The Nicaraguans met the first charge of the bluejackets bravely enough,
but they were now opposed to men who knew not the meaning of the word
defeat, nor what it meant to retreat. Under the first fire from the
Americans they wavered; at the next they began to fall back and at the
third they turned and fled.
Dick and Shirley, bound as they were, nevertheless could see how the
fighting progressed, while thanks to the thoughtfulness of the
revolutionary leader they were out of danger themselves.
But now that the day was going against the enemy, Dick feared that
General Orizaba, mindful of his threat, would return to his prisoners
before seeking safety in flight. Therefore he began to devise a way of
escape.
After some effort he succeeded in getting out his pocket knife. Then,
holding it in one of his bound hands, he bent his head and opened the
big blade with his teeth. Fortunately the rope with which he was bound
was not thick, and the knife was sharp.
For perhaps ten minutes, holding the knife in his mouth by the handle,
Dick sawed at the bonds on his hands. At last the rope parted. Quickly
he untied his feet, and then unbound Shirley, who also arose to her
feet.
The Nicaraguan forces were now in full retreat, and as Dick would have
led Shirley forward toward the town, a single figure burst into sight.
As the man came closer Shirley and Dick could see anger and hate written
large on his features. They recognized him upon the instant.
"Orizaba!" exclaimed Shirley.
"And come to fulfill his promise, I guess," agreed Dick quietly.
"Run!" cried Shirley.
"What's the use?" asked Dick. "He has a gun."
It was true. In the hands of the defeated revolutionary leader was a
revolver of heavy caliber, and he flourished it as he came toward them.
Dick turned to Shirley.
"You get back out of sight!" he commanded. "I can handle this fellow!"
Shirley protested.
"But--but,----" she began.
"Quick!" exclaimed Dick. "He is very angry and for that reason will be
easier to handle. I don't believe he could hit a barn door now."
Shirley followed Dick's command and withdrew a short distance, although
she was still in plain sight of the infuriated Nicaraguan.
Standing quietly, with his hands on his hips, Dick awaited the attack of
the Nicaraguan. A full hundred yards away, but still running, the latter
opened fire with his revolver.
"Good!" thought Dick to himself. "He can't hit me that way, and his
shells will soon be gone."
Five times Orizaba fired, and each time the bullet went wild.
Shirley, from her place of safety, watched the encounter breathlessly.
She stood with clenched fists and awaited the outcome of each shot
anxiously.
A sixth time Orizaba's revolver spoke.
Dick staggered, and Shirley gave utterance to a scream, while a laugh of
derision came from the Nicaraguan.
But the latter's mirth was destined to be short-lived. Dick, still with
a smile on his face in spite of the dull pain in his left arm where
Orizaba's last bullet had struck, stepped forward to meet his enemy in
his mad rush.
They came together with a shock and tumbled to the ground, where Orizaba
clawed desperately at Dick's face and eyes.
"So that's your game, eh?" muttered Dick to himself.
He protected his face with his injured arm, while with the uninjured one
he rained a shower of blows upon the Nicaraguan's face. The latter soon
tired of this and sprang to his feet. Dick also arose.
There was a cry of alarm from Shirley as Orizaba stepped back. His hand
went to his belt, and a knife flashed in the air. But Dick, quick as a
cat, gave him no time to use it.
He realized his danger in an instant and acted promptly. With a shout he
sprang forward, and seized the upraised arm with his right hand. He
twisted it fiercely, and the Nicaraguan gave a cry of pain as he
released his hold on the knife and stepped back.
As he did so, Dick drove his right fist into his face, and General
Orizaba tumbled to the ground, where he lay still.
At the same moment there was a cheer from close at hand and, turning,
Dick saw a dozen marines who had gathered about to watch the contest.
Shirley came forward anxiously.
"Are you hurt Dick?" she asked.
"Not much, I guess," was the reply. "He winged me with the last shot,
but I am sure it is nothing serious."
"He's all right," shouted one of the marines, as they gathered about him
and congratulated him upon his fight.
Shirley turned on them angrily.
"And you stood off and left him to be killed," she exclaimed. "You ought
to be ashamed of yourselves."
"Oh, we know he could handle that fellow," was the response, but the men
looked at one another somewhat sheepishly.
Their reason for not interfering was perfectly apparent. They had
enjoyed the spectacle of Dick and Orizaba locked in combat, and had felt
morally certain Dick would come out on top.
"Just the same, he might have been badly hurt!" said Shirley, by no
means convinced.
"Oh, they did all right," said Dick with a laugh. "Come Shirley, let's
get back to the ship and I'll have the surgeon look at this arm."
"Are you hurt, Jack?" asked one of the men stepping forward.
"Bullet in the arm," was Dick's reply; and he added: "But my name is not
Jack."
"Everybody is Jack to us," was the answer. "But had we known you were
wounded we would have taken that fellow off your hands. Come on, there
is Dr. Thomas over there."
Dick and Shirley followed the marines to where the surgeon was engaged
in bandaging the wounds of an American sailor, the only man who had been
touched by one of the enemy's bullets.
He bound Dick's arm up quickly, remarking that it would be as good as
new in a day or two.
"Shirley!"
It was Mabel's voice, and turning, Shirley saw her chum rushing toward
her. She ran to meet her and the greeting was affectionate.
"How dared you take such a chance, Mabel?" demanded Shirley.
"Well, somebody had to do it, and I was closest the horse," was the
reply. "I knew they couldn't hit me."
"Nevertheless, it was a desperate risk," said Dick, who came up at that
moment. "I expected to see your horse go tumbling."
"But how did you get aid so quickly?" demanded Shirley.
Mabel explained.
"And they made me go back when the fighting began," she continued. "I
wanted to hunt you up immediately, but the lieutenant wouldn't let me."
"I should say not," declared Dick.
"Shirley was in danger. Why shouldn't I have been there?" demanded
Mabel. "I saw Dick and the general fighting and I came forward as fast
as I could," the girl continued, "and when I saw the Nicaraguan go down
I knew our troubles were over."
"And where is Dad?" asked Shirley.
"I didn't see him," replied Mabel. "I suppose they are looking for us in
some other part of the town. I'll bet they are badly frightened."
"I fear so too," replied Shirley. "I guess we had better get back as
soon as we can. But we shall have to thank the lieutenant first."
That officer declared that he wanted no thanks.
"We are glad to have been able to take a shot at those fellows," he
said. "We have been wanting to do it for a long time, but this is the
first opportunity we have had. We--Hello!"
He broke off suddenly. Riding rapidly toward them was a large body of
men, and above them floated a white flag. They dismounted some distance
away, and one approached.
The girls recognized this man immediately. He was President Garcia.
He rode up to the lieutenant, and introduced himself.
"And I would like the person of Orizaba delivered to me," he said
quietly.
"You shall have him," replied the lieutenant. "It will save us trouble."
The unfortunate revolutionist, fully recovered now, was turned over to
the President of Nicaragua and marched away. Then President Garcia
appeared to perceive Shirley and Mabel for the first time. He raised his
hat to them.
"I am pleased that the senoritas have escaped safely," he said quietly,
and making a low bow to them, he turned his horse about, and a moment
later was gone.
The lieutenant in command of the marines now ordered his men back to
their ship, and the girls accompanied them on their return march through
the town. Dark looks were cast at them from all sides, but none ventured
a word.
"You may see they don't love us very much in these parts," said the
lieutenant with a smile. "They would welcome a chance to shoot us all."
At the pier the two girls saw their fathers approaching rapidly, and
they ran forward to meet them. The meeting was affectionate, for both
Mr. Willing and Colonel Ashton had been greatly alarmed at their long
absence.
"I am going to keep my eye on you in the future," declared Mr. Willing.
The girls only laughed. Both men were profuse in their praise of Dick's
gallant actions, and Colonel Ashton declared:
"It's a good thing we brought him along, Willing."
The marines gave the Willing party a rousing cheer as they stepped into
the _Yucatan's_ small boat and were rowed back to the vessel.
"I'm glad to see you back," declared Captain Anderson. "We're late now.
We shall leave here at once." He turned to the first officer. "You may
get under way immediately, sir!"
And as the _Yucatan_ steamed from the harbor, the passengers gathered
about the two girls, demanding an account of their experiences.