INDIAN WARFARE.
Ronie realized that it was a critical moment for them. While it was
too dark in the room to see anything plainly, the dark visages above
the walls were silhouetted against the background of the night with
vivid clearness. They proved beyond a doubt that the building was
surrounded by the armed men. All this flashed through his mind very
quickly, for they lost no time in attempting to make their escape.
"Follow me," whispered Jack, leading the way to the rear wall. Then,
notwithstanding the presence of the enemies without, he caught upon the
top of the wall, and, springing into the air, cleared the obstruction
with an agility some young athletes might have envied. Nor was Ronie a
bit behind him. Seizing firmly on the wall, the young engineer bounded
upward, and, turning a complete somersault, landed on his feet a couple
of yards beyond the other side of the wall.
Jack struck within half a dozen feet of him, outside of the cordon of
watchers surrounding the building. At the same moment an outburst of
cries from inside the building told that the mob within had entered the
room our twain had just left so unceremoniously. Without stopping to
hear more, they darted into the thicket of bushes bordering the
clearing about the dwelling.
They were barely in time to escape a volley of bullets sent after them
by the insurgents, who had rallied with celerity and prepared to start
in pursuit, giving expression to loud yells of mingled surprise and
consternation at the bold act just performed. These cries served to
tell the fugitives of their situation without doing any material harm.
At any rate, Ronie and Jack found themselves several rods from the
building before their enemies mustered for pursuit. But at the very
outset it promised to be a stern chase.
Unacquainted with the grounds as they were, Ronie and Jack had to be
constantly on the watch against running into some of the impassable
thickets that grew in every direction. The woods seemed to be full of
the insurgents, for go whither they would they soon found their further
flight cut off in that course by a body of the armed outlaws lying in
wait for them, or crossing their path like so many hounds running down
a brace of foxes. They could still hear the outcries and excitement
prevailing at the building they had left.
"Hist!" exclaimed Jack, suddenly grasping Ronie by the arm. "I hear
them coming from the right and left. Down upon your hands and knees,
lad. We must crawl for it."
It was evident the enemies were too numerous for them to risk a
hand-to-hand struggle, so the fugitives dropped close to the earth and
began a tedious advance through the matted bushes which formed a sort
of hedge between the parties of insurgents. Jack was slightly ahead,
but Ronie kept as near to him as possible. In this way they advanced
for three or four yards. It was quite dark in the growth, but they
could discern the forms of the natives plain enough to see that a dozen
or more were within a few paces of them. Then Jack paused, signaling
to Ronie to do the same by a gentle grip upon his wrist.
It had become very still in the jungle-like forest, and Ronie was
wondering what this movement of his companion meant, when a sharp
scream pierced the night air. It was a woman's voice, freighted with
great fear and suffering.
"We are not the only ones in trouble," whispered Jack.
"What does it mean? Hark, Jack! she is pleading for her liberty.
There is a man's voice, and he, too, is begging for some one to spare
his life. Is there nothing we can do for them?"
"It looks as if we had about all we could look after to save our own
lives, lad. But, as long as it is in our way let's creep a little
nearer the place."
The insurgents, having apparently moved farther to their right, they
cautiously advanced, being careful not to disturb a bush or make any
noise. They advanced in this way for a few rods, when they found
themselves on the margin of a sunken swamp, dense with a growth of
vines and bushes enveloped in moss and lichens. Finding this
impenetrable, they crawled along its border, though forced to steer
more to their right than they thought prudent. It was evidently this
impassable jungle which had changed the course of the insurgents.
They must have advanced a hundred rods without finding any end to the
swamp, when the sound of voices now became distinctly heard, though
they were not raised above an ordinary tone. It was the same woman
speaking they had heard before, while her accents were scarcely less
intense. She was saying, in Spanish:
"Have mercy, senors! I have never wronged you nor the poor country you
profess to be fighting for. My poor husband died in her defense, and I
am willing to give my life in her cause, but do not torture me."
"Tell us where he is and we will spare you," replied a masculine voice,
pitched in a high key.
"Alas! I do not know. I would that I did, senors. But if I did you
cannot think me cowardly enough to betray him, not at the price of my
poor life. God forbid that I should for a moment have such a thought
or that you should so far misjudge me in my weakness. He is all there
is left me--if he yet lives, which I am not certain--my noble son, the
noblest of the De Caprians."
At the mention of that name Ronie and Jack instantly remembered the
brave young exile then with Harrie in prison at San Carlos, and, as may
be imagined, listened with excitement hard to suppress for the next
words, which were hissed rather than spoken by the man who held her a
prisoner:
"You lie!" and the concealed listeners fancied they could see him lift
his armed hand over her head, as if he would kill her then and there.
Her reply was spoken with the calmness born of despair:
"Think as you will, senor; I have spoken the truth. Had I a dozen
lives depending on my answer, it would be the same. Kill me if you
wish. I can die without a regret, knowing that Francisco is not here
to witness my death or suffer at your hands, El Capitan."
"She is Francisco's mother," whispered Ronie, anxiously.
"Ay, lad; and he is Rhoades, the insurgent leader."
"Must we let him butcher her in cold blood and remain inactive?" asked
Ronie, whose hot nature was aroused by this unwarranted treatment of a
helpless captive.
"Hist!" warned Jack. "We are watched by an enemy in yon coppice."
Ronie saw nothing in the direction indicated by his companion, but
under the circumstances he felt certain he was right, and he grasped
his firearm more firmly, feeling that it would not be long before he
would be obliged to use it. The voices of the speakers ahead had
become silent, so that not a sound broke the stillness of the scene.
"What can we do, Jack?"
"I have been thinking lad, that it may be well for us to do a little
scouting, in order to get a better idea of the situation. That fellow
in the thicket has got to be disposed of before we can do much else.
If you will lie here and not let any of them spring a surprise on you,
I will see what I can do in the way of Indian warfare. I do not
believe I have lost the little cunning I picked up in fighting the
Igorrotos of Luzon."
Without waiting for Ronie's reply, Jack began to creep to their rear,
moving so silently that our hero was not aware of his retreat until he
had fairly left his side. The voice of the insurgent chief again fell
on his ear, followed by the reply of the woman, which was spoken too
low for him to distinguish. Jack had now disappeared, and he knew he
was alone in the midst of enemies.
Five minutes dragged themselves slowly away without bringing any
material change in the situation. Ronie had not discovered any sign of
Jack, but twice he had seen a man's head thrust cautiously above the
matted undergrowth where he knew one of their enemies lurked.
Evidently the scout, for such he judged him to be, was getting uneasy
and anxious to end the suspense. During the time he had heard a small
body of horsemen ride up to where the insurgent leader and his prisoner
were stopping.
"Jack told me at the end of five minutes to lift my cap on the muzzle
above the rim of bushes," he mused. "The time must be up now. I think
I will try it."
Then Ronie removed the covering on his head, and, placing it on the end
of his rifle barrel, gently raised the weapon as he had been told, in
doubt as to what the result would be. He had barely accomplished the
simple feat before the sharp report of a firearm rang out, and a bullet
sped just over him with a hearty zip! The cap dropped by his side, and
when he came to pick it up he found that it had a hole through its
crown where the bullet had gone. Most assuredly the insurgent was a
good marksman, and he shuddered to think what his own fate would have
been had he carelessly exposed himself.
The shot of the sharpshooter brought an exclamation from the lips of
the chief, but beyond that Ronie heard nothing to explain to him what
was succeeding. He fancied at first he heard the man starting toward
him, but he was not quite sure of it. He was becoming alarmed in
regard to Jack. Where could he be all this time? Had he fallen into
some trap and become a prisoner? In the midst of these reflections he
suddenly became aware of the presence of some one near him, and he was
about to act in his defense when the familiar voice of Jack caused him
to stop.
"Easy, lad! It's all right with him yonder. Your ruse worked to
perfection and just in the nick of time. I managed to handle him
without making a disturbance. His shot has not seemed to arouse them,
and it is time for us to act. The road is not far away, and the
insurgents seemed to have halted near the outlet of this swamp. I
judge they are waiting for some of their force to join them. Besides
the woman, they have one or two other captives, which I judge they are
taking to headquarters. If you feel like looking at them, follow me.
We might as well go that way as any other, for the woods are full of
the cusses behind us. Somehow, they run an idea we have taken to the
mountains, which is natural, I suppose."
Ronie was nothing loath to move, as he had begun to tire of this
inactivity, so he kept close behind Jack, who began to worm his way
along the margin of the lowlands, until, after several minutes of this
tedious advance, Jack paused.
"If I am not mistaken, we are within gunshot of these brown-skinned
rebels," he whispered. "But there is no doubt but they are on the
lookout for us, and we must move with great caution. Let's make
another hitch."
Once more they went forward, keeping close to the earth, and under the
cover of the overhanging tropical vegetation, being careful how they
disturbed each bush, and with their eyes constantly trying to pierce
the gloom around them. So, like woodsmen following some Indian trail
in the days of the pioneers, they wormed their way along, Jack ever and
anon lifting his head slightly so as to get a wider view of his
surroundings, but always careful not to expose any part of his figure.
Finally he paused again, Ronie quickly imitating his example, while he
listened for the explanation he knew his companion was ready to make.
Though slightly behind him, he had discovered the shadowy outlines of
several horsemen drawn up in a semi-circle.
"We have reached the road," said Jack, softly. "Can you see the
horsemen just to our right, where the way curves slightly?"
"Yes," replied Ronie, in the same cautious tone.
"And the woman? She is a little beyond the main body, on the gray
horse."
"I see her, now that you have called my attention to her. I should
know her by her skirts."
"Right, lad. The brook is just below. The crafty dogs are still
harkening and waiting. But they will not wait much longer. Hark! a
body of horsemen are coming up the road at this moment! It is probably
these they are waiting for."
"What do you propose to do, Jack?"
"Get a little nearer, lad."
"Do you think we can save her?"
"We will try, but it can be done only at great risk and under cover of
the excitement of the meeting of these squads. Come on, lad, every
moment is precious to us."