PREPARING FOR THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT.
"NOT all of you," remonstrated Dacres, although well pleased at the
devotion of the men under his immediate orders. "Seven will be
sufficient. That will lighten No. 5 section enough to give it proper
buoyancy. Callaghan, you will take charge of the section until it is
rejoined to the rest of the airship. Explain matters to Captain
Whittinghame and say that we will sit tight so long as we can. Ask
him to take the 'Meteor' out of sight of Naocuanha till ten this
morning. If then it is advisable for him to return, a blue and white
flag will be hoisted from the flagstaff of the Cavarale."
"One moment, Dacres," interposed Gerald Whittinghame. "I am ready to
abide by your decision, but couldn't I render some assistance by
remaining with you? My knowledge of Spanish, for instance? If you are
to lure Zaypuru into the Cavarale you'll have to be very wary."
"I quite agree," replied Dacres, "but at the same time I think you
ought to rejoin your brother."
"It's not a question of ties of relationship," objected Gerald. "It's
a question of duty. That idea of yours, Dacres--if it comes off--will
be a means of bringing the war to an end. With Zaypuru in our hands
the resistance of the Valderian troops will crumble like a pack of
cards."
"Very well, then," agreed Dacres. "We shall be very glad of your
assistance. We'll discuss the plans later."
"I say, Dacres," persisted the Admiral's flag-lieutenant, "I mean to
stay----"
"I'll put you under close arrest if you don't obey orders," retorted
Dacres with well-assumed severity.
"Landing-party, fall in!" he ordered.
The seven men quickly descended and fell in upon the courtyard.
Dacres bade the released prisoners farewell, gave a few necessary
orders to the trustworthy Callaghan, and followed Gerald Whittinghame
down the ladder.
"All clear!" he shouted.
Once more the ultra-hydrogen was forced into the reserve ballonettes.
Carried sideways by the wind No. 5 section rose, cleared the wall by
less than six feet, and shot upwards at a rapid pace till lost to
sight in the darkness. Her movements, however, had been followed by
the anxious Captain of the "Meteor," and without delay he started to
get in touch with the tail portion of the Dreadnought of the Air.
By the time the "Meteor" coupled on her No. 5 section the airship had
drifted twelve miles to leeward of Naocuanha.
"That hare-brained rascal!" exclaimed Vaughan Whittinghame, when he
received the Irishman's report. "I suppose he'll scrape through all
right--he generally does. In any case, it's a piece of sterling work;
self-sacrifice of the highest order."
"Can you land us at Zandovar?" asked Rear-Admiral Maynebrace.
"Sorry," replied Whittinghame. "Not by night. I've no fancy to be
plugged by the shells of your squadron or mistaken for a hostile
aircraft. After ten o'clock to-morrow I may--if I haven't to avenge
Dacres and my brother." Acting under Gerald Whittinghame's
instructions General Galento--for that was the name of the Valderian
who had been entrusted to maintain order amongst the released
prisoners--ordered his compatriots to assemble in the _patio_.
This they did, to the number of eighty. As far as Valderians went
these men looked capable of giving a good account of themselves. They
were all actuated by feelings of revenge towards their former captors
and especially President Zaypuru. Had they got out of hand the lives
of the soldiers who had formed the garrison of the Cavarale would not
have been worth a moment's purchase. Without delay Gerald
Whittinghame addressed them. His almost perfect knowledge of Spanish,
the fluency of his words and his commanding delivery all told upon
his listeners.
"Friends of the late President San Bonetta," he exclaimed. "The time
is at hand when you will be able to completely turn the tables on
your oppressors. To do so you must implicitly obey the orders of the
Commandante Dacres here, whose mouthpiece I am. The Cavarale is
entirely in our possession. Don Alonzo da Costa is a prisoner,
together with every man of the garrison. At nine o'clock this morning
the villainous Zaypuru will pay us a visit."
Shouts of execration burst from the lips of his listeners. Cries of
"Death to the President!" "Down with Zaypuru!" were heard on all
sides. At length Gerald silenced them by raising his right hand.
"Zaypuru must be captured," he continued. "It can be done. How, I
will explain; but before so doing I must have your promise that if he
fall into our hands he will be treated in a manner worthy of
civilized people."
"We will have him shot," muttered a Valderian, and several voices
backed him up.
"Very well," rejoined Whittinghame. "If that is what you are resolved
to do you had better go outside the prison and do it. Remember that
your only chance of safety lies in remaining here. Without, you will
be seen and pursued by Zaypuru's horsemen. Detachments of his troops
are at La Paz, so that your retreat in that direction is cut off.
Rather than allow a prisoner in our hands to be barbarously murdered
the Commandante Dacres will release and arm the soldiers who are now
in his power. Think it over quickly, and let me know your decision."
The partisans of the late president saw that the Englishmen held the
whip-hand. Great as was the hatred of the former for Zaypuru, the
fear of what might happen should the aid of Dacres and his companions
be withdrawn was greater.
"We agree," they announced. "We swear it."
"It is well," continued Gerald. "Now for our plans. When your English
friends surprised the garrison many of the soldiers were in their
beds. They were sent into one of the cellars under the barracks,
their clothes and accoutrements remain. Thirty of you will,
therefore, put on these men's uniforms, and by forming a guard of
honour and placing sentries on the walls will completely deceive the
President Zaypuru. General Galento will oblige us by arraying himself
in the uniform of the Commandante Alonzo da Costa and acting the part
of our late custodian-in-chief, until Zaypuru is safely landed in the
trap."
"And what then, señor?" asked one of the Valderians.
"Be content with that, señor," replied Gerald. "With Zaypuru in our
power the rest will be easy. Your lives and liberties will be
assured. Now, remember, success depends upon your discretion and
implicit obedience of Señor Dacres' orders. We have yet five hours
before us: hasten and make ready."
Away trooped the Valderians, filled with hope and resolution, to don
the uniforms of their former captors, while General Galento,
accompanied by two of the crew of the "Meteor," made his way to the
commandante's quarters to deck himself out, without asking the
owner's permission, in the gorgeous regimentals of the luckless Don
Alonzo da Costa.
At sunrise the new garrison was under arms. The men, having
breakfasted, were ready for any duty that Dacres called upon them to
perform.
There were no signs of the "Meteor." Acting upon Dacres' request to
his chief the airship had put a safe distance between herself and the
capital. The wind had fallen, the sky was cloudless and unbroken. Had
the "Meteor" remained she would have inevitably been sighted by the
garrison of Naocuanha and Zaypuru's suspicions would have been
aroused.
Just before eight a telephone message was received at the Cavarale
stating that the president would arrive half an hour earlier than he
had previously arranged.
His object in visiting Gerald Whittinghame was a crafty one. He knew
the value of the captive Englishman's technical skill; he totally
underestimated his sense of honour. Reno Durango having, from some
cause for the present unknown, failed him, Zaypuru bethought himself
of Gerald Whittinghame.
His plan was to offer the Englishman his liberty and a huge sum of
money if he would take charge of the aerial defences of the city of
Naocuanha. He remembered that under President San Bonetta's regime
Gerald Whittinghame had brought out an aerial torpedo--a monoplane
carrying a heavy charge of guncotton--which could be electrically
controlled by an operator on the ground. The device passed the severe
tests imposed upon it with the greatest ease. Then came the
revolution that caused San Bonetta to lose his life and Gerald
Whittinghame his liberty. The knowledge, unlike that which resulted
in the construction of the "Libertad," remained with the inventors,
and hitherto threats and promises alike had failed to extort the
priceless secret.
"Troops on the move, sir," announced one of "Meteor's" crew who had
been posted to supplement the Valderian sentries on the wall of the
Cavarale.
Dacres and Gerald ascended as quickly as possible, then taking cover
behind the breastwork, used their binoculars through one of the
embrasures. "That's Zaypuru's bodyguard right enough," said Vaughan's
brother. "He doesn't go far without that escort."
"Quite enough to set up a fairly good fight if they've any pluck,"
remarked Dacres. "I don't think we ought to let the whole party into
the courtyard."
"Yet I don't see how we can prevent them without arousing suspicion."
"I do," said Dacres. "You've forgotten the bridge across the dry
moat. We'll fix a detonator, sufficient to bring the whole concern
down without doing very much harm to the President's bodyguard. We'll
have to hurry, for there's precious little time."
"But we haven't a battery," objected Gerald.
"No, but we have plenty of rifles. Smith, bring a couple of sticks of
guncotton from the magazine."
Putting on a coat and _képi_ belonging to one of the former garrison
Dacres issued from the gateway, descended into the moat and lashed
the explosive to one of the props of the wooden bridge. To the one
nearest to it he fixed a loaded rifle, taking care to lock the safety
bolt while he made fast a thin but strong wire to the trigger. This
wire he led back to one of the narrow loopholes by the side of the
gate, giving one of his men instructions to release the trigger the
moment he heard the bugle give the "Alarm."
Rapidly the president and his escort approached the Cavarale. They
were all splendidly mounted, while many of them were distinguishable
as generals by their gorgeous uniforms. Like most revolutionary
armies of the South and Central American republics staff officers
were numerically out of all proportion to the size of the army.
Half a dozen troopers armed with carbines led the procession.
Immediately behind them, and supported by two generals, rode the
president.
Zaypuru was a little man, with iron-grey hair and moustachios. He
rode very erect with his arms thrown well back, but Dacres noticed
that one shoulder was slightly higher than the other. His features
were sharp and pointed, his eyes close-set, while his eye-brows,
slanting upwards from the bridge of his nose, gave him a saturnine
expression in keeping with his character.
An arrant coward at heart he, like most men of tyrannical nature,
took a delight in inflicting pain upon those who, having thwarted
him, had fallen into his power. Blindly he regarded himself as being
essential to the welfare of Valderia, and counting on the support of
the men he had gathered around him, he was as insensible to danger as
the proverbial ostrich hiding its head in the sand. It was only by
relying upon others that he had any confidence in his official
capacity. Reno Durango's disaffection had hit him hard. Had it not
been for his successful coup in capturing Admiral Maynebrace and his
staff, he would have fled from Naocuanha and sought an asylum in one
of the neighbouring republics when the "Libertad" failed to return.
Puffed up with success he was riding hot-shod towards ruin.
Behind the president rode a lieutenant bearing the national flag of
Valderia with an eagle emblazoned in silver upon the centre
horizontal stripe. This was the presidential standard of the head of
the republic.
The cavalcade concluded with about forty officers and men in nearly
equal numbers.
As Zaypuru and his retinue approached the outer wall General Galento
ordered the general salute to be sounded. The great gate of the inner
wall was thrown open and a guard of honour, composed of twenty men in
the borrowed uniforms of the imprisoned garrison, presented arms.
Greatly to Dacres' delight the president gave orders for the bulk of
his escort to wait beyond the dry moat. Attended only by ten of his
staff Zaypuru trotted his steed across the wooden bridge, stiffly
acknowledged the compliment paid by the guard, and cantered into the
_patio_.
Dacres, still out of sight of the president, raised his hand. A sharp
detonation was followed by the crash of shattered woodwork, as the
bridge collapsed into the dry moat. Simultaneously the guard closed
the gateway.
President Diego Zaypuru was trapped.