CHAPTER XIV.
THE CASE IS WELL STATED.
It was a long, tedious climb back up the side of the slope. With almostevery step the night watchman and the Mexican clamored for a hearing,for details of the charge against them, but they met with scantcourtesy. Both Nestor and Lieutenant Gordon understood that they werefearful that they were to be taken at once back to New York, in whichcase they would be deprived of a chance to plunder the hidden mine,which they had come so far to find. Nestor had explained, verybriefly, to the lieutenant that the Mexican and the watchman were therein quest of treasure, but had not confided to him the whole story ofthe Cameron tragedy, it being separate and distinct from the issuewhich had brought the secret service men to Mexico.
Don Miguel maintained a dignified silence--as dignified as a pantingman can hold--through-out the tiresome journey, except on one occasion.Once, while the night watchman was violently demanding informationconcerning the crime with which he was to be charged, the diplomatasked:
"Why are you so silent concerning the man's alleged crime? It appearsto me that you are conducting an abduction rather than an arrest. I,also, am anxious to know something of the charges against me."
"You shall know in good time," replied the lieutenant.
"I believe," Don Miguel went on, "that I can convince even you,prejudiced though you are, that you are making a great mistake--acostly mistake, both for yourself and your government."
"When we reach the tents I will listen to you," was the short reply,and the little party went on its way in silence for a long time, silentsave for the mutterings of the Mexican and his fellow-conspirator, asNestor believed the watchman to be.
Moonlight lay like a silver mist over the stubborn paths the party wasfollowing. Moving objects could be observed at a great distance, wherethe character of the surface permitted, and now and then moving bodiesof men were discernible on the slopes of faraway peaks. Don Miguel'sdusky face seemed to brighten, his eyes to gather almost a smile,whenever such parties were seen. It was plain to his captors that helooked upon the wandering bands as friendly to his interests.
Always the marching men--if scrambling up a mountain side inundignified positions may justly be described as marching--were headedfor heights above. All were proceeding as silently as possible, too,and that gave an air of secrecy, of mystery, to the wild scenery andthe romantic moonlight. Occasionally the flickering gold of acamp-fire mingled with the silver of the moon.
Just before dawn, when the members of the party were nearly ready todrop from exhaustion, a sharp challenge rang out ahead, and LieutenantGordon gave a word which caused a cautious guard to withdraw histhreatening gun, and to hasten forward to greet his chief. With hisfirst breath he asked a question.
"Have you seen anything of those confounded boys?"
"The drummer and the Bowery lad?" asked the lieutenant. "Why, we leftthem with you when we went down the hill."
"Well, they're gone!" exclaimed the guard, despondently.
"Gone!" repeated Nestor, stepping forward. "Where have they gone? Hasanything been heard of Fremont?"
"Not a word," said the guard, answering only the last question. "It ismy idea that the other boys sneaked off in the hope of finding him. Isent them into one of the tents to sleep, and when I looked in a shorttime later, they were not there."
"It is certain that they were not carried off?" asked Lieutenant Gordon.
"Certain," was the reply. "We watched the tents every second."
"And yet the boys got away without being seen," said the lieutenant,angrily.
"I don't see how they did it," was the abashed reply.
"I have little doubt that they have been carried away by the men whocaptured Fremont," Nestor said, gravely. "Still, it may be that theyhave only wandered off in search of the boy. It is a serioussituation."
"The mountain is swarming with men," the lieutenant said. "The onlywonder is that we have not been attacked. I fear that the boys havebeen captured, even if they only wandered away to look for theirfriend."
Nestor walked restlessly about the little camp for a moment and thenlooked into the two tents, as if expecting to find some one there.
"Where is Shaw?" he asked, then, alarm in his voice. "Where is the boywe sent on ahead of us? He must have reached here a long time ago."
The guards looked surprised at the question.
"Why," one of them said, "no one came here from below but yourselves.We have seen no one."
Nestor stood for a moment as if he thought the men were playing a trickon him, then the gravity of the situation asserted itself. Whatmischief was afoot in the mountains? Why had the boys disappeared,while there had been no attempt to obstruct the passage of the secretservice men as they moved about?
"It seems, then, that there is another lost boy," said LieutenantGordon. "That makes four. It is most remarkable."
"Yes," said Nestor, "Fremont, Jimmie, Shaw, and this drummer you toldme about. I think we have our work cut out for us now."
"It is the second time Peter Fenton has been lost to-night," Gordonsaid, with a smile. "He was lost and we found him--lost and hungry,but full of courage."
"Peter Fenton!" exclaimed Nestor. "I know him well as a member of thePanther Patrol. A bright boy, and full of information concerningMexico. I have often heard him speak of this country. Well, let ushope that the four boys are all together, wherever they are. It seemsstrange that the outlaws should go about picking up boys."
"It will soon be daylight now," Lieutenant Gordon said, "and then we'llsee what we can do. It may be that the lads will return and bringFremont with them, though that is almost too much to hope for. Anyway,it seems to me that we have accomplished the principal object of ourjourney here," he added, with a glance at Don Miguel.
The diplomat turned about and faced the lieutenant with a sneer on hisface.
"You are not the only one who is making progress here to-night," hesaid. "If you wish the return of your friends, release me and I willrestore them to you."
"I think we'll take chances on finding the boys," Gordon said. "Youare wanted very particularly at Washington."
"Then permit me to send word to my friends," urged Don Miguel. "I cancause the patriots who doubtless have the boys to return them to you.Odd that they should have carried them off," he added, with a scowl.
The man's inference was that the boys were being held as hostages, butthis Nestor did not believe. Fremont had been taken away before thearrest of Don Miguel.
"That would be a very good move--for your interest," Nestor said, inreply to the suggestion. "As the lieutenant says, we prefer to take ourchances on finding the boys. Your friends might want to interfere withyour trip to Washington if they knew our intentions concerning you."
"You will soon see your mistake," was the significant reply.
During this talk the night watchman and the Mexican had remainedsilent, but it was plain that they had not lost a word that had beensaid. Especially when the talk of restoring Fremont to his friends wasgoing on, the watchman had cast significant glances at Felix.
"Was it a part of the conspiracy," Nestor asked, facing the three men,"to abduct Fremont if he left New York? Or was it the intention tomurder him there?"
Don Miguel turned to Nestor with a sneer on his rather handsome face.It was evident that he did not relish being questioned by a mere youth.
"I know nothing of the urchin to whom you refer," he said, scornfully."I do not deal with precocious infants."
Nestor checked an angry rejoinder, and Don Miguel directed hisattention to Lieutenant Gordon, whom he seemed to consider more worthyof his notice.
"Down there on the mountain side," the diplomat said, "you promised tofurther inform me as to the reasons for my being held a prisoner,deprived of freedom of action. I am waiting for you to speak."
Lieutenant Gordon smiled and referred the diplomat back to the boy.
"I know very little about the matter," he said. "
I am working underorders from Washington, definite orders, which leave me virtually underthe direction of Mr. Nestor. If you ask him to do so, he may bewilling to go into the details of the matter with you."
"Must I deal with the infant class in such an important matter?"demanded the other. "Then perhaps, you will condescend to do as thelieutenant suggests," he added, turning back to Nestor, with a look ofhelpless rage on his face.
"I have no objection whatever," replied Nestor, seeing in the request achance to inform the lieutenant, in the presence of the prisoner, ofthe exact status of the case, and also to observe the effect upon thelatter of a statement dealing with the particulars of his treasonableactions.
"Proceed, then, my boy," said Don Miguel, patronizingly.
"A few weeks ago," Nestor began, only smiling at the weak condescensiondisplayed, "you entered into correspondence with Mr. Cameron, of NewYork City, with reference to the purchase of arms and ammunition inlarge quantities. At first your letters met with prompt answers, forMr. Cameron was in the business of selling the class of goods you hadopened negotiations for. Then your letters grew confidential, finallysuggesting a private arrangement between Mr. Cameron and yourself underwhich the arms and ammunition to be purchased were to be delivered tosecret agents on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande."
Don Miguel's face was now working convulsively, his hands, clenched,were fanning the air in denial, and it seemed as if he would springupon the boy.
"It is false!" he shouted. "All false!"
"Suspicious that the arms and ammunition were to be used against hisown country, Mr. Cameron drew you out on this point, how cleverly youwell know, until the whole plot lay revealed. You were purchasing thegoods in the interest of a junta which proposed to arm such outlaws andrag-a-muffins as could be assembled, and to send them across the RioGrande on a hostile mission in the guise of Mexican soldiers."
"False! False!" almost howled the diplomat. "How is it that you, aboy, a mere child, who should be with his mother in the nursery, shouldknow such things?" he demanded; then seeing his error, he added,"should place such a construction on a plain business transaction?"
"It was the purpose of this junta," Nestor went on, not noticing theinterruption, "in marching this ragged army across the border toprecipitate war between the United States and Mexico. With an invaderon their soil, the members of the junta reasoned, all Mexicans wouldflock to the standard of their country, and the war with the UnitedStates would be fought out by a united Mexico."
"Lies! Lies!"
Don Miguel was now walking fiercely about the little dent in the sideof the mountain where the camp was built, pressing close to the loadedguns of the guards, each time, before he turned back to swing and raveover the ground again.
"This very pretty conspiracy to involve the United States in a war withMexico," Nestor continued, "was unwittingly foiled by a desperatecrime--perhaps committed by yourself."