TO OBEY ORDERS, OR NOT?
Private Simms soon returned, bringing with him Check and Varnum and the
two Mexican prisoners. The Mexicans were forced to join their kind in
the cabin, and Hal had two more soldiers to back his authority.
"Simms, hurry back to camp, looking out for the noose on the way. Report
to Captain Foster what you've seen here, and inform him, with my
compliments, that I await his further commands. This boat will wait at
some distance out in the stream."
Just before Hal gave these instructions, Captain Boggs had been directed
to run his boat back against the pier. Simms, saluting, stepped ashore
and went off at brisk stride.
"One bell ahead, Captain," ordered Lieutenant Hal, showing his face at
the wheel-house window.
"I don't know whether I'll do that or not," growled Boggs, filling a
short, black pipe and lighting the tobacco.
"You'll either obey orders, sir, or you'll go back into the cabin with
the Mexicans, and let your mate run the boat. If your mate refuses he'll
join in the cabin and I'll do the best I can with the boat myself. Now,
sir, are you going to obey orders?"
"Where do you want to go?" growled the riverman.
"One bell ahead."
"But where are you bound for?"
"That is none of your business, as you are no longer in command here.
One bell ahead, sir."
Boggs looked as though he were going to balk flat, until he saw Hal turn
as though to summon a soldier. Then the tug's master reached for the
bell-pull. Clang! The tug's propeller began to churn slowly.
"Throw the wheel over two points to port," Hal continued. "Now, hold her
steady ahead."
Still at half speed the craft moved out into the river some four hundred
feet.
"Stop your speed, Captain."
Boggs obeyed, demanding next, "What now?"
"Nothing until I tell you," Lieutenant Hal responded.
"But the drift will carry us downstream."
"If we get too far down we'll steam back. Mate!"
"Aye, aye, sir," answered the man standing beside the tug's master.
"Get your masthead light out. Then display your starboard and port
sidelights. Men," called Hal to his soldiers, "I call upon you to note
and remember that this craft had no lights out until I ordered them
out."
"We don't need lights out at the pier," growled Boggs, comprehending the
meaning of Lieutenant Overton's remark.
"I believe you do," Hal rejoined, "when you are about to leave the pier
for the stream. However, that's a point for higher authority than yours
or mine to determine."
The mate soon had the running lights properly displayed and returned to
the wheel-house.
Very slowly the boat drifted downstream. After fifteen minutes Hal
directed that the skipper take his boat far enough upstream to make up
for the drift.
From time to time the Army boy turned his gaze toward the pier. Hal had
no need to bother himself with discipline aboard. All the crew and the
Mexicans were confined where they could be watched, for the two
deckhands were Mexicans, and had been driven in with the others. Five of
Uncle Sam's soldiers were enough to keep the prize safe.
Lieutenant Overton was beginning to grow impatient when he saw a squad
of troops, as he judged them to be in the darkness, march out on to the
pier. Then the voice of Captain Foster hailed:
"Lieutenant Overton!"
"Here, sir."
"Bring that tug in."
"Very good, sir."
Hal gave the order to Captain Boggs, who sulkily obeyed. The mate was
permitted to go aft and to bring two swarthy deckhands out where he
could use them.
The boat was soon berthed, and hawsers made fast. Without waiting for
the gang-plank to be placed Captain Foster sprang aboard, grasping his
"youngster's" hand.
"Fine work, Mr. Overton!" commended the captain heartily.
"It came near being very bad work, sir."
"So I've gained from what Simms has told me on the way down here. But
you showed the real commander, Mr. Overton, in your ability to extricate
yourself from a bad mess and turn it into victory."
Captain Foster had brought with him a sergeant and ten men. There were
now enough soldiers to post so that there need be no fear of any of the
prisoners being able to escape.
"Sergeant, have two of the cases brought ashore," directed Captain
Foster. "And open them."
Some of the cases were on the deck forward. Others had been dropped into
a small hold forward.
The cases opened proved to contain rifles, ten to a case. Some smaller
boxes from the hold were found to hold cartridges to fit the rifles.
"A very bad business for you, Boggs," remarked Captain Foster.
"Why is it?" demanded Boggs gruffly.
"You were going to smuggle these arms and supplies into Mexico, across
the river."
"Where's your proof?" demanded the tug's master cunningly.
"Our Mexican prisoners are proof enough," replied the Army captain, with
a shrug of his shoulders. "That and some of the other wild doings of
to-night. Captain Boggs, you will prepare to accompany us back to camp."
"Why?"
"Because you're a prisoner, charged with conspiring to break the laws of
the United States."
"But who'll look after my boat?" demanded Boggs.
"She'll be under guard of a squad of my men, and your mate, deckhands
and engine-room force will be enough to give the boat any care she
really needs. Mr. Overton, march the Mexicans out of the cabin under
guard."
Hal promptly obeyed. Guarez and his companions appeared to be furious,
and contended loudly that their rights were being infringed.
"That's all a matter for higher government authorities to settle,"
responded Captain Foster, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I cautioned
you this morning, Guarez, against any enterprise of this sort, and you
did not see fit to give my suggestion any consideration. You must now
take the consequences. Sergeant Raney, take six men and escort the
prisoners to camp. My compliments to Lieutenant Terry, and he is
directed to take all precautions that the prisoners do not escape."
"Very good, sir."
After the escort had left with the prisoners Hal saluted his superior
officer, asking:
"Sir, shall I re-post the sentries who were noosed and taken away from
their posts?"
"It is hardly necessary, Mr. Overton. This boat is a government prize,
and I propose to use her, for to-night at least, for the patroling of
the river at this point. Mate, I see that you have a search-light."
"Yes, sir," the mate admitted.
"Is it ready for operation?"
"There is plenty of current, sir, and the lamp can be switched on from
the wheel-house."
"Turn the light on once for a test, then."
The mate complied, sending a glare of light out over the dark waters.
"Switch the light off," called Captain Foster, next turning to remark to
his young lieutenant:
"I don't want to let him manipulate that light enough to send any
signals to possible Mexican watchers, Overton."
"I was just thinking of something of the sort, sir," Hal smiled. "And
there's another puzzle in my mind. Have you any idea, sir, how these
Mexicans got the cases out of Guarez's barn in spite of your guard at
that point?"
"The cases didn't come from Guarez's barn," replied Captain Foster, with
a laugh. "Do you begin to see light, Mr. Overton?"
"I believe I do, sir," muttered Lieutenant Hal. "The cases in Guarez's
barn, it may be, are only dummies, put there with a good deal of
display, so that if troops came their commander would be sure to hear
about them. The Mexicans probably imagined that, after an American
military commander came here, heard the gossip about boxes in Guarez's
barn, and then guarded that barn, that the commander would then feel
that all needed precautions had been taken. That was Mexican craft, but
Guarez failed to understand that he was dealing with American
thoroughness."
"That was about the size of the shallow trick the Mexicans tried on us,"
laughed Captain Foster.
"Are you going to send these cases ashore, sir?"
"Not until daylight. We must not forget that there may be another
expedition attempted at some other point. Mr. Overton, I begin to think
that this may be the point chosen for the shipment of arms enough for
fitting out a whole rebel army in Mexico. I think I will go back to
camp, now, and question Guarez. I may find him in a mood to talk."
"And my orders, sir?"
"Make this boat your headquarters. Do not leave here until I return, Mr.
Overton."
"Very good, sir."
"It was a pretty slick way that you caught us," began the mate, lounging
near Hal as he stood on deck.
"Then you admit that this boat was engaged in an attempt at smuggling
arms over the border?" demanded the young lieutenant, wheeling quickly.
"What's the use of denying it," questioned the mate, "with such cargo as
we have?"
"Very little use indeed," Hal rejoined. "How much were you to get as
your share of the night's work?"
"Oho! I didn't say that I had even a suspicion of what the game was,"
retorted the mate coolly. "I could only suspect, at best. You can't trap
me into saying anything that would send me along to share Captain
Boggs's fate."
"You're smooth enough," nodded Lieutenant Overton, "but don't try to
play any further tricks."
"With United States troops aboard? What do you take me for?" grumbled
the mate.
Hal didn't feel much inclined to talk with the fellow, so he stepped
forward, leaving the mate by himself.
Half an hour passed. Truth to tell, the young Army officer felt the
monotony of his present position, confined to the boat and the pier.
Passing the sentry at the gang-plank, who stood at present arms in
salute, Hal Overton walked forward to the outer end of the pier. He had
stood there some ten minutes, when, two or three miles up the river, he
thought he saw a brief flash.
"That might have come from a search-light, swiftly operated," thought
Lieutenant Hal, with a start. After a moment's reflection, he hurried on
board the boat.
"Mate," he directed, "shove off and steam out just past the end of the
pier."
"Why----" began the mate wonderingly.
"Obey the order, sir!"
As the boat moved slowly into open water Hal, standing by the
search-light, gave another order:
"Switch on this light, mate."
"But your captain said----"
"Switch on the light, man! Be quick about it!"
As the light gleamed out Lieutenant Hal turned its broad flare up the
river. Just on the edge of the beam he picked up a motor boat of
considerable size. The other craft was some three miles up the river,
headed due south across to the Mexican border.
In the instant that the man in charge of the motor boat discovered the
search-light, he crowded on more speed.
"My plain orders are to remain here," quivered Lieutenant Hal to
himself. "If I obey, even during a five minutes' delay, that craft will
outfoot us to Mexico, and a cargo of arms will be on the other shore.
There's no time to communicate with Captain Foster. What on earth shall
I do--disobey and face the chance of trial for disobedience of orders?"