CHAPTER XII
HELD UP
Rio with its heat, its tramways, and its great sea wall; its BotanicalGardens in which once more I had the delight of losing myself withDolores, to the evident anxiety of her aunt and duenna, Mrs.Darbyshire; it seemed so strange to find such a foreign little personwith such a distinctly English name. She, however, refused to bebeguiled away by St. Nivel to look at the giraffes. I think she beganto smell more than a rat when we reached the monkey house, and to doubtwhether his attentions to her were as disinterested as they appeared,especially when she heard that I was his cousin.
To marry his poor relation--me--to a rich heiress--her nieceDolores--no doubt struck her as an end worth taking some trouble about.Probably she would have done the same herself.
Therefore as we approached our port of debarkation, after leaving Rio,I began to find my little interviews with Dolores becoming restrictedmore often by the presence of her aunt. Still the recollection of ourrambles at Rio, and the rides alone on the tops of the electrictrams--which are quite orthodox--remained with us; and if Mrs.Darbyshire became more severe, were there not those little stoleninterviews in the dark part of the promenade deck, where the electriclight did not reach, worth a lifetime; and did I not day by day havethat growing feeling round my heart, which thrilled me through andthrough and told me that my little darling was beginning to care for me?
Did she not absolutely shed tears the night we stole away from theconcert and sat hand in hand under one of the boats, when I whisperedjust one little sentence; that I loved her? Ah me! shall I ever forgetthose beautiful Southern nights, with the stars shining like greatdiamonds above us--nights made for love?
My cousin Ethel at first did not by any means appreciate the turn myaffections had recently taken; she made several pointed and rathersarcastic remarks about it, having in her mind, I presume, therecollection of our little meetings in the long corridors of dear oldBannington.
"You seem very much taken up with that Miss d'Alta," she remarked oneday. "I thought you did not like foreign girls. I don't suppose shecan ride or shoot a bit."
"I don't want her to, Ethel," I replied tersely; "there are nofacilities for either amusement on board ship."
She smiled, then bit her lips to check it; she wanted to be dignifiedand couldn't. She descended to mere abuse.
"You were always a fool about girls, Bill," she continued. "Any girlcould twist you round her finger. Do you remember Mary Greenway?"
Now the recollection of that young lady was peculiarly galling to me atthe moment. After expressing deep love for me--I was eighteen--fornearly six months, she eloped with one of her father's grooms!
"Please don't mention that young lady," I implored; "it makes me feelill. I believe at the present moment she teaches young ladies in herhusband's riding-school."
Ethel laughed heartily.
"She might do worse," she replied. "I think she is rather a pluckygirl."
"What, to run away with a groom?" I suggested.
"No," she snapped; "to work for her living."
We came to our port of debarkation, Monte Video, at last. It seemedlike the end of a holiday to go ashore, and take to the dusty train,luxurious though it was, but _now_ I had the precious casket in mycare, and the anxiety was almost too much for me.
"Look here," said St. Nivel, when we had been in the train about anhour, "you are looking pretty sick over that precious packet, why don'tyou let me take care of it for you?"
I tapped nervously at the trousers pocket in which I was carrying it.
"I hardly like to let it go out of my own charge," I answeredanxiously; "though I know, of course, that it would be safe with you."
We were, at the time of this conversation, running through a mostbeautiful valley, glorious with tropical vegetation. The train wasgradually rising on an easy gradient to the higher lands, where wehoped to get fresher air, for the heat in the valley was mostoppressive after three weeks passed practically in the open on the deckof the _Oceana_.
Without in any way forcing myself on Mrs. Darbyshire's society, Icontrived to see a good deal of Dolores on this little railway journey,which was only to occupy a day and a half.
Once on the beautiful tableland with its gorgeous views of hill anddale, ocean and distant mountain, the train sped onwards at a ratealmost alarming to us used to the slower methods of Europe.
It was well on in the evening; we had dined excellently in thewell-provided restaurant car, and were lounging about in the moonlightthinking of turning in--for there were several sleeping-cars attachedto the train--when the incident occurred which very nearly rendered myjourney fruitless. It was just as we had entered Aquazilian territory,and passed the customs. We were, as I have said, lounging aboutsmoking, when the train which was running through a deep cuttingsuddenly slowed down, and presently the breaks [Transcriber's note:brakes?] were put on so hard that we who were standing near were nearlythrown off our feet.
"Whatever is the matter?" cried Ethel, who was sitting in a compartmentof the smoking-car with us. "I hope there is no accident."
St. Nivel, who was sitting opposite to me, suddenly leaned forward andwhispered--
"If you have that packet of yours handy, give it to me. I think therewill be trouble."
He had travelled in America before, and I placed a good deal ofreliance on his experience.
From the front of the train there arose a great hubbub, a chorus ofexclamations in Spanish.
"I thought so," remarked St. Nivel; "you'd better look sharp, Bill, ifyou want to make that packet safe."
As he spoke, he held out towards me an open cigar-box which he hadtaken out of the rack.
Then I saw what he was aiming at; he wished me for some reason to hidemy packet among the cigars in the box.
I did not hesitate a moment, but put my hand in my trousers pocket, andpulling out the precious packet, placed it among the cigars.
He immediately covered it with more cigars, and then put the box backin the rack.
There was a sudden stillness in the front of the train, and I sawthrough the windows of the smoking-car quite a cloud of horsemen rideup the permanent way and dismount; apparently the forepart of the trainhad been already occupied, for we heard the sound of a by no meansunpleasant voice making in English the following request:--
"Hands up, gentlemen."
I was unused to this sort of thing, but St. Nivel apparently knew allabout it, for he sat back in his seat with a curse between his teeth.
"What does it mean?" asked Ethel and I, almost in a breath.
"It means," answered St. Nivel, "that we are going to be robbed."
"Oh, my God!" cried poor Ethel, "I hope they won't murder us!"
By the white look on St. Nivel's face, as he sat with his teeth set, Isaw that there was something in his mind which he feared for his sistermore than death.
I knew afterwards what some of these South American half-bredfreebooters were like.
The men who had ridden up by the side of the train were a queer-lookinglot.
For the most part they wore very loose garments and high-crowned hats,somewhat of the kind worn by Guy Fawkes. Slung at the saddle of eachman was a coil of rope--a lasso. Nearly every one of them carried arifle.
"I shall get my revolver," I exclaimed. "I've left it in mydressing-bag."
"Do nothing of the sort," cried St. Nivel, in alarm; "they would shootyou instantly."
"We're being 'held up' then?" I queried.
"Yes; that's it," he answered shortly.
At once all thought of my packet went out of my mind; I thought only ofDolores. I rose from my seat and, despite St. Nivel's remonstrance,passed rapidly to the rear of the brilliantly lighted train. I had mether as she came out of the dining-car, and she had told me she intendedsitting with her aunt until it was time to retire for the night at teno'clock. She intended to slip out, dear girl, for a few minutes beforeshe went to bed to say good-night to me.
No
w I found both her and her aunt in a great state of alarm.
"It's nothing serious, is it, Mr. Anstruther?" asked the elder lady,seizing my arm. "Some one here says that we are attacked by robbers."
Before I could answer, a man wearing a cowboy's high-crowned hat and amask across the upper part of his face, appeared at the door of the carand gave the command--
"Hands up!"
He carried a revolver pointed upwards over his shoulder in such aposition that he could have brought it down at once. At first Irefused to elevate my hands as a fat Brazilian was doing near me, andthis evoked another word of command--
"Hands up! Sharp!"
"_Do_ put your hands up, dear," came the soft trembling voice ofDolores; "_do_, to please _me_."
My two hands shot up most willingly, immediately.
"Ladies," the man proceeded, in far from a disagreeable voice, "youhave no need to fear. Our chief has fined each first-class passenger ahundred dollars; second-class passengers fifty dollars. If thoseamounts are placed on the seats, our collector will be round in aminute or two to take them up, then you will be at liberty to proceed."
At that moment another man, similarly attired, armed, and masked,joined the other at the door.
"He's in here," he announced. "That's him, no doubt."
He added a sentence in Spanish which I could not understand, thenturned to me.
"Mr. William Anstruther?" he asked.
Involuntarily I answered him--
"Yes; my name is Anstruther."
"Follow me," he said sharply; "you're wanted."
I gave one look at Dolores, and she answered my look.
"You had better go with them, William," she said, calling me by my namefor the first time. "I will come too."
She looked deadly white, and I feared every moment would faint.
The man who had entered first spoke again, addressing Dolores.
"You need not be afraid," he said. "We shall not harm Mr. Anstruther;and you had better remain where you are, because we shall probably haveto _strip_ him."
The two men laughed heartily at their coarse joke, and I felt as if Icould have killed them both.
Then the thought came unpleasantly home to me.
"_Why_ would they want to strip me?"
I followed the first man down the corridor, and looking round saw theother standing at the door of the compartment in which I had left theladies. He had a revolver in his hand, and was watching me intently.Had I made the slightest effort to escape, I have little doubt he wouldhave shot me at once. My conductor took me back into the smoking-car,and then politely asked Lady Ethel, who was still there, to retire.
When she had gone, with wide-open eyes full of fear, fixed on me to thelast glance, the masked man, who had me in charge, turned to me andmade the following request:--
"Mr. Anstruther," he said, speaking in very good English, although onecould tell it was not his native tongue, "we have reason to believethat you have concealed either on your person, or in your luggage, acertain packet which you are carrying to Valoro. Our chief requiresthat you shall give that packet up to him. That done, and your fine ofa hundred dollars paid, you will be permitted to go on your way."
"And if I refuse to comply with your request?" I asked.
The man shrugged his shoulders.
"The chief will be here directly," he answered, with a peculiar smile;"he will tell you himself."
I threw myself in a corner of the carriage, and with the bitterestthoughts at my heart, tried to think of some means of escape, while Iawaited the coming of the principal brigand. St. Nivel sat opposite tome, and I saw by his set jaw and knitted brows that he considered thesituation very serious. We had not long to wait for the chief. Aheavy footstep came along the corridor and presently an immense bulkentered the doorway with a great masked head above it.
The man was a half-breed and a giant, possessing immense strength; thereason of his chieftainship was very evident.
"Which is Anstruther?" he asked abruptly, as he came in, with a strongforeign accent.
His subordinate pointed to me.
"_Carajo!_ Mr. Anstruther," the giant began, "I hope you are not goingto give us any trouble. You don't look very amiable!"
I simply looked at him and did not answer.
"My lieutenant here," the chief proceeded, "has no doubt acquainted youwith my wishes. We want that little packet of yours, which you arecarrying to Valoro."
"What little packet?" I asked superciliously.
"The little packet which you fetched from your lawyer's office justbefore you left London," he replied, with a smile; adding at my look ofastonishment, "you see we know your movements pretty well."
I gave an impatient toss of my head, and felt inclined to drive my fistinto the man's great fat face, the only part of which I could see was agreat thick-lipped mouth with fine white teeth grinning through a blackbeard.
"Supposing," I said, "that I refuse to comply with your demand?"
"Then," he said abruptly, "we shall look for it." "Come now, Mr.Anstruther," he added, "we have very little time to lose; give me thatpacket."
"I haven't got it," I answered truthfully, for it was in St. Nivel'scigar-box.
The big man turned to his lieutenant.
"Send in a couple of the others; strip and search him," he said sharply.
In obedience to a call from the other, two more of the gang, big strongfellows, came in, and I prepared for a strong resistance.
Before, however, the men touched me, Sir Rupert Frampton's faceappeared in the doorway; he had evidently just got out of bed, and worea dressing-gown.
"It is no use whatever making any resistance to these men, Mr.Anstruther," he said, speaking in French; "you will probably lose yourlife if you do. Submit to what they demand, and we will make a claimagainst the Government at Valoro for whatever you lose. During thewhole of my long connection with Aquazilia," he added, "I have onlyknown such a robbery as this occur twice, and knowing the presentpeaceful and law-abiding state of the country, I cannot understand it."
"Very well then, Sir Rupert," I said, after a pause, "I will submit tothese men, but I call upon you to witness my protest at the outrage!"
He nodded his head at my words, and in obedience to a further requestfrom the giant, I proceeded to undress.
When this was done, they were not satisfied to search my clothes only,but took them away with them for further examination.
After returning me my light silk under-vest and drawers, they broughtme a loose cowboy's dress, such as they wore themselves, and intimatedthat I must put it on.
It was no use demurring, so with a plaintive look at Sir Rupert, who,hardly able to repress his laughter, was still standing by, I did as Iwas bid.
"Now," proceeded the chief, "we have not found what we want about yourperson, Mr. Anstruther; we must look for it among your luggage."
He dangled my bunch of keys in his hand as he spoke. "Follow me,please."
The others closed round me and we went together to the luggage-car;here my luggage, which was fully marked with my name, was already setaside. They proceeded at once to thoroughly search each trunk, butreplacing every article as they did so; loot was evidently not theirobject.
They came at last to the end of it; and the chief turned to me savagely.
"_Carajo!_ Mr. Anstruther," he said, "you are playing with us. Do yourefuse to tell us where this packet is?"
"Supposing I don't know?" I replied prevaricatingly, "supposing it isout of my power to tell you?"
"Then," he answered, with a savage oath, "we shall take you with us,and perhaps another besides, and hold you both as hostages until thepacket is given up to us by _somebody_."
After a pause I shrugged my shoulders.
"You must do as you like," I said.
"Carlo," cried the chief at once, "see the fines are collected, and wewill be off and take him with us."
"Who shall the other hostage be?" asked the lieutena
nt.
The big man stooped down and whispered in his ear.
The other man nodded and smiled in response to the other's laugh, butit appeared to me that he by no means relished the information conveyedto him in the whisper.
"Now, Mr. Anstruther," remarked the big half-breed, "we must troubleyou to come with us, and don't take longer than you can help to saygood-bye to the ladies."
This was intended by way of a joke; one which I did not appreciate.
"As soon as my cashier has been round collecting the dues," proceededthe big man, "we must be off. Don't you think you will change yourmind, Mr. Anstruther, and give me that packet? If I had my way I wouldsearch the whole train for it, but we haven't got time, so we must takeyou instead."
St. Nivel looked up from his corner where he had sat, his hat drawnover his eyes.
"Have a cigar, Senor Capitano," he remarked to the chief, "while yourman collects the cash. I've paid already."
He handed the man the box of cigars in which the packet was hidden. Ithought it an act of madness.
"Thank you, Senor," replied the man, taking two; "a fine brand ofcigars."
"Yes," replied my cousin, "they are very decent."
The Capitano took the box in his hands and smelt them.
"Yes, very nice," he remarked. "As good as anything you will get inAquazilia."
Then St. Nivel did something which appeared to me to be an additionalsign that he had taken leave of his senses.
"Won't you take the box, Capitano?" he asked.
The man smiled and shook his great head.
"Thank you," he said, "they are too mild for me."
St. Nivel shut the box up with what I thought was impatience, and threwit in the rack.
The thieves' cashier made his appearance with a bag full of dollars;then they all made a move for the door, taking me with them.
As we reached the platform of the smoking-car, and I was perforce aboutto jump down on to the permanent way, I saw the face of my servantBrooks looking up at me from the line.
"Let me give you a hand, sir," he said, with an expressive look in hiseyes; "the ground's a bit rough here."
As he assisted me down in the darkness I felt him slip something underthe loose cowboy's frock I wore and nudge me to take it; as I put myhand down, to my joy I felt it was my Colt's revolver!
I hastily thrust it into the belt under my smock-frock, where it wasquite hidden.
Then the horses were brought round and we prepared to mount; but beforewe departed there was still a little ceremony to be gone through.
There were some left with drawn revolvers at the end of each carriage,almost to the last moment, but as the bulk of the band left the trainthey brought with them a half-breed dressed in the ordinary frock-coatand tall hat of civilisation, in a state of abject terror.
"Who is this man?" I asked the lieutenant, who happened to be near me.
He laughed as he twisted up a cigarette and answered me.
"He used to belong to our little society once," he said; "but he ranaway and gave evidence against another member, who was shot."
"What are you going to do with him?" I asked.
He made a motion with his hand in his loose neckerchief of a man beinghanged.
"No, surely not!" I cried, in horror.
"You'll see," he replied, as he began to smoke.
They dragged forward the shivering wretch, who had a prosperous lookabout him; and as they pulled him out of the train his tall hat felloff and rattled on the iron rails. No one stopped to pick it up; itwas not worth while.
The man immediately following him carried his lasso in his hand. Theylost very little time; there was a tree with a convenient branch, justnear the line, and in a trice they threw the rope over this and knottedthe end into a noose.
Then there was a call for a priest, and there happening to be a Padrein the train, the wretched man was accorded five minutes with him as hestood.
Within three minutes more the body of the half-breed was swinging andstruggling in the air; but the struggles were not for long.
The desperadoes all around me whipped out their revolvers and commenceda rattling fusillade, the mark being the body of the man swinging onthe tree.
* * * * *
My blood ran cold as I listened to the pinging of the bullets and theresounding shrieks of the ladies in the train.
Not till then did the last of the men leave the train, and one of themI saw, to my astonishment, bore in his arms apparently a woman in acloak.
In a brilliant gleam of electric light, shot from the train in thedarkness, I thought I saw the face of my Dolores, with a white gagacross the mouth, but the idea seemed so preposterous that I did notgive it another thought, thinking it to be some phantom of anoverwrought brain, and the woman some light-o'-love of the desperado.
The man went straight to a horse, placed the burden he was carryingacross the saddle-bow, sprang on to the horse, and with a number ofothers round him, including the chief, rode away.
They brought a horse for me and I mounted too, and rode along veryunwillingly towards the end of the train. As we passed the engine, Isaw that the fire-box had been raked out and water poured on it. Therewas a dense steam arising from it. I conjectured, and conjecturedcorrectly, that they had done this to prevent the train steaming awayand giving the alarm, for there was a considerable town not five milesoff, the inhabitants of which were no doubt anxiously expecting theexpress.
When we arrived at the other side of the train, and the leading filesof the robbers were passing off the railway line, the identity of thefigure carried away across the saddle was put beyond all doubt, and therevelation nearly sent me mad.
Mrs. Darbyshire came shrieking out into the forepart of the car inwhich I had left her with Dolores.
"They have taken her," she shrieked, "they have taken her away from meas a hostage. It cannot be. Bring her back, bring her back, I imploreyou!" she cried in Spanish to the men who were passing the train, andwho in return only laughed and jeered her.
"Mr. Anstruther," she cried, "save her!"
I made her no answer, for I knew it was useless, but I gripped therevolver I carried beneath my loose smock.
A great calmness came upon me then, though the blood surged through myhead. Life was as nothing to me, compared with saving her; without herit would be worthless. I determined to use every art I was capable of,every ingenuity to outwit these ruffians and murderers, for her sake.
I began to laugh and talk with the men around me, at the same timenoting every feature of the country as we left the railway behind andtook a rough road.
As we emerged upon this, the moon rose and I could see that the roadwound away in front of us, down into a valley where there was a thickwood and up the other side to great hills which were probably ourdestination. About two hundred yards in front of us rode the party whohad carried off Dolores. To my great joy my party commenced to trot,and within ten minutes had caught up the party in front.
There was a good deal of talking in Spanish, which I did notunderstand. My eyes were fixed on the figure wrapped in the blackcloak and lying across the saddle-bow of one of the ruffians.
As far as I could see, she was perfectly inanimate, but one thing Inoticed, and that was the man who held her, a great, swarthy,black-bearded wretch, masked like the others, rode some six paces inrear of the rest.
This was sufficient for me; my plan was formed at once.
As we rode forward again, I felt that I had a good horse under me, andthis was a satisfaction for the task I had in view. As we reached thewood at the foot of the hill, there were, I found to my greatsatisfaction, but two of the gang riding behind me and one by my side;the rest were in front. I had made myself agreeable, and rode soeasily with them that the men around me had taken no specialprecautions to secure me; believing me to be unarmed, they evidentlythought that I was powerless under the muzzles of their numerousrevolvers.
They we
re mistaken.
As we plunged into the blackness of the road through the wood, I waiteduntil we were well into it, then drew my revolver and shot the manriding on my right.
In the very act of firing, I dug the heels of my boots into my horseand caused him to swerve round.
Before they could draw, I shot both the men behind me, and as I torepast them, grasped the mask from the face of one as he fell. The wholething was done in under ten seconds. I flew off like an arrow backtowards the party we had just left, followed by a spattering fire fromthe men. I had left when they fully realised what had happened in thedarkness.
I hastily fixed the black crape mask across my face as I cleared thewood, and made full gallop for Dolores.
As I came in sight of the party, they were evidently in alarm at theshooting, but I waved my arm to them assuringly and slowed down to acanter as I came near. They plainly regarded me from my mask as one ofthe gang.
I noticed to my satisfaction as I approached that the man in charge ofDolores was still some distance in the rear.
The road being narrow, and the men riding two abreast in it, I left thetrack and rode out into the rough ground as if I wished to reach thechief, crying out "Capitano!" as I passed the leading men, that beingabout all the Spanish I knew.
The great burly chief rode out as I approached, with a querulous lookon his face as I saw it in the moonlight, as if he were annoyed, butthe expression changed immediately, for I shot him through the bodyfrom my revolver as I held it concealed beneath the smock I wore; thenI dashed for Dolores. I had still two chambers undischarged, and oneof these I intended for the man bearing Dolores, but he was too quickfor me; he turned his horse and bolted back along the road we had comeand I after him. He was apparently in a panic. I roared out to himwith all my might that if he would give up the lady I would spare hislife, or otherwise he would be a dead man.
This hint seemed sufficient for him, for he slid off his horse androlled away somewhere into the rough ground at the side of the road,leaving Dolores on the horse.
Then I saw that she had been secured to the high pommel of the Spanishsaddle by a turn or two of a lasso.
We had gone fully three hundred yards more before I caught the horsewhich galloped away at full speed. Perhaps it was as well thingshappened thus, as the robbers were thundering behind, and had I takenthe two burdens on one horse, we should I think, without doubt, havebeen recaptured. As it was, I lashed both horses to their fullestspeed when I saw Dolores was secure, though evidently in greatdiscomfort, yet it was a matter of life or death or worse.
Presently we came in view of the train getting up steam, though it wassome distance off, and then a sight burst upon my view in additionwhich filled me with both joy and astonishment. About ten bicyclesridden by men were coming along the road, the slender spokes of theirwheels glinting in the moonlight. They no sooner saw us than theyraised a great shout, and waved their arms; it was then to my greatthankfulness I saw the leading cyclist was my cousin, St. Nivel. Ifelt as if a ton weight of care had been lifted off my shoulders.
They made way for us as we came, and St. Nivel shouted to me as wepassed through--
"Make straight for the train!"
I did as he bid me, and within five minutes had the pleasure of tearingthe handkerchief with which she was gagged from my darling's mouth; andbefore all the assembled passengers kissing her upon the lips as I gaveher insensible into the arms of her aunt.
I think I had earned those kisses!