Of our voyage from the island of Asturia to San Diaz there is little
to chronicle. _La Belle Josephine_, as far as her sailing capabilities
were concerned, was all that her owner and captain had described her
to be. On the other hand, her dirt and slovenliness were exactly what
I had been led to expect it would be from my first inspection of the
cabin. To sleep in it, or to eat my meals there, was out of
the question. How the Senorita would manage, when she came
aboard--provided I was able to get her away from the island--I could
not imagine.
Monsieur Maxime's navigation, I soon discovered, was of the most
elementary description. However, perhaps by luck, and perhaps by a
measure of good judgment, he managed to pick up the island about noon
on the third day after leaving Asturia.
Fearing that Silvestre might have some one on the look-out, I bade
Maxime keep the schooner out of sight of land until nightfall. Then
we put in, and brought up in a small bay some five miles from the
settlement. Immediately it was dark I went ashore, bidding the hands
take the boat back, and when they got there to keep a sharp ear for my
whistle.
Fortunately for what I had in hand, it was a dark night, so dark
indeed that I could scarcely see the boat when I had walked a dozen
paces from it. What the jungle would be like I could not imagine.
When the boat had disappeared I set off along the beach in the
direction of the settlement. How I was going to reach the house
without attracting the attention of its inmates, and what I was going
to do when I got there, were two points about which I did not trouble
myself very much at that time. My lucky star had so far been in the
ascendant, that I was trusting to it to continue so. I knew very well
that it was a desperate enterprise I was embarking upon, for should
Silvestre discover me, my shrift was likely to be as short as that
which Fernandez had so obligingly arranged for me in La Gloria. At
last, when I reached the eastern side of the bay, that in which the
yacht had anchored, I turned towards the jungle and prepared to enter
it. I knew I was in for some hard work, but I did not imagine that it
would prove so difficult as I found it to be. The dense mass of
creeper that twined from tree to tree barred my progress at every
step. I had to climb, to twist, to crawl, in places unable to see more
than a few inches ahead, scratched by aloes and thorny bushes,
buffeted by low branches, and more than once tripped up and thrown
heavily to the ground by logs and other obstacles. How long it took me
to reach the plateau I cannot say, but I could scarcely have been less
than an hour upon the road. Yet the distance was certainly not more
than a quarter of a mile. Somewhat to my astonishment the plateau was
all darkness; not a light showed from the house, not a sound came from
the huts. With a stealth that would have done credit to a Sioux or an
Apache, I crept through the bushes towards the block-house in which
Fernandez had been confined when I had left the island. A sudden fear
had come over me that, during my absence, Silvestre might have done
away with him. If no sentry stood at the door I should believe this to
be the case. Closer and still closer I crept to it. At last I was only
a few yards distant from it. I was about to move forward on my hands
and knees in order to obtain a better view, when a guttural cough
reached me, coming, so it seemed, from only a few yards away. So close
was it, indeed, that I sprang back, fearing lest the man who uttered
it would become aware of my presence. Then the grounding of a
rifle-butt on the stones before the hut door reached me, and afforded
me indisputable evidence that the general was still imprisoned there.
At first a wild notion came into my head that I might be able to
overpower the negro sentry, and, having done so, to free Fernandez. A
moment's reflection, however, told me that in all probability he would
prove more than a match for me, while he might also have time to fire
his rifle and so to give the alarm. More important still, even if I
did have the good luck to overcome him, I should not be able to get
into the hut, as Silvestre kept the key.
"No," I said to myself, "I must try again to-morrow night, and then
I'll bring the two men with me."
Creeping back as carefully as I had come, I reached the beach once
more as tired as if I had walked a dozen miles through heavy ground.
Going to the water's edge, I gave a shrill whistle, and then sat
myself down to await the boat's arrival. It was not long in coming,
and in less than a quarter of an hour I was back on board the
schooner. Calling up Monsieur Maxime, I bade him get sail on her and
put to sea once more. He seemed a little surprised, I fancy, and was
about to demur. A brief remonstrance on my part, however, sufficed to
put him on good terms with me again.
The next day was spent out of sight of the island, but as soon as
darkness fell we were back once more and anchored in the bay. By this
time, as you may suppose, I had perfected my scheme as far as
possible, and knew exactly what I was going to do.
To my delight the night proved as dark as its predecessor. When, after
some difficulty, I reached the shore, with the two men who had
volunteered to assist me, the wind was driving the sand upon the beach
in clouds, and was howling most dismally among the trees of the
jungle.
"We couldn't have chosen a better night," I said to my companions, as
we hurried along. "With the elements in our favour, however, we shall
have to be very careful how we act."
We made our way down the beach as I had done on the previous night,
and climbed the hill as before. Neither of the men had had any
previous experience of jungle-work, but they were to have some now
which would be sufficient to last them all their lives. More than once
they followed my example and went sprawling in the darkness, while
once the taller of the pair managed to get his foot entangled in a
mass of creeper, and it required all my efforts, and those of his
companion, to release him.
"Lord bless us, sir," the other whispered in my ear, "I hope there are
no snakes about. This seems just the sort of place to find them."
"You needn't be afraid," I replied. "I have been assured that there is
not a snake on the island."
"I'm glad of that," I heard him mutter. "I don't cotton to snakes
nohow."
At last we reached the plateau, whereupon I bade both men remain where
they were while I went to reconnoitre. Then, dropping on to my hands
and knees, I crept forward until I was on the edge of the jungle. It
was the same place from which I had watched the sentry on the previous
night. Either he or one of his comrades was there now, for I could
just see his dark figure standing at the corner of the hut. Across the
plateau streamed a bright light from the sitting-room of the house,
while the faint tinkling of some native instrument reached my ears
from the group of huts beyond. Having taken my observations, I crept
back again to my companions.
As may be supposed, I had already instructed them in their duties. In
consequence, each had brought with him a hank of thin rope, while I
had placed two or three carefully made canvas gags in my pocket in
case their services should be required. The idea I had in my mind was
that we should creep up to the hut from behind. The two men would then
take the right-hand side and make their way round the building with as
little noise as possible, while I was to imitate them on the left.
When I reached the sentry I was to saunter slowly up to him as if it
were the most natural thing in the world for me to be there. Before he
could recover from his astonishment at seeing me, they were to spring
upon him and make him secure--I obtaining possession of his rifle
before he could fire it.
"Come along," I whispered, "and don't make a sound as you love your
lives."
Scarcely daring to breathe, I led them from the jungle and across the
open space that separated us from the hut. Having gained its shelter,
we paused to prepare for the struggle.
[Illustration: "One had clutched him by the throat."]
Since I had left England I had been in some tight places, but I had
never felt so nervous as I did at that moment. There was so much to be
thought of, so much to be provided for, and yet so much to be left to
chance. What if the sentry did not prove as surprised as I hoped he
would be? Suppose the men did not come up in time and gave him an
opportunity of discharging his rifle, what would our fate be then? But
it did not improve matters thinking of what might happen. I had to
carry out my portion of the scheme and leave the rest to Fate. So,
having seen the men ready with their ropes in their hands, I calmly
strolled round the side of the hut towards the spot where the sentry
was standing. It seemed to me that on the outcome of those few steps I
was staking all that was worth having in the world--Molly's happiness,
my mother's, Fernandez' and the Senorita Dolores' lives, and in all
probability my own. Then I turned the corner and the giant figure of
the negro was before me. He looked up and saw me, uttered an
exclamation of surprise, and then took a step forward as if to make
sure of my identity.
"Have you a light for my cigar, friend?" I inquired, as coolly as I
could force myself to speak.
As I said it the two figures of my companions appeared round the
further corner. Before the man could reply they had thrown themselves
upon him; one had clutched him by the throat, while the other pinioned
his hands behind him. Springing forward, I seized the rifle he had
dropped. The man made a desperate struggle for his liberty, but we
were too much for him, and almost before he could realize what had
happened, we had got him on the other side of the hut, where we could
make him secure and do with him as we might think best. In almost
less time than it takes to tell, my two companions had lashed him so
securely that it was impossible for him to move hand or foot or, what
was more important still, to cry out.
"So far so good," I said, rising from my knees, where I had been
kneeling beside the prostrate man. "He will give us no more trouble.
Now you, Williams, take his rifle and stand sentry in front of that
door, while Matthews and I go across to the house and see what we can
do with Silvestre. We've got to find that key somehow."
Williams took the rifle and proceeded to the front of the hut, where
he stood in very much the same attitude as the negro had adopted. Then
Matthews and I, in our turn, made our way quietly back to the jungle,
and through it towards the spot where it approached nearest the house.
The light was still streaming from Silvestre's window, and once, as we
waited, I heard the sound of his laugh. It was evident from this that
he was not alone.
"Now, Matthews," I said, "what we have to do is to get across to that
verandah without any one seeing us. If we are caught, remember our
lives will pay the penalty."
"I hope we shan't be caught then, sir," the man replied.
The night was as still as the grave; the music had ceased at the huts,
and not a sound came from the house towards which we were making our
way. At last we reached the verandah and ascended the two steps that
led up to it. Silvestre's sitting-room was now only a few yards
distant. Would it be possible for us to reach it without giving him
warning of our approach? Fortunately for us, the floor of the verandah
was of earth, beaten hard, and for this reason, unless we were more
than usually careless, the odds were in our favour. Keeping as close
to the wall of the house as possible, we approached the window, which
was open. As we did so, Silvestre spoke again.
"Well, I have given you plenty of time to think it over," he remarked.
"What have you to say?"
"Only that I refuse," the Senorita replied, for she was his companion.
"You could not expect me to do anything else."
"Think well what you are doing," the other continued, and as he said
it I advanced a couple of steps. "You know that when I say a thing I
mean it. I tell you plainly Fernandez' life is not worth an hour's
purchase. He chose to come between me and my ambition, and I have
tossed him aside as I should have done a straw. When he is out of the
way Equinata will listen to me, and when she has observed how I deal
with such as oppose me, I don't think she will make any more mistakes.
I know that you are dangerous, but I fancy I can manage you. Give me
the information I require, and I'll spare you and perhaps do more. Why
should you bother yourself about Fernandez?"
"Do you think I have no heart?"
"I suppose you have about as much as any other woman," was the
sneering reply. "Come, Senorita, you must admit that my patience has
held out pretty well. But you mustn't overstrain it. Give me the
information I require and I, on my side, will pledge myself to send
you to Europe, and also to allow Fernandez to remain here in safety,
provided he passes his word never to return to Equinata or to molest
me further. I cannot make you a fairer offer than that, and I am
afraid I am foolish to do so much."
"And if I refuse to accept your terms?"
"Then I shoot Fernandez at daybreak, and when the yacht returns sail
away, leaving you here in Palmyre's charge. I am afraid you would find
the life a trifle lonely after La Gloria."
Knowing as I did what his real intentions were, I was able to form a
very fair estimate of the man's villainy. What the information could
be that he was so anxious to obtain from her I could not imagine. I
had not much time, however, to think about it, for as the thought
flashed through my brain I heard some one rise from a chair and cross
the room, then Silvestre's voice continued, in a more persuasive tone
than he had used before: "Senorita, you and I together could govern
that country as it has never been ruled before. I know who are my
friends there, and I am also acquainted with my enemies. The first I
shall take care to render even more loyal than they were before, the
others I shall deal with in such a fashion that they will give no more
trouble. Come, make up your mind. Go home to Europe for a year until I
have everything in order and then come out and join me. Who knows what
happiness may be in store for us? What have you to say to my
proposal?"
"I cannot," she answered in a heart-broken voice; "and yet, oh Heaven!
I cannot let you kill him."
"You must decide one way or the other," he said remorselessly, "and
you'd also better be quick about it. My patience is well nigh
exhausted."
There was another interval of silence.
"Will you let me see Senor Fernandez for a moment before I give you my
answer?" she pleaded.
"Not for an instant," he replied. "You must have known what answer I
should give you when you put the question. I know Senor Fernandez too
well to allow you two to meet. I see it is half-past ten! Now I will
give you five minutes in which to make up your mind, and if you don't
tell me what I want to know then, I will carry out my threat and
Fernandez will finish his career at daybreak."
She uttered a piteous little cry, followed by an appeal for mercy.
"Don't talk to me of mercy," he answered. "What mercy did he show me?
What mercy would he have for me if our positions were reversed? He
would have shot me like a dog. Bear the fact in mind, Senorita, that
if he comes to an untimely end you will be responsible for it!"
There was another pause.
"Time is flying. You have only four minutes left!"
It was impossible that I could listen to this sort of talk unmoved. He
had the unfortunate woman at his mercy, and I knew him well enough by
this time to feel convinced that as soon as he had extracted his
information from her he would throw his promises to the wind, and
carry out the infamous project of which Manuel had spoken to Palmyre.
He knew well that even if he killed Fernandez and allowed her to go
free she would begin to intrigue against him. His insinuation that she
should return from Europe to him in Equinata was only a subterfuge to
prevent her becoming suspicious as to his real intentions.
"Three minutes gone!"
The Senorita said nothing in reply, but although I could not see her I
could very well imagine the agony she was suffering. The memory of the
night we had spent together in the balcony of the Opera House at La
Gloria came back to me. Then I took my revolver from my pocket, and
gave the magazine a turn to see that it was in working order.
Once more Silvestre spoke.
"Time is up," he said. "I will call Palmyre and give the necessary
orders about Fernandez."
"No, no," she cried in the expostulation of despair. "Take my
life--kill me! But for the Blessed Virgin's sake, let him go free."
"Will you give me the information?" was Silvestre's reply.
The Senorita uttered a little cry as if she were suffering physical
pain.
"And send them to their deaths? No, no, I should be less than human if
I were to do that."
"Fernandez will be less than human if you do not," was the other's
brutal response. "Permit me, and I will call Palmyre."
As he said this, I turned to the man behind me and signalled that I
was about to enter the room. Then, revolver in hand, I strode in.
"That will do, Silvestre," I cried, covering him with the revolver as
I approached him.
"Good heavens! you here?" he shouted, as if he found it difficult to
believe the evidence of his own eyes. The Senorita was leaning against
the table with a look of bewildered astonishment upon her face.
"As you see, I have returned," I answered. "But I have not time to
discuss that matter with you now. I give you fair warning that if you
speak again I shall shoot. Sit down in that chair and put your hands
behind you!"
With an oath Silvestre complied with my request.
Turning to Matthews, I signed to him to carry out the work we had
previously arranged. In less time than it takes to tell, Don Guzman de
Silvestre was securely fastened in his chair, a gag had been placed in
his mouth, and it was then out of his power to do any mischief. From
the expression upon his face I could gather some notion of what his
feelings were. It was very evident that if I should have the
misfortune to fall into his hands again I should be likely to
receive but little mercy from him. As soon as he was secure, and I had
abstracted the key of the block-house from his pocket, I turned to the
lady.
[Illustration: "'I give you fair warning that if you speak again I
shall shoot.'"]
"Come, Senorita," I whispered, "you had better prepare for departure.
If we are to release the President and to get away before daylight
there is not much time to be lost."
"I am quite ready to leave," she replied.
"Then be good enough to accompany this man, and be very careful to
keep in the shadow of the house," I returned. "Above all, see that you
do not make a sound. I want to have a few words alone with Silvestre."
Matthews led the way from the room and, with one last look at the man
in the chair, the Senorita followed him.
When I had seen her turn the corner of the verandah, I approached
Silvestre, who glared at me as though he hoped the fire in his eyes
might consume me.
"Don Guzman," I began, speaking in a low voice, "before I take leave
of you, I want to let you know why I have played this trick upon you.
You will remember that at Falstead you gave me your assurance that if
I helped you to secure Fernandez you would do him no harm. And yet you
have given orders that, as soon as you had left the island for
Equinata, the Senorita and her uncle were to be poisoned. I
distinctly heard you tell the former that the latter would die at
daybreak. I am afraid you will find yourself mistaken in your
prophecy. By daybreak Fernandez should be well on his way back to
Equinata. There is one other matter before I go. Here is the last
money you gave me." So saying, I threw upon the table the roll of
notes he had handed to me before I left the island for Asturia.
A hideous scowl was the only response I received.
Then, when I had placed my revolver in my pocket, I made my way down
the verandah in the direction of Fernandez' prison. To my delight I
discovered that no change had taken place there. The giant negro still
lay where we had placed him, while my own man stood sentry before the
door.
Bidding the Senorita and Matthews remain concealed, I crept quietly
forward. The plateau was as silent as the grave, while the only light
to be seen was that which streamed from the window of the room we had
just left.
I had passed through some momentous moments in the past six months,
but I do not think that, in the whole course of this extraordinary
affair, I experienced anything like the sensation that took possession
of me as I made my way towards the door of the hut. I had begun by
taking service under Silvestre; I had carried out his instructions to
the best of my ability; I had found him a traitor, and now, here I
was, throwing him over and rendering assistance to the other side.
What was the end of it all to be? Should I escape with Fernandez, or
would Silvestre catch us before we could reach the boat?
Signing to the sailor to stand aside, I placed the key in the lock. As
I opened the door a voice, which I instantly recognized, said as
calmly as though its owner were addressing me in the President's study
at La Gloria:
"So it's you, Trevelyan, is it? I had an idea you'd come round to my
way of thinking. I heard your scuffle with the sentry. I suppose you
managed to overpower him?"
I answered him in a whisper that his conjecture was correct.
"You must get up at once," I continued hurriedly. "There is no time to
spare. The Senorita is waiting for you in the jungle, and I have a
schooner in the bay."
"But I can't get up," he replied. "Our worthy friend, Silvestre, has
taken good care of that."
"The deuce, he has!" said I. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that I am chained to the leg of the bed," Fernandez returned.
"Before you can release me you must have the key of the padlock."
In a flash I realized what a fool I had been. It had never struck me,
when searching Silvestre's pockets, to find out whether he had any
other key in his possession. Now we were in a pretty fix. It seemed as
if I had defeated Silvestre only to give him a very fair opportunity
of turning the tables upon me. At any other time I should have sworn
at the contrariness of my luck; now, however, I had too much upon my
mind to have time to seek relief in that direction. It was a problem
that any man might have been excused for feeling diffident about. The
Senorita was concealed in the scrub; the lives of Matthews and his
companions depended upon my prompt and successful treatment of the
difficulty, and the only possible way I could see of accomplishing
that was to return to the room in which I had left Silvestre, and,
once there, to overhaul him in the hopes of discovering the
all-important key. This time, however, the risk would be increased a
thousandfold. It was only too probable that the old negress Palmyre,
or the half-caste Manuel, would have entered to find their master in
the lamentable condition I had left him; in which case, for all the
good I could do, I might just as well take my revolver, shoot myself
and Fernandez, and so bring the whole desperate affair to a
conclusion.
"You are quite sure, I suppose," I remarked, "that Silvestre has the
key upon his person?"
"Quite," he answered. "He has been kind enough to dangle it before my
eyes every time he has visited me. Only this afternoon he wittily
described it as the isthmus connecting the continents of Equinata and
Death!"
That was Fernandez all over. Even when my heart was beating like a
wheat-flail in my breast with terror, and when every moment I expected
to see Silvestre make his appearance in the doorway, he must have his
joke.
"Well," I said at last, "I suppose there is nothing for it but for me
to return to the house and to endeavour to obtain possession of the
key. Heaven alone knows whether I shall be successful. In the meantime
the Senorita had better make her way down to the shore. You will of
course keep very quiet until I return."
"You may depend upon my doing that," he replied. "You will find me
here when you return."
Without another word I left the hut and crept round it to the spot
where the Senorita and the faithful Matthews were anxiously waiting
for me. So dark was it in the jungle that I could see nothing of them,
and it was not until I called to them that I could discover their
whereabouts. Then, drawing the lady a little on one side, I hastened
to explain the situation to her.
"You will find the key hanging round his neck," she said in a fierce
whisper. "If you only knew what a miserable part it has played in my
life of late, you would easily understand how familiar I am with its
hiding-place."
I did not reply, but, turning to Matthews, bade him escort the
Senorita down the hillside to the shore, where they were to await our
coming. When they departed I began my journey to the house. The light
still shone from Silvestre's window, though the remainder of the
building was in complete darkness. Revolver in hand I crept carefully
along until I reached the steps leading to the verandah. These I
ascended, and eventually reached the room in question. Every creak of
the boards brought my heart into my mouth; and yet, if Silvestre had
been discovered and released by Manuel or Palmyre, why had he not come
in search of us? That he was no coward I knew too well.
When I reached the open window I was able to obtain a glimpse of the
room. It may be imagined with what delight I assured myself that
Silvestre was still there and, what was more, lying just as I had left
him. Softly I crept in and approached him. I could fancy the
satisfaction he had felt when he had witnessed my departure before
without the key of the padlock which fastened Fernandez' fetters to
the bed. From the way he glared at me, when he became aware of my
presence, it was evident that he realized that I had come to rectify
my mistake. As quickly as I could do it, and without wasting any words
upon him, I unfastened the collar of his shirt to discover, suspended
on a string round his neck, that tiny talisman that, at that moment,
was worth more to me than anything else in the world. To take
possession of it was the work of a second, and then I once more
tiptoed towards the verandah. I had barely reached it, however, when I
heard the door, communicating with the central passage of the house
open, and looking back I saw Palmyre enter the room.
As I arrived at the end of the verandah I heard a shrill scream, and
as I heard it realized the fact that, unless I could succeed in
releasing Fernandez within the next few minutes, all was lost, and
that I should, in all human probability, never see old England again!