CHAPTER II.
A SUSPICIOUS CRAFT.
"I tell you, boys, there is something wrong about this vessel."
The speaker was Jack Greenland, and his companions were Ronie andHarrie, but the scene is now many leagues from the quiet corner wherethey took their vote to hazard a journey to the rubber forests ofVenezuela. Instead of the quaint old buildings of Manilla on the onehand, and the sullen old bay, filled with its odd-looking crafts, onthe other, roll the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, almost as placidas the southern sky that bends so benignly over their heads, while theystand by the taffrail of the rakish ship upon which they have onlyrecently taken passage to the South American coast.
To explain in detail this change of base would require too much space.A few words will suffice to describe the long journey by water and landnecessary to make this stupendous change. In the first place, havingdecided unanimously to undertake the trip, they were exceedinglyfortunate in finding that they could leave Manilla within twenty-fourhours by steamer for San Francisco. This required some smart hustling,but our trio were used to this, and the next morning found them safelyaboard ship, looking hopefully forward to a speedy and safe arrival inthe city of the Golden Gate. In this they were not disappointed, whilethe run down the coast to Panama was also made under favorableconditions. Then the isthmus was crossed with some delay and vexation,when their adventures and misadventures began in earnest.
At Colon tidings of war in Venezuela reached them. These beingsomewhat indefinite, and the republic in question being a land ofrevolutions and uprisings, but little attention was given these vaguereports. They had barely left port, however, before the captain of thelittle coastwise vessel declared that they were likely to have trouble.
The next day they were, indeed, fired upon by a strange craft, andinstead of keeping on toward La Guayra, the port of Caracas, he put tosea. While bent upon this aimless quest, they were overtaken by atropical storm, and were eventually driven upon one of the small islesforming the lower horn of that huge crescent of sea isles known as theWindward Islands. From this they managed to reach, after repairingtheir damages somewhat, Martinique, where our three heroes were onlytoo glad to part with such uncertain companions.
There was a strange ship in this port, which immediately attractedthem. Learning that the captain, though he had taken out papers forColon, intended to stop at La Guayra, they engaged passage. At theoutset they had felt some distrust in doing this, while the commandershowed equal hesitation in taking them. Still, it was their onlychance to get away, so they resolved to take their chances, with thedetermination to keep their eyes and ears open. Thus they hadfrequently expressed the opinion among themselves that they had beenjustified in their suspicions, though this was the first outspokenbelief in the fact.
"I agree with you, Jack," declared Ronie.
"What have you learned that is new, Jack?" asked Harrie.
"Enough to confirm what doubts I already had as to her character.Captain Willis does not intend to put in at La Guayra, as he claimed heshould to us."
"Perhaps he dares not," said Ronie.
"Ay, lad, that's where you hit the bull's-eye. He dares not do it."
"That means either that his intentions are not honest, or that the warin Venezuela is more than a civil war," said Harrie.
"Now you've hit the bull's-eye with a double shot. I do not believe heis honest," nodding in the direction of the commander, "and that thisis an international war!"
"Whew!" exclaimed the young engineers in the same breath. While bothhad really about come to this conclusion, the proposition seemed morestartling when expressed in so many words.
"Before we fully agree to this," continued Professor Jack, "let'scompare notes. In the first place this vessel before undergoing someslight alterations came to Martinique as a Colombian vessel, officeredand manned by Englishmen. Upon reaching this island she wasimmediately sold, and her English crew discharged. But her captainremained the same, while she still carried the English colors. Thenext day it was claimed she had been again sold, this time passing intothe possession of followers of General Matos, the leader of theVenezuelan revolutionists. Her English flag was now replaced by thecolors of Venezuela, and she was renamed from the _Ban Righ_ to the_Libertador_. Can the chameleon beat that in changing colors? It ismy private opinion she is a cruiser in the employ of the insurgents,and that we are booked for lively times."
"With small chance of reaching Caracas for a long time, if at all,"added Ronie.
"How came England to allow such a vessel to leave her port?" askedHarrie.
"She must have been deceived as to her real character. Thinking shewas a Colombian ship, and being on peaceful terms with that republic,she had no business to stop her.[1] Hi! what have we here?"
Jack's abrupt question was called forth by the sudden appearance almostby his side of a tall, slender youth, whose tawny skin and darkfeatures proclaimed that he belonged to the mixed blood of the SouthAmerican people. He had risen from the midst of a coil of rope, and insuch close proximity that it was evident he had overheard what had beensaid. The three Americans realized their situation, though the openingspeech of the young stranger reassured them.
"Senors speak very indiscreetly," he said, "of affairs which they mustknow bode them ill, in case their words reach the ears of others."
"Who are you?" demanded Jack, who was the first to speak. Heremembered having seen this youth among the men on board, but had notgiven him any particular notice, although he noticed that he presentedan appearance that showed he did not belong to the class of commonsailors, while dressed no better than the poorest. There was an air ofsuperiority about him which they did not possess.
"It is not always well for one to be too outspoken to strangers," heanswered, glancing cautiously about as he said the words. "Even coilsof rope have ears," he added, significantly.
"You overheard what we said?" queried Jack, who continued to act asspokesman for the party.
"_Si, senor_. I could not help hearing some of it, though you didspeak in a low tone. My ears are very keen, and not every one wouldhave heard the little I did."
"It is not well for one to repeat what one hears, sometimes," saidJack, by way of reply.
"I have a mind as well as ears, senors," replied the youth. "While Ican see as well as I can hear, I can think for both eyes and ears. Youare not satisfied with the appearance of the _Libertador_?"
"I judge you are pretty well informed as to our opinion," replied Jack,more vexed than he was willing to show that they should have beencaught off their guard. "Listeners are not apt to hear any good ofthemselves, we are told."
"Had I been a spy," retorted the youth, with some animation, "I shouldhave remained quietly in my concealment, and not shown my head at all,and most assuredly not when I was likely to hear that which was toprove the most important."
"Please explain, then, your motive in addressing us at all."
"Not here--not now," he answered. "When the Southern Cross appears inthe sky, and the sharp-eyed, doubting Englishman at the head sleeps, Iwill meet one of you here, and make plain many things you do notunderstand."
"Why not meet all of us?" demanded Jack, suspiciously.
"Because one of you in conversation with me would create less suspicionthan all of you would be likely to do. That is my only reason, senor."
"By the horn of rock--Gibraltar, if you please," exclaimed ProfessorJack, "there is a bit of common sense in that. One of us will be here,if we find it convenient."
"Good, senor. Now, as we seem to be attracting attention, it may bewell for us to separate. I will be on hand at the appointed time."
A moment later the unknown youth mingled with the motley crew, leavingour friends wondering what their meeting with him portended.
"He seems honest," declared Ronie.
"He must be half Spaniard, and the other is doubtless something worse,if that is possible," said Jack, who confessed that he
had no likingfor the South American races.
"Shall we accept his proposition?" asked Harrie. "I will confess I amcurious to know what he has to tell."
"I do not understand what this disturbance between the countriesmeans," said Ronie. "When foreign nations take a hand in the affair itwould seem to show that something more serious than a civil revolt islikely to follow. There could not have been a suspicion of thisoutside preparation of war in the United States, or Colonel Marchandwould have known of it. I do not see how this has gone on under theAmerican eyes."
"It is probably due to the fact that these republics of South Americaare almost continually at war. Venezuela has had a stormy time of itfrom the very first. I think one of us had better listen to what thisyoung Venezuelan has to say. He is evidently not in sympathy with thecommander of this vessel."
"Who is working in the interest of Matos, the leader of therevolutionists?"
"As President Castro is at the head of the government, and the targetfor the fire of the whole world at this time."
It was finally decided that Harrie should meet the stranger at theappointed time, while Ronie and Jack were to remain nearby to lendtheir assistance in case the youth showed any signs of treachery.Having come to this decision, the three waited, as may be imagined,with considerable anxiety for the hour to come.