CHAPTER XXVI.
A PLOT AGAINST FUNSTON.
A muttered imprecation was the only intimation that the figurewhich had been so unceremoniously bundled into the closet wasalive.
"Who are you?" asked Donald in Spanish.
"Let me out of this," was the unsatisfactory response in English.
"Oh!" from Donald. "You are an American. Well, keep still andI'll help you to get rid of the blanket."
He grabbed hold of the covering and the newcomer was soonuncovered.
"Now, then, who are you?" asked Donald again.
"I'll show you who I am if I get hold of you," was the uncivilanswer, and an arm shot out.
"Now look here," said Donald, "if you don't stop that I'll letdaylight through you. We are in a bad box and the only thing todo is to make the best of it."
"We?" exclaimed the newcomer. "Why do you say we?"
"Because I am a prisoner the same as you are. Now, who are you?"
"I'm Lieutenant Grimes of the general's staff. Who are you?"
"I am Donald Mackay, on a special mission for Gen. Funston."
"How did they get you?"
"Kidnaped me on the street. How did they get you?"
"Same way. I had just left the general's quarters."
"I can see that some one might want to capture you, lieutenant,but I cannot see what they want of me."
"How long have you been here?" asked the lieutenant.
"About half an hour. By the way, are you armed?"
"No; they took away my weapons. How about you?"
"I have my automatic. I'd have used it when you came in, onlyyou were dumped in so suddenly."
"What do you suppose the game is?"
"I don't know; but we'll find out. I've been in tighter placesthan this--but no hotter," after a pause.
"Have you tried to get out?"
"Yes; but it was too hot work. The door seemed pretty strong."
"Perhaps the two of us might force it," suggested Grimes. "I'm apretty husky chap."
"We might try," replied Donald. "The place is so narrow we canget a good brace."
They put their feet against the opposite wall and pushed againstthe door.
"We'll never make it that way," said the lieutenant. "We'll haveto throw ourselves at it."
"Not much room for that, Lieutenant, but you give the word andwe'll have a try."
Getting their bearings as well as they could in the dark, theydrew themselves back and then literally threw themselves at thedoor. It gave way with a snap and both fell to their feet on theoutside.
Quick as a flash they were on their feet, Donald with his weaponready for instant action.
But there was no one in sight.
"That's mighty funny!" exclaimed the lieutenant. "Lock two strongmen up in a place like that and not guard it."
"It's a mighty good thing for us they didn't," laughed Donald. "Iwonder where we are?"
He glanced about the room which was dimly lighted by a couple oflamps, fastened to the wall by brackets. It was well--yes,elegantly furnished. At one side of the room was the closet outof which they had just emerged, while at the opposite side werethree doors. On a third side were two windows and the fourth sidewas a plain wall.
"Not a bad-looking place," observed the lieutenant.
"Not at all," echoed Donald, "and there seem plenty of means ofexit."
"Sure, my boy; and if it's all the same to you, we'll go. Thesooner I get back the quicker I'll be able to start something inthis direction. Come on!"
They crossed over to the doors and tried the first one. It waslocked. They tried the second and it opened into another closet.
"Three times and out," laughed Donald as he took hold of the knobof the last door.
It yielded to his touch and he opened it gently. Then he quicklyand quietly closed it.
"What's up?" asked the lieutenant.
Donald put his fingers to his lips.
"How many?" queried Lieut. Grimes.
"Three," was the whispered response. "Let's hear what they haveto say."
He opened the door a crack, through which they could see threemen seated at a table. One wore the uniform of a Mexican officer,the other was dressed in Mexican costume, while the third wasunquestionably an American, although they could only see hisback.
"I have carried out my part of the agreement," the American wassaying, "and now I want my money."
"How do we know you have?" asked the officer.
"Haven't I put Gen. Funston into your hands?"
"We are not sure it is Funston," said the other.
"Then bring him out and look at him. You know the general whenyou see him, don't you?"
"I think so, although I've never seen him but once."
"Well, that is he, all right," declared the American.
Donald turned and looked at his companion. Then he chuckled.
The lieutenant said nothing, but stroked his whiskers which hewore in exact imitation of his chief.
"Lucky for the general," he whispered, and Donald nodded his headthat he understood.
The two Mexicans exchanged a few words under their breath whichDonald could not hear and then the officer took from his breastpocket a large wallet, from which he counted out ten bank notes.They were yellow backs and Donald was not at all surprised whenthe officer said:
"Here are ten one-thousand-dollar bills in American money. Webelieve you are telling us the truth, as your words arecorroborated by the men who brought him here. But if you areplaying us false, we shall know how to reach you."
The American shrugged his shoulders as he took the bills, rolledthem up nonchalantly and placed them in his trousers pocket.
"You can find me at the Hidalgo Hotel whenever you want me," hesaid, "and now I must be going."
He arose from his seat, and as he did so, Donald caught sight ofhis face. It was the mountebank, Strong, but in his stylishclothing Don had failed to recognize him.
"Great Scott!" he muttered to himself, "the plot thickens!"
"What's that?" queried the lieutenant, who caught the mutteredexclamation.
"Nothing much," replied Donald as the three men walked toward adoor in the farther end of the room and he was enabled to speakwithout being heard, "only that is the man I'm looking for. Let'sget out of the window and see if we can't head him off."
He closed the door and turned the key which he had quietly takenfrom the other side.
The windows were open and they looked out. They were on the sideof the house overlooking a good-sized lawn.
"That's the reason they are not barred," explained Donald. "Hadthey been front windows, we might as well have been in jail. Yougo first and I'll cover the retreat."
Lieut. Grimes sprang into the window and lowered himself to theground, just as a hand turned the knob.
"Good-bye!" muttered Donald. "Sorry I can't wait to receive you,"and he followed the lieutenant.
On the ground they could hear the men trying to open the door andas they sped across the lawn toward a high brick wall, the doorgave way with a crash and they could hear surprised voices.
"They have discovered our wreckage!" cried Donald. "Over the wallyou go!"
"You first this time," said the lieutenant.
"No, you first. I can boost you up, but I couldn't pull you. Youcan pull me."
The argument was good and the lieutenant acted upon it.
A minute later he was on top of the wall.
"Great Caesar!" he exclaimed. "There's nothing under me butwater."
"Never mind that," was the response. "Haul me up."
The lieutenant leaned down and gave the lad a hand.
"Here we are," he said a minute later. "We can't jump in, forthere is no knowing where we are."
"Sure," from Donald. "Let's run along the wall."
This they did for about a hundred yards and then the wall endedabruptly against what appeared to be an abutment.
"We must act quickly," declared Donald. "They
think you areFunston and won't hurt you. Keep up the deception. I'm going toswim for it. I'll have help here just as quick as I can. Solong," and, throwing off his coat, he jumped into the water sometwenty feet below.