A Great Military Exploit
[Illustration]
One day while Sam was still waiting for Cleary to carry out his
designs, his secretary told him that a sergeant wished to see him, and
Sam directed him to show him into his office. The man was a rather
sinister-looking individual, and his speech betrayed his Anglian
origin.
"Colonel," said he, after the door was closed and they were alone, "I'm
only a sergeant promoted from the ranks, but I'm not just an ordinary
common soldier. I know a thing or two, and I've got a plan and I
thought perhaps you would be glad to 'ear of it. I 'ave the 'abit of
observing things, and most soldiers don't. Why, bless me, you can march
them into a country and out again, and with their eyes front, they
don't see a bloomin' thing. They're trained to see nothin'. They're
good for nothin' but to do as they're bid. I used to be in the army in
the old country, and once at Baldershot I saw Lord Bullsley come along
on horseback and stop two soldiers carryin' a soup-pail.
"'Give me a taste of that,' says he, and one of them runs off and gets
a ladle and gives him a taste. He spits it out and makes a face and
shouts:
"'Good heavens! man, you don't call that stuff soup, do you?'
"'No, sir,' says the man. 'It's dish-water that we was a-hemptyin'.'
That's the soldier all over again. He 'adn't sense enough to tell him
beforehand."
"I don't see, sergeant, what that has to do with me," said Sam curtly.
"Well, sir, perhaps it hasn't. But I only wanted to say that I ain't
that kind of a man. I sees and thinks for myself. Now I 'ear that
they've got a letter captured from Gomaldo askin' General Baluna for
reenforcements, and that they've got some letters from Baluna too, and
know his handwritin'. I only wanted to say that I used to be a
writin'-master and that I can copy any writin' goin' or any signature
either, so you can't tell them apart. Now why couldn't we forge an
answer from Baluna to Gomaldo and send the first reenforcements
ourselves? He wants a 'undred men at a time. And then we could capture
Gomaldo as easy as can be. We could find him in the mountains. I know a
lot of these natives 'ere who would go with us if we paid them well."
"We should have to dress them up in the native uniform," said Sam. "I
don't know whether that would be quite honorable."
The sergeant smiled knowingly, but said nothing.
"Do you think we could get native officers to do such a thing?" Sam
asked.
"Oh, yes! Plenty of them. I know one or two. At first they wouldn't
like it. But give them money enough and commissions in our army, and
they'd do it."
"How different they are from us!" mused Sam. "Nobody in our army,
officer or man, could ever be approached in that way."
"It seems to me I've read somewhere of one of our principal
generals--Maledict Donald, wasn't it?"
Sam thought best not to hear this.
"But we would have to send some of our own officers on such an
expedition," he said. "We couldn't disguise them as natives."
"That wouldn't be necessary. They can go as if they were prisoners--you
and two or three others you could pick out. I'd like to go too. And
then I'd expect good pay if the thing went through, and a commission as
lieutenant."
"There'd be no trouble about that," answered Sam. "I'll think it over,
and perhaps consult the general about it and let you know by
to-morrow."
"Very good, sir. I'm Sergeant Keene of the 5th Company, 39th Infantry."
As the sergeant went out Cleary came in, and Sam laid the matter before
him.
"I know that fellow by sight," said Cleary. "They say he's served
several terms for forgery and counterfeiting. I don't like his looks.
That's a great scheme tho, if it does seem a little like
bunco-steering. It's all right in war perhaps."
"Yes," said Sam. "We have a higher standard of honor than civilians.
I'll go and see the general about it now."
After some consultation the general approved the plan and authorized
Sam to carry it out. The latter set Keene to work at once at forging a
letter from Baluna acknowledging receipt of the orders for
reenforcements and informing Gomaldo that he was sending him the first
company of one hundred troops. Meanwhile he selected three officers of
the Regular Army to accompany him besides Keene, and through the
latter approached three native officers who had been captured at San
Diego. One of these was a close confidential friend of Gomaldo's, but
Keene succeeded after much persuasion in winning them all over. It was
an easier task to make up a company of native privates, who readily
followed their officers when a small payment on account had been given
to each man.
"I don't quite like the job," Sam confessed to Cleary, "but the general
says it's all right and so it must be."
At last the expedition started out. All the natives were dressed in the
native uniform, and the five white men were clad as privates in the
invading army and held as prisoners. After passing the outposts near
San Diego they turned toward the south in the direction of the
mountains where Gomaldo's captured letter had been dated. They were
received with rejoicings in each native village as soon as they showed
the forged letter of Baluna and exhibited their white prisoners. The
villagers showed much interest in the latter, but treated them kindly,
expressing their pity for them and offering them food. They had no
difficulty in obtaining exact directions as to Gomaldo's situation, but
found that it lay in the midst of an uninhabited district where it was
impossible to obtain supplies, the village where he had established his
headquarters being the only one within many miles. They scraped
together what food they could in the shape of rice, Indian corn, and
dried beef, and set out on the last stage of their journey. There had
been heavy rains recently, and the mountain paths were almost
impassable. There were swift rivers to cross, precipices to climb, and
jungles to penetrate. The heat was intense, and the men began to suffer
from it. The advance was very slow, and soon the provisions gave out.
It began to seem probable that the whole expedition would perish in the
mountains. Sam called a council of war, and, at Keene's suggestion,
picked out the two most vigorous privates, who went ahead bearing the
alleged Baluna letter and another from Gomaldo's renegade friend, who
was nominally in command, asking for speedy succor. The two
ambassadors were well schooled in what they should say, and were
promised a large sum of money if they succeeded.
For two long days the party waited entirely without food, and they were
just beginning to despair, when the two men returned with a dozen
carriers sent by Gomaldo bringing an ample supply of bread and meat. He
also delivered a letter in which the native general congratulated his
friend on his success in leading the reenforcements and in capturing
the prisoners, and gave express instructions that the latter should be
treated with all consideration. The carriers were commanded by a native
lieutenant, who insisted that the prisoners should share equally with
the native troops, and saw to it personally that Sam and his friends
were served. His kindness cut Sam to the heart. After a few hours'
delay the expedition set out again, and on the following day it reached
the mountain village where Gomaldo had established himself.
Gomaldo's body-guard, composed of fifty troops neatly dressed in white
uniforms, were drawn up to receive them, and the whole population
greeted them with joy. Gomaldo himself stood on the veranda of his
house, and, after saluting the expedition, invited the native officers
who were to betray him in to dinner. At this moment Keene whispered to
Sam and the latter signaled to the native officer, Gomaldo's
treacherous friend who was in charge of him, and this man gave an order
in a low voice, whereupon the whole expedition discharged their rifles,
and half-a-dozen of the body-guard fell to the ground. In the mean time
two of the native officers threw their arms round Gomaldo and took him
prisoner, and his partizans were seized with a panic. Sam took command
of his men, who outnumbered the loyal natives, and in a few minutes he
had unchallenged control of the post without losing a single man,
killed or wounded. Gomaldo was intensely excited and upbraided Sam
bitterly when taken before him, but upon being promised good treatment
he became more tractable. Sam gave orders that the villagers should
bury the dead, among whom he regretted to see the body of the native
lieutenant who had brought him food when they were starving; and then,
after a rest of several hours, the expedition set out on the return
journey, Gomaldo and his men accompanying it as prisoners.
The news of the capture preceded the party, and when, after a march of
several days, they arrived at Havilla, Sam was received as a conquering
hero by the army. Cleary took the first opportunity to grasp his hand.
"Is it really a great and noble act?" Sam whispered. "I suppose it is,
for everybody says so, but somehow it has left a bad taste in my mouth,
and I can't bear the sight of that fellow Keene."
"Never mind," said Cleary. "You won't have to see him long. We're going
to Porsslania in a fortnight, you and I, and you'll have a chance to
turn the world upside down there."