"I sent him away last night with a message for Maccario."
"As the result of Morales coming round?"
Appleby nodded. "Yes," he said. "He made a demand I could not
entertain."
"About me?"
"Not exactly. I told him you felt sorry you had wounded the
susceptibilities of his officer."
Harper laughed. "Well," he said, "there's only one thing I'm sorry for,
and that is that I let up before I'd put the contract through. Still, I
guess there's more behind it."
"There is," said Appleby gravely. "If you can keep quiet a minute or two
I'll tell you."
He spoke rapidly and concisely, and Harper's face flushed as he
listened. "You let him go!" he said. "Pancho and I were hanging round on
the stairway."
Appleby smiled a trifle wearily. "I suspected it, but Morales is a good
deal too cunning to take any unnecessary risks. If he had not come back
we should have had half a company of cazadores turning up to ask what
had become of him. Now I want you to understand the position. What are
your countrymen likely to do about the 'Maine'?"
Harper's eyes gleamed, and his voice was hoarse. "Make the Spaniards
lick our boots or wipe them off the earth!"
"Well," said Appleby dryly, "you may do the last, but, if I know the
Spaniards, you will never extort anything from them that would stain
their national dignity. Still, I think you are right about your
countrymen's temper, and you see what it leads to. Every battalion of
Spanish infantry will be wanted on the coast, and that will give the
insurgents a free hand. It means they will once more be masters of this
district, and that Santa Marta must fall. Believing that, I'm going to
take a risk that almost frightens me."
"I don't quite understand," said Harper.
"Harding is on his way to Cuba, and he has large sums sunk in San
Cristoval and other places up and down the island. Once he gets here
Morales will grind them out of him. Now, it is evident that Harding has
as much sympathy with the insurgents as he has with the loyalists, and
perhaps rather more, while just now he must stand in with one of them.
It seems to me that if your people can't be pacified the Spaniards will
be driven out of Cuba."
"Still," said Harper reflectively, "I don't quite see why we should
worry about that. Since you can't sell Harding--and that's quite plain--
all we have to do is to light out quietly."
Appleby smiled. "I scarcely think we could manage it; and while I take
Harding's money there's an obligation on me to do what I can for him.
That is why I'm going to commit him definitely to standing in with the
insurgents."
Harper stared at him in astonishment, and then brought his fist down
with a bang on the table. "You are going to bluff the Spaniards, and
play Sugar Harding's hand?" he said with wondering respect. "You have
'most nerve enough to make a railroad king--but if it doesn't come off,
and they patch up peace again?"
"Then," said Appleby very quietly, "what I am going to do will cost
Harding every dollar he has in Cuba, though that doesn't count for so
much since Morales means to ruin him, anyway. I can only make a guess,
and stake everything on it. Your countrymen will ask too much, the
Spaniards will offer very little. Still, it's an almost overwhelming
decision."
Again Harper looked at him with a faint flush in his face, for the
boldness of the venture stirred the blood in him. "It's the biggest
thing I've ever had a hand in," he said. "Still, wherever it leads to,
I'm going through with you!"
"It is quite likely that it will lead us in front of a firing party,"
said Appleby. "I have reasons for believing that Maccario is not far
away, and I have asked him to occupy the hacienda. It commands the
carretera to Santa Marta, and I fancy a handful of determined men could
hold it against a battalion, while with it in their possession the Sin
Verguenza would dominate this part of the country, in spite of Morales.
He has, as you know, been sending troops away. The one thing that
troubles me is the uncertainty whether Maccario can get here to-night."
"Well," said Harper, "it's quite an important question, and I don't
understand why we're staying here. I'd far sooner light out at once and
meet him. If Morales turns up in the meanwhile we're going to have
trouble."
Appleby smiled dryly. "I'm afraid we would not get very far," he said.
"Still, if it's only to find out whether my notion is correct, we can
try it."
Harper picked up what was left of the bread, and with characteristic
caution slipped it into his pocket. "It may come in handy. I've been out
with the Sin Verguenza before," he said.
They went down the stairway, along the tram-line, and out upon the Santa
Marta road, but they had scarcely made half a mile when they came upon a
sergeant and several files of cazadores sitting in the shadow by the
roadside. Harper stopped abruptly and Appleby smiled.
"The road is closed, then, Sergeant?" he said.
"No, senor," said the man. "Still, it is not very safe."
"Not even as far as Santa Marta?"
The sergeant shook his head. "If you are going there I will send two
files with you," he said.
Appleby glanced at Harper, who clenched a big hand, and appeared to have
some difficulty in restraining himself. "I don't think we will trouble
you," he said. "You had instructions from the Colonel Morales?"
"He seemed anxious about your safety, senores," said the man.
Appleby turned upon his heel, and walked back the way he had come with
Harper, murmuring anathemas upon Morales beside him, until the sergeant
was out of sight.
"I expected it!" he said.
"Well," said Harper dryly, "this is not the only way out of the place.
We'll try another."
They walked back to the hacienda, passed the sugar mill, and followed
the little tram-line that wound through the cane until once more Harper
came to a standstill, and his face grew a trifle grim. It was very hot,
and the rails flung back the light dazzlingly between the tall green
blades, but there was another suggestive blink of brightness among the
long banana leaves in front of them.
"More of them!" he said hoarsely.
They walked on a few paces, and then a non-commissioned officer of
cazadores in dusty white uniform moved out on to the line.
"Well," said Harper brusquely, "what are you wanting here?"