CHAPTER XI.
A PERILOUS FLIGHT.
Renewed outcries now came from outside the building, and it seemedevident that the mob was about to enter the place. Certainly it wouldunless something could be done to evade such a movement. JackGreenland was the first to speak:
"Can't you or the woman parley with them long enough for us to slipaway by the rear of the building, Manuel?"
"Me--parley? They would string me up like a dog. Curses upon theirpig heads!"
By this time his wife had become calmer than he, and she showed that ifhe was lacking in courage to meet the enemy, she was not. So sheimmediately offered to keep the crowd at bay long enough for them toeffect their escape, her husband showing great eagerness to profit byher heroism. Accordingly, she returned to the front part of thedwelling without loss of time, and a moment later Ronie heard herchallenging the leader of the would-be captors.
"While it may not be good policy for us to use them too freely, it maynot be amiss for us to provide ourselves with firearms," said Jack.
"Si, senors," replied Manuel, quickly darting away from them, butreturning in an incredibly short time with a couple of short, butserviceable weapons, one of which he handed to each of his companions.
"Follow me, senors. They are getting impatient, and Dolores will notbe able to hold them back long. I think we had better cross the bay tothe other shore. I have a boat."
As Ronie and Jack had no better plan to offer, they followed thespeaker in silence. He led the way to the rear of his humble dwelling,where they paused to listen for sounds of their enemies. These camefrom the front, and judging that the soldiers had not yet surroundedthe place they plunged boldly into the midst of the dense tropicalplants which reached above their heads, Manuel still leading the way.But they had not gone far before he suddenly stopped, and motioned forhis companions to do the same.
As the three fugitives thus abruptly paused they heard the sound offootsteps, which rapidly became plainer. There were evidently severalpersons approaching at a headlong rate, and knowing only enemies werelikely to be in that vicinity, they dropped swiftly and silently to theearth, the broad leaves of the thrifty plants about them affordingshields for their bodies.
A minute later, half a dozen men burst through the rank vegetationwithin a yard of where they were lying! Jack and Ronie, believing theywere going to be discovered, thought hastily of flight in anotherdirection, but the party quickly swept past and disappeared in thedistance below them. As soon as they felt it was prudent they resumedtheir flight, having no further cause for alarm until they came insight of the narrow body of water ahead. Between the growth and thiswas a broad belt of sand, where not a shrub found sustenance. Theclear, starlit night made this space almost as bright as by day.
"Hark!" panted Manuel Marlin, "they are coming! They have scented uslike bloodhounds. Our only hope is in reaching the boat. It is justabove that highest sand bar. Run for your lives, senors!"
Ronie and Jack now heard plainly the sounds of their enemiesapproaching from their rear, and the exciting words of their companionwere not needed to urge them ahead. With light, swift steps theybounded forward across the open country. When about halfway to theshore a volley of bullets was sent after them, and then their pursuersburst out from the growth into sight.
The aim of the pursuing crowd must have been poor, for their shotsfailed to strike any of the fugitives, who were urged on to greatereffort, if that were possible. Jack, glancing back, saw the partyfollowing at a furious pace upon their heels, and instinctively glancedtoward the water. It was nearer to the boat than back to theirpursuers, and he felt confident they would be able to reach the littlecraft in season. Ronie was slightly ahead, while Manuel was as farbehind, unable to make as good speed as the young American engineer.
"Don't leave me!" sputtered the latter, and as if he were going to makethis a necessity he stumbled over a sand knoll, to measure his lengthon the ground. His companions, not hearing him fall upon the softearth, and being ahead, were not aware of his mishap until prolongedyells from their pursuers and piteous cries from him, caused both tolook backward.
The ring of triumph in the tones of the soldiers in the distance toldplainly that they anticipated a certain capture of at least one of thefugitives, but Manuel rallied quickly, and was again upon his feet.
"Keep on for the boat!" cried Jack, who felt that it would be fatal forthem to stop now. So they sped ahead, with Manuel sprinting his bestto overtake them, and the armed posse behind madly pursuing.
They were soon close down to the boat, drawn up on the white sand, outof the reach of the water, and then Ronie and Jack, panting for breath,stopped beside it.
"Quick! push it out into the water," said Jack, seizing upon thegunwale and giving the object a furious shove toward the tide. Roniehad already caught upon the boat, and together they sent it forwardmore than its length in the twinkling of an eye. But the short delayenabled Manuel to overtake them, so, as the boat floated on the water,he sprang into the stern. There were a pair of oars in the bottom, andJack and Ronie each took one of these, to begin to send the light craftflying across the narrow bay, while the Venezuelan steered for theopposite shore.
Renewed cries from their pursuers reached their ears in the midst ofthis flight, and another volley of shot followed them. But the latterproved as ineffectual as the first, and glancing back a few minuteslater, Manuel gave expression to a chuckle of delight, while he said:
"We've outstripped them, senors. There is not another boat they canget in season to follow us before we reach the land."
Nothing further was said until the keel of the boat grated on the sand,when Ronie and Jack jumped out upon the land, closely followed byManuel. The shadowy forms of their enemies could be discerned upon theother side of the water, but feeling comparatively safe from them, ourtwain turned to their guide for such suggestion as he might have tooffer. It was a beautiful tropical night, the full, round moon of theSouth, now fairly above the horizon, was gliding over a sky ofcloudless blue, having already driven the stars into the background ofspace, so that only Venus, the zone of Orion and the brilliant radii ofthe Southern Cross were visible.
Away from their feet stretched the silvery mirror of the sea, markingthe meridian of the moon. So calm and silent lay the deep water that asatellite sky seemed carved from its azure depths. Upon the otherhand, the country, growing more and more broken in the distance, layclothed in its tropic verdure as silent and mysterious as the BlueWater Empire. The beauty of nature, however, had no attraction forManuel Marlin, who felt that his life was at stake, and only swiftflight could save him.
"A friend of mine, living a short distance from here, has a couple ofhorses you can get," he said. "I shall not need one," he added, seeingtheir looks of inquiry, "as I shall not go very far. I have friendswho will afford me protection until this shall blow over."
Then he led the way up from the shore and along a path at times nearlychoked with the overhanging growth, until they finally reached the homeof a planter. After considerable trouble Manuel succeeded in rousingthe owner, who did not appear in very good humor at being thusdisturbed. But as soon as he understood the errand of his untimelycaller he became more genial. Would he let the Americanos have horsesto carry important news to the revolutionists near Caracas? Mostassuredly he would for so important a purpose! It will be noticed thatManuel did not try to stick very near to the truth in the matter, andneither of our friends felt like correcting him under the circumstances.
Finally the planter ordered out a couple of peons, who soon broughtforward a pair of small, but hardy ponies, which their owner declaredwere good for all that might be required of them. Leaving Manuel toarrange for the loan of them in such a manner as he thought best, Ronieand Jack sprang into the saddles and prepared to start upon their longand hazardous journey.
"Keep your eyes open for our friends, Manuel," were the parting wordsof Ronie.
"Trust me for
that, senor, and may you live to come back with thewelcome word that Caracas is once more safe from the spoils of themercenary knaves that flock to the mountain savage."
Murmuring an unintelligible reply to this, the couple then urged theirponies forward, and a moment later were starting side by side upon thefirst stage of a ride through a country overrun with hostile armies anddangers which they had not stopped to contemplate.