my way towards the door of the hut. I had begun bytaking service under Silvestre; I had carried out his instructions tothe best of my ability; I had found him a traitor, and now, here Iwas, throwing him over and rendering assistance to the other side.What was the end of it all to be? Should I escape with Fernandez, orwould Silvestre catch us before we could reach the boat?
Signing to the sailor to stand aside, I placed the key in the lock. AsI opened the door a voice, which I instantly recognized, said ascalmly as though its owner were addressing me in the President's studyat La Gloria:
"So it's you, Trevelyan, is it? I had an idea you'd come round to myway of thinking. I heard your scuffle with the sentry. I suppose youmanaged to overpower him?"
I answered him in a whisper that his conjecture was correct.
"You must get up at once," I continued hurriedly. "There is no time tospare. The Senorita is waiting for you in the jungle, and I have aschooner in the bay."
"But I can't get up," he replied. "Our worthy friend, Silvestre, hastaken good care of that."
"The deuce, he has!" said I. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that I am chained to the leg of the bed," Fernandez returned."Before you can release me you must have the key of the padlock."
In a flash I realized what a fool I had been. It had never struck me,when searching Silvestre's pockets, to find out whether he had anyother key in his possession. Now we were in a pretty fix. It seemed asif I had defeated Silvestre only to give him a very fair opportunityof turning the tables upon me. At any other time I should have swornat the contrariness of my luck; now, however, I had too much upon mymind to have time to seek relief in that direction. It was a problemthat any man might have been excused for feeling diffident about. TheSenorita was concealed in the scrub; the lives of Matthews and hiscompanions depended upon my prompt and successful treatment of thedifficulty, and the only possible way I could see of accomplishingthat was to return to the room in which I had left Silvestre, and,once there, to overhaul him in the hopes of discovering theall-important key. This time, however, the risk would be increased athousandfold. It was only too probable that the old negress Palmyre,or the half-caste Manuel, would have entered to find their master inthe lamentable condition I had left him; in which case, for all thegood I could do, I might just as well take my revolver, shoot myselfand Fernandez, and so bring the whole desperate affair to aconclusion.
"You are quite sure, I suppose," I remarked, "that Silvestre has thekey upon his person?"
"Quite," he answered. "He has been kind enough to dangle it before myeyes every time he has visited me. Only this afternoon he wittilydescribed it as the isthmus connecting the continents of Equinata andDeath!"
That was Fernandez all over. Even when my heart was beating like awheat-flail in my breast with terror, and when every moment I expectedto see Silvestre make his appearance in the doorway, he must have hisjoke.
"Well," I said at last, "I suppose there is nothing for it but for meto return to the house and to endeavour to obtain possession of thekey. Heaven alone knows whether I shall be successful. In the meantimethe Senorita had better make her way down to the shore. You will ofcourse keep very quiet until I return."
"You may depend upon my doing that," he replied. "You will find mehere when you return."
Without another word I left the hut and crept round it to the spotwhere the Senorita and the faithful Matthews were anxiously waitingfor me. So dark was it in the jungle that I could see nothing of them,and it was not until I called to them that I could discover theirwhereabouts. Then, drawing the lady a little on one side, I hastenedto explain the situation to her.
"You will find the key hanging round his neck," she said in a fiercewhisper. "If you only knew what a miserable part it has played in mylife of late, you would easily understand how familiar I am with itshiding-place."
I did not reply, but, turning to Matthews, bade him escort theSenorita down the hillside to the shore, where they were to await ourcoming. When they departed I began my journey to the house. The lightstill shone from Silvestre's window, though the remainder of thebuilding was in complete darkness. Revolver in hand I crept carefullyalong until I reached the steps leading to the verandah. These Iascended, and eventually reached the room in question. Every creak ofthe boards brought my heart into my mouth; and yet, if Silvestre hadbeen discovered and released by Manuel or Palmyre, why had he not comein search of us? That he was no coward I knew too well.
When I reached the open window I was able to obtain a glimpse of theroom. It may be imagined with what delight I assured myself thatSilvestre was still there
and, what was more, lying just as I had lefthim. Softly I crept in and approached him. I could fancy thesatisfaction he had felt when he had witnessed my departure beforewithout the key of the padlock which fastened Fernandez' fetters tothe bed. From the way he glared at me, when he became aware of mypresence, it was evident that he realized that I had come to rectifymy mistake. As quickly as I could do it, and without wasting any wordsupon him, I unfastened the collar of his shirt to discover, suspendedon a string round his neck, that tiny talisman that, at that moment,was worth more to me than anything else in the world. To takepossession of it was the work of a second, and then I once moretiptoed towards the verandah. I had barely reached it, however, when Iheard the door, communicating with the central passage of the houseopen, and looking back I saw Palmyre enter the room.
As I arrived at the end of the verandah I heard a shrill scream, andas I heard it realized the fact that, unless I could succeed inreleasing Fernandez within the next few minutes, all was lost, andthat I should, in all human probability, never see old England again!
