DONALD'S STRATEGY.
Lifting the unconscious man in their arms, they bore him into the
darkness away from the train, where he was soon deprived of his
coat, hat, and weapons. Then he was gagged and securely tied with
his own sabretasche.
Donald, being nearest the lieutenant's size, donned his uniform,
buckled on his sword, and with the order in his hand hastily
entered the car, closely followed by Billie, with the ready
revolver in his hand.
The captain had thrown aside his hat and was smoking a cigarette
in one of the easy seats as the boys entered. He gave them only a
hasty glance as he blew a cloud of smoke into the air, and the
next minute he was covered by Billie's weapon.
"Up with your hands!" was the stern order.
The captain hesitated, but a sharp prick from Donald's sword sent
the hands into the air.
In another minute the captain was disarmed.
"Now," said Donald sternly, "we'll see what all this trouble is
about."
He opened the telegram he held in his hand and read:
"American Admiral has given an ultimatum. Hold train and
passengers until further orders.
Maas."
"Who is Maas?" asked Donald sternly.
The captain shrugged his shoulders, but said nothing.
"You'll answer in just one minute, or you'll never have a chance
to answer another question," said Donald, as he stood with drawn
sword, while Billie covered the captain with his revolver.
"Would you murder an unarmed man?" asked the captain.
"I wouldn't consider it murder. Answer."
The look in Donald's eyes was not to be mistaken.
"Gen. Maas is in command of Vera Cruz," the captain said.
"Good. I think I see it all. If it is decided not to accede to
the ultimatum, it is proposed to hold the train load as
hostages."
The captain smiled.
"Now listen!" and Donald spoke very slowly so that every word
might find lodgment. "You have one chance for your life. Can you
guess what it is?"
The captain shook his head.
"To do just exactly as I bid. Just one little attempt to do
differently, and you are a dead man."
The captain scowled, but made no reply.
"Put on your hat and come with me. Order the passengers back on
to the train and give your engineer instructions to cover just as
much of the distance between here and Vera Cruz by daylight as he
knows how!"
The captain shrugged his shoulders as he arose from his seat.
"I see you think it will be easy to escape. Just put any such
idea out of your mind. There is no possible chance."
Donald turned to Billie.
"This is what must be done. We shall walk directly back to where
the passengers are. The captain will give his order without any
hesitation. Otherwise I shall shoot him through my pocket. You
will keep right behind us. If I fire, you fire also. One of us
will be sure to kill him."
Donald led the way from the car and Billie brought up the rear.
Through the dark they marched, each with a hand on the captain,
so they might feel his slightest tremor.
Arriving at the engine the captain summoned the sergeant.
"Order the passengers to board the train," was the brief command.
The sergeant hastened to obey.
"Bueno!" said Donald, as the passengers rushed back.
Then under his breath to Billie: "Call Adrian."
Billie did so.
"Where are you?" Adrian called back.
"Down near the engine."
A moment later Adrian appeared coming through the crowd of
hurrying passengers.
"Where's Don?" he asked as soon as he caught sight of Billie.
"Not far. Stay here. We may need you."
Adrian's face showed some surprise, but he said nothing.
"Now, captain," said Don quietly, "your orders to the engineer,"
and under cover of the darkness he pushed the point of his
revolver into the captain's side, while Billie touched him
significantly in the back.
The captain gave the order as he had been instructed.
"Now for the conductor," ordered Donald.
The order was given, but the conductor refused to obey.
"I must have a written order," he said.
"Why?" asked Donald, in his rôle of lieutenant.
"To countermand the order of Gen. Maas."
"Captain," was Donald's quiet hint, "don't you think it would be
well to place the conductor under arrest?" and again he poked his
revolver into the captain's side.
The order for the conductor's arrest was quickly given.
"Now, then, vamose," called Adrian. Then to the engineer, "I will
act as conductor."
The guards and extra soldiers who had been detailed for this
special service, sprang aboard; the engineer pulled open the
throttle and the train began to move.
"Aren't you going, too?" asked Adrian.
"Yes," whispered Billie to Donald, "hurry aboard with your
prisoner."
The captain was evidently of the same mind, for he started to
board the already moving train.
"No you don't," exclaimed Donald, pulling him back. "You're going
to stay here with us!"
"Do you mean it, Don?" asked Billie in surprise.
"Sure! What do you think he'd do to us as soon as it was light?"
By this time the train was under headway; a second later the last
coach passed them and in another minute the tail lights were
disappearing in the darkness.
"It looks to me," remarked Adrian with a long breath, "as though
we were in the consommé."
"Perhaps," was Donald's laconic reply, "but those women and
children will be safe in Vera Cruz under the guns of Admiral
Fletcher's fleet by daylight, or I'm greatly mistaken."
"And what are we going to do with our friend the captain?"
queried Billie.
"He'll have to accept our hospitality under the stars until
morning and then we'll see."
In telling about his experiences later Billie said it was the
longest and the shortest night he ever knew. It seemed a long
time for daylight, but it seemed a short time for the train which
was bearing his countrymen to safety.
When day finally began to break, the first thing that became
visible was the snow-tipped peak of Mt. Orizaba, against which
the sun threw his brilliant rays long before he could be seen
above the horizon. It was a beautiful sight and the boys voiced
their admiration with many exclamations of delight. Then they
turned their attention to the more serious thoughts for the day.
The first thing they did was to release the lieutenant from his
unpleasant predicament and restore to him his uniform.
"We should like to return you your arms also," said Donald, "but
your government took ours from us and I think we shall have to
keep yours in their place."
Neither of the officers made any reply, but their dark looks
boded no good for the boys.
"You might just as well look pleasant," laughed Billie. "All is
fair in love and war."
"We'll make you sing a different song when we get you in Vera
Cruz," said the captain.
"And when do you think that will be, Captain?" queried Adrian.
"As soon as the next train comes along."
"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Donald. "That being the case, I
guess we will not wait for another train. By the way, how far is
it to Vera Cruz?"
"About a hundred kilometers."
"That's about eighty-four miles, isn't it, Ad?"
"Just about."
"And it's down hill pretty much all the way, isn't it?"
"I should say so by looking down the valley."
"A right nice little walk, Captain. Let's be going. We ought to
make it easily in four days."
At this cordial invitation the captain lost his temper.
"Carramba!" he exclaimed. "Am I a boy to be made sport of? I will
not go. If you wish me to go you will have to carry me," and he
deliberately laid himself down on the ground.
In spite of themselves the boys were obliged to laugh.
"We carried the lieutenant last night, but we don't desire your
company badly enough to carry you," laughed Billie. "If you don't
want to go, I for one vote to leave you. We have to forage for
something to eat and the fewer there are, the easier it will be.
And speaking of eats, it seems to me I smell something cooking
right now."
At Billie's words the others sniffed up their noses.
"It's a fact as sure as you're born," declared Donald.
"And I'm going to find out where the odor comes from," said
Billie. "There must be a house around here somewhere."
Again he sniffed the air and smiled jubilantly.
"The wind's in the east," he laughed. "It must be somewhere in
this direction. Come on, Captain."
The captain refused to move, but Billie led the way, followed by
the two boys. They had not gone many rods when through an opening
in the trees they beheld a good-sized adobe house. Pushing
hastily toward it, they soon reached a cleared space, and there,
gathered about a bunch of some forty or fifty horses, were a
dozen men, while through the open door of the house many more
were to be seen seated at a table--eating.
"Come on!" exclaimed Billie. "I'm going to have something to eat;
I don't care who they are."
"We might as well make the best of it," declared Donald. "We are
discovered any way and the best thing we can do is to put on a
bold front."
Without further words the three boys walked boldly toward the
house.