CHAPTER XXI
GENERAL SERANO MEETS CAPTAIN DYNAMITE
The new cell in which the boys had been placed when the escape of MissJuanita was discovered, looked out through its barred windows onto themain street of the little straggling town. In the distance, although thehouse was concealed from view by intervening buildings, they could seethe American flag floating over the consulate. This outlook had affordedthem some occupation during the day, and even when night fell they stoodtogether gazing silently out into the deserted street, lighted only bythe brilliant moon. They began now to feel that their position wascritical, and Bert, who more easily yielded to the depressing effects ofcircumstances, bemoaned his fate and all the series of events that hadled up to their present unenviable plight. He was inclined to blameHarry for the initial step.
"If you only hadn't taken it into your Quixotic head to try to aidCaptain Dynamite, who is able to take care of himself, we might now besafe on the _Mariella_," he growled, "instead of waiting patiently forsome one to take us out and shoot us."
"Why, Bert, old man, we've got two more days before we step out and playtargets. Many things may happen in that time."
"Nothing to help us out of this scrape that I can see."
"Mr. Wyman will surely do all that lies in his power to aid us."
"Yes, but you know yourself that since Serano suspects his connectionwith the escape of Miss Juanita his power has been very much curtailed."
"Well, there's Captain Dynamite yet to be counted on."
"Humph, where is he and what could he do if he were here?"
"I don't know, Bert, but you can't make me believe that he would abandonus completely to our fate. It's not like him, I tell you."
"If all the hope we have is centred in Dynamite or Wyman I think it istime we began to think of doing something for ourselves."
"Sure," answered Harry in surprise, "but what under the sun can we do,Bert?"
"We might----" Bert hesitated and glanced nervously at his companion;"we might effect some compromise with Serano."
"How?" asked Harry, coldly.
"We might agree to tell him what he wants to know about how we got tothe island when we can be assured that it will injure no one."
"There are two reasons why that plan would be useless. In the firstplace how are we going to tell when Captain Dynamite is safe, and in thesecond place the affair has gone so far now that I do not think Seranowould be satisfied with simply that information. He is pretty wellconvinced that in some way we are connected with the Cuban cause."
"Oh, gee, I wish I had never gone sailing."
"That's going back a long way to make a connection between cause andeffect, Bert," said Harry, who could not help smiling at his companion'shopeless view of the situation.
They were silent again for a time. Not a sound broke the stillness ofthe night save the regular steps of the sentinel below them. Some lightclouds scurried across the moon, shutting off for a time the flood ofsilver light and throwing a gray shadow over the street.
"Look," said Harry, suddenly. "Didn't you see a man creeping alongthere?"
"Where?" asked Bert, eagerly.
"In the deep shadow close in by the wall of that house."
"I can see no one," said Bert, after straining his eyes in an effort topenetrate the darkness.
"Watch," whispered Harry. "I know I saw some one creeping along as ifhe did not want to be seen."
"Even if you did, what does it signify?"
"Captain Dynamite would come that way," answered Harry, confidently.
Suddenly the clouds swept on and again the street was flooded with aradiance that made the shadows cast by the walls of the houses as blackas the darkest night in contrast.
"Then did you see?" asked Harry, excitedly.
Bert nodded quickly in the affirmative.
As the moon flashed out they had both seen a man dart closer into theprotection of the deep shadow of the wall.
"There's another," whispered Bert, pointing out through the bars in hiseagerness, to a point about ten feet beyond where the first man hadappeared. "What if the guard should see them too?"
"The sentinels are on the same level and cannot see as well as we can uphere. I wonder who they are. See, there is another."
"Who can they be?"
"I'll bet you a dinner when we get home that Captain Dynamite is intown."
"O, Hal, do you think we will ever get home?"
"I'm beginning to feel very sure of it. See, there are other men in thedistance and all are coming toward the jail."
The prison stood in a narrow plaza or square facing the main street.Toward the dark shadow of a building that formed a corner of the squarethe indistinct forms of the men seemed to be making their way. The boyscounted nearly a dozen, closely hugging the walls of the low houses,slip one by one into the wider shadow of the corner building. Still theregular steps of the guard below told that the mysterious gathering hadnot been discovered.
Presently four men emerged boldly from the shadow, and arm in arm, andwith unsteady gait approached the prison. In hiccoughing tones they sanga Spanish drinking song. In the bright glare of the moonlight the boyscould see that they wore the uniform of Spain.
"Pshaw," said Harry, in a disgusted tone. "They are only a lot ofdrunken Spanish soldiers after all, making their way back to thebarracks."
Harry was keenly disappointed. He had been confident that the strangemovements of the men indicated that some action was on foot which heimagined Captain Dynamite was directing.
"But where are the others?" whispered Bert. "There are more in theshadow."
"Probably waiting a chance to slip into the barracks without attractingtoo much attention from their officers."
The four men reeled on. The regular pacing of the sentinel ceased and hehailed the approaching quartet in a jocular way. They answered withthick tongues and coarse laughter. Presently they passed out of view ofthe boys, having come close within the shadow of the wall below them.
Then suddenly there was a muffled sound as of one trying to cry out witha heavy pressure on his throat, the hard breathing of men desperatelystruggling, and then silence.
The boys looked at one another in wonderment. What could it mean?Possibly a drunken squabble between the men and the guard. Now the slowpacing of the sentinel was resumed. Apparently the difficulty had beenadjusted.
"I think we might as well get to bed," said Harry, after they had waitedfor ten minutes without any further developments. "There is nothingdoing to-night, I guess."
As he spoke, the cry of a night bird sounded on the still air, but,strangely enough, it seemed to come from directly below their window,instead of from the air above. Almost immediately an answering call washeard in the distance, and then all was still again.
"I am not so sure, after all, that those men were Spaniards," saidHarry, as he turned eagerly to the window again.
"Why?"
"Did you hear those signals?"
"I heard a bird."
"I don't think it was a bird."
"Listen; if they were birds we shall hear them again."
The boys listened patiently for several minutes, but the sound was notrepeated.
"I believe they were signals, and--look--look! Isn't that CaptainDynamite himself coming out of the shadow further up the street?"
"It certainly looks like him," gasped Bert, "but who is that with himand how does he dare to walk openly in the streets?"
"It's the Spanish interpreter," whispered Harry, after a minute'sinspection; "and--and Captain Dynamite, sure. Hooray."
"Don't hooray yet," said Bert, wagging his head disconsolately."Remember there are more Spaniards in the shadow there."
"Yes, if they are Spaniards."
"And see how closely the interpreter walks. Can Captain Dynamite be aprisoner?"
"Not of that little man," sniffed Harry. "Look at the size of him besideO'Connor."
The two men whom the boys had seen in the distance wer
e indeed O'Connorand Villamonte. They came on through the bright moonlight apparently asunconcerned as if there were not a price on the head of one. And theywalked as close together as bosom friends, but a pistol in the coatpocket of Captain Dynamite pressed closely against the side of hiscompanion.
"Now you are sure you know your part, Monte?" said O'Connor, as theyneared the prison.
"Sure, your excellency."
"And you know what it means to play any tricks, do you?" As he spokeO'Connor emphasized his remark by jabbing the muzzle of the pistol intoVillamonte's ribs.
"Surely your excellency can trust me," quaked the interpreter.
"Yes, under the circumstances. You also want to recollect that Iunderstand Spanish, so you cannot fool me in that way--- and my fingeris always on the trigger. At the first word or sign of warning off itgoes. Now take that scared expression off and look pleasant; we arenearly there."
At the door of the prison they were met by a Spanish officer, whoreceived Villamonte with great deference and looked wonderingly atO'Connor, who wore his cloak and sombrero so that little of his face wasvisible.
"Now you've got your cue," said O'Connor, in English, in a low tone, atthe same time pressing the pistol harder into Villamonte's side.
"We come from General Serano," said the interpreter reluctantly. "Hewishes the American boys removed secretly to the government house, as heanticipates a plot to release them."
The officer bowed and Villamonte and O'Connor passed into the jail.
"Do you wish your escort to enter also?" asked the officer.
Villamonte turned in surprise and saw eight men close upon their heels,but as he quickly noted that they all wore Spanish uniforms, he smiledtriumphantly.
"Yes," said O'Connor, in English, and again the pressure against hisside brought Villamonte to his senses.
"Yes," he repeated to the officer, and the men filed silently in and thedoor was closed behind them.
"Now," said O'Connor, turning to the officer in command, and for thefirst time speaking in Spanish, "if you will kindly conduct us to thecell of the American prisoners we shall be obliged to you, and if wewish to please General Serano, haste is essential."
The officer preceded them down the corridor, which was lighted dimly,and then ascended a winding stone staircase to the floor above. Heopened the door of a cell and stood aside for them to enter.
As Harry saw O'Connor's big form in the doorway he rushed forward with aglad cry:
"I knew it, Bert, it's Captain Dynamite. I told you he would come."
"Hush," said O'Connor, as he took the youngsters in his arms, much asone would two children and gave them a bear-like hug, "not so loud. Wecan take no chances, for we are not out of the woods yet."
"It's the terrible Captain Dynamite," cried the officer in dismay. Thenhe turned and fled down the stairs. Villamonte, relieved from thepressure on his ribs, slunk towards the door. O'Connor saw him andlaughed.
"Run along, Monte, if you wish. I don't need you any more."
"But he will give the alarm," said Harry, in a frightened tone.
"No, I think not; but gather up your things, if you have any, for wemust lose no time in getting out of here."
"We've got nothing but what we stand in, Cap," said Harry, laughing,"and this old Spanish uniform does not fit me very well, at that. MaybeMiss Juanita is through with my clothes by this time."
"God bless you, youngster, they served her well."
"She is all right?"
"Right as a trivet and safe aboard the old _Mariella_ by this time,thanks to you."
As they reached the lower corridor one of the men saluted and said:
"We put them in there, sir," pointing to a room opening off thecorridor, which was used by the officer in command of the watch.O'Connor looked in and burst into one of his hearty laughs.
"Come here, youngsters, and take a last look at the valiant jailers," hesaid. The boys stepped forward and looked into the room. The foursoldiers, gagged and bound hand and foot, were sitting with their backsagainst the wall, and facing them, and also bound in the sameignominious manner, were the commander and Villamonte.
Harry could not refrain from gloating a little over his fallen enemy.
"How about the glory of Spain, Mr. Interpreter?" he enquired. Villamontescowled but did not reply.
"Come now, boys, we must be moving. This place is pretty hot for me,"said O'Connor.
At this moment some one knocked loudly on the door of the prison and adeep voice called in Spanish:
"Open, captain of the guard; it is I."
"Who is I?" asked O'Connor.
"Open at once. I am General Serano."
The boys caught the name and it struck terror to their souls. O'Connorsmiled.
"Is General Serano alone?" he enquired.
"Yes; why do you keep me here. Open, I say."
O'Connor motioned to the boys to step behind the men, who were grouped afew feet in the rear of the corridor awaiting instructions. Then hethrew open the prison door and stood back for General Serano to enter.