A DESPERATE ALTERNATIVE
Ramon Ganza had spoken slowly and with deliberation, choosing his words
with care. His story seemed plausible, except where it referred to
the planting of the mine, which he claimed to be the last resort of a
man so desperately situated. Some of his hearers were quite convinced
of his sincerity in making this statement, but Mr. Cumberford was not
among them. He remembered Chica's artless statement: "Ramon lies; he
always lies," and it confirmed his skepticism.
"As I understand you," he made answer, after a little thought, "you
consider your retreat no longer safe because we have discovered it.
Therefore, on obtaining possession of this yacht, you propose to sail
to parts unknown, leaving us stranded on this rocky island."
"From whence you will soon be rescued," added the outlaw, with a bow.
"The siege which you had planned, in order to force us to surrender
through starvation, is no longer practical; for time presses and if you
delay you will be surprised by the ship sent to rescue us--perhaps a
Mexican man-o'-war."
The man nodded, watching the speaker's face with an eagerness he could
not dissemble.
"For which reason," continued Mr. Cumberford, "you decided to force a
climax by coming on board and threatening us--as you have done. Well,
we intend to force your alternative, Ramon Ganza. You are our prisoner,
and if your men blow up this yacht you shall go to eternity with us!"
The Mexican's face grew rigid a moment. Then he smiled in a sardonic
way and shrugged his shoulders. But Mr. Tupper, white and trembling as
with an ague, leaped to his feet and cried:
"In heaven's name, Cumberford, what do you mean? Would you destroy us
all in this heartless fashion?"
"No. There is no mine; or, if there is, it will not explode."
"I--I differ with you. This--er--person--is desperate. He--he knows
what he's talking about. I refuse to ta-ta-take the chances, sir! I
must consider the safety of my wife and myself, and of our niece, Miss
Dentry. This is our yacht, Cumberford, not yours, I beg to remind you,
and we shall decide this important question ourselves."
Even before he ceased speaking Mrs. Tupper, whose eyes had been wild
and staring, uttered a piercing shriek and tumbled to the floor of the
cabin in violent hysterics. Sybil and Madeline rushed to her assistance
and this confusion further unnerved Mr. Tupper. With sudden energy he
pounded his fist upon the table and cried:
"I won't allow it! I won't allow this sacrifice. Madeline is rich; what
does she care for this miserable yacht? Take it, you Mexican thief, if
you want it! Our lives are far too precious to be put in peril."
Ramon Ganza's face showed his satisfaction but his eyes expressed
nothing but contempt for the terrified Mr. Tupper. Mr. Cumberford
sat calmly regarding the contortions of the afflicted lady, as if
wondering how much was involuntary and how much pure perversity. The
captain twirled his thumbs and seemed absolutely unconcerned, while
little O'Reilly's attention was fixed, in keen amusement, on the scene
before him, as if it were a vaudeville act performed for his especial
edification.
As Mrs. Tupper continued to pound the floor with her heels Madeline
first emptied the water pitcher over her aunt and then slyly pinched
her, which torture may have been responsible for some of the frantic
screams. Mr. Tupper bowed his head despairingly on the cabin table,
in an attitude so pitiable that it should have aroused the sympathy
of all beholders, as he intended it to do. But meanwhile his good
wife gradually recovered; her screams subsided to heart-rending wails
and then to moans, after which she became quiet except for a series
of nervous sobs. Madeline and Sybil now raised the poor woman and
supported her to her stateroom, where she fell exhausted upon the berth.
It was not until the girls returned to the cabin that the discussion of
Ramon Ganza's proposition was renewed. Miss Dentry gave him a searching
look as she entered and noted the outlaw's smirk of satisfaction and
the triumphant glitter of the dark eyes beneath their half closed lids.
Then her own expression hardened and she turned to Mr. Cumberford, as
if inviting him to proceed.
"Madeline," implored Mr. Tupper, "be good enough to assure this
man--Mr.--Mr.--eh--Ganza--that the yacht, which is your property, is at
his disposal in return for our--safety."
"The yacht is really Miss Dentry's property," added Mr. Cumberford
coolly. "She will dispose of it as she thinks fit."
[Illustration: Madeline, seated at the table, studied the faces before
her curiously, while an amused smile played around her lips. "We cannot
accept our enemy's proposition," she announced.]
Madeline, seated at the table, studied the faces before her curiously,
while an amused smile played around her lips. She knew she was
enjoying the scene, and also knew the moment was critical, but no fear
of consequences caused her courageous heart to falter an instant.
"We cannot accept our enemy's proposition," she announced. "Ramon Ganza
is not the man to abide by any promises he makes, and if once we left
the protection of this yacht we would probably be treated with little
mercy. It would not save a single life, Uncle Martin, to agree to
Ganza's proposal. Threatening and browbeating those weaker than himself
seems to be the man's pet recreation and before he left the island he
would leave us to our fate, virtual prisoners. It might be years before
any ship chanced to sail this way."
"I give you my pledge of honor to send word to your friends where you
are," protested Ganza, eagerly.
"As you have no honor, sir, your word has no value. But I have a
counter-proposition to suggest which will, I think, satisfy all
concerned. Order your men, Ramon Ganza, to lay down their arms and
surrender themselves to our keeping and to obey us unreservedly. Then,
under command of Captain Krell, all hands must attempt to get the yacht
afloat in deep water. When that is accomplished we will take you with
us back to the United States and secretly land you in any port you
select. Afterward we will not betray you nor attempt to hunt you down.
If you need money, I will even supply you with a small sum that will
enable you to flee to Europe or South America. That is fair. It is more
fair than you deserve. But, if you accept our terms, we will abide by
them faithfully."
The Mexican was intensely annoyed.
"No!" he exclaimed, abruptly. "If you cannot trust me, why should I
trust you?"
"Because my plan is by far the better way," she rejoined. "If you
seek liberty, if you desire to avoid arrest, this plan will surely
accomplish your purpose. You cannot prefer prison to assured freedom,
and the alternative, if you reject my plan, is simply to explode your
mine."
He drummed on the table again, rather nervously.
"Pardon me, Miss Dentry," said Cumberford, "but you are proposing
to aid and abet the escape of a condemned criminal. You will render
yourself, and us, liable to punishment."
"I know," she answered. "I despise myself for treating with this
scoundrel, but do it to relieve the fears of the Tuppers and perhaps
others aboard who have not yet protested. If I dared follow my own
counsel I would defy him, as you have done."
"My dear sir," said Mr. Tupper, looking at the Mexican beseechingly,
"accept Miss Dentry's terms, I implore you. She will do exactly as she
agrees; she always does!"
"Puh!" muttered Ganza, uneasily shifting in his chair; "perhaps we
can arrange. But the trust shall not be all on one side. If I trust
you, you must trust me--to an extent--a few more details. Instead of
giving you my men, you must give me yours, and place all weapons in my
control. Also I will take command of this yacht, for I am good sailor.
In an hour's time I will float the ship; then, with my men, I will sail
it back to United States, to land your party on the coast near to some
city which you can reach easily by walking. After that I will sail away
in this yacht, which you will present to me in return for my services
to you. You see, in this way you assure absolute safety to yourselves.
As this wise and agreeable gentleman," indicating Mr. Tupper, "has with
cleverness stated, the young lady is rich enough to afford the loss of
her boat, so you can have no objection to my generous proposition."
"None whatever!" exclaimed Mr. Tupper. "Agree, Madeline, agree!"
"No," she said, shaking her head, "I will not. The man is not sincere,
or he would not require us to place ourselves in his power."
"But I insist, my dear. He--he seems quite honest. I--I----"
"Be quiet, confound you!" roared Cumberford, losing patience. "You're a
doddering old idiot, Tupper, and if you don't shut up I'll gag you." He
turned to Ganza. "Miss Dentry's proposition still stands, and it's the
final word. You'll either accept it--right now, on the spot--or take
the consequences."
"Already I have refuse," said the outlaw calmly.
"Very well. O'Reilly, march this fellow to the cage, for'ard, and lock
him in. Then stand guard before the door and shoot him if he bothers
you."
"Thank 'e, sor; it's proud I am to do that same," answered the
engineer, gleefully.
"One moment, please," said Ganza. "You make doubt of my saying that you
all face a most horrible death. You are stupid Americans, and must be
convinced. Come with me on deck and I will prove to you your danger."
"No harm in that," replied Cumberford. "It's on your way to the cage."
With one accord they all accompanied O'Reilly and his prisoner to the
deck.
"Now," said Ramon, standing by the rail, "I have some men hid in
those rocks yonder. Their names are Paschal, Mateo, Gabrielle, Gomez,
Francisco, Pedro, Gonzales, Juan and Tomas. Tell me which one I shall
call--I care not which, myself--and the man will assure you my orders
are positive to them, and that they will carry out the explosion of the
mine as I have arranged, provided I do not return in safety."
Cumberford was curious to learn the extent of the rogue's bravado.
"Call Mateo," he suggested.
The Mexican did so, raising his voice to utter the summons.
From behind a pile of rocks nearly opposite them sprang a thin, gaunt
man. He ran down to the water's edge, saluted his chief and stood at
attention.
"Come here, Mateo," commanded Ganza.
Without hesitation the man waded into the inlet and swam to the rope
ladder which dangled over the side. This he seized and climbed on deck,
where, dripping with water, he again faced his master and saluted him.
"Tell me, Mateo," said Ramon Ganza, "where is it, beneath this boat,
that the mine has been planted?"
"Fourteen feet from the stern, Capitan."
"And is it powerful enough to destroy the ship?"
"To make it in small pieces, Capitan--an' ten ship like it, if ten ship
were here."
"Very nice. You know what time the mine is to explode?"
"At eleven o'clock, Capitan, unless you come ashore to countermand the
order."
"Ah yes; so it is. You may go back to your post, Mateo."
The man, looking neither to right nor left, descended the ladder, swam
to shore and retreated behind the rocks again.
Ramon turned to Mr. Cumberford, showing the open face of his watch.
"In five minutes it will be eleven o'clock," he quietly announced.
"Take him to the cage, O'Reilly!"
Two other armed men had joined the engineer on deck and the three now
surrounded Ganza and started forward with him.
"Mercy, Cumberford! Save us--save us!" howled Mr. Tupper, frantic
with fear. "I can't die now--we ought none of us to die! Give him the
launch. Give him the----"
A cry interrupted him. Mason, the man nearest the rail, dropped his gun
and staggered back with his hands clasped to his side, from which a
stream of blood gushed forth. At the same moment the huge form of Ramon
Ganza leaped the rail and dove headforemost into the water.
But everyone else was more interested in the wounded man, who seemed
to be badly hurt. Ramon Ganza was forgotten as the girls bent over the
poor fellow with anxious looks.
"Have Mason brought to my own cabin, at once," said Madeline to Captain
Krell.
They carried the wounded man below, to be placed in Madeline's roomy
cabin. Mr. Cumberford was not a surgeon, but there was no one aboard
who knew more of surgery than he and so he went to Mason's side at once.
Ganza had struck the man with a knife of the stiletto type, the narrow
blade of which had penetrated his side just above the hip joint. Mr.
Cumberford's "first aid" outfit, which the captain was able to supply,
enabled him to stop the bleeding, but he was unable to tell how serious
the injury might prove. The man was in considerable pain, which
Cumberford partially relieved with a hypodermic injection of morphine.
During this interesting period no one gave a thought to the escaped
Mexican, but when nothing more could be done for his patient Cumberford
left the girls to watch over him and walked into the cabin, where he
found Mrs. Tupper sobbing as if in great grief while her husband sat in
his favorite despairing attitude, his head bowed on his arms.
"What's wrong?" demanded Cumberford, in surprise.
"Wrong!" cried Tupper, lifting his head; "why, at any moment may come
the crash of the explosion that will send us all to eternity. We--we
can't escape it. It's inevitable!"
Cumberford looked at his watch.
"It's a quarter to twelve," he said. "The explosion was due at eleven."
"But the Mexican brigand--the pirate chief--the----"
"He has escaped, so there'll be no explosion at all. I believe he
threatened to fire the ship; but he won't do that. Ganza's sole
ambition is to capture this boat, so he can sail away from his
countrymen, escape imprisonment, and perhaps become a really-truly
pirate. Interesting, isn't it? Forget the explosion, Tupper; if you
must worry, worry about our real danger."
"What is that, sir? What is our real danger?" cried Madeline's uncle,
springing to his feet in a new access of terror.
"There'll be fighting, presently," predicted Mr. Cumberford. "Having
failed in all else, the Mexican will find a way to board us--in the
night, probably--and will try to slice us to goulash or pepper us with
bullets, as opportunity decides."
"Great heavens!"
"To be sure. To avoid getting to those great heavens, where you don't
belong, I advise you to arm yourself properly and be ready to repel the
attack."
Then Cumberford went on deck and found the captain.
"How about Ramon Ganza?" he asked.
"I think Ganza kept swimming and reached the shore, where his men
dragged him to cover. The fellow seems to bear a charmed life."
"That's bad," observed Cumberford, shaking his head regretfully. "I've
an idea, Captain Krell, that unless we manage to capture Ramon Ganza
during the next twenty-four hours, he will manage to capture us."
"So soon?" asked the captain.
"He won't dare to wait longer. There's help coming."
"Well, sir, in that case----" The captain hesitated.
"In that case it will be pleasanter and more satisfactory for us to
capture Ganza," said Mr. Cumberford. "Interesting; isn't it?"
"How can we do it?" asked Captain Krell.
"I don't know," replied Cumberford.