AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
Lieutenant Tiro reached the Mayoralty in safety, for though the streets
were full of excited people, they were peaceful citizens, and on his
proclaiming that he had been sent to see Savrola they allowed him to
pass. The Municipal building was a magnificent structure of white
stone, elaborately decorated with statuary and sculpture. In front of
it, surrounded by iron railings and accessible by three gateways,
stretched a wide courtyard, in which a great fountain, encircled by the
marble figures of departed civic magnates, played continually with
agreeable effect. The whole edifice was worthy of the riches and
splendour of the Lauranian capital.
Two sentries of the rebel forces stood on guard with fixed bayonets at
the central gateway, and allowed none to enter without due authority.
Messengers were hurrying across the courtyard incessantly, and
orderlies coming or going at a gallop. Without the gates a large
crowd, for the most part quiet, though greatly agitated, filled the
broad thoroughfare. Wild rumours circulated at random in the mass and
the excitement was intense. The sound of distant firing was distinct
and continuous.
Tiro made his way through the crowd without much difficulty, but found
his path blocked by the sentries at the gateway. They refused to allow
him to proceed, and for a moment he feared that he had run his risks in
vain. Luckily, however, he was recognised as Molara's aide-de-camp by
one of the Municipal attendants who were loitering in the courtyard.
He wrote his name on a piece of paper and requested the man to take it
to Savrola or, as he was now styled, the President of the Council of
Public Safety. The servant departed, and after ten minutes returned
with an officer, resplendent with the red sash of the Revolutionary
party, who bade the Subaltern follow him forthwith.
The hall of the Mayoralty was full of excited and voluble patriots who
were eager to serve the cause of Liberty, if it could be done without
risking their lives. They all wore red sashes and talked loudly,
discussing the despatches from the fight which arrived by frequent
messengers and were posted on the walls. Tiro and his guide passed
through the hall and hurrying along a passage arrived at the entrance
of a small committee-room. Several ushers and messengers stood around
it; an officer was on duty outside. He opened the door and announced
the Subaltern.
"Certainly," said a well-known voice, and Tiro entered. It was a
small, wainscotted apartment with two tall and deeply set glazed
windows shaded by heavy, faded curtains of reddish hue. Savrola was
writing at a table in the middle of the room; Godoy and Renos were
talking near one of the windows; another man, whom for the moment he
did not recognise, was busily scribbling in the corner. The great
Democrat looked up.
"Good-morning, Tiro," he said cheerily, then, seeing the serious and
impatient look on the boy's face, he asked him what had happened. Tiro
told him quickly of the President's wish to surrender the palace.
"Well," said Savrola, "Moret is there, and he has full powers."
"He is dead."
"How?" asked Savrola, in a low pained voice.
"Shot in the throat," replied the Subaltern laconically.
Savrola had turned very white; he was fond of Moret and they had long
been friends. A feeling of disgust at the whole struggle came over
him; he repressed it; this was no time for regrets. "You mean that the
crowd will accept no surrender?"
"I mean they have probably massacred them all by now."
"What time was Moret killed?"
"A quarter-past twelve."
Savrola took up a paper that lay beside him on the table. "This was
sent off at half-past twelve."
Tiro looked at it. It was signed _Moret_ and ran as follows: _Am
preparing for final assault. All well_.
"It is a forgery," said the Subaltern simply. "I started myself before
the half-hour, and Señor Moret had been dead ten minutes then.
Somebody has assumed the command."
"By Jove," said Savrola getting up from the table. "Kreutze!" He
caught up his hat and cane. "Come on; he will most certainly murder
Molara, and probably the others, if he is not stopped. I must go there
myself."
"What?" said Renos. "Most irregular; your place is here."
"Send an officer," suggested Godoy.
"I have none to send of sufficient power with the people, unless you
will go yourself."
"I! No, certainly not! I would not think of it," said Godoy quickly.
"It would be useless; I have no authority over the mob."
"That is not quite the tone you have adopted all the morning," replied
Savrola quietly, "or at least since the Government attack was
repulsed." Then turning to Tiro, he said, "Let us start."
They were leaving the room when the Subaltern saw that the man who had
been writing in the corner was looking at him. To his astonishment he
recognised Miguel.
The Secretary bowed satirically. "Here we are again," he said; "you
were wise to follow."
"You insult me," said Tiro with profound contempt. "Rats leave a
sinking ship."
"The wiser they," rejoined the Secretary; "they could do no good by
staying. I have always heard that aides-de-camp are the first to leave
a fight."
"You are a damned dirty dog," said the Subaltern falling back on a
rudimentary form of repartee with which he was more familiar.
"I can wait no longer," said Savrola in a voice that was a plain
command. Tiro obeyed, and they left the room.
Walking down the passage and through the hall, where Savrola was loudly
cheered, they reached the entrance, where a carriage was waiting. A
dozen mounted men, with red sashes and rifles, ranged themselves about
it as an escort. The crowd outside the gates, seeing the great leader
and hearing the applause within, raised a shout. Savrola turned to the
commander of the escort. "I need no guard," he said; "that is
necessary only for tyrants. I will go alone." The escort fell back.
The two men entered the carriage and, drawn by strong horses, passed
out into the streets.
"You dislike Miguel?" asked Savrola after a while.
"He is a traitor."
"There are plenty about the city. Now I suppose you would call me a
traitor."
"Ah! but you have always been one," replied Tiro bluntly. Savrola gave
a short laugh. "I mean," continued the other, "that you have always
been trying to upset things."
"I have been loyal to my treachery," suggested Savrola.
"Yes,--we have always been at war with you; but this viper----"
"Well," said Savrola, "you must take men as you find them; few are
disinterested. The viper, as you call him, is a poor creature; but he
saved my life, and asked me to save his in return. What could I do?
Besides he is of use. He knows the exact state of the public finances
and is acquainted with the details of the foreign policy. What are we
stopping for?"
Tiro looked out. The street was closed by a barricade which made it a
_cul-de-sac_. "Try the next turning," he said to the coachman; "go on
quickly." The noise of the firing could now be distinctly heard. "We
very nearly pulled it off this morning," said Tiro.
"Yes," answered Savrola; "they told me the attack was repulsed with
difficulty."
"Where were you?" asked the boy in great astonishment.
"At the Mayoralty, asleep; I was very tired."
Tiro was conscious of an irresistible feeling of disgust. So he was a
coward, this great man. He had always heard that politicians took care
of their skins, and sent others to fight their battles. Somehow he had
thought that Savrola was different: he knew such a lot about polo; but
he was the same as all the rest.
Savrola, ever quick to notice, saw his look and again laughed dryly.
"You think I ought to have been in the streets? Believe me, I did more
good where I was. If you had seen the panic and terror at the
Mayoralty during the fighting, you would have recognised that there
were worse things to do than to go to sleep in confidence. Besides,
everything in human power had been done; and we had not miscalculated."
Tiro remained unconvinced. His good opinion of Savrola was destroyed.
He had heard much of this man's political courage. The physical always
outweighed the moral in his mind. He felt reluctantly convinced that
he was a mere word-spinner, brave enough where speeches were concerned,
but careful when sterner work was to be done.
The carriage stopped again. "All these streets are barricaded, Sir,"
said the coach-man.
Savrola looked out of the window. "We are close there, let us walk; it
is only half a mile across Constitution Square." He jumped out. The
barricade was deserted, as were the streets in this part of the town.
Most of the violent rebels were attacking the palace, and the peaceable
citizens were in their houses or outside the Mayoralty.
They scrambled over the rough wail, which was made of paving-stones and
sacks of earth piled under and upon two waggons, and hurried down the
street beyond. It led to the great square of the city. At the further
end was the Parliament House, with the red flag of revolt flying from
its tower. An entrenchment had been dug in front of the entrance, and
the figures of some of the rebel soldiery were visible on it.
They had gone about a quarter of the distance across the square, when
suddenly, from the entrenchment or barricade three hundred yards away,
there darted a puff of smoke; five or six more followed in quick
succession. Savrola paused, astonished, but the Subaltern understood
at once. "Run for it!" he cried. "The statue,--there is cover behind
it."
Savrola began to run as fast as he could. The firing from the
barricade continued. He heard two sucking kisses in the air; something
struck the pavement in front of him so that the splinters flew, and
while he passed a grey smudge appeared; there was a loud _tang_ on the
area-railings beside him; the dust of the roadway sprang up in several
strange spurts. As he ran, the realisation of what these things meant
grew stronger; but the distance was short and he reached the statue
alive. Behind its massive pedestal there was ample shelter for both.
"They fired at us."
"They did," replied Tiro. "Damn them!"
"But why?"
"My uniform--devilry--running man--good fun, you know--for them."
"We must go on," said Savrola.
"We can't go on across the square."
"Which way, then?"
"We must work down the street away from them, keeping the statue
between us and their fire, and get up one of the streets to the left."
A main street ran through the centre of the great square, and led out
of it at right angles to the direction in which they were proceeding.
It was possible to retire down this under cover of the statue, and to
take a parallel street further along. This would enable them to avoid
the fire from the entrenchment, or would at least reduce the dangerous
space to a few yards. Savrola looked in the direction Tiro indicated.
"Surely this is shorter," he said pointing across the square.
"Much shorter," answered the Subaltern; "in about three seconds it will
take you to another world."
Savrola rose. "Come on," he said; "I do not allow such considerations
to affect my judgment. The lives of men are at stake; the time is
short. Besides, this is an educational experience."
The blood was in his cheeks and his eyes sparkled; all that was
reckless in him, all his love of excitement, stirred in his veins.
Tiro looked at him amazed. Brave as he was, he saw no pleasure in
rushing to his death at the heels of a mad politician; but he allowed
no man to show him the way. He said no more, but drew back to the far
end of the pedestal, so as to gain pace, and then bounded into the open
and ran as fast as he could run.
How he got across he never knew. One bullet cut the peak of his cap,
another tore his trousers. He had seen many men killed in action, and
anticipated the fearful blow that would bring him down with a smash on
the pavement. Instinctively he raised his left arm as if to shield his
face. At length he reached safety, breathless and incredulous. Then
he looked back. Half way across was Savrola, walking steadily and
drawn up to his full height. Thirty yards away he stopped and, taking
off his felt hat, waved it in defiance at the distant barricade. Tiro
saw him start as he lifted his arm, and his hat fell to the ground. He
did not pick it up, and in a moment was beside him, his face pale, his
teeth set, every muscle rigid. "Now tell me," he said, "do you call
that a hot fire?"
"You are mad," replied the Subaltern.
"Why, may I ask?"
"What is the use of throwing away your life, of waiting to taunt them?"
"Ah," he answered, much excited, "I waved my hat in the face of Fate,
not at those wretched irresponsible animals. Now to the palace;
perhaps we are already too late."
They hurried on through the deserted streets with the sound of musketry
growing ever louder, and mingling with it now the shouts and yells of a
crowd. As they approached the scene they passed through groups of
people, peaceful citizens for the most part, anxiously looking towards
the tumult. Several glanced fiercely at the soldier whose uniform made
him conspicuous; but many took off their hats to Savrola. A long
string of stretchers, each with a pale, shattered figure on it, passed
by, filing slowly away from the fight. The press became thicker, and
arms were now to be seen on all sides. Mutinous soldiers still in
their uniforms, workmen in blouses, others in the dress of the National
Militia, and all wearing the red sash of the revolt, filled the street.
But Savrola's name had spread before him and the crowd divided, with
cheers, to give him passage.
Suddenly the firing in front ceased, and for a space there was silence,
followed by a ragged spluttering volley and a low roar from many
throats.
"It's all over," said the Subaltern.
"Faster!" cried Savrola.