CHAPTER XXVIII
A FLAG OF TRUCE
Phil's finger rested lightly on the key of the battery, ready to sendthe current through the wire at the word of command. But the word didnot come.
For the first rush of the attackers had not been made in a mass. On thecontrary they came in open order seeming to spring up from the ground atvarious points. At no moment were enough of them concentrated on orabout where the mine was located to justify springing the mine. Thatmust be reserved until it could be most effective.
Benton saw this like a flash and changed his tactics.
"Fire!" he roared, and instantly sheets of flame came from the weaponsof the besieged.
The effect was instantaneous. Two of the attacking party staggered andfell and the rest stopped short in their tracks. They had evidentlyexpected to find their intended victims asleep and the answering volleyhalted them as though it had been a thunderbolt. One or two of them madeas though they would still come on, but the others wavered and then fellback to the shelter of the woods dragging their wounded comrades withthem.
"First blood for us," said Benton grimly. "Any of you boys hurt?"
"No," came in a chorus, in which jubilation was the dominant note.
"Good!" exclaimed Benton with vast relief. "They can't say as much, forwe've put two of them at least out of business."
"Wonder how they liked the little surprise party," chuckled Dick.
"Not very much I imagine," answered Benton. "But stay under cover andkeep your guns fully loaded. This fight isn't over by a long shot. We'vewon the first round and balked them for the time, but they'll come back.They've got too much at stake to give it up, and they know theyoutnumber us four to one."
For the next half hour scattering shots kept coming from the woods, butthe boys kept well under cover and the bullets whistled harmlesslyagainst the rocks.
It was hard to lie quiet and not reply, but Benton's orders wereimperative.
"Let them shoot," he said. "They're only wasting their ammunition, andthere's no reason why we should do the same. Besides our absolutesilence gets more on their nerves than if we answered. But they'll hearnoise enough when they come on again."
Another half hour passed, and then a hail came from the blackness of thewoods and they could just catch a glimpse of something white like ahandkerchief that was thrust on a stick from behind a tree.
"Ahoy there," came a voice. "I want to talk with you."
"Oh you do, do you," called Benton sarcastically. "Why didn't you say sobefore? I thought that what you wanted was to cut our throats."
"No," came the voice. "We were not going to do you any harm. All that wewanted was to get the treasure, which belongs to us as much as it doesto you."
"That's interesting," replied Benton, "seeing that we got it and youdidn't. But if you've got anything to say, you infernal scoundrel, comeout here in the open and say it."
"And your men will not shoot?" asked the voice.
"No," answered Benton, "not unless you try any treachery, and then mayheaven have mercy on you for we won't."
A figure emerged from behind the tree and still holding the flag oftruce came toward them. Benton halted him when he had come within tenfeet of the cave.
"Stand right where you are," he commanded. "And remember, Ramirez, thatwe have you covered, and at the least sign of any crooked businessyou're a dead man. Now get on with your palaver, for you're breakinginto my night's sleep."
If Benton expected that his coolness would daunt the rascal, he countedwithout his host, for the latter betrayed no signs of trepidation.
"So you know my name?" he queried, with a faint tinge of surprise.
"Just as well as you know mine," replied Benton. "We've been keepingtabs on you and your gang just as you have on us. You didn't know thatyou were followed the other night, did you? You didn't know that one ofour men concealed in the bushes heard your plans and saw you shoot oneof your men, did you?"
Ramirez gritted his teeth, and a smothered oath came from his lips.
"You see we're onto you," said Benton, "and that's how it came aboutthat we had this little surprise cooked up for you tonight. Too bad thatyou didn't find us sound asleep, wasn't it? That's your long suit, youknow, creeping into places where people are asleep. You remember how youworked it when you tried to steal the papers from my tent."
"It's a lie," ejaculated Ramirez sullenly.
"Well, you're an expert liar and ought to know," retorted Benton. "Butget on with what you want to say and then clear out. You're a blot onthe landscape and it makes me tired to look at you."
"These are big words," sneered Ramirez, "but they are only what youAmericanos call the bluff. We hold your lives in our hands, just likethat," and he snapped his fingers.
"Really?" answered Benton. "Now that's news to me. But perhaps you haveadvance information. What makes you think you have a strangle hold onus?"
"You have only five men, besides a negro and he doesn't count," repliedRamirez. "I have twenty, four times as many."
"You had twenty perhaps," said Benton, "but I think you lost a couple ofthem a little while ago. And I shouldn't wonder but what you'd lose morebefore the night is over. And remember, Ramirez, that the men behind meare white, while your rascals are mostly half breeds like yourself.You've seen enough of white men in San Domingo to know what that means."
"A bullet will kill a white man just as easily as it will a black,"Ramirez retorted. "You have no chance. I may lose some of my men, but inthe long run we will be too many for you."
"Well, if you're so sure of that, why do you waste your time talking,"responded Benton. "Why don't you come and wipe us out?"
"Because there is a better way," was the answer. "There is no need ofany of us being killed. I come to offer terms to you."
"And what are those terms?" asked Benton, seeking to lead the rascal on.
"In the first place, I will spare your lives," began Ramirez.
"That's sweet of you," interposed Benton. "What else?"
"And I will give you a part of the treasure," went on Ramirez. "I willgive you passage on my boat to San Domingo and there leave you free togo where you will. I swear this on my honor."
Benton laughed.
"Your honor," he repeated with withering contempt. "Why, you lying,thieving, murderous halfbreed, you don't even know the meaning of theword. Within five minutes after we had surrendered, you would have cutour throats, laughing all the while at the fool Americanos who were soeasily cheated. I know you from top of your head to the sole of yourfoot, and you're scoundrel clear through."
Ramirez flew into a fury.
"You refuse then?" he cried, stamping his foot and raising his hand in athreatening gesture.
"Of course I refuse," replied Benton. "Now, you skunk, get thisstraight. Go back to your murderous gang and do your worst. We will giveyou all the fighting that you want. And I tell you right now that we'regoing to whip you to a frazzle."
Ramirez, seeing that his lies had no effect, lost all control ofhimself. A stream of imprecations broke from his lips.
"So it shall be then," he shouted. "War to the death. You were rightwhen you said that I would have cut your throats. But I will do morethan that. I will torture you until you shall pray for death. I will--"
"There now, cut it short, Ramirez," Benton commanded curtly. "I'll giveyou just one minute to get back to shelter. If you're not there in thattime, there'll be one less villain in the world."
For a moment it seemed as though Ramirez in his rage would defy thecommand, but discretion conquered and he went hurriedly back to therefuge of the trees, still heaping maledictions on the heads of hisenemies.
"Gee, but the old boy is eloquent," muttered Tom to Phil.
"Seems real peeved, doesn't he?" laughed Phil in return. "What he thinksof Benton isn't fit for publication."
"He must have thought we were easy marks to be taken in by that mass oflies," re
marked Dick. "Do you see how he threw off the mask when he sawit was of no use, and admitted that he had intended to cut our throats,just as Benton said?"
"The black-hearted rascal is bad medicine," remarked Benton. "But nowwe've got to prepare for the fight of our lives. It's either kill or bekilled. And don't forget if it comes to a pinch that it's better to diethan be captured. You heard what he said, and you know what it will meanto fall into the hands of Ramirez."
The Radio Boys Under the Sea; or, The Hunt for Sunken Treasure Page 28
