AT VALMOSA--YOUNG GLORY DENOUNCED.
This startling announcement caused a sensation.
"Young Glory!" cried several of the officers.
"Yes, that is my name."
"Have you any proof?" said the general.
"No."
"Then we cannot let you proceed."
Young Glory's face fell. Here he saw all his hopes dashed to the ground.
He determined to make one more effort.
"But if you stop me, a certain scheme against the Spaniards that I can
carry through to success, will fail. I tell you it is so."
"No matter. I have said before we do not know you, so we must detain you
for inquiries."
"Have you ever heard of Young Glory, general?"
"That is a foolish question. His name is a household word."
"Very well; I again repeat I am Young Glory."
"And again I ask for proof."
Suddenly an idea occurred to the boy.
"Have you ever heard of Captain Ruiz Calderon?"
"Yes. He's a distinguished officer in the Spanish army. What of it?"
"I'm Captain Calderon, or rather," said Young Glory, with a laugh, "I'm
supposed to be to-night."
"How?"
"I took him prisoner."
"And released him?"
"No. Made him change clothes with me, tied him securely, and left him in
a cottage on a creek belonging to a fisherman."
"I know the place!" cried one of the soldiers.
"You did this?" asked the general, incredulously.
"Certainly. It was necessary for the success of my plans. Send to the
cottage, if it's possible to do so."
"It can be done."
"Very well. I entreat you to be quick, general. Much depends on it."
It was rather dangerous work to venture so near the Spanish lines, but
four patriots volunteered at once, and the general, after giving them a
few brief instructions, sent them on their way.
Well mounted, if no mischance happens to them, they would soon be back,
and Young Glory, who was in a boiling passion, quite ignored the
presence of the Cubans, and threw himself on the ground to rest while
awaiting the result.
"I believe he is Young Glory," said the general to one of his officers.
"He doesn't look like an impostor."
"No, sir."
"Well, he's in a temper because I've done my duty. Let him alone. His
young blood will soon cool."
So it did, and Young Glory, on thinking calmly over the matter, saw that
he could not have expected any different treatment to what he had
received.
"General," he said, going up to him, "I was hasty. You must pardon me."
The general smiled.
"I have thought no more of it. Have a cigar. You'll find them good. They
taste better perhaps to me," he added, with a laugh, "because the
tobacco was grown by a Spaniard, one of our bitterest enemies, and they
cost nothing."
The time seemed long. In reality the men--or at least two of them--were
back in an incredibly short space of time.
"Well?" questioned the general.
"We have been there."
"And your comrades?"
"They are safe. We left them behind."
"And this young man's story?"
"Quite true, general, only he forgot to say that he had left two
prisoners in the hut."
"Two!"
"Yes, general," said Young Glory. "One of them is the man who lives in
the hut."
"How did it all happen?"
As Young Glory told the story of the marvelous escape of Dan Daly from
the firing party, with the subsequent details of the pursuit and
eventful safety, the men gathered round and listened with bated breath.
"Senor, it is marvelous!" exclaimed the general, when the recital was
ended. "I had heard something of the extraordinary escape of the
American prisoner before. Now tell me of your future plans."
"That is for your ear alone."
"Stand back, senores," said the general, waving his hand, "except
Colonel Mendez, my chief."
"That is the same as yourself, general," replied Young Glory, bowing to
the officer who had been named.
When Young Glory had told them what his plan was, they were lost in
amazement.
"And you mean to do it?"
"Certainly. That's what I'm here for."
"Do you want any of my men?"
"If you can send some of them on the road with me to point out the way I
shall be glad, but they must not go near Valmosa. If they were seen with
me that would spoil all."
"Success to you, Young Glory," said the general, pressing his hand as he
was riding off.
"Oh! then you believe I'm Young Glory now?"
"Caramba! my friend, your deeds show that. There's not another man would
do such things. Adios."
Once more Young Glory was in the saddle with two of the patriots riding
alongside him. Under their guidance he made rapid progress.
"We must leave you now, senor," said one of the men.
"Thank you for coming."
"Yonder, where you see the lights is Valmosa. Goodness only knows how
you will reach it."
"Leave that to me."
Once more Young Glory was alone, riding rapidly to the scene of his
desperate undertaking.
"Halt!"
It was a challenge by the sentry. Young Glory had, of course, expected
this, and he was ready.
"Dispatches from Monterey!" he cried, instantly, thinking by so doing
that the sentry would not demand the watch-word for the night.
The scheme was successful. The sentry told him to advance, keeping his
rifle on him the while, until he had satisfied himself of the truth.
One look seemed to give him confidence.
"You are from Monterey, capitan?"
"Yes. I am Captain Ruiz Calderon."
"Pass, capitan."
One obstacle was surmounted. The rest was easy. In a few minutes Young
Glory found himself in Valmosa.
There all was excitement.
Instantly Young Glory went to the commandant of the garrison.
"If he knows Ruiz Calderon, I'm lost," was Young Glory's reflection as
he entered the commandant's room.
"A dispatch from General Lopez," said Young Glory, saluting.
The commandant took the letter and tore it open, scarcely giving Young
Glory a glance.
"So you are Captain Calderon?" he said, after reading the dispatch.
"Yes, colonel."
"General Lopez says you are a brave and energetic soldier."
Young Glory bowed.
"To-night you have work before you that will prove your strength. You
are to command the expedition that starts for Monterey."
"So the general told me."
"Everything is in readiness. There is no reason for delay."
"I think you are right, colonel. There seems to be every reason for
hurrying. You spoke of danger."
"Yes."
"From what quarter do you expect it?"
"From the Americans. The rebels are on shore. They can do us no harm."
"How can the Americans do so?"
"They have a cruiser in these waters."
"She will not see us."
"Who knows? Those ships carry great searchlights now, and they can light
up the water."
"Let them. They have to sink us after they find us and it's not easy to
hit a small boat at long range."
"Good. That's the way to talk, capitan. You are a man after my own
heart."
Young Glory was leaving the room when he passed a man he thought he
knew, but it was somewhat dark and he only had a mere glance.
He heard a few words, though, that disquieted him somewhat.
"That's Captain Calderon--" it was the commandant speaking--"he leads
the expedition."
"Calderon of Lopez' division?"
"Yes."
"Caramba! but he's grown."
With beating heart Young Glory hurried on.
"I know that voice," he muttered. "Strange! where can I have heard it?"
During the last few months he had been through so many scenes, and he
had met with so many strange faces, that he was quite unable to satisfy
himself as to the identity of the owner of the voice.
The boats were all in readiness.
Two large craft contained ammunition. A smaller one was in advance,
filled with sailors and soldiers, in order to tow the heavier craft
along.
Young Glory speedily took in the whole of the arrangements. He might
have preferred to make some changes, but his object now was to get out
of Valmosa with all speed. Rapidly he gave his orders. The men seemed to
have no suspicion, and all was going smoothly. Yet Young Glory could not
get out of his mind the stranger who had passed him at the commandant's
headquarters.
"Cast off!" he cried.
Instantly the men on the pier let the boats loose, and the men bent to
their oars.
"Row, my lads, long and steady. You've a hard pull before you," said
Young Glory, "and you'll need all your strength."
The sailors showed at once they did not intend to overexert themselves.
"Rather different to our blue jackets," was Young Glory's reflection.
"Why, Dan Daly and half a dozen of our fellows would lick the whole
crowd."
There was commotion on shore at this instant. Anxiously Young Glory
looked towards the pier. He could see nothing on account of the
darkness, but he heard the pattering of feet. One man, if not more, was
hurrying towards the end of the pier.
Then Young Glory heard some shouting, but the roar of the sea prevented
him from distinguishing the words.
The shouting continued.
"Traitor!"
This word came distinctly across the water.
"They've caught a spy," exclaimed Young Glory, quickly, to turn the
men's thoughts away from himself. "Hurry up, lads, and you may get back
in time to see the fun, for he'll have to die, that's sure."
Not another word reached the boat. Yet, Young Glory felt by no means
safe. He knew that a boat might be sent off to overtake him, and then he
was lost entirely.
But as the minutes passed, and he heard no sound of pursuing oars, he
became easier in his mind.
To get out of possible danger from shore, he ordered the men to row out
towards the sea, but here he was beaten. The waves ran high and the
boats were in great danger of being swamped. Back to the shore again he
had to go, and adhere to the original plan of creeping along by the
beach.
The coast was rocky hereabout.
Suddenly above their heads a figure, which looked unnaturally tall in
the darkness, rose on a great bowlder which overshadowed the water.
"You have a traitor in that boat!" cried this apparition. "The man with
you is not Captain Calderon. It is Young Glory!"