DISCOVERED.
At last, after what seemed to him a long, weary time, Carlo began to
feel stronger, so that the difficulty to conceal him became much
greater, the high-spirited boy finding confinement quite unbearable.
His aunt and Catalina now suffered much anxiety on account of his
rashness, and as contact with danger soon makes people forget it Carlo
would often slip out even before sunset and go off to the woods to find
Harry. He used to get over at the old spot, which was not now guarded,
and then, following the Indian trail, he and Harry managed to amuse
themselves in the woods. True, he would slip back again, looking more
rosy and more cheerful; but Catalina was always saying that some day the
rash boy would repent of his want of prudence. As it was, if it had not
been for the vigilance of Andreas even the lazy guards must have had
their suspicions aroused. One day Andreas arrived at the Indian hut
just as the two, who were now fast friends, were preparing their arrows
to go hunting for pigeons, which Carlo took home to Catalina to cook so
as to make a change in their bill of fare.
'There you are, Andreas! You are just in time to go with us,' exclaimed
Carlo.
'No, Senor, I must be back at the compound in half an hour; but I have
just heard much news, and I came to tell you. The Frenchman Simon has
just landed, and brings tidings from Chagres, where men have arrived
telling of the taking of Panama. The Frenchman has brought several
officers with him who were wounded, but are now better; and I fear these
guards will have their eyes opened wider than the men now in charge.'
'Have they really taken Panama?' exclaimed Harry and Carlo; and the
latter added, 'That is indeed a feat I had not expected--though you did,
Harry. But did you hear any particulars, Andreas?'
'They are very full of all sorts of stories, but I fancy they are not
all true--how in one place they boiled leathern bags to eat and were at
death's door for want of food. After ten days of incredible hardships
they came in sight of the city, and there they engaged in very severe
fighting. But the terror of their name did more for them than even
their valour, for they were but a handful compared with the Spaniards.'
'But what of the poor city?' said Harry, when Carlo had translated the
news to him.
'The city was set fire to, which must have been a great and sad sight.
I was once there--when Padre Pietro took me as a boy--and I saw the
great merchants' houses, those belonging to the Genoese being the
finest; and as for the convents and the private dwellings, the
churches--ah, they could not be numbered.'
'But the pirates will have enough gold and to spare,' said Carlo;
'perhaps they will now let my father go free.'
'The thirst for gold seems never satisfied,' answered Harry, 'and the
worst is when they divide the spoil; there is a great deal of
quarrelling over it, and I have seen them fight to the death over a few
pieces of eight.'
'The Frenchman Simon declares that they have taken a great deal of gold
and many slaves, and that when the Captain has settled everything he
will return here and make it so strong that no enemy will ever be able
to retake it. The orders are that the work is to begin at once, and
that the ladies are to be taken great care of, as he will settle the
final ransom when he comes back. That makes me tremble for your safety,
Senorito; it would, perhaps, be more prudent to hide in the secret
passage.'
'Then I may as well be taken by the pirates, Andreas. I was stifled
before in that odious hole. No, no; let me keep my liberty as long as I
can. I promise I will keep a sharp look-out for this Simon. Now let us
have a little fun; we try so hard to shoot the arrows as you do,
Andreas, but we have had as yet but poor success.'
'The Senorito was not born an Indian,' said Andreas, a little sadly.
'Before the white man came all these forests were our hunting-grounds;
but there came good as well as evil with the strangers.' Then after a
pause he added:
'If you will follow me I can show you a spot that few know how to
reach.'
The boys were only too glad to comply, and Andreas took out of a
hiding-place in the hut a curious blow-pipe, which was a reed from ten
to eleven feet in length.
'You will take my bow, Senor, and we shall see who will shoot the
farthest.'
Harry examined this new kind of weapon with great curiosity. There was
no appearance of knot or joint in it; only the end which was to be
applied to the mouth was tied round with small silk grass cord. The
arrows which Andreas next produced for his blow-pipe were nine or ten
inches long, made out of the leaf of a palm-tree, and as sharp as a
needle.
'An inch of the pointed end is poisoned, whilst the opposite end is
burned to make it hard,' said Andreas, exhibiting these beautifully made
arrows; 'and this white stuff is the wild cotton. See, this quiver will
hold five hundred such. Now come, but you must tread softly as a cat.'
He led through an intricate path in the midst of the dense forest.
Harry would never have expected to find any human being able to thread
through such a tangled mass; but Carlo knew what were the powers of
Andreas in this respect. Then suddenly the Indian stopped; he looked up
into the tall branches above him, and, putting his blow-pipe to his
mouth, he collected his breath for the fatal puff. Two feet from the
end of the tube two teeth of the acouri were fastened, and these served
Andreas for a sight. As Andreas lifted the pipe the boys waited in
breathless silence; then, suddenly and swiftly, the arrow flew
unerringly upwards. Had it missed? Harry thought so at first; but no:
there was a flutter, and then a pajui, an excellent game-bird, came
falling heavily to the ground.
'Capital!' cried Harry; 'I don't believe I could do that.' He was going
to pick up the bird, but Andreas stopped him, and Carlo cried out:
'Take care, Harry. Andreas will know how to handle the bird; you might
touch the poisoned point. This wourali is such a strange thing, though
it does not hurt the flesh of the bird in the least.'
Andreas smiled to see Harry's astonishment, and, handing him the
blow-pipe, told him to try what he could do, as he himself had to return
to the compound; but, as can be easily imagined, Harry's breath was not
equal to sending an arrow three hundred feet into the air; he would
require many years of practice before he could rival the Indian's
dexterity.
After much excitement the two returned to the hut, Carlo thinking it
safer to stay some time in the wood after nightfall to make sure the
coast would be clear before his return to Santa Teresa.
By the light of their one candle the young Spaniard usually gave Harry
lessons in Spanish out of a book he had brought from the castle; and
Harry, having heard a great deal of that tongue spoken by the pirates,
was an apt pupil. After the lesson they fell to talking about the
chances Harry had of finding an English ship, and Carlo a Spanish one.
Certainly the effort ought to be made before the chance of Captain
Morgan's return; but how was it to be done? For Andreas' canoe was too
slight to trust on the sea, and was, moreover, much in need of repair.
This evening after their discussion Carlo added:
'I have been talking to Andreas about the caves which lie on the bigger
island; but how are we to get the girls and my aunt to them, not to
mention dear old Catalina, whom we could not leave behind? The bridge is
well guarded, and we have no boat to go by water; besides, we should be
sure to be taken by one of the pirate ships. Whichever way I look,
escape seems impossible. Then, too, the thought of my father makes me
sad; he has suffered so much that I cannot feel angry with him now as I
did at first.'
'Never say die, Senor; that is English advice, and it serves the purpose
of making one feel ashamed of giving way to despair. I know there is
little chance for any of us, and yet I do go on hoping still. God has
allowed me to escape so far, and I mean to keep up a brave heart. At
night I dream of my home, and actually the other evening I woke up
telling my father about the capture of Chagres Castle. I was deeply
disappointed to find myself alone in this hut, I assure you. But
prithee, Senor Carlo, it is time you returned; the Senora will be
anxious about you, and will fancy you are in danger of new horrors.'
Carlo agreed, though he was sorry to leave Harry in such uncomfortable
quarters; but the latter answered, laughing:
'I am hardy by nature, and I have learnt now to be able to sleep on any
bed, even Mother Earth's hardest mattress; and besides, Senor Carlo, I
feel more secure here than if I were in your gruesome hole in the
castle. Give my duty to my countrywoman, and tell her I am carving her
a whistle to wear at her girdle when she is once more free to flit
hither and thither at her pleasure.'
Carlo made his way very cautiously out of the forest for fear of meeting
any stray dogs that might be prowling round. But all was quiet and
silent as he crept up to the breach, which the pirates had never yet
taken the trouble to repair. Whether Andreas' warnings had made him
more nervous, or whether he were trying to be more watchful, he could
not tell; but as he approached the verandah he fancied he heard a slight
noise among the bushes. He paused, and the sound ceased; then he made a
few steps forward, and, hearing nothing more, he cautiously climbed up
the verandah and swung himself as usual over the low balcony. The
window was left open, and before closing it he looked down into the
bushes. Once again he fancied he heard a soft stir, but the darkness
prevented him seeing anything more than a slight waving motion among the
great rose-bushes.
In the sitting-room everything looked as usual. Felipa was bending over
some embroidery as if she were still the little mistress of Santa
Teresa, and Etta's face looked flushed with excitement as she fixed her
blue eyes intently on a palm-leaf basket she was weaving, which work
Andreas had taught her long ago.
'Carlo, look!' she cried. 'I have had a mishap with two baskets, but
this one shall succeed. How have you fared to-day, and did Harry Fenn
have good sport?'
'Andreas gave him a lesson on the blow-pipe, and I can tell you your
Englishman opened his eyes wide. But what of the Frenchman, Senora?
Have you seen him?'
'No; but we heard a bustle in the hall, and the soldier who came this
evening said we should have a visitor to-morrow.'
'Has Harry Fenn heard of any ship in our neighbourhood?' said Dona
Elena, anxiously. 'Catalina says this Frenchman has a bad name, and that
she fears you will be discovered if they set a stronger guard; so do be
careful, my poor Carlo.'
Carlo thought of the noise he had heard in the bushes, and wondered if
he had already been seen and betrayed; but he deemed it wiser not to
mention this.
'One thing I swear,' he said suddenly: 'they shall not separate us
again. Felipa, say you will follow where I lead, little sister. If we
must die, let us at least die together.'
'Indeed I will, Carlo, for I am weary of being a prisoner,' she answered
with a sigh; and Dona Elena, looking up, saw a strange look of pain and
sadness pass over the girl's face.
Suddenly Etta sprang from the low couch on which she was sitting and put
her finger on her lips.
'Carlo! Carlo!' she whispered, 'hide quickly! Catalina, help him--I
hear steps. Make haste, prithee, make haste!'
Carlo listened, but heard nothing, only Etta's hand pushed him towards
the cupboard door, and to please her he retreated. Poor much-tried Dona
Elena turned pale, whilst Felipa drew near to her; for now all of them
heard distinctly the steps. In two more minutes, after an impatient
knock, the expected Frenchman entered, and his quick glances took in the
party as he made a profound bow, and said:
'Good! the Senora and the Dona Elena Alvarez, the nurse and the English
girl--that was as the Captain said. Good-evening, ladies. I suppose
you have not heard that the young Senor Carlo has returned to the
island, and that he is now secreted in the wood?'
'My nephew is not likely to keep in the woods when we are here,' said
Dona Elena, with great presence of mind.
'That may or may not be; but Captain Morgan is coming back in a few
days, Madame, and he sent word that you would all be ransomed or sold as
slaves. The young Senor was especially to be well cared for if he
landed here. And I fancy I have heard something of such an event.'
Then he added: 'Perhaps that old Spanish woman could tell something
about him if we were to ask her questions below.'
Dona Elena rose to her full height.
'You must first kill me before you touch our faithful Catalina. Leave
my presence, Monsieur.'
'Well, well, don't be angry, Dona Elena: to-morrow is time enough. As
for to-night, we will have a hunt with the dogs in the forest and see
for ourselves. Good-night, ladies.'