too, that I went just a little farther than there was any strict need
for. But then the beggars put my back up, to start with, by firing at
us. Had they contented themselves with pitching a shot across our fore-
foot, I would not have minded so much; but they fired to hit--if they
could. Then that lieutenant must needs come swaggering aboard here,
putting on side, and threatening us--actually threatening us--with
arrest, and imprisonment, and goodness knows what else! I only wish
they would try to take us; I would teach them that it pays to be civil
to Englishmen.--Well, what the dickens are you laughing at?" for Jack
had burst into a hearty peal of laughter.
"Oh, Phil, Phil," Jack exclaimed, when at length he had regained control
of himself, "you are as good as a pantomime! The idea of you, of all
men, complaining of the other fellow having threatened, and put on side!
Why, man alive, you were just as exasperating as you could possibly be
to the poor chap; and, as to the threatening--why, you were simply
breathing out threatenings and slaughter! You will have to keep your
weather eye lifting, my hearty, when you get round to Havana; for that
fellow will look out for you, and force you into a fight, as sure as
eggs are eggs."
"All right!" answered Milsom, "I'll not disappoint him; if he wants
fighting he shall have as much as he can take. But, after all, Jack, I
have no doubt you are right, and that I was a bit `trying', as my poor
mother used to say. But then, you see, I was `bluffing', doing the
virtuous-indignation business, and all that, you know, for it was
necessary to persuade the gentlemen that we are absolutely virtuous and
innocent; it would never do to allow them to entertain the slightest
shred of suspicion of the vessel, otherwise they would be continually
watching her. Ah! As I expected, here comes the skipper himself to
have a talk with us--and also to have a look round. I expect that,
after what his lieutenant has told him, he is feeling a bit
uncomfortable. But we must be civil to him and smooth him down; for,
after all, there is nothing to be gained by making enemies without good
and sufficient cause. And perhaps you, in your character of owner of
the ship, had better tackle this fellow; then we shall have an
opportunity to witness your skill as a diplomatist."
Accordingly, when the captain of the gunboat entered the yacht's
gangway, it was Jack who received him, Milsom simply standing by as a
sort of supporter.
The new arrival was a man apparently a few years older than his
lieutenant, very distinguished looking for the commander of a mere
gunboat, and with a considerably more polished and affable manner than
the man who had preceded him. He raised his cap at Jack's salutation,
and said, in English:
"Good afternoon, gentlemen! I am given to understand by my lieutenant
that a most unfortunate mistake appears to have in some inexplicable
manner arisen in connection with this vessel; and I have come on board
for the purpose of putting matters right, if possible."
"You are most welcome, Senor Capitan," answered Jack cordially; "and I
shall be very pleased to render you all the assistance in my power--the
more so since I am very anxious to see as much as possible of your
beautiful island, and may perhaps remain here for some time. Indeed, I
may say that one reason for my visit to Cuba is that I have had some
idea of investing in a tobacco plantation here."
"Indeed, Senor?" observed the Spaniard. "Our information pointed to a
very different reason for your visit. As my lieutenant has already
informed you, we have been led to believe that the presence of your
yacht in Cuban waters was due to sympathy on your part with the
insurgents, and a determination to assist them by smuggling munitions of
war into the country for their use. And, as my lieutenant has also
informed you, the _Tiburon_ has been sent out specially for the purpose
of seizing the vessel."
"Yes," said Jack suavely, "your lieutenant mentioned that fact--in
somewhat emphatic language; so emphatic, indeed, that, if I may be
permitted to say so, it was almost offensive, and my captain felt bound
to adopt somewhat vigorous speech in expressing our disapproval, not
only of his behaviour, but also of that of your Government. It is not
usual, Senor, as you must know, for an Englishman, visiting a foreign
country in his own yacht, to have his vessel seized upon the strength of
a mere rumour; and you must allow me to say that, in acting as it has
done, I consider your Government has not only been precipitate, but has
also behaved in such a manner as will evoke a very strong protest from
my own. The British Government, Senor, is not wont to have its flag
fired upon without exacting ample reparation."
It was quite clear that the Spanish officer was beginning to feel
exceedingly uncomfortable. He was silent for several seconds, and
appeared to be reviewing the situation. At length he said:
"Senor, you must not blame my Government for the indiscretion of one of
its officers. I personally am responsible for the act of firing upon
your ship, which I now acknowledge to have been a quite unjustifiable
act, for which I beg to tender you my most sincere and profound
apologies; although I must be allowed to say that I fired under the
impression that you intended to disregard my summons to heave-to."
"I am afraid, Senor," said Jack, "that your explanation does not go very
far toward mending matters; for my contention is that you had no right
to stop me on the high seas. But I will allow that to pass, and will
accept your apology, for I have no wish whatever to make matters
unpleasant for you personally, or for your Government; on the contrary,
I am anxious to establish the most amicable relations possible between
myself and the Spanish authorities during my stay in the island:
therefore, having made my protest, I will say no more about it. But as
there appears to have been some suspicions with regard to the character
of my yacht, I must insist that either you, or someone on your behalf,
shall examine the vessel at once, that you--and, through you, your
Government--may be completely satisfied that such suspicions are
absolutely groundless."
"Senor," said the Spaniard, "you overwhelm me with your generous
consideration. If you will kindly permit me I should like, as well for
your justification as for my own, to look over your vessel, in order
that I may be in a position to absolutely assure my superiors that their
suspicions are without foundation. And, to prevent all possibility of
any future misunderstanding, I should like my lieutenant to be present
at the inspection, if you will be so very good as to permit it."
"By all means," answered Jack cordially. "Pray send your boat for your
lieutenant--and any other officers whom you would like to be present.
The more, the better; for, Senor, you must understand that I wish your
inspection of my yacht to be thorough and exhaustive."
The Spaniard bowed and, stepping to the gangway, called down to his
coxswain, instructing him to proceed to the gunboat and request
Lieutenant Fernandez to come on board the English yacht forthwith.
Then, during the short interval between the dispatch and the return of
the boat, the Spanish Commander chatted affably with Jack and Milsom
upon indifferent subjects, incidentally introducing himself as Commander
Luis y Albuquerque.
Lieutenant Fernandez was in a much more subdued mood when he returned
than he had been upon his departure from the _Thetis_: probably he had
done some hard thinking in the interim, and had come to recognise the
possibility that trouble might be looming ahead of him; at all events
his manner was all courtesy and politeness as he again stepped in
through the gangway.
"Senor Fernandez," said Don Luis, "I am very much afraid that, from what
Don Juan Singleton has told me, there has been a most serious mistake
somewhere, and that we have thus been betrayed into unwittingly
inflicting a most unprovoked affront upon an English gentleman. Senor
Singleton has, however," with a bow to Jack, "been good enough to accept
my explanation and apologies, and I therefore venture to hope that we
may now consider the incident as closed. But Senor Singleton insists--
quite justifiably, I think--that we shall satisfy ourselves as to the
falsity of the statement that he is carrying munitions of war; and I
have therefore sent for you to accompany me on a tour of inspection
through this yacht, which we must make so thorough that there shall be
no possibility of any aspersions being hereafter cast upon the integrity
of Don Juan or his vessel. And now, Senor," to Jack, "we are ready to
accompany you."
"Very well," said Jack. "Where would you like to begin--forward, or
aft?"
"Perhaps we may as well begin forward, and work our way aft," answered
the Spanish Commander.
"Right," acquiesced Jack. "Captain Milsom, be so good as to give
instructions for two or three men to attend us below with lanterns.
Meanwhile, gentlemen, perhaps you will give my boats an overhaul. I
will have the canvas covers stripped off them."
"Oh no, Senor," protested Don Luis, "there is not the slightest
necessity for us to go to such extreme lengths as that; for, assuming
for a moment that you actually had contraband on board, you would not be
in the least likely to carry it stowed in your boats."
Now this offer of Jack's was a piece of "bluff", for his boats were the
only places that he did not wish the Spaniards to examine, since in one
of them was stowed his submarine, the sight of which he knew would be
likely to give rise to renewed suspicions. And, as we have seen, the
"bluff" worked to perfection, possibly in consequence of the slight, but
none the less perceptible, tone of sarcasm in which Jack made the offer.
With a feeling of carefully suppressed relief, Jack accordingly led the
Spaniards forward to the forecastle, down into which the party
descended, and where they found three men--one of whom was the
carpenter--awaiting them with lighted lanterns. The forecastle was soon
examined, and then the hatch of the forepeak was lifted, and that
darksome storehouse very carefully explored. There was no passage from
the forepeak into the hold, as the collision bulkhead ran from the
keelson right up to the deck; and, Jack having pointed out this fact,
the party emerged on deck and descended into the officers' quarters,
proceeding from thence down into the main hold, where they found nothing
but iron ballast and the water tanks, every one of which Jack insisted
should be opened and looked into. Thence they proceeded to the engine-
room and stokehold, where they found much to admire in the scrupulous
cleanliness and unusual form of the machinery, but no sign or trace of
anything in the nature of contraband. Then they entered the main
saloon, and examined it and the sleeping cabins, finishing up with the
steward's storeroom, the sail-room, and the powder magazine. Jack was
quite prepared to be questioned about this last, and he was; but he had
his answer ready.
"Is it usual, Senor Singleton, for English yachts to go as heavily armed
as your vessel is?" suavely enquired Don Luis.
"Not when cruising in home waters," answered Jack. "But when the
intention is to `cruise foreign', as we phrase it, especially if the
cruise is to be round the world, it is usually considered prudent to
provide the vessel with an armament sufficiently powerful to protect her
from the attacks of pirates--Malays, Chinese, and so on--or, in fact,
aggressors of any description. For instance," he continued maliciously,
"if we had not happened to have been armed to-day, just consider, Senor,
how unpleasant would have been our predicament at this moment."
Don Luis frowned. "Pardon me, Senor," said he, "but I hope you are not
labouring under the misapprehension that it is because of your ship
being armed that I have refrained from arresting you; the suggestion is
injurious, Senor. Your freedom is due entirely to the fact that I
accepted the assurances which you offered to Lieutenant Fernandez, and
was willing to believe that an unfortunate mistake had somehow arisen.
And I trust you will also believe that, had the mistake resulted in
unpleasant consequences to yourself, my Government would have hastened
to make you the most ample reparation on the instant of discovering that
wrong had been done you, as it will, now, if you insist--"
"Pray say no more," interrupted Jack. "I have not the slightest desire
to place either you, personally, or your Government in an embarrassing
position. If, therefore, you are fully satisfied that your information
respecting me and my yacht was wrong, I am quite willing to regard the
incident as closed, and to say nothing further about it. And in proof
of my friendly disposition, permit me to say that it will afford me very
great pleasure if you and your lieutenant will give me the pleasure of
your company at dinner to-night."
But Don Luis very courteously declined Jack's polite invitation, upon
the plea that he felt it to be his imperative duty to return forthwith
to Havana, to report to the authorities there the full and true
circumstances of the case, in order that Jack might be subjected to no
further annoyance from the unfortunate blunder that had somehow been
made. But no doubt the true explanation of his refusal was to be found
in the fact that his exceedingly sensitive pride was hurt by Jack's
innuendo, and by the fact that he had been placed in a false and
somewhat ridiculous position. It was bad enough to be made to appear
ridiculous in the eyes of one's own people; but to be humiliated before
one of those arrogant, overbearing Englishmen! Caramba! The two
Spaniards therefore took a most ceremonious leave of Jack and Milsom,
descended to their boat, and pulled back to their own ship, which
immediately started her engines and steamed away to the westward,
dipping her colours in salute as she went; while the _Thetis_ resumed
her course to the eastward in the direction of Calonna, off which she
arrived about an hour later. But the delay occasioned by the incident
of the yacht's encounter with the gunboat had been just sufficient to
prevent the arrival of the _Thetis_ until after the last train of the
day had left Calonna for Pinar del Rio. Don Hermoso therefore decided
to remain on board the yacht all night, and to leave her in time to take
the first train on the following morning.
Naturally enough, the chief topic of conversation at the dinner-table,
that night, was the encounter with the gunboat, and the clever manner in
which the Spaniards had been "bluffed", Don Hermoso maintaining that it
was entirely due to Jack's skill in the gentle art that no suspicion had
appeared to enter the heads of the Spaniards that the contraband had
already been got rid of. The matter was very freely discussed, and it
was finally decided that, on the whole, it was a very fortunate
circumstance not only that the encounter had taken place, but that it
had occurred where and when it did; for the ignorance of the Spanish
authorities as to the speed of the yacht would naturally preclude the
suspicion that the vessel had already spent some hours in discharging
her cargo, while the very complete and thorough search to which the
yacht had been subjected was of course conclusive, so far as the non-
existence of contraband on board at that moment was concerned. The only
point upon which Jack had any uneasiness was the fact of the yacht being
so formidably armed; he had given what he regarded as a very clever and
ingenious explanation of the circumstance, which he hoped would prove
completely satisfactory, but he was nevertheless not wholly free from
doubts on the matter.
On the following morning the two Montijos and Jack were astir betimes,
in order to catch an early train to Pinar del Rio; and nine o'clock
found them ashore and on the platform, waiting for the train to emerge
from the siding into which it had been shunted. Calonna was not at that
time an important place, nor is the Cuban railway system remarkable for
its efficiency; nothing need therefore be said about either save that
after jolting through some exceedingly beautiful country, which grew
more beautiful with every mile of progress upon a gradually rising
gradient, the travellers were safely landed in the city of Pinar del
Rio--a distance of some fifteen miles from Calonna--in a trifle over an
hour! Here Senor Montijo's private carriage--a somewhat cumbersome,
four-wheeled affair, fitted with a leather awning and curtains to
protect the occupants from either sun or rain, and drawn by four horses,
the off leader being ridden by a postilion, while the wheelers were
driven from the box--was awaiting them, it having been sent in from the
house on the preceding day. The luggage having been securely strapped
on to a platform attached to the rear of the coach, Don Hermoso signed
to Jack to enter the vehicle, placed himself by Jack's side, and was
followed by Carlos, when the affair got under way, with a tremendous
amount of shouting and whip cracking, and went rolling and rumbling and
jolting down the narrow street and so out into the country. There was a
drive of about sixteen miles farther inland and toward the Organ
Mountains before them ere they could arrive at the hacienda Montijo, and
although the road was abominable, and the heat intense, Jack declared
that he had never so thoroughly enjoyed a drive in his life. For the
country was somewhat rugged, and the scenery therefore very lovely, the
road being bordered on either side by fields of tobacco and sugar, and
here and there a patch of cool green Indian corn, divided from the road
by low hedges which were just then a perfect blaze of multi-coloured
flowers of various descriptions. It was a fairly busy scene, too, for
the tobacco was ripe, and the fields were alive with labourers of all
colours, from the full-blooded negro to the pure Spaniard, gathering the
crop. At length, when they had been travelling for about a couple of
hours, and when, despite the charm of everything that he saw around him,
Jack began to grow conscious of the fact that he was aching in every
joint from the rolling and jolting of the carriage, the vehicle turned
off the main road into a lane, access to which was gained through a pair
of massive timber gates hung upon piers of ancient, moss-grown masonry;
and Don Hermoso announced that they were now upon his own demesne. And
here at once Jack became conscious of a very great change in the
appearance of everything; for not only was the road upon which they were
travelling smooth and well kept, but the fields on either hand, instead
of being half-choked with weeds, as had been the case with most of those
that they had passed, were scrupulously clean, while the labourers,
instead of being picturesque scarecrows, were decently clad, and worked
as men do who are content and happy. Every man of them was clearly on
the lookout for the carriage, and had a word of respectful greeting for
his returning master, while--what was perhaps stranger still--Don
Hermoso seemed to intimately know every man, woman, and child on the
place, though there were hundreds of them.
At length a bend in the road brought the house in sight, at a distance
of about a mile, and Jack saw before him, perched on the shoulder of a
low eminence, a long, white, bungalow-like structure, with a high,
thatched roof, and a gallery and veranda running along the whole length
of the front, and apparently along the sides also. The building was of
one storey only, and although the veranda was so broad as to cast the
whole of the front into deep shadow it seemed to Jack that that front
was pierced by at least a dozen doors and windows. As Jack looked, two
female figures clad in white suddenly made their appearance in the
centre of the gallery, and so beautifully clear was the atmosphere that,
even at that distance, it could be distinctly seen that they were waving
their pocket handkerchiefs to the occupants of the coach. Carlos also
saw them, and frantically waved his panama by way of reply, shouting, as
he did so:
"Hurrah, Padre; hurrah, Jack! Look! there are the Madre and Isolda out
on the gallery, waving to us! I'll bet that they have been watching the
bend of the road through their opera-glasses for the last hour or more!"
"Doubtless," answered Don Hermoso, laughing happily as he too leaned out
of the coach to wave a greeting. "Since we did not arrive last night,
as arranged, they have naturally expected us to turn up early this
morning."
Winding hither and thither along the hillside, in order to secure an
even and easy gradient, the road presently left the tobacco fields and
passed between broad spaces of lawn luxuriantly clad with guinea-grass,
and having large parterres of flowers scattered about it here and there;
while in other places it was picturesquely broken up by clumps of
feathery bamboo, or gigantic wild cotton and other trees. At length,
with a final dash and a grand flourish, the carriage drew up in front of
the broad flight of stone steps that led up the scarped and flower-
strewn face of the mound upon which the house was built; and one of the
two female figures came rushing down the steps, bareheaded, despite the
almost vertical sun, and flung herself into the outstretched arms of Don
Hermoso, while the other followed in a somewhat more stately and
dignified manner.
Then, when Don Hermoso had released this first figure from his embrace,
and turned, hat in hand, to meet the second, Senorita Isolda treated her
brother Carlos to a like greeting, after which she turned, with a sunny
smile and eyes flashing welcome, to Jack.
"Isolda," exclaimed Carlos, performing the ceremony of introduction,
"this, as you will of course have guessed, is my old friend and chum,
Jack Singleton, to whom we are so deeply indebted for the very valuable
assistance that he has rendered us in our great undertaking. He is the
best friend and comrade that ever lived, therefore give him a cordial
welcome, for my sake, dear."
"I give you a thousand welcomes, Senor Jack," she exclaimed impulsively,
as she offered her hand, "and a thousand thanks for all that you have
done for my father and Carlos. I am delighted that you have been able
to come to us, for I seem to know you quite well; Carlos has talked so
often about you, and of what you used to do together in the old days at
Dulwich, that I feel it quite impossible to regard you as a stranger."