The man shrugged his shoulders. "It is not always necessary--to me, but
as it happens, I have two or three. There are little persuasive tricks
known to the friends of liberty, and one can now and then induce a loyal
citizen to part with his."
"In Cuba one does not suggest too much," said Maccario dryly. "Your good
offices will be remembered when we have taken Santa Marta. There are
dollars in that city, and they are scarce just now at San Cristoval.
Morales has been here, you understand. In the meanwhile it is likely
that Don Pancho will find you a bottle of wine and a little comida."
The man withdrew, and Maccario contemplated the cigar he lighted. "There
is a good deal I do not understand," he said. "Morales does nothing
without a motive, and it is quite certain he is not afraid. There is,
however, a little defect in his character which has its importance to
us."
"One would fancy that there were several," said Appleby.
Maccario smiled, and showed himself, like most men of his nationality,
willing to moralize. "Strength comes with unity of purpose," he said. "I
am, as an example, anxious only to do what I can to promote Cuban
independence, and a very little on behalf of a certain patriot Maccario.
The latter, you understand, is permissible, and almost a duty. Morales,
one admits, has at heart the upholding of Spanish domination, and it is
at least as certain that any opportunity of profiting one Morales is
seized by him. It would not, however, become me to censure him, but the
defect is this--Morales always remembers the man who has injured him."
"One would fancy it was a shortcoming which is not unknown among the Sin
Verguenza!"
Maccario made a little gesture. "In reason, it is scarcely a defect, but
with Morales it is a passion which is apt to betray into indiscretions a
man who should have nothing at heart but the good of his country and the
good of himself."
"I think I understand. You mean---"
"That Morales will endeavor to crush us even if he knows it will cost
him a good deal. Cuba is not large enough for a certain three men to
live in it together."
"Then his slowness is the more inexplicable."
"I have a notion that there may be an explanation which would not quite
please me. It is conceivable that our comrades from beyond the mountains
are moving, and he fears an assault upon Santa Marta."
"In that case you could seize the town by joining hands with them."
Maccario smiled. "If we wait a little we can drive Morales out
ourselves; and this district belongs to us, you understand. We have
watched over it for a long while, and it would not be convenient that
others who have done nothing should divide what is to be gained with us
when we have secured its liberty."
Appleby laughed, for his companion's naive frankness frequently
delighted him. "Then," he said, "the only thing would be a prompt
assault upon the town, but that is apparently out of the question."
"Who knows!" said Maccario, with a little expressive movement of his
shoulders, and sat thoughtfully silent looking down towards Santa Marta
across the cane.
Appleby, who asked no more questions, lay still in his chair vacantly
watching the strip of road that was growing dimmer now. He had toiled
with fierce activity under the burning sun since early morning, and a
pleasant lassitude was creeping over him, while the faint coolness and
deepening shadow was curiously refreshing after the scorching heat and
glare. The sun had dipped behind a hill shoulder far away, the peaks
grew sharp in outline against a gleam of saffron, and the long waves of
cane were fading to a soft and dusky green. Still though night comes
swiftly in that region, the road still showed faintly white where it
wound in sinuous curves across the darkening plain, and held his gaze.
What he was watching for he did not know, but he was sensible of a vague
expectancy. At last, when the road had faded, and the soft darkness
closed down, Maccario raised his head suddenly, for a drumming sound
rose from the cane.
"Somebody is coming this way, riding hard," he said.
The sound grew a trifle plainer, sank, and rose again, and the two men
strained their ears to listen. The darkness was growing denser, but
Appleby glanced at his companion.
"The sound commenced suddenly just beyond the spot where our outer
picket is," he said.
Maccario nodded. "Morales will certainly watch the road. It is a friend
who has ridden by one of the paths through the cane with news for us,"
he said.
In another few minutes the beat of hoofs was unmistakable, and when it
rang loudly down the unseen road the two descended to the big living-
room where Pancho had lighted the lamps. Maccario laughed as he sat
down, and lighted a cigarette.
"When one assumes the tranquillity it not infrequently comes to him, and
if the news is bad we shall hear it soon enough," he said.
Appleby said nothing, for there were times when he found his comrade's
sage reflections a trifle exasperating, and he was glad when there was a
trampling of hoofs in the patio, and he heard Harper greeting somebody.
Then he sprang to his feet as a man came in.
"Harding!" he said.
Maccario laughed softly. "Now I think you have a little explanation to
make, Don Bernardino, and it is conceivable that the Senor Harding may
not be grateful to you," he said.
Harding evidently understood him, for he stood still just inside the
doorway, dressed in white duck, looking at Appleby with a little grim
smile in his eyes. The dust was grimed upon his face, which was almost
haggard, and his pose suggested weariness.
"Since I find my hacienda in the possession of the Sin Verguenza I fancy
Don Maccario is right, but I can wait a little for the explanation," he
said dryly in Castilian. "I have ridden a long way, and as it is twenty-
four hours since I had anything worth mentioning to eat, I wonder
whether it would be permissable to ask for a little comida?"
Maccario, whose eyes twinkled, summoned Pancho, and sent him for food
and wine. Harding ate with an avidity which told its own story, and then
turned to Appleby.
"It was not until I reached Havana that I heard about the 'Maine,' and
then as I had a good deal of business to put through in this country it
seemed advisable to get myself up as a Cuban," he said. "I had evidence
that the Administration were watching me, and I would never have got
here at all if it hadn't been for the help of a few friends among the
Liberationists. Now, I fancy you and Don Maccario have something to tell
me."
Appleby sat still a moment looking at him gravely, while Harper, who
came in, leaned upon a chair. Then he said slowly: "As you may wish for
Don Maccario's corroboration I think I had better tell the story, which
is a little involved, in Castilian. You will find patience necessary."
He commenced with his interview with Morales on the night of the
Alcaldes' ball, and while Harding watched him with expressionless eyes
recounted briefly the two attempts upon the papers made by the spies.
Then as he came to Morales' proposition the American's face grew grim.
"That is a clever man," he said. "Go on!"
Appleby proceeded quietly, and while his low voice broke monotonously
through the silence of the room Harding's face lost its grimness, and
became intent and eager, while a sparkle crept into his eyes.
"So you staked all I had in Cuba on the chance of war and committed me
to backing the Sin Verguenza!" he said.
"Yes," said Appleby. "It was a heavy responsibility, but I could think
of no other means of overcoming the difficulty. That I should agree to
Morales' terms was out of the question."
"Of course!" said Harding simply. "That is, to a man like you."
Appleby flushed a little. "I had no opportunity of warning you, while it
seemed to me that it would go very hard with you if you were seized by
Morales. That appeared almost inevitable unless you had friends behind
you. The only ones that could be of service in this instance are the Sin
Verguenza."
"And so you took your chances of Morales shooting you?"
"I think," said Appleby quietly, "there was, under the circumstances,
very little else that one could do."
Harding looked at him steadily, and then, nodding gravely, turned to
Maccario.
"The Senor Appleby has thrown me on the patriots' hands," he said. "I
have already done them several small services, as you perhaps know. They
will remember that?"
Maccario's eyes twinkled. "I believe they will. The Senor Harding's
generosity is well known," he said. "In this country friends who are
liberal with their money are scarce, and one is willing to do a little
now and then to retain their good will. That, I think, is
comprehensible. One has usually a motive."
"Yet, when two men who had not a dollar between them were in peril, a
merchant of tobacco ventured into the cuartel at Santa Marta!" said
Appleby quietly.
Maccario lifted one shoulder expressively. "One is not always discreet,
my friend. There is, however, an important question. The Senor Harding
who knows his own countrymen believes there will be war?"
"I believe it is inevitable," said Harding dryly.
A trace of darker color crept into the Cuban's olive face, while Harper,
who slowly straightened himself, tapped him on the back with a big hand.
"Then you'll get your liberty! You're not going to find a Spaniard in
Cuba when we're through," he said.
There was a brief silence, but the intentness in the men's eyes and the
hardening of their lips were significant. Then Harding, reaching across
the table, grasped Appleby's hand. "I am in your debt, and it's not
going to hurt me to remember it," he said. "There are not many men who
could have taken up my hand, and played it out for me as you have done,
but I'm not astonished. I had my notions about you when I left you in
charge at San Cristoval. Well, that leads up to something. My affairs in
this country are 'most getting too big for me, and I'm open to take a
partner and deal with him liberally. It's not money I want, but daring
conception, and the nerve to hold on and worry through a risky plan. I
guess you know the man who would suit me, Mr. Appleby."
A little gleam crept into Appleby's eyes, but it faded again as he
glanced at Maccario.
"It is a tempting offer, but I belong to the Sin Verguenza yet," he
said. "Can you leave it open, Mr. Harding?"
"For how long?"
"Until Santa Marta has fallen, and the Sin Verguenza are undisputed
masters of this region."
He spoke in Castilian, feeling that Maccario's dark eyes were upon him,
and Harding smiled.
"Well," he said a trifle dryly, "I guess you couldn't help it, and I
can't afford to let any of the other men who will follow my lead when
we're through with the war get hold of you. When you have taken Santa
Marta come straight along to me, and if we can't fix up something that
will suit both parties it will astonish me. Now, I'm feeling sleepy, and
I've a good deal of figuring to go through with you to-morrow."
Appleby rose and went with him to the room Pancho had made ready, while
when they reached it Harding sat down wearily.
"I have another thing to tell you, Appleby," he said. "My daughter
Nettie seems to think a good deal of you."
"Miss Harding was kind enough to permit me to call upon her once or
twice at the banker's house," said Appleby quietly.
Harding's eyes twinkled. "If you had gone there every day it wouldn't
have worried me. Your head is tolerably level, and Nettie has rather
more sense than most young women, but that is not the point, anyway.
When she was leaving England she wrote to me, and told me I might let
you know there were people over there, and one, I believe in particular,
who had heard the truth about you."
Appleby stood still a moment, with a flush on his forehead and a curious
glow in his eyes.
"Miss Harding told you nothing more, sir?" he said.
"No," said Harding reflectively. "It wasn't very explicit but she seemed
to fancy it would be sufficient. Now, I don't think you need worry about
the thing, Appleby. Nettie has a good deal of discretion, and if she
decided to take up your hand it's no more than you did with mine."
Appleby made no answer, but went out, and leaned upon the veranda
balustrade looking up into the soft blueness of the night, while once
more an alluring vision seemed to materialize before his eyes. He had a
curious faith in Nettie Harding's capabilities, and remembered the
promise she had made him that what he longed for should be his.