THE MASK OFF
"Come!" cried Steve, impatiently. "The Don is either a fool or a
rascal, and in either event I propose to keep an eye on him."
"Quite right," said Chesty Todd, nodding approval.
As with one accord they rose and started to leave the veranda the fat
little man with the red whiskers barred their way, removing his hat to
indulge in his absurd bow.
"My noble master has desire that you remain his guests," said he in bad
English. "Some time will he send word he is ready for you to depart."
"Out of the way, fellow," said Chesty, pushing him aside.
"My noble master has desire that you remain his guests," repeated the
man, moodily, and there was a defiant twinkle in his pig-like eyes that
indicated he had received positive orders to detain the strangers.
But Mr. Radley-Todd's ire was aroused.
"Stand back!" he cried threateningly. "Your master is not our master."
"Very true, Chesty," said Mr. Cumberford; and then they all hurried
down the path toward the inlet. They were not three minutes behind Don
Miguel, yet as they reached the dock the big launch left it, filled
with dark-skinned men. In the stern stood Don Miguel, smoking his
cheroot, and he made them an elaborate bow.
"Have patience, dear guests," said he. "I will satisfy myself if your
boat is wreck or is not wreck, and soon will I return to consult with
you. Kindly excuse until I have investigation made. Oblige me to use my
island as if it were your own."
"The rascal!" cried Mr. Cumberford, as the boat of Don Miguel swept
down the inlet. "Tumble into the launch, girls, quick! I believe we can
get to the yacht before he does."
But the girls hesitated to obey, for Steve and Chesty Todd were bending
over the bow of the launch, where the rope hawser had been replaced by
a heavy chain, which was fastened by a huge padlock.
Steve picked up an iron bar, twisted it in the chain and endeavored to
wrench the iron ring from its socket; but it was firmly embedded in the
dock, being held by a powerful cement. Then he tried breaking away the
launch, but the fastenings held firmly.
"No use, Steve," said Chesty, squatting down on the dock. "We must have
the key. Question is, who's got it? That pirate, or--or----"
"He's a pirate, all right," said Sybil, angrily.
"What do you think he intends to do?" Madeline quietly asked.
"Take the folks on the yacht by surprise, capture the ship and then
claim it is his, because it is beached upon his island," replied Steve.
"How absurd!" exclaimed Orissa.
"Yes; but the scoundrel knows no law," declared Mr. Cumberford. "In
this lost and forgotten island he has played the tyrant with a high
hand; I can see that by the humble subjection of his people; and so he
thinks he can rob us with impunity."
"He is mistaken, though," asserted Madeline greatly annoyed. "If this
is really an independent island, I shall send an armed ship here to
demand reparation--and force it. If the Don lies, and he is under the
domain of any recognized nation, then our government shall take the
matter up."
"To be sure," said Mr. Cumberford. "Interesting; very. Provided, of
course, we--we----"
"Go on, sir."
"Er--er--it is really a pretty island, and--interesting," he mumbled.
"Daddy means," said Sybil, "that Don Miguel has no intention of letting
us get back to civilization again, provided the yacht proves to be
worth taking--and keeping."
"That's it, exactly," said Chesty; "only Mr. Cumberford did not like to
disturb your equanimity. But he sized up the situation, as we all did.
Eh, Steve?"
Steve nodded, looking gloomily at the three girls.
"How many men did he take with him?" asked Madeline.
"About fifteen. I tried to count 'em," said Mr. Todd. "But they did not
seem to be armed."
"There are seven on the yacht, besides Mr. Tupper, who doesn't count;
and they have no arms, either, that I know of."
"They won't be expecting to defend themselves, anyhow," observed
Chesty. "Therefore the yacht is as good as captured."
"And with the noble Don in possession," added Sybil, "our plans for a
homeward voyage are knocked sky-high."
"The yacht will be a great find for him," remarked Mr. Cumberford; "so
I imagine he will condemn it as 'wreck' on his shores and keep it for
himself."
"With certainty, señor," said a soft voice beside him.
They all turned to find that the Spanish girl had quietly joined their
group. Behind her came limping the Red-beard, sullen and muttering
at his rebuff. The girl faced Pietro and uttered a sharp command in
Spanish. He hesitated, mumbled a reply and retreated up the path.
"So you think Don Miguel will keep my yacht?" asked Madeline,
approaching the pretty child and speaking in a kindly tone.
"I do, señorita. But his name is not Don Miguel del Borgitis, as he
said. He is Ramon Ganza, a fugitive from Mexico, where he robbed a bank
of much money and escaped. He came here in his launch with ten men, and
has been hiding for many years in this island, where no people lived
before he came."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Madeline; "a criminal and a refugee! And you are
his daughter?"
"No, señorita. He said so, but he lied. He lies always, when he speaks.
He coaxed me away from my people in Mazatlan, when he came there to
buy provisions, saying I would become a princess. But I am merely a
housemaid, in truth."
"How many years has he lived on this island?" inquired Mr. Cumberford.
"I do not know, señor. But it is many. He has built the house, yonder,
or rather he has forced his poor men to build it. Ramon loves to pose
as a royal Don, but I do not think he is of noble birth. Once every
year he goes to Mexico or the United States for supplies, and sometimes
he coaxes others to come back with him, and be his slaves."
"And do the people love their master?" asked Madeline.
"No. They hate him, but they fear him. Not one who has ever come here
has gone away again, for he dares not let them return to tell where he
is hiding. Now there are seventeen men and nine women here. With you,
and those he will fetch from your yacht, there will be many more; but
none of you will ever leave here with Ramon's consent," declared the
girl.
"Then we will leave without it," remarked Mr. Todd, easily.
She gave him a quick, eager look.
"Will you dare to oppose Ramon, then?" she asked.
"On occasion we are rather daring," said Chesty, smiling at her
simplicity. "The fellow ought to be arrested and given up to justice."
"Oh, if you would do that, we could all go away!" said the child,
clasping her hands ecstatically. "Please arrest him, sir; I beg you to."
"We'll see about it, little one. Meantime, how can we get the key to
unlock this chain?"
"Would you follow Ramon?" she asked.
"That is our greatest ambition, just now."
"Then I'll get you the key. Pietro has it."
"The Red-beard?"
"Yes. Pietro is my friend. He is not so bad as some of the other men."
"They must be a sorry lot," decided Chesty. "Come on, then, Chica; I'll
help you to interview Pietro."
The man was sitting on a rock nursing his grievances.
"The key, Pietro," said Chica.
"No," he answered surlily.
"I want it, Pietro."
"He'll whip me. But then, he'll whip me anyhow, for not to stop his
'guests.' Take the key, Chica. Pah! a few lashes. Who care?"
He tossed the key upon the ground at her feet and Chesty promptly
picked it up. The girl looked hard at Red-beard.
"You will not be whipped," she said softly. "It is all right, Pietro.
The Americaños will arrest Ramon Ganza and deliver him up to justice;
they have promised it; so you will be safe. Come with me. Our new
friends need guns."
"What!" The man fairly gasped in his amazement at her temerity.
"Our new friends shall take all they need of Ramon's store of guns.
They are not like the others who come here; the Americaños are not
cowards. You will see them conquer Ramon very nicely, and with no
trouble at all. Come, Pietro--the guns!"
The man slowly rose and led the way to the house, while Chesty called
for Steve and then followed.
In ten minutes Chesty and Steve returned to the dock where the
others awaited them, and both were loaded with rifles, revolvers and
ammunition, ruthlessly abstracted from the private stores of the island
magnate.
When these were distributed, the launch unlocked and they were ready to
start, Madeline turned to Chica.
"Get in, dear," said she. "I think it will be best for you to come with
us. Provided we ourselves manage to escape, I promise to take you to
Mazatlan and restore you to your own people."
The child hesitated, looking at the little fat Red-beard.
"I--I'm afraid Pietro will suffer for helping us," she said.
"Ah; 'tis true," agreed Red-beard. "Unless you please will arrest
Ramon, Ramon will whip me until I faint. I know; it is his habit when
he is opposed."
"Get aboard, then," said Steve, impatiently. "There's room enough, and
your service may come handy to us."
Somewhat to their surprise the man came aboard without an instant's
hesitation, and at once Steve started the engine.
"Are any other men left upon this island?" asked Mr. Cumberford, as the
launch gathered way and darted down the inlet.
"Two," said Chica. "But they have no orders to interfere with you, so
they will be blind. Fourteen have gone with Ramon."
"Are they armed?" asked Orissa.
"I do not know, señorita. Francisco may be, and perhaps Tomas; but
Ramon is afraid to trust many of his men with guns."
Heading out of the inlet they rounded the pillar of rock and skirted
the shore until the open sea lay between them and Owl Island. Now they
were able to see plainly the big launch of Ramon Ganza plodding along
in advance. It had fully half an hour's start of them, yet from the
distance it had gone Steve awoke to the fact that it was not nearly
so speedy as Madeline's little boat. Although the big launch had
gasoline engines of comparatively modern pattern, the lines of the boat
were broad and "tubby," in strong contrast with the slender, graceful
waist of the _Salvador's_ launch. Moreover, Ramon had neglected his
machinery, as he had everything else on the island, and the engines did
not work as well as they should.
"I've an idea that I can beat the pirate to the _Salvador_," said Steve.
"By Jove!" cried Chesty; "if you could do that, old man, you'd save the
day."
"What difference would it make?" inquired Madeline.
"Their plan is to take our crew by surprise, board the yacht and make
prisoners of every man jack--also of Mrs. Tupper," explained Chesty.
"Then, when we arrive, our capture could be easily accomplished. But
if we manage to get there first, warning our men and taking them these
weapons, we stand a good chance of beating off the rascally potentate
and holding possession."
"They are not really pirates, I suppose," remarked Sybil.
"According to this child's story," declared Mr. Cumberford, "the man
is a fugitive from justice and so has no respect for the rights or
property of anyone. Mexico, his own country, has outlawed him and
doubtless if the authorities could put their hands on the fellow they'd
clap him in jail and keep him there."
They considered this statement gravely.
"For which reason," remarked Chesty Todd, "Ramon Ganza is desperate. He
can't afford to let us get away and carry the news of where his island
retreat may be located. Therefore, good people, this is going to be a
lively little scrap, so let's grit our teeth and do our level best."