READY FOR VERA CRUZ
"Ensign Darrin"---and the Old Man's voice was more impressive than
any officer present remembered ever to have heard it before---"what
do you know of this matter?"
Though the shock had struck him like an actual blow, Dave Darrin
steadied both himself and his voice as he replied:
"I know nothing whatever about it, sir, that is not common knowledge
to everyone in this room."
"Then you did not take this envelope from my room?" demanded Captain
Gales.
"I did not, sir."
"And you did not receive it from any one else?"
"I did not, sir."
"You have no knowledge of how this envelope came to be in your
quarters?"
"I have not the least knowledge in the world, sir."
Captain Gales debated the matter in his own distressed mind.
Dave Darrin stood there, white faced and dignified, his bearing
perfect.
He looked, every inch a true-hearted young American naval officer.
Yet he was resting under a terrible suspicion.
"You may go, gentlemen," announced the captain. "I ask you to
see to it that no word of this matter leaks out among the men
forward. Ensign Darrin, you will report to me at my office just
as soon as you think I have had time to reach there before you."
Several of the officers walked hastily away. Others hung aloof,
shaking their heads. Lieutenant Trent led about a dozen men who
pressed around Dave Darrin, offering him their hands.
"It would take the strongest kind of proof to make me believe
anything wrong in you, Darrin," declared Trent.
Others in the little group offered similar words of faith and
cheer. But Dave broke away from them after expressing his gratitude.
His head very erect and his shoulders squared, the young ensign
walked to the captain's office.
"Darrin," began the Old Man, "if you are as innocent as I want
to believe you to be in this matter, then do all in your power
to help me clear your name."
"Very good, sir," Dave responded. "In the first place, sir, the
important letter was in its envelope when I turned over to you
the package entrusted to me by the consul."
"It was," nodded Captain Gales.
"And I have not since been in your office, sir. You know that
of your own knowledge, and from what the marine orderly has been
able to inform you, sir?"
"I am satisfied that you were not in thus office after you delivered
the packet," replied the Old Man.
"Then I could not have taken it from your desk, sir."
"I am well satisfied of that," assented Captain Gales. "The only
untoward circumstance is that the envelope was found in your quarters."
"Then, sir," Dave argued, "it is established that I could not
have been the principal in the theft that was committed in your
office this afternoon. That being so, the only suspicion possibly
remaining against me is that I may have been an accomplice."
"No lawyer could have put that more clearly," replied Captain
Gales.
"Now, sir," Dave continued, bravely, "if the important letter
of instructions, or even if only the envelope had been handed
me, is it likely, sir, that I would have hidden it under my mattress,
when I might as readily have burned it or dropped it overboard?"
"Any clear-headed man, I admit," said the Captain, "would have
destroyed the useless envelope sooner than have it found in his
possession."
"The only possible use to which the otherwise useless envelope
could have been put, sir, was to incriminate me. Would I have
saved the envelope and by so doing taken a chance that could only
ruin me? Of what service could the letter be to me, sir? I could
not take it ashore, sir, for instance, to dispose of it to the
Mexican officials, who probably would pay handsomely to get hold
of the American naval plans. I have not asked for shore leave,
sir. May I ask, sir, how many officers received shore leave,
and used it, after I returned to the ship?"
"Only one, Darrin; that was Lieutenant Cantor."
Dave bit his lips; he had not intended to try to direct suspicion
from himself to any other officer.
"So it might seem possible," mused Captain Gales, aloud, "that
Lieutenant Cantor might have obtained the letter and turned over
the envelope to you to destroy, Darrin. I am stating, mind you,
only a possibility in the way of suspicion."
"Lieutenant Cantor and I are not on friendly terms," Dave answered,
quickly. Then once more he bit his lip.
But the Old Man regarded him keenly, asking: "What is wrong between
Cantor and yourself?"
"I spoke too quickly, sir," Dave confessed, reddening slightly.
"I have no complaint to make against Lieutenant Cantor. The
one statement I feel at liberty to make is that an antipathy exists
between Lieutenant Cantor and I. I would suggest, further, that
Lieutenant Cantor, even had he stolen the letter, could have taken
it only after his return on board. So that he had no opportunity
to carry it ashore, had he been scoundrel enough to wish to do so."
Captain Gales leaned back, blankly studying the bulk-head before
him. Disturbing thoughts were now running in the Old Man's mind.
"Cantor was in this room," mused Captain Gales, "and it was some
time afterwards that I missed the envelope. Then, too, Cantor
fairly begged for more shore leave, and told me that it was vital
to him to be allowed further shore leave. Still, again, in the
ward-room it was Cantor who suggested that the officers' quarters
be searched. Can it be that Cantor is the scoundrel? I hate
to believe it. But then I hate equally to believe that Darrin
could have done such a treasonable thing as to steal a copy of
our landing instructions, prepared by the admiral and sent aboard
through the consular office, so that the Mexicans ashore would
not observe a great deal of communication between our ships."
After some moments of thought Captain Gales announced:
"Darrin, this thing is one of the most complex puzzles I have
ever been called upon to solve. Your conduct and answers have
been straightforward, and I am unable to believe that you had
any hand in the stealing or handling of that accursed envelope."
"Thank you, sir!" Dave Darrin cried, in genuine gratitude.
"At dinner in the ward-room to-night I shall have Commander Bainbridge
make announcement before all your brother officers of what I have
just said," continued Captain Gales. "You may go now."
Yet, as he spoke, the captain rose and held out his hand. Dave
grasped it, then saluted and turned away.
His bearing, as he went to Dalzell's quarters, was as proud as
ever, though in his mind Dave Darrin knew well enough that he
was still under a cloud of suspicion that would never be removed
entirely from his good name unless the real culprit should be
found and exposed.
"Moreover," Dave told himself, bitterly, "Cantor, if he is the
one who has done this contemptible thing, may yet devise a way
clever enough to convict me, or at least to condemn me in the
service."
At dinner, before the first course was served, Commander Bainbridge
ordered the ward-room doors closed after the attendants had passed
outside. Then he stated that Captain Gales wished it understood
that the finding of the telltale envelope under Ensign Darrin's
mattress was the only circumstance against that officer, and that,
in the captain's opinion, it was wholly likely that some one else
had placed the envelope there with the intention of arousing suspicion
against the officer named. It was further stated that, in time,
Captain Gales hopes to reach all the facts in the mystery. The
Captain wished it understood, stated the executive officer, that
it would have been so stupid on Ensign Darrin's part to have hidden
the envelope where it was found that there was no good reason for
believing that Ensign Darrin was guilty of anything worse than
having an enemy.
While this statement was being made Dave sat with his gaze riveted
to the face of Lieutenant Cantor. The officer looked stolid, but
his stolidity had the appearance of being assumed.
There was instant applause from some of the officers. This, being
heard by sailors on duty outside, started the rumor that the officers
had heard that an immediate landing was to be made in Vera Cruz or
at Tampico. Thus, the jackies forward had an exciting evening
talking the prospects over.
So Dave was not placed under charges, and the majority of his
brother officers on the "_Long Island_" regarded the suspicion
against him as being absurd. Yet Darrin knew that suspicion existed
in some minds, and felt wretched in consequence.
Meantime, the news reached the fleet, as it reached newspaper
readers at home, that General Huerta was becoming daily more stubborn.
Then came the news that the Mexican dictator's refusal had been
made final and emphatic.
"The house has passed a resolution justifying the President in
employing the military and naval forces of the United States in
whatever way he deems best in exacting satisfaction for the insult
to the Flag at Tampico," spread through the ship on the evening
of Monday, the 20th of April.
From then on no one in the American fleet doubted that war with
Mexico was soon to begin. It was all right, the "_Long Island's_"
officers declared, to talk about a mere peaceful landing, but
no doubt existed that the landing of American sailors and marines
would mean the firing of the first shots by resisting Mexicans
which Would provoke war.
On the morning of the 21st of April the officers assembled in the
ward-room as usual.
"Gentlemen," said Commander Bainbridge, calmly, in a moment when
the Filipino mess servants were absent, "the present orders are
that the American naval forces land and occupy Vera Cruz this
forenoon. Orders for the details have been made and will be announced
immediately after breakfast. That is all that I have to say at
present."
That "all" was certainly enough. The blow for the honor of the
Stars and Stripes was to be struck this forenoon. Instantly every
face was aglow. Each hoped to be in the detail sent ashore.
Then one young officer was heard to remark, in an undertone:
"I'll wager that all I get is a detail to commissary duty, making
up the rations to be sent ashore."
Commander Bainbridge heard and smiled, but made no reply.
Soon after breakfast the work cut out for each officer was announced.
Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell were both gleeful when informed that
they were to go ashore in the same detachment of blue-jackets.
Lieutenant Trent was to command them.
"David, little giant," murmured Danny Grin, exultantly, "we appear
to be under the right and left wings of that good men known as
Fortune."
"I'm ready for duty wherever I'm put," Dave answered, seriously.
"None the less, I'm delighted that I'm ordered ashore."
Lieutenant Cantor was greatly disappointed when he found that
he was to remain aboard ship. Captain Gales had his own reasons
for keeping that young officer away from shore.
Under cover on the "_Long Island_" all was bustle, yet without
a trace of confusion. Officers and men had been so thoroughly
trained in their duties that now they performed them with clock-like
regularity.
It was a busy forenoon, yet no one observing the American fleet
from the shore would have discovered any signs of unusual activity.
From the Mexican custom house, from the post-office, the cable
station, and from the grim old prison-fortress, San Juan de Ulloa,
the Mexican flag flew as usual.
In the streets of Vera Cruz natives and foreigners moved about
as usual. Not even the Americans in Vera Cruz, except the consul,
knew that this was the morning destined to become a famous date
in American history.
At about eleven o'clock boats began to be launched alongside the
American men-of-war. Men piled quickly over the sides. In number
one launch Lieutenant Trent, Ensigns Darrin and Dalzell and
forty seaman, with rifles and two machine guns, put away.
Lieutenant-Commander Denton and Lieutenant Timson of the Marine
Corps put off in launches numbers two and three with sixty marines
and forty bluejackets. From the other warships detachments put off
at the same time.
One cutter, occupied by fourteen marines, put off from one of
the men-of-war and was rowed ashore at high speed. These men
quickly landed at No.1 Dock.
"There they land---they're unfurling the American Flag!" breathed
Dave Darrin in his chum's ear.
Another cutter landed at another dock; then a launch rushed in
alongside. It came the turn of the first launch from the "_Long
Island_" to move in to berth at No.1 Dock, and Trent piled his
party ashore, the launch immediately afterward being backed out
and turned back to the "_Long Island_."
Within fifteen minutes a thousand marines and sailors had been
landed.
"But where is the Mexican resistance?" murmured Danny Grin, impatiently.
"Where is the excuse that was to be furnished us for fighting?"
That "excuse" was to come soon enough!