UNABLE TO RISE.
"CUT the telephone wires, Callaghan," ordered Dacres.
"Beg pardon, sir," expostulated that worthy.
"Well?"
"Might I make so bold as to suggest, sir?"
"Carry on, then," replied Dacres, who from previous experience knew
that the Irishman's suggestions were well worth taking into
consideration.
"Suppose those chaps at Naocuanha telephone to the prison and get no
reply, they'll find out that there's something up. I think, sir, it
would be best to let the wire alone, and station a chap there to
answer all inquiries and complaints, in a manner o' speaking."
"Quite so; but who will be able to do so?" objected his superior
officer. "You're the only man amongst us who has any knowledge of
Spanish, and with all due respect to your capabilities, Callaghan, I
think they would spot your brogue."
"Yes, sir; but how about the Valderian chaps imprisoned here--the
fellows old Zaypuru's got his knife into? They'd do the business with
the greatest of pleasure."
"Good idea," assented Dacres. "But before we release the prisoners we
must secure the commandante. Meanwhile, Callaghan, you might post two
men at the door of the orderly-room in case there's a call, or if
there are any of the garrison who have escaped our notice."
Silently the quarters occupied by Commandante Don Alonzo da Costa
were surrounded. Then, having severed the telephone wire
communicating with the orderly-room, Dacres knocked at the door.
After considerable delay the door was opened by a military servant,
who was promptly knocked down and secured.
Don Alonzo was a widower and lived alone in the official residence
except for the company of two servants. Owing to his refusal to let
the pseudo-"electricians" enter his quarters, Dacres was not well
acquainted with the interior. Three empty rooms were examined before
the raiders came to the one in which the commandante was fast asleep.
The door was locked.
Dacres knocked. A voice replied in Spanish demanding to know what was
amiss?
Not trusting himself to reply the Englishman knocked again. He could
hear the occupant getting out of bed. Then the jalousies across one
of the windows were opened and a pistol shot rang out.
Don Alonzo, finding himself summoned in an unorthodox manner, had
suspected that something was amiss. Going to the window he saw the
section of the airship in the courtyard. Partly with the idea of
giving the alarm and partly with the idea of damaging the ballonettes
he fired almost point blank at the huge target.
"Lie down, men," ordered Dacres, then clapping his revolver to the
door he blew away the stout lock. Before he could push open the
shattered woodwork five shots in rapid succession whistled along the
corridor. Had Dacres or any of his companions been standing they
would have been in the direct line of fire.
The commandante had emptied his revolver. Before he could reload he
was pounced upon, disarmed, and secured.
Meanwhile, the noise of the firing had reached the ears of the
prisoners. The British ones, having been warned of what was taking
place, maintained silence, but the Valderian political prisoners,
thinking that either a mutiny or a counter revolution had broken out,
shouted, cheered, and kicked up a terrific din.
Leaving a man to keep guard over the governor Dacres led the rest of
his command to the prisoners' quarters. The captives had been left
for the night, the authorities taking it for granted that there would
be no use for any military warders. Since the keys could not be
found, and Don Alonzo stubbornly refused to answer any questions put
to him by Callaghan, the doors of the cells had to be broken open.
"Knock off this lock for me," ordered Dacres, pointing to the one on
the door of No. 19--that tenanted by his former Admiral.
A telling blow with a sledge-hammer wielded by a former armourer's
mate of the Royal Navy, sent the metal-work clattering on the stone
floor of the corridor.
"Come aboard, sir!" said Dacres, saluting. Rear-Admiral Maynebrace
did a thing he had never done before. He grasped the hand of his
former subordinate and wrung it heartily. He tried to speak, but his
emotion prevented him from uttering a single word.
"Smith," said Dacres, addressing one of his men. "Escort Admiral
Maynebrace to No. 5 section. Place him safely on board and return.
Now, lads," he continued, "we'll have the British prisoners out
before we release the Valderian ones. We can't take them with us;
they must shift for themselves. One moment: open this door."
The cell Dacres had indicated was tenanted by a Valderian general who
had been a partisan of the ill-fated President San Bonetta.
Upon the situation being explained to him by Callaghan the Valderian
readily agreed to take command of the rest of his fellow-prisoners.
Going from cell to cell and addressing the inmates through the
grille, he quickly obtained some semblance of order. The shouts and
cheers died down, and the luckless Valderians, who for months past
had been in hourly dread of death, assented to obey whatever orders
their rescuers might give.
"Thanks, Mr. Dacres," said Gerald Whittinghame, when he was let out
of his place of confinement. "I hardly know how to express my
gratitude. President Zaypuru will, I hope, be disappointed in the
morning."
"I trust it won't be the only disappointment," rejoined Dacres. "But
there is little time to be lost. If you will go on board the section
of the 'Meteor' will be with you presently."
Meanwhile, two more Valderians had been released and ordered to
remain by the telephone in the orderly-room. Should any message come
through they were to give a reassuring reply, and lead the
authorities at the capital to believe that all was in order at the
Cavarale. They were then told that as soon as the section of the
airship rose clear of the prison, they were to open the doors of the
remaining cells and take whatever steps they thought best for their
own safety.
As soon as the nine Englishmen were released the order was given to
return to the airship. As soon as the crew were on board, the two
cables were slipped and additional ultra-hydrogen pumped into the
ballonettes.
No. 5 section refused to rise.
"That's that rascal of a commandante," declared Dacres. "Up aloft,
there, and report damage."
Armed with an electric torch one of the crew ascended the aluminium
ladder between the double rows of ballonettes and gained a
longitudinal gangway from whence it was possible to examine each
individual gas subdivision. It was not long before he returned.
"Four badly holed, sir. All of them on the starboard side."
"Which ones?"
"B2, 3, 4, and 5, sir. They are quite flabby."
"Very good. Close the valves of the supply pipes to these ballonettes
and charge the others to their fullest capacity."
Promptly this order was carried out. No. 5 section no longer stuck
stubbornly to the ground: she was lively, with a tendency to list to
starboard; but still the upward force of the ultra-hydrogen was
insufficient to raise her.
Just then a vicious blast of wind whistled over the walls of the
Cavarale, causing the airship to rock violently. The night, hitherto
calm, was rapidly becoming stormy.
Ordering the crew to fall in, Dacres addressed them.
"My lads," he said, "we're in a bit of a hole. Owing to the damage
done to some of the ballonnettes No. 5 section is incapable of
lifting the additional weight. Some of us must remain. We may be
rescued by the 'Meteor'--we may not. Owing to the rising wind, the
odds are against us."
He paused. Taking advantage of the lull several of the men stated
their willingness to remain.
"What's this, Dacres?" asked the Admiral. "You clear out and leave
us. You've done all that is humanly possible, and if you fall into
the hands of Zaypuru it will go hard with you. He won't dare to go to
extreme measures with us."
"I don't know so much about that, sir," replied Dacres. "In any case,
please let me remind you that I am in charge of these operations.
"Now, lads, I mean to stop. When we are discovered the forts will no
doubt try to shell us to pieces, unless"--then raising his voice he
added--"unless we contrive to capture President Zaypuru and hold him
as a hostage. Now, my lads, who will remain with me?"