At the Point of the Sword

by Herbert Hayens

  CHAPTER X.

  A STORMY INTERVIEW.

  On our march to the town, Santiago assumed a light-hearted carelessnessthat was far from his real feelings. He laughed merrily, made jokingremarks, and behaved generally as if the prospect of a spell of prisonlife was most agreeable. This was, of course, mere outside show. Hewas too proud to let his captors see his real distress; but his actingdid not deceive me.

  We had reached the market-place, and I was wondering at the absence ofthe soldiers, when Jose suddenly appeared, coming from the governor'shouse. On seeing us, he approached, saying, "You have been a longtime. I began to think you had missed your way."

  "The guide was late in the first place, as the doctor would not takethe nearest way, and we did not hurry. But where are the troops?"

  "Off again!" said he, his eyes twinkling: "the colonel has gone for alittle jaunt of ninety miles or so to intercept a Spanish column.Thank goodness, we have missed that!--How did you leave your men,major?"

  "One is dying, I fear," replied Santiago; "but the others will soon beall right, unless your doctor kills them!"

  "I was sorry to send him," said Jose, "but I had no choice. He was theonly one in the place available. He didn't offer his services, I canassure you."

  "I can well believe it," laughed the major. "The poor fellow was halfdead with fright when he reached us, and vows he will never risk thedanger of getting down again."

  "We must have him tied to the rope, and lowered like a sack ofpotatoes. Meanwhile, what is to be done with you?"

  "The only suggestion I can make is that you set me free!"

  "Perhaps I had better report to the governor," observed Josethoughtfully. "He is Colonel Miller's representative. I daresay hewill parole you till the chief comes."

  "No, no!" cried the major hastily; "I've done with paroles! From thismoment I consider myself free to escape."

  "To _try_," corrected Jose. "Well, the effort will fill up your time,and keep you from being idle. Of course," he added, "it will changethe position a little. We can still remain on friendly terms, only Imust not forget to load my pistol. And now let us interview thegovernor."

  A sentry stood at the outside gate, and several soldiers were in thecourtyard; but passing through, we entered the house, and foundourselves in the governor's presence. He was a military-looking man,though holding no rank in the army--a Spaniard who had recently comeover from the enemy. Two or three officers were in the room, and ayoung man sat at a table, writing.

  Jose told his story briefly, concluding with a proposal that theprisoner should be left in his charge until Colonel Miller's return.

  "There is a more agreeable way still," observed the governor, with abland smile.--"Major Mariano, I am not unaware either of your name oryour services. I know you for a dashing and brilliant officer, far andaway superior to those nominally above you. I am not without the powerto make you an offer. The Spanish cause is lost; in a few months yourarmies will be crushed; Peru will be independent. Until that time youwill languish miserably in prison. Afterwards I cannot pretend toprophesy your fate; but I offer you an opportunity to escape from thewreck. Join the Patriot army, and I pledge my word that San Martinshall give you the rank of colonel at once. In a year it will be yourown fault if you are not a general. Come, what do you say?"

  Only a few hours previously I had seen an outburst of temper onSantiago's part; now I beheld another, which by comparison made thefirst appear mild. His eyes literally blazed with anger; his face wasred; he actually quivered with passion. Twice he endeavoured to speak,and the words choked in his throat. Jose laid a hand restrainingly onhis shoulder; he flung it off passionately.

  "Dog of a traitor!" cried he at last, "do you think the blood ofSantiago Mariano is as base as yours? Do you imagine I am a rat likeyou to leave a sinking ship? What! lend my sword to a parcel ofbeggarly cutthroats and vagabonds? I would rather eat out my heart inthe blackest dungeon of Peru!"

  Once a flush of shame overspread the governor's face, but he recoveredhimself promptly, and listened with a bitter smile till the end.

  "You shall eat your words if not your heart," he exclaimed brutally;and turning to an officer, he added, "Rincona, bring in your men andthe heaviest irons that can be found in the prison."

  Santiago smiled scornfully; but Jose, pushing forward, said quietly,"You cannot do that, senor. This man is my prisoner, for whom I amresponsible to Colonel Miller alone. Until the return of the colonel,therefore, I cannot let him go from my keeping."

  For a moment Rincona hesitated, but at the governor's second command heleft the room, while the other officers clustered round their chief.

  Jose produced a pistol and cocked it, saying coolly, "The man who layshands on my prisoner dies."

  Santiago turned to him with a pleasant smile. "Thanks, my friend," hesaid, "but I cannot let you suffer on my behalf. Besides, there isCrawford to be considered. The consequences may be fatal to him, as heis sure to stand by you."

  "Don't hesitate on my account, Jose," said I. But the major's wordshad made an impression, and a shadow of annoyance flitted across mycompanion's brow.

  However, there was little time for thinking. We heard the tramp, trampof marching feet, and presently Rincona entered, followed by about adozen soldiers.

  "The irons!" roared the governor, beside himself with passion; "whereare the irons?"

  "I have sent for them, sir," replied Rincona.

  "You might have spared yourself the trouble," remarked Jose; "theyshall not be put on."

  "Yes, yes!" exclaimed Santiago; "what does it matter? Better so thanthat you two should lose your lives."

  I looked at Jose. His lips were set like a vice, and I knew that nopower on earth could move him now. The situation was decidedlyunpleasant, and unfortunately there seemed to be no way out. True, hemight kill the governor, but that would only still further complicatematters.

  The soldiers, as usual, stood with impassive faces; the affair was noneof theirs, save so far as obeying orders went. The officers wererestless and uneasy, and one of them kept up a whispered conversationwith the governor, who listened impatiently, and from time to timeshook his head.

  At last two other men arrived, bearing a set of heavy irons, and onceagain Santiago turned appealingly, but without effect, to Jose.

  One might have heard a pin drop when the governor, sheltering behindhis officers, cried in a loud voice, "Put that man in irons!"

  "Stand still!" said Jose, raising his pistol, and speaking in theIndian dialect.

  How the dispute would have ended I cannot tell, but at that moment ahappy inspiration flashed into my mind. The soldiers were all Indians,and judging by their appearance, Indians of the mountains. Was itpossible that any of them acknowledged the authority of the Silver Key?If so, we were safe. It was a poor chance, but there seemed to be noother.

  Trembling with impatience, I opened my shirt at the neck, and drewforth the brigand chief's gift. At first no one took any notice; butwhen I held the key to view, the Indians raised a shout of mingled joyand surprise. Then I looked at Santiago and laughed, saying, "We aresafe!"

  The Indians jabbered away in their own language, talking with oneanother, and pointing to the emblem of authority which hung from myneck. The governor stood like a man in a dream; the officers gazedalternately at me and the native soldiers, as if doubting the evidenceof their senses.

  "How many of you are followers of the Silver Key, and of RaymonSorillo?" I asked.

  "All, all, master!" they cried.

  "And those outside?"

  "All, all!" they again shouted.

  "I can trust you to help me?"

  "To the death, master!" they cried with one voice.

  At that I turned to the governor, saying with a smile, "The position ischanged, senor. I have but to raise my hand, and you will feel theweight of your own irons. But there is no need to quarrel. ColonelMiller will be here in a few days, and he shall decide
between us.Meanwhile we will guard the prisoner."

  The governor nearly choked with anger, and threatened violently that assoon as the colonel returned he would have us all shot. However, as itwas evident that the soldiers would obey my orders, he raised nofurther objection to our taking Santiago away.

  "By St. Philip," exclaimed the major, "the room was hot! Are you amagician, Crawford?"

  "Upon my word I begin to think so. At any rate, I possess a magicalkey."

  "Which has saved our lives," observed Jose grimly.

  "And I suspect," laughed Santiago, "that once upon a time it unlockedthe door of a prison cell! But won't those natives suffer for this?"

  "I don't think so. They are too strong, and their chief has more powerin Peru than the viceroy and San Martin combined."

  "You know him, then?"

  "Yes, and so does Jose. He has done me good service, for which I amgrateful, though I could never like the man. But here we are at thehouse. The good folk will wonder at our bringing an uninvited guest."

  Fortunately a room had been set apart for us, so we could talk at ourease. I was burning to tell Jose about my father, but first of all wehad to come to an understanding with Santiago. This time he made nodemur at giving his parole. "In fact," said he gaily, "you have forcedmy hand, and I have no choice."

  "So much the better," remarked Jose; "we may as well be comfortabletogether till the colonel arrives."

  "And after that we may be hanged comfortably together!" laughed themajor. "How do you like the prospect?"

  "I can trust Miller. He is an honourable man, and will do what isright. It is Crawford who will suffer for inciting the troops tomutiny."

  "Jose," said I presently, "I haven't told you that Major Mariano is anold friend of mine."

  "And at one time his jailer," interrupted Santiago. "That ought tomake him feel grateful."

  "Oh," exclaimed Jose, "you are the captain Jack has often talked about!Well, I'm glad we have been able to do a little for you."

  "This morning while we were waiting for your precious doctor," Icontinued, "he told me a very startling piece of news."

  "Yes?" said Jose.

  "About my father."

  Jose sprang to his feet, demanding fiercely, "What do you know of SenorCrawford, major? Don Eduardo came to his end by foul means: he was notslain by the government, but by some one who hoped to profit by hisdeath."

  "According to the major's information, he was not slain at all," Isaid, and proceeded to relate the story.

  Jose listened attentively to every word, and then asked Santiagoinnumerable questions. Like myself, he displayed great excitement, butI judged from his expression that he entertained little hope of myfather being still alive.

  "The truth is," said he, "Don Eduardo had made numerous powerfulenemies both in public and private life; and as we all know, any stickis good enough to beat a dog with. Besides, he owned vast estates,and--"

  "Go on!" laughed Santiago as Jose hesitated; "the king's party put himto death in order to seize them!"

  "No, no," said Jose hotly; "I don't tar all Spaniards with the samebrush. Still, they aren't all saints either, and I say some of themkilled him under cloak of the government. And some day," he added, "Iwill prove it. As to his being alive, I think there is small chance ofit.--And Jack, my boy, I would not mention the matter to your mother."

  "But," said I, clinging to my shred of hope, "he was not killed in themountains, and we have heard nothing since."

  Jose let me talk, and listened kindly to my arguments, but I noticedthat none of them made any impression. At the best, he said, my fatherhad been thrown into prison seriously hurt, and it was not likely thathe had survived the confinement.

  "Have you ever seen the casemates at Callao, major?" he asked.

  "Yes," said Santiago, "and very unhealthy places they are. But thereare more prisons than those in Peru."

  It would be wearisome to repeat our conversation, for, after all, wewere arguing in the dark, having only the major's imperfect story to goby. Besides, as Jose said, many events had happened during the lasttwo years, and my father was by no means the only noted man in Peru todisappear. So our talk travelled in a circle, leaving off at thestarting-point, and for sole effect it extinguished the gleam of hopewhich the major's story had kindled.

  In the evening, at Jose's suggestion, I went into the streets to pickup any information concerning the governor's doings. Everything seemedquiet; the sentries were at their posts as usual, while the soldiersoff duty wandered about the town.

  They greeted me respectfully, raising their hands in salute andstanding at attention, as if I had been an officer of high degree.Recognizing a sergeant who had been in the governor's room, I stoppedto ask a few questions. Greatly to my relief, I learned that, with theexception of a few Spanish officers, the troops in the town were allIndians from the mountains.

  As the man seemed smart and intelligent, I told him how matters stood,and that we depended entirely upon him and his comrades until thecoming of the English colonel.

  "You can trust us, master," he replied, and indeed his talk made itquite clear that the friend of Raymon Sorillo and the holder of theSilver Key might rely on the Indians in Moquegua even against Millerhimself.

  Jose, I think, felt rather relieved on hearing my news; while Santiagolaughed heartily, prophesying that, if the Spaniards were defeated, Ishould in a few years be king, or at least president, of Peru.

  "I had no idea," said he, "that you were so important a person. Nowonder Barejo wished to keep you shut up!"

  That night we took it in turns to watch; but the governor attemptednothing against us, and the next day we walked openly in the streetwithout molestation.

  Colonel Miller had vanished into space, and for nearly a week we heardnothing of him; then one morning an Indian scout rode wearily into thetown with the news that the Englishman was close at hand. Immediatelythe people rushed out in hundreds to line the street, and to cheer thereturning warriors.

  Jose stayed indoors with the major, but sent me out to get an earlyword with our leader. Bright, alert, and cheery as ever, he rode atthe head of his troops, smiling and bowing to the inhabitants as theygreeted him with rousing cheers. Then came the soldiers--the cavalryon dead-tired horses, the infantry on jaded mules--with a number ofprisoners in the midst.

  The animals were tired enough; but the men! I can hardly describetheir condition. Their faces were haggard, their eyes heavy andbloodshot; some were nearly asleep, others had scarcely strength to situpright. Very little grass had grown under their feet. As soon asthey were dismissed, the citizens pounced on them, taking them into thehouses, where food and drink were provided in abundance.

  The governor had come out to meet the colonel, whom I expected to seereturn with him; but at the last moment he turned aside, and with alaughing exclamation went straight to his own quarters, whither Ifollowed him.

  "Hullo, Crawford!" cried he. "So you didn't get La Hera?"

  "No, sir; but we captured a major, and I wish to speak to you abouthim."

  "Won't it wait?" he asked, with a comical expression.

  "I am afraid not, sir. The truth is, we've had a quarrel with thegovernor, and--"

  "You want to get in your version first! A very good plan. Well, fireaway, but don't make it long; I've a lot of things on hand."

  By this time we had entered his room, and going straight to the heartof the affair, I told my story in the fewest possible words. Thecolonel listened with rather a grave face, and when I had finished hesaid, "It's an awkward mess, especially just now. It's absolutelynecessary to keep friends with the governor, and I don't like thistampering with the troops. But, of course, I won't have the prisonerput in irons or treated differently from the rest. Bring him here now,and I'll settle the matter at once."

  "Yes, sir," said I, thankful to get off so lightly.

  The colonel had already begun some fresh work when I returned with Joseand the
major, but he rose from his seat and saluted the Spaniardcourteously.

  "I understand it is useless to ask for your parole, major," he said."Your mind is quite made up on the point?"

  "Yes, sir," answered Santiago, smiling in his easy, graceful way. "Anopportunity to escape may not arise but if it does, I shall certainlyseize it."

  "Quite right!" exclaimed the colonel; "but I fear you will bedisappointed. However, though guarding you rigidly, we shall put youto as little inconvenience as possible. You will find half a dozencompanions in misfortune in the prison. Most of the captured rank andfile have joined the Patriots."

  The major's lip curled scornfully, but he only said, "I am obliged toyou, colonel, for your kindness. Some day perhaps I may be able toreturn it."

  "Not in the same way, I hope," laughed Colonel Miller. "I have had ataste of Spanish prison life already, major. But when the war is overI trust we may meet again."

  Then he sent for an officer and a file of soldiers, and Santiago turnedto bid us a cheery farewell.

  "Good-bye," said he brightly; "I have had a pleasant time with you.--IfI do succeed in escaping, Crawford, I will inquire further into yourfather's story.--Ah, here is my escort!" and with a salute to thecolonel and a nod to us, he took his place in front of the men, whilethe officer received his chief's instructions.

  "He's a plucky fellow. I should have liked to set him free," I said,as we strolled back to our quarters.

  "To do more mischief!" growled Jose. "I'm sorry for him, in a way, butit's better for us that he should be under lock and key. And thatreminds me! How did Colonel Miller take the Silver Key business?"

  "Very badly; called it tampering with the troops."

  "So it was, but it saved our lives, all the same. I shall be ratherpleased when we leave this district; the governor won't regard eitherof us too favourably."

  "He can't hurt us now the colonel is here."

  "No," replied Jose, with a curious smile "but we might meet with anasty accident. Perhaps you remember my remark, made two years ago,that accidents are common in Peru. It's as true now as then."

  As it chanced, Jose was shortly to have his wish; for although we didnot know it then, the colonel had decided to abandon Moquegua. Many ofthe troops were down with the ague, the place was a difficult one todefend, unless against a weak attack, and La Hera was already on themarch with a force far superior to ours. This, however, we did notlearn till two days later.