Kirk Munroe - Forward, March
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Kirk Munroe >> Forward, March
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"'Yes, senor, there is,' answered a voice, which also ordered the
marines not to fire, and I'll be blowed if Admiral Cervera himself
didn't stick his head out from under the awning. The old fellow was as
nice as pie to Hobson and his men, told them they had done a fine
thing, took them back to his ship, fed them, fitted them out with dry
clothing, and then sent Captain Oviedo, his chief of staff, out to the
_New York_, under a flag of truce, to report that the _Merrimac's_
crew, though prisoners, were alive and well. He also offered to carry
back any message or supplies the American Admiral might choose to send
them. Didn't every soul in that fleet yell when the signal of Hobson's
safety was made? Well, I should rather say we did. I only hope old
Cervera will fall into our hands some day, so that we can show him how
we appreciate his decency."
"Three cheers for the Spanish Admiral right now!" shouted Ridge, and
the yell that instantly rose from the deck of the _Yucatan_ in reply
was heard on shore for a mile inland.
The noise had barely subsided when a voice called for Sergeant Norris.
"Here I am. Who wants me?" replied Ridge, inquiringly.
"Take your belongings ashore, sir, and report back at camp
immediately," was the startling response, delivered in the form of an
order by Major Herman Dodley, who was now on the staff of the
commanding general. "I have a boat in waiting. If you are ready
within two minutes I will set you ashore. Otherwise you will suffer
the consequences of your own delay," added the Major, who, while on
duty at Port Tampa, had received by telegraph the orders he was now
carrying out.
CHAPTER VIII
CHARGED WITH A SECRET MISSION
Having ascertained from the captain of his troop that the order brought
by Major Dodley was one that must be obeyed, Ridge went below with a
very heavy heart to collect his scanty possessions. As he did so his
thoughts were full of bitterness. Why should any one be sent back to
that hateful camp, and for what reason had he been singled out from all
his fellows? It looked as though he were being disgraced, or at least
chosen for some duty that would keep him from going to Cuba, which
would be almost as bad. At the same time he could not imagine what he
had done to incur the displeasure of his superiors. It was all a
mystery, and a decidedly unpleasant one. That the order should come
through Dodley, too, whom he particularly disliked, was adding insult
to injury.
"I'd rather swim ashore than go with that man!" he exclaimed to Rollo
Van Kyp, who, full of sympathy, and genuinely distressed at the
prospect of their separation, had gone below with him. Ridge had told
his chum all about Dodley, whom they had discovered lounging on a
breezy veranda of the great Tampa Bay hotel a few days before, so that
now the latter fully comprehended his feelings.
"It's a beastly shame!" cried Rollo; "or rather it's two beastly
shames, and if you say so, old man, we'll just quietly chuck that Major
fellow overboard, so that you can have his boat all to yourself. Then,
instead of going ashore, you head down the bay for some place where you
can hide until we come along and pick you up."
"That's a great scheme," replied Ridge, with a sorrowful little smile,
"but I am afraid it wouldn't work, and so there is nothing left for me
but submission to the inevitable. I do hate to go with Dodley, though."
Just here Ensign Comly appeared on the scene with his brother, whom he
was bidding farewell.
"I say, Comly!" cried Rollo, who knew him, "why can't you set my friend
Norris here ashore? It wouldn't be much out of your way, would it?"
"Not at all," answered the ensign, courteously. "And I should be
pleased to accommodate any friend of yours. I must go at once, though;
so, if Mr. Norris will come on deck--"
"Oh, but that won't do," interrupted Van Kyp. "He must get off the
ship without any one on deck seeing him." With this he explained the
situation to the ensign, who readily grasped it, and said:
"All right. I'll run my boat in under this sideport, and he can drop
out of it if the sentry will let him pass."
Of course the guard at the wide freight port left open for a better
circulation of air between decks would allow Ridge to pass, for he was
one of their own troop, and knew that the sergeant had been ordered
ashore. To give him further assurance that everything was all right,
Ridge said:
"It is my duty, you know, to go in the first boat that offers, since
Major Dodley undoubtedly left some time since. He said he would only
wait two minutes, and as that was fully five minutes ago, he ought to
be ashore by now."
Thus it happened that while the messenger who had been ordered to fetch
Sergeant Norris of the Rough Riders was still fuming over the
unpardonable delay of the trooper, and threatening all sorts of
unpleasant things for him when he did appear, Ridge gained the railroad
wharf without being observed from the deck of the transport. There,
finding an empty train just starting for Tampa, he was able to present
himself in camp half an hour later. From it he was sent to
headquarters, with orders to report to Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt,
who had come ashore early that morning. This Ridge hastened to do,
without waiting to answer any of the eager questions showered upon him
by his recent comrades of the camp.
At the hotel occupied as headquarters an orderly conducted him to the
office of the commanding general, where, upon admittance, he found
himself not only in the presence of his own superior officer, but of a
group of distinguished looking men in uniform, who, as he afterwards
discovered, were Generals Miles, Shafter, Lee, and Lawton, and
Lieutenant Boldwood of the navy, now in command of the despatch boat
_Speedy_, recently arrived.
"General," said Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt, addressing the
commander-in-chief, "this is Sergeant Norris of my regiment, the man
whom I recommended for your purpose, and for whom you sent less than an
hour ago."
"Where were you when ordered to report here?" asked General Miles,
turning abruptly to Ridge.
"On board the transport _Yucatan_, lying off Port Tampa, sir."
"Then you are one of the few men whom I have discovered among our
volunteers who have learned the lesson of _prompt_ obedience," remarked
the general, with a slight scowl on his still handsome though deeply
lined face.
"Umph!" snorted General Shafter, who was a big man, weighing about
three hundred pounds, and whose hair was sadly rumpled, as though by
much perplexity.
General Lee, also a large, fine-looking man, smiled approvingly at the
prompt young trooper, while General "Iron" Lawton, spare of figure and
with a reputation as a fighter, gave him a penetrating glance, that
Ridge knew had indelibly fixed his face upon the soldier's memory. The
naval man also regarded him with interest, and our hero, greatly
confused at being thus observed, was relieved to have General Miles
proceed, to question him further.
"I understand that you speak Spanish like a native."
"I do, sir."
"Have you ever been in Cuba?"
"No, sir."
"Or travelled in Spain?"
"Yes, sir."
"Acquainted with its principal cities?"
"I am, sir," replied Ridge, wondering in what direction these questions
were tending.
"Are you willing to encounter great risks and undergo great hardships
in your country's service?"
"Certainly I am, sir," answered the young trooper, with flushed face,
for he began to suspect that some more important duty was to be
required of him than simply remaining in camp.
"In that case I am going to offer you the chance of winning your
country's gratitude, and possibly with it an ignominious death. It is
deemed imperative that some one intrusted with grave secrets should
immediately set forth on an important mission to Cuba. If his identity
is discovered before the task is completed, his fate will undoubtedly
be that of a spy. Knowing this fact, are you ready to undertake it?"
"I am, sir," was the decisive reply.
"Good! A commissioned officer was selected for this duty, but he is
prevented by illness from performing it. You have been chosen to take
his place on the recommendation of Colonel Roosevelt because of your
knowledge of Spanish, your military record, and because you are a
native-born American. I could have found plenty of Cubans to undertake
the mission, and possibly one of them would have carried it to a
satisfactory ending, but I wanted an American."
"Plain North American Yankee," growled General Shafter.
"As you know," continued General Miles, "a powerful expedition is about
to leave this place for Cuba. Very few persons have any idea where it
is to land; but you must know that in about ten days from now it will
appear off Daiquiri, some twelve miles east of Santiago, in which city
I want you to be at that time. You will sail to-night in the
despatch-boat _Speedy_, of which this gentleman, Lieutenant Boldwood,
is the commander. Within three days he will land you on the northern
coast of the province of Santiago. During the following week I want
you to visit the Spanish commanders at Holguin, Jiguani, and Santiago,
to all of whom you will bear what purport to be important despatches
from Senor Carranza, chief of the Spanish secret service in North
America, whose headquarters are in Montreal.
"You will represent yourself to be Jose Remelio, one of the clerks
attached to the recent Spanish Legation at Washington. You will
estimate the strength and condition of the Spanish forces in the
province. Also, you will meet as many of the insurgent leaders as
possible, inform them of the coming of our expedition, and impress upon
them the necessity of intercepting supplies or re-inforcements for
Santiago. For the sake of appearances, I authorize you to assume any
military rank up to that of Captain you may deem advisable. You will
also be given the secret countersign of the Cuban Junta, which will
secure for you good treatment among all Cubans of intelligence."
"His best safeguard among Cubans should be that he is an American
soldier," suggested General Lawton.
"You will perceive," continued General Miles, "that I have laid out a
vast amount of work for you to perform in a very short time; but you
will be provided with plenty of money, and by procuring a good horse as
soon as possible after landing I believe you can accomplish it. I hope
you will be able to reach Santiago and gain a knowledge of its
defences; but no matter where you are, when you hear that our army has
landed, make your way to it with all speed, and report immediately to
the commanding general. Is all this clear? and have you anything to
suggest?"
"Your instructions are perfectly clear, sir," replied Ridge, his voice
trembling with excitement, "and I only want to suggest that instead of
depending upon Cuban horses for transportation across the island, I be
allowed to take my own from here."
"Are you sure that your horse is enough better than those of the island
to warrant carrying it to such a distance?"
"I can vouch for that, General," interposed Lieutenant-Colonel
Roosevelt. "Sergeant Norris has one of the very best horses in our
regiment, and one that has developed almost human intelligence under
his training."
"No one realizes the value of a reliable horse in times of danger
better than I," rejoined General Miles. "I wonder, though, if it will
be possible to carry one on the _Speedy_?"
"I believe we can manage it, General," said Lieutenant Boldwood.
"Very, well, then, you may take your own horse. How will you get it to
the port?"
"I think the simplest and probably the quickest way will be to ride
her, sir."
"Then do so with all haste, for I want the _Speedy_ to sail this very
evening, and within two hours, if possible. You will receive your
despatches, funds, and promised countersign after you get on board.
Good-bye. Good luck to you, and remember that your proposed movements
must be kept absolutely secret outside of this room."
Ridge had barely taken his departure after shaking hands with the
several generals, who rose to bid him farewell, when a telegraph
message was handed to General Shafter. He read it with perplexity,
studied it for a few moments, and then burst into a roar of laughter.
It was from his aide, Major Dodley, had been sent from Port Tampa, and
read as follows:
"I charge Sergeant Norris of Rough Riders with contempt, disobedience
of orders, and desertion. Saw him aboard transport, and delivered your
order, whereupon he disappeared. Have searched ship without
discovering trace of him. He has undoubtedly deserted."
"Some persons are fools occasionally," remarked the big General, "while
others are never anything else. I don't think Dodley belongs to the
former class."
CHAPTER IX
HERMAN DODLEY INTERPOSES DIFFICULTIES
After leaving headquarters, and while making his way back to camp, our
hero was in a state of hardly-to-be-repressed excitement. Was one of
his age and limited experience ever intrusted with so important a
mission? He did not believe it possible, and was so filled with pride
that it seemed as though every person he passed ought to regard him
with respectful interest. As one after another only glanced at him
carelessly or failed to notice him at all, he wondered at their
stupidity, and felt like compelling their attention by proclaiming his
great secret.
At camp the situation was even more aggravating, for every one was so
intent on his own affairs or so unhappy at being left behind that Ridge
found himself barely noticed. Several questioned him concerning his
return, and one asked if the whole regiment was ordered back.
"Not that I know of," answered Ridge. "I believe I am the only one
thus far."
"Well, I'm glad you have been sent to the rear, and only wish all the
others were as well, for it's a beastly outrage that some should be
taken and others left. Just as if we weren't as good as any of them!"
was the bitter comment.
"Without reply, Ridge turned towards the place where he had left his
blanket roll, only to encounter another shock to his recent pride. An
officer met him.
"Hello! What troop do you belong to?" he asked, suspiciously.
"Troop K, sir," answered Ridge, saluting.
"I thought so. What are you doing here?"
"I was ordered ashore."
"Humph! Without any reason at all, I suppose."
Ridge remained silent.
"Oh, well, if you don't choose to tell why you are in disgrace you
needn't, but you may report to the cook of the officers' mess, who is
in need of an assistant."
Here was a dilemma. Ridge could not, of course, obey this order, since
every moment was precious. To disobey would cause his arrest and
detention in the guard-house. Nor could he inform even this officer of
the secret mission on which he was engaged. At that moment evening
stable-call was sounded, and a happy inspiration came to his relief.
"Very well, sir," he answered, turning as if to obey the order. Then
he added, "May I look after my horse first?"
"I suppose so," replied the officer. "Only be quick about it, for the
cook is badly in need of some one to help him."
So, without making a further attempt to recover his personal
belongings, Ridge hastened to the picket-line, where Senorita
manifested most extravagant joy at again seeing her young master.
"Is that your horse?" inquired the non-commissioned officer in charge
of the stable guard.
Upon Ridge acknowledging that the mare was his, the other continued;
"Well, I'm mighty glad you've come to look after her, for she has
nearly killed two men already, and we were just wondering whether we
should kill her or turn her loose. Now you'd better take her to water."
"May I put on a saddle and bridle?" inquired Ridge.
"Of course not. Who ever heard of riding a cavalry horse to water any
way but bareback?"
So the young trooper was obliged to set forth on| his great undertaking
without equipment of any kind. In his joy at finding himself once more
in possession of his beloved "Rita," this did not trouble him; and
untying the mare's halter, he leaped to her back. In an instant they
were dashing off at full speed, followed by jeers from all who
witnessed the proceeding, and who imagined the mare to be running away
with her present rider, as she had with every other who had attempted
to take her to water during her master's absence.
The camp was quickly left behind, and knowing his general direction,
Ridge soon found himself on the road to Port Tampa. It was a hard ride
to make without saddle or bridle, and long before the welcome lights
marking the mile-long pier of the port came into view the young soldier
was aching in every bone. The dim road through the solemn pines was so
heavy with sand that it took even fleet-footed Rita more than an hour
to cover the distance, and night had closed in before their destination
was reached.
It was with many misgivings that Ridge rode out on the long pier,
which, never intended for the use of horses or wagons, carried only a
sidewalk for pedestrians beside its railway-track, for Rita regarded
locomotives with the utmost terror. Still, he believed he must go to
the extreme outer end, where the big steamers lay, and where he hoped
to find either the _Speedy_ herself or some one from her to direct his
movements. Half-way out he discovered a train coming directly towards
them, and, to avoid it, turned his mare on to the platform that served
as front yard to the pretty little inn that was here built over the
water.
At this moment a figure in white duck approached him. It was Ensign
Comly of the _Speedy_.
"You are the very man I was sent to look for!" he cried. "I thought
you might be coming out here, and so was on my way to head you off and
turn you back. You see, the end of the pier is so crowded that our
craft can't lie alongside. So Captain Boldwood got hold of a small
scow, which he has sent in to shore, towed by one of our boats, to take
you off. We'll just about meet it if we hurry."
By this time the unusual sight of a horse in that place had aroused
much curiosity among the guests of the inn, who came out to see what
was going on. Among them was an army officer, who uttered an
exclamation the moment his eyes rested on Ridge standing in the glow of
an electric light. Stepping quickly up to him, he placed a heavy hand
on the young trooper's shoulder, and said, in a harsh voice:
"I arrest you, sir, and order you to come at once with me to my camp on
shore, where a guard-house awaits you."
"On what charge am I arrested?" asked Ridge, calmly, turning, and
looking Major Herman Dodley full in the face.
"On the several charges of contempt for an officer, disobedience of
orders, and desertion," was the startling reply.
"Very well, sir, I'll go with you," said Ridge, "seeing that I was
going in that direction anyhow."
"But--" remonstrated Ensign Comly.
"Who are you, sir? And what have you to say regarding this business?"
demanded the Major, fiercely, at the same time drawing and cocking his
revolver.
"Only a United States officer."
"Then, in the name of the United States, I call upon you to assist me
in carrying this deserter to a place of security," shouted the Major,
in theatrical tones.
"Pretend to agree," said Ridge, in a low voice, heard only by Comly.
"All right, Major, I'll see the thing through," agreed the navy man;
"though I must protest that it is wholly out of my line of business."
With this the three set forth, Ridge leading Rita, and the officers
walking on either side of him. For some distance they proceeded in a
silence that was finally broken by the sound of oars, apparently close
to the pier, which touched land but a short distance ahead. At the
same time a train of cars came thundering over the hollow structure
behind them, causing the mare to plunge violently in a terrified effort
to escape.
"Now is your chance!" whispered Comly.
Quick to take the hint, Ridge flung himself on the animal's back and
dashed away, followed by a harmless bullet from Herman Dodley's
revolver.
Ere he could fire another shot the naval man snatched away the weapon,
flung it into the sea, and started on a run after the disappearing
horseman. As he ran he shouted: "Look out for that horse, you in the
boat, and get it aboard lively! Do you understand?"
"Ay, ay, sir," came a cheery answer from out of the darkness.
Behind the Ensign ran Major Dodley, swearing, and also shouting:
"Corporal of the guard! Turn out the guard! Quick! This way!"
Then all other sounds were drowned in the roar of the passing train.
When it subsided a confused struggle between a dark mass and a number
of dimly seen white forms was going on in the shallow water. Several
sailors were lifting Senorita bodily into a little flat-bottomed boat,
and two young men in soaked uniforms were aiding them. Then, as two
boats, one in tow of the other, began to move away, a squad of soldiers
with muskets in their hands came running down to the beach.
"Fire!" commanded Herman Dodley, beside himself with rage. "Fire at
that boat. A deserter is escaping in it."
"Don't you dare fire!" came back in a stern tone from the darkness.
"This is a boat from a United States man-of-war, commanded by an
officer in the discharge of his duty."
The bewildered soldiers hesitated, and then, in compliance with
repeated orders, coupled with threats, from their Major, fired a few
harmless shots in the air, after which they returned to camp. There
Herman Dodley prepared another telegraphic report for General Shafter,
that aroused that irascible warrior to profanity, and resulted in the
speedy transference of his offending aide to New Orleans on recruiting
service.
So our hero was at length fairly started on his momentous mission, with
its secret yet undivulged. As the _Speedy_, with the bewildered
Senorita and her young master safely on board, slipped swiftly past the
great transport _Yucatan_, Ridge, shivering in his wet clothing, said
to Ensign Comly, who also shivered, "How I wish I could call out and
tell Rollo all about it!"
"Yes, wouldn't it make him open his eyes? But you can't, so let's go
below for something dry."
CHAPTER X
ON THE CUBAN BLOCKADE
Twelve hours after leaving Tampa Bay the swift despatch-boat on which
Ridge Norris was a passenger entered the northwest passage of Key West
Harbor, and was headed towards the quaint island city that had been
brought into such sudden prominence by the war. The port was filled
with United States cruisers, gun-boats, yachts converted into
torpedo-boat destroyers, Government hospital-ships, and others flying
the flag of the Red Cross Society, transports, colliers, supply-ships,
water-boats, and a huddle of prizes--steamers and sailing-vessels
captured off the Cuban coast. Amid these the _Speedy_ slowly threaded
her devious way to the Government dock.
The hot tropical-looking city, with palm-trees towering above its
low-roofed houses, was filled to overflowing with soldiers, sailors,
newspaper correspondents, refugees from Cuba, and a multitude of other
persons, all attracted by its proximity to the seat of war. From every
mast-head and prominent building the stars and stripes were flung to
the breeze that swept in from the sea; while from more humble
positions, but in even greater numbers, fluttered the flag of free
Cuba. On every point commanding the harbor mouth batteries were being
erected and great guns mounted. Bands played national airs, and one
man-of-war enveloped in a cloud of white smoke was engaged in
target-practice with her secondary battery. Every Government vessel in
the harbor had on war paint of invisible lead color, not pretty, but
most business-like in appearance. All were also in fighting-trim, with
topmasts lowered and every superfluity removed from their decks. The
whole scene was of exciting interest, and Ridge gazed eagerly upon it
as Ensign Comly pointed out its various features, with explanatory
remarks.
There were several reasons why the _Speedy_ should stop at Key West.
One was that she might receive mail and despatches for the blockading
fleet. Another was to procure a bale of hay and some corn for
Senorita, since, in their hurried departure from Tampa, these had been
forgotten, and thus far she had been fed on sea-biscuit. A third
reason was that Ridge might procure a saddle and bridle, besides a few
other necessary articles of outfit for his proposed trip.
He had already been furnished with his bogus despatches to Spanish
commanders, every word of which he had carefully read, to see that they
contained no compromising errors, and with a supply of money. Now he
provided himself with a repeating-rifle in a water-proof case, a
revolver, fifty rounds of ammunition for each, an India-rubber poncho,
a small quantity of quinine, a phial of powerful cholera mixture, a
stout sheath-knife, and a tin cup.
Within an hour the _Speedy_ was again off, running out of the south
channel, past the grim walls of old Fort Taylor, and a few miles
farther on passing Sand Key light, which rises from a bit of coral reef
barely lifted above the wash of a tranquil sea. At that time this was
the most southerly point of United States territory. In the deep water
just beyond Sand Key lay a great battle-ship, tugging sullenly at her
pondrous anchors, and looking like some vast sea monster, uncouth and
relentless.
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