Up the Forked River, Edward Sylvester Ellis [best free ebook reader for pc .TXT] 📗

for all this. The great United States Government would not permit the outrage, and any wrong done to one of its people would cost the miserable offender dear.

But the leading Republic of the world lay many leagues to the northward. It would take weeks to bring a naval vessel thence, and certainly a number of days before one could come from the nearest port. Meanwhile, the hours were of measureless value. The Major ground his teeth when he thought he had allowed his yacht to pass down the river to San Luis, with the understanding that she need not return for several days. There was no way, however, of getting word to Captain Winton, who could not suspect the urgent necessity for his presence in this part of the land of abominations.

"Martella will be glad to go with us; he says we should go ashore just this side of the point of land ahead."

"He doesn't seem to have any weapons with him," remarked the Major, scrutinizing the fellow, who was looking at him with a curiously intent expression.

"He could not bring his musket, but he has a knife under his coat, and none knows better how to use it."

"Bring him here."

Guzman motioned to his friend, who rose to his feet, touching a forefinger to the front of his sombrero, and skilfully picked his course along the careening boat.

"Take the tiller for a few minutes, Captain."

The moment Martella came within reach, the American extended his hand and addressed him in his native tongue:

"The Captain says you are ready to show us the way to _Castillo Descanso_, where Senoritas Estacardo and Starland are staying."

Martella nodded his head several times and said eagerly, "_Si, si, si._"

"Are you certain they are there?"

"I am not, but I think so."

"The deuce! Captain, I thought you said he was certain."

"So he is,--as certain as one can be; he saw them go ashore last night and start inland under the escort of two soldiers, and heard them say they were going to _Castillo Descanso_; isn't that true, Martella?"

"It is true, but perhaps they did not arrive there."

"Oh, hang it!--that is as near right as one can be. Show the Captain where to direct the boat and we'll soon set things humming."

Martella pointed out the spot, and Guzman, who was an expert navigator, turned the prow inward, while the Major lowered the sail, and they rounded to at a place where all were able to leap ashore dry shod. The craft was carefully made fast, and leaving what slight luggage they had behind, they were ready to press inland without loss of time. The leader carried his rifle and belt full of cartridges and his revolver; the Captain his revolver, while the private was armed only with a long frightful knife, which he kept, so far as possible, out of sight under his jacket.

Standing beside one another for a minute or two, the American asked his guide:

"Did General Yozarro start for this point when he left Atlamalco in his tug?"

"I heard him say he intended to take the Senorita to Zalapata to meet her brother, and Senorita Estacardo went along to bear her company."

"That's what the villain told _me_; did he pass beyond this point?"

"He did so for several miles."

"What cause did he give for turning back?"

"He said war was about to break out between the republics; I heard that much, but I was one of the firemen and could not hear all; he said afterward that he discovered something ahead which caused him to turn back in haste."

"What was it?"

"Nothing, for there was nothing to see."

"He planned it from the first to deceive the Senoritas."

"You speak the truth, but why should he take the pains to do that, when he might have gone overland and made the halt in the mountains?"

It was Captain Guzman who answered:

"Such a journey would have been long and hard for the Senoritas; the voyage is far more pleasant."

"Why did he start at night?"

"It was easier for him to see the danger which was not there, or for him to make the Senoritas believe he saw it."

"General Yozarro is devilish sly; let us go."


CHAPTER XI.

Since every one in tropical America called Warrenia Rowland by the surname of Major Jack Starland and the two were accepted as brother and sister we will do the same for the present, and thus avoid possible confusion.

These two had been on the Forked River but a short time, when they awoke to a most unpleasant fact, in addition to that which has already been mentioned. While the climate was wholesome enough to those accustomed to it, it was highly dangerous to visitors. The air was damp, oppressive and miasmatic, probably because of the rank vegetation that grew everywhere. Still further, the insect pests were intolerable at times. Several cases of illness among the crew of the yacht, though fortunately none was fatal, alarmed Aunt Cynthia and caused some uneasiness on the part of Major Starland, as well as of Captain Winton. In the circumstances, the Major felt warranted in urging the plea of business as a legitimate one for haste in leaving the detestable country.

It has been intimated that after Miss Starland had been delivered over to her dearest friend, the yacht dropped down the river to Zalapata, and left Jack there. Captain Winton, who was a cousin of Aunt Cynthia, intended to steam some twenty miles farther eastward to the city of San Luis, where a few needed supplies would be taken aboard. Then the boat would return to Zalapata for its owner, and continue on to Atlamalco, there to receive the young woman for the homeward voyage.

Major Jack Starland was considerate enough to decide to remain most of the time at the capital of General Bambos, knowing the school mates would wish to devote the all too-brief period to each other. Consequently he would only be in the way. The Major gave no specific instructions to Captain Winton, but left much to his discretion. It was intimated to him that he might return to Atlamalco in the course of a few days,--an elastic term which might be halved or doubled without any blame attaching to the skipper.

General Bambos was delighted for the time with the companionship of a man who had received the thorough military training of his visitor. Ignorant as most of the prominent South Americans are, the majority have heard of West Point, and all know something of the courage and achievements of the greatest nation in all the world. The General consulted often with his guest and Major Starland never did, or rather never attempted to do, a more praiseworthy thing than when he strove to impress upon the bulky Dictator the folly and crime of war.

"It was truthfully characterized by our General Sherman as 'hell'; it has been the curse of the ages and brought misery and death to millions, besides turning back the hands on the dial of progress for centuries. Shun it as you would the pestilence that stalks at noonday."

Such discourse is thrown away upon the South American leader to whom revolutions are as the breath of his life. General Bambos blandly smiled and cordially agreed with the wise sentiments, but laid the blame eternally on the other fellow. If _he_ would only do that which is just, wars would cease and blessed peace would brood forever over all nations and peoples.

Major Starland took another tack. There had been hostilities between Zalapata and Atlamalco in the past, with no special advantage accruing to either side. On the whole perhaps the latter Republic had been the gainer, since the last treaty ceded to General Yozarro a small strip of territory on which _Castillo Descanso_ stood, the same having been a bone of contention for a long time.

The purchase of a tugboat by General Yozarro had unquestionably tipped the scales in his favor. The American did his best to show Bambos this fact and to warn him that in case of another war between the republics, Zalapata was sure to be the chief sufferer. Bambos could not gainsay this and he was now seeking to balance things, by floating a loan which was to be used in arming his troops with modern weapons. He made a tempting offer to Major Starland to enter his service, agreeing to pay him an enormous salary in gold, though one might well question where he was to obtain a fractional part of it, and to place him in supreme command of the military forces of the Republic.

While the American was illimitably the superior in mentality to the gross Dictator, he failed to perceive an important truth, which did not become clear to him until after his plain talk with Captain Guzman. The great object of the obese nuisance in warring against Yozarro was to place Miss Starland under deep obligations to him, though he was too cunning to intimate anything of that nature. When Jack Starland kindly but firmly declined his offer, he feared that he would become an obstacle to his scheme; and although he hid any such feeling, he would have been glad to have him disappear from the stage of action. What galled Bambos was the fact that the American lady was the guest of his rival, who he knew would do his utmost to woo and win her. To bring to naught anything of that nature, he determined to wage war against Yozarro and shatter the opportunity that fortune had placed in the hands of that detested individual. It cannot be said that the logic of Bambos was of the best, but it must be remembered that the gentle passion plays the mischief with numskulls as well as with men of wisdom.

Such in brief was the situation, when Major Jack Starland yielded to his growing unrest over the visit of his sister to her friend. He had learned that General Yozarro was a widower--though as in the case of Bambos that would have made little difference in his wayward promptings--and he decided that it would be well to shorten the visit of Miss Starland or to bear her company, so long as she stayed in Atlamalco. He would be welcomed by the young women themselves, and, although Yozarro might wish him to the uttermost parts of the earth, he, too, would be gracious. So the sail of the American and Captain Guzman up the forked river becomes clear to the reader.

Never was mortal man more infatuated with woman than was General Yozarro, from the moment he first laid eyes on the "Flower of the North," as he poetically named her. His passion was too absorbing to be concealed, and in the sanctity of their apartments the niece rallied her friend on the conquest she had made.

"But it is the very one I do not wish to make," protested the annoyed American; "I like General Yozarro, chiefly because he is your relative, but absolutely my feeling can never go beyond that."

"I thought your heart had not wandered elsewhere."

"It has not, and it can never pass to him, my dear Manuela."

"May I not say that you might go farther and fare worse? He is one of the kindest-hearted of men, is wealthy and would always be your slave."

"You name the very quality I cannot tolerate in the one whom I love; I care nothing for wealth, for I do not need