At the head of the party appeared that Hector and learned Theban of the southern republics, Don Sabas Placido. A traveller, a soldier, a poet, a scientist, a statesman and a connoisseur—the wonder was that he could content himself with the petty, remote life of his native country.
"It is a of Placido's," said a friend who knew him well, "to take up political . It is not otherwise than as if he had come upon a new in music, a new bacillus in the air, a new , or rhyme, or explosive. He will squeeze this revolution dry of sensations, and a week will forget it, skimming the seas of the world in his brigantine to add to his already world-famous collections. Collections of what? Por Dios! of everything from postage stamps to stone ."
But, for a , the æsthetic Placido seemed to be creating a lively row. The people admired him; they were fascinated by his brilliancy and flattered by his taking an interest in so small a thing as his native country. They rallied to the call of his in the capital, where (somewhat contrary to arrangements) the army remained faithful to the government. There was also lively skirmishing in the coast towns. It was that the revolution was aided by the Vesuvius Fruit Company, the power that forever stood with smile and uplifted finger to keep Anchuria in the class of good children. Two of its steamers, the Traveler and the Salvador, were known to have conveyed insurgent troops from point to point along the coast.
As yet there had been no actual uprising in Coralio. Military law prevailed, and the was bottled for the time. And then came the word that everywhere the revolutionists were encountering defeat. In the capital the president's forces triumphed; and there was a that the leaders of the revolt had been forced to fly, hotly pursued.
In the little telegraph office at Coralio there was always a of officials and loyal citizens, awaiting news from the seat of government. One morning the telegraph key began clicking, and presently the operator called, loudly: "One telegram for el Almirante, Don Señor Felipe Carrera!"
There was a sound, a great of tin scabbard, and the admiral, prompt at his spot of waiting, leaped across the room to receive it.
The message was handed to him. Slowly spelling it out, he found it to be his first official order—thus running:
Proceed immediately with your to mouth of Rio Ruiz; transport beef and provisions to barracks at Alforan.
Martinez, General.
Small glory, to be sure, in this, his country's first call. But it had called, and joy surged in the admiral's breast. He drew his cutlass belt to another hole, roused his crew, and in a quarter of an hour El Nacional was swiftly down coast in a stiff landward breeze.
The Rio Ruiz is a small river, emptying into the sea ten miles below Coralio. That portion of the coast is wild and . Through a in the Cordilleras rushes the Rio Ruiz, cold and bubbling, to , at last, with breadth and leisure, through an into the sea.
In two hours El Nacional entered the river's mouth. The banks were crowded with a of formidable trees. The undergrowth of the tropics the land, and drowned itself in the fallow waters. Silently the entered there, and met a deeper silence. Brilliant with greens and ochres and floral , the mouth of the Rio Ruiz furnished no sound or movement save of the sea-going water as it purled against the of the vessel. Small chance there seemed of beef or provisions from that empty .
The admiral to cast anchor, and, at the chain's , the forest was to instant and . The mouth of the Rio Ruiz had only been taking a morning nap. Parrots and and barked in the trees; a whirring and a and a booming marked the of animal life; a dark blue bulk was visible for an instant, as a startled tapir fought his way through the vines.
The navy, under orders, hung in the mouth of the little river for hours. The crew served the dinner of shark's soup, plantains, gumbo and sour wine. The admiral, with a three-foot telescope, closely scanned the fifty yards away.
It was nearly sunset when a "hal-lo-o-o!" came from the forest to their left. It was answered; and three men, mounted upon , crashed through the tropic to within a dozen yards of the river's bank. There they dismounted; and one, unbuckling his belt, struck each a violent blow with his sword scabbard, so that they, with a fling of heels, dashed back again into the forest.
Those were strange-looking men to be conveying beef and provisions. One was a large and exceedingly active man, of striking presence. He was of the purest Spanish type, with curling, gray-besprinkled, dark hair, blue, sparkling eyes, and the pronounced air of a caballero grande. The other two were small, brown-faced men, wearing white military uniforms, high riding boots and swords. The clothes of all were , bespattered and rent by the . Some stress of circumstance must have driven them, diable à quatre, through flood, and jungle.
"O-hé! Señor Almirante," called the large man. "Send to us your boat."
The dory was lowered, and Felipe, with one of the Caribs, rowed toward the left bank.
The large man stood near the water's , waist deep in the curling vines. As he gazed upon the scarecrow figure in the stern of the dory a interest beamed upon his mobile face.
Months of wageless and thankless service had dimmed the admiral's splendour. His red trousers were patched and . Most of the bright buttons and yellow braid were gone from his jacket. The visor of his cap was torn, and depended almost to his eyes. The admiral's feet were bare.
"Dear admiral," cried the large man, and his voice was like a blast from a horn, "I kiss your hands. I knew we could build upon your . You had our despatch—from General Martinez. A little nearer with your boat, dear Admiral. Upon these devils of shifting vines we stand with the smallest security."
Felipe regarded him with a face.
"Provisions and beef for the barracks at Alforan," he quoted.
"No fault of the butchers, Almirante mio, that the beef awaits you not. But you are come in time to save the cattle. Get us aboard your vessel, señor, at once. You first, caballeros—á priesa! Come back for me. The boat is too small."
The dory conveyed the two officers to the sloop, and returned for the large man.
"Have you so gross a thing as food, good admiral?" he cried, when aboard. "And, perhaps, coffee? Beef and provisions! Nombre de Dios! a little longer and we could have eaten one of those mules that you, Colonel Rafael, so feelingly with your sword scabbard at parting. Let us have food; and then we will sail—for the barracks at Alforan—no?"
The Caribs prepared a meal, to which the three passengers of El Nacional set themselves with delight. About sunset, as was its custom, the breeze and swept back from the mountains, cool and steady, bringing a taste of the and swamps that the lowlands. The mainsail of the sloop was and to it, and at that moment they heard shouts and a waxing clamour from the bosky of the shore.
"The butchers, my dear admiral," said the large man, smiling, "too late for the ."
Further than his orders to his crew, the admiral was saying nothing. The topsail and jib were spread, and the sloop out of the . The large man and his companions had themselves with what comfort they could about the bare deck. Belike, the thing big in their minds had been their departure from that critical shore; and now that the hazard was so far reduced their thoughts were loosed to the consideration of further deliverance. But when they saw the sloop turn and fly up coast again they relaxed, satisfied with the course the admiral had taken.
The large man sat at ease, his spirited blue eye engaged in the contemplation of the navy's commander. He was trying to estimate this sombre and fantastic lad, whose impenetrable puzzled him. Himself a , his life sought, and under the smart of defeat and failure, it was characteristic of him to transfer instantly his interest to the study of a thing new to him. It was like him, too, to have conceived and risked all upon this last desperate and madcap scheme—this message to a poor, crazed fanatico cruising about with his uniform and his farcical title. But his companions had been at their wits' end; escape had seemed incredible; and now he was pleased with the success of the plan they had called crack-brained and .
The brief, tropic seemed to slide swiftly into the pearly splendour of a moonlit night. And now the lights of Coralio appeared, distributed against the darkening shore to their right. The admiral stood, silent, at the tiller; the Caribs, like black panthers, held the sheets, leaping noiselessly............