A PERILOUS FLIGHT.
Renewed outcries now came from outside the building, and it seemed
evident that the mob was about to enter the place. Certainly it would
unless something could be done to evade such a movement. Jack
Greenland was the first to speak:
"Can't you or the woman parley with them long enough for us to slip
away by the rear of the building, Manuel?"
"Me--parley? They would string me up like a dog. Curses upon their
pig heads!"
By this time his wife had become calmer than he, and she showed that if
he was lacking in courage to meet the enemy, she was not. So she
immediately offered to keep the crowd at bay long enough for them to
effect their escape, her husband showing great eagerness to profit by
her heroism. Accordingly, she returned to the front part of the
dwelling without loss of time, and a moment later Ronie heard her
challenging the leader of the would-be captors.
"While it may not be good policy for us to use them too freely, it may
not be amiss for us to provide ourselves with firearms," said Jack.
"Si, senors," replied Manuel, quickly darting away from them, but
returning in an incredibly short time with a couple of short, but
serviceable weapons, one of which he handed to each of his companions.
"Follow me, senors. They are getting impatient, and Dolores will not
be able to hold them back long. I think we had better cross the bay to
the other shore. I have a boat."
As Ronie and Jack had no better plan to offer, they followed the
speaker in silence. He led the way to the rear of his humble dwelling,
where they paused to listen for sounds of their enemies. These came
from the front, and judging that the soldiers had not yet surrounded
the place they plunged boldly into the midst of the dense tropical
plants which reached above their heads, Manuel still leading the way.
But they had not gone far before he suddenly stopped, and motioned for
his companions to do the same.
As the three fugitives thus abruptly paused they heard the sound of
footsteps, which rapidly became plainer. There were evidently several
persons approaching at a headlong rate, and knowing only enemies were
likely to be in that vicinity, they dropped swiftly and silently to the
earth, the broad leaves of the thrifty plants about them affording
shields for their bodies.
A minute later, half a dozen men burst through the rank vegetation
within a yard of where they were lying! Jack and Ronie, believing they
were going to be discovered, thought hastily of flight in another
direction, but the party quickly swept past and disappeared in the
distance below them. As soon as they felt it was prudent they resumed
their flight, having no further cause for alarm until they came in
sight of the narrow body of water ahead. Between the growth and this
was a broad belt of sand, where not a shrub found sustenance. The
clear, starlit night made this space almost as bright as by day.
"Hark!" panted Manuel Marlin, "they are coming! They have scented us
like bloodhounds. Our only hope is in reaching the boat. It is just
above that highest sand bar. Run for your lives, senors!"
Ronie and Jack now heard plainly the sounds of their enemies
approaching from their rear, and the exciting words of their companion
were not needed to urge them ahead. With light, swift steps they
bounded forward across the open country. When about halfway to the
shore a volley of bullets was sent after them, and then their pursuers
burst out from the growth into sight.
The aim of the pursuing crowd must have been poor, for their shots
failed to strike any of the fugitives, who were urged on to greater
effort, if that were possible. Jack, glancing back, saw the party
following at a furious pace upon their heels, and instinctively glanced
toward the water. It was nearer to the boat than back to their
pursuers, and he felt confident they would be able to reach the little
craft in season. Ronie was slightly ahead, while Manuel was as far
behind, unable to make as good speed as the young American engineer.
"Don't leave me!" sputtered the latter, and as if he were going to make
this a necessity he stumbled over a sand knoll, to measure his length
on the ground. His companions, not hearing him fall upon the soft
earth, and being ahead, were not aware of his mishap until prolonged
yells from their pursuers and piteous cries from him, caused both to
look backward.
The ring of triumph in the tones of the soldiers in the distance told
plainly that they anticipated a certain capture of at least one of the
fugitives, but Manuel rallied quickly, and was again upon his feet.
"Keep on for the boat!" cried Jack, who felt that it would be fatal for
them to stop now. So they sped ahead, with Manuel sprinting his best
to overtake them, and the armed posse behind madly pursuing.
They were soon close down to the boat, drawn up on the white sand, out
of the reach of the water, and then Ronie and Jack, panting for breath,
stopped beside it.
"Quick! push it out into the water," said Jack, seizing upon the
gunwale and giving the object a furious shove toward the tide. Ronie
had already caught upon the boat, and together they sent it forward
more than its length in the twinkling of an eye. But the short delay
enabled Manuel to overtake them, so, as the boat floated on the water,
he sprang into the stern. There were a pair of oars in the bottom, and
Jack and Ronie each took one of these, to begin to send the light craft
flying across the narrow bay, while the Venezuelan steered for the
opposite shore.
Renewed cries from their pursuers reached their ears in the midst of
this flight, and another volley of shot followed them. But the latter
proved as ineffectual as the first, and glancing back a few minutes
later, Manuel gave expression to a chuckle of delight, while he said:
"We've outstripped them, senors. There is not another boat they can
get in season to follow us before we reach the land."
Nothing further was said until the keel of the boat grated on the sand,
when Ronie and Jack jumped out upon the land, closely followed by
Manuel. The shadowy forms of their enemies could be discerned upon the
other side of the water, but feeling comparatively safe from them, our
twain turned to their guide for such suggestion as he might have to
offer. It was a beautiful tropical night, the full, round moon of the
South, now fairly above the horizon, was gliding over a sky of
cloudless blue, having already driven the stars into the background of
space, so that only Venus, the zone of Orion and the brilliant radii of
the Southern Cross were visible.
Away from their feet stretched the silvery mirror of the sea, marking
the meridian of the moon. So calm and silent lay the deep water that a
satellite sky seemed carved from its azure depths. Upon the other
hand, the country, growing more and more broken in the distance, lay
clothed in its tropic verdure as silent and mysterious as the Blue
Water Empire. The beauty of nature, however, had no attraction for
Manuel Marlin, who felt that his life was at stake, and only swift
flight could save him.
"A friend of mine, living a short distance from here, has a couple of
horses you can get," he said. "I shall not need one," he added, seeing
their looks of inquiry, "as I shall not go very far. I have friends
who will afford me protection until this shall blow over."
Then he led the way up from the shore and along a path at times nearly
choked with the overhanging growth, until they finally reached the home
of a planter. After considerable trouble Manuel succeeded in rousing
the owner, who did not appear in very good humor at being thus
disturbed. But as soon as he understood the errand of his untimely
caller he became more genial. Would he let the Americanos have horses
to carry important news to the revolutionists near Caracas? Most
assuredly he would for so important a purpose! It will be noticed that
Manuel did not try to stick very near to the truth in the matter, and
neither of our friends felt like correcting him under the circumstances.
Finally the planter ordered out a couple of peons, who soon brought
forward a pair of small, but hardy ponies, which their owner declared
were good for all that might be required of them. Leaving Manuel to
arrange for the loan of them in such a manner as he thought best, Ronie
and Jack sprang into the saddles and prepared to start upon their long
and hazardous journey.
"Keep your eyes open for our friends, Manuel," were the parting words
of Ronie.
"Trust me for that, senor, and may you live to come back with the
welcome word that Caracas is once more safe from the spoils of the
mercenary knaves that flock to the mountain savage."
Murmuring an unintelligible reply to this, the couple then urged their
ponies forward, and a moment later were starting side by side upon the
first stage of a ride through a country overrun with hostile armies and
dangers which they had not stopped to contemplate.