OCR Text |
Show "Sangre de Crlstol But We Will Show Them What War Means!" p i prise. They must be taken from the enemy; we must strike the first blow, and at the very heart of the Chilean navy. I come here incognito; I come before war has been declared; I study and observe. To a brave man chances for action come, senor, and so I found what I sought. You know about th Esmeralda, senor?" I sat up suddenly in my chair, gripping grip-ping my cigar between my teeth. "The Esmeralda! You mean that steam yacht the Chilean government purchased from Brazil?" "Si," his eyes glowing eagerly; "you are a sailor, and so would know of her. She is beautiful, strong, swift, a most dangerous vessel If well handled. Have you ever seen her, senor?" "Only through field-glasses from the balcony of the hotel. She rode at anchor well off the government mole in the roadstead the last I remember." He clasped his fingers on my arm, leaning eagerly forward until his face was pressed close to mine. "She lies there yet, senor, but only for to-night Dios de Dios! only for to-night! To-morrow they warp her in beside the quay, her crew comes aboard, her armament, her provisions, and she is made ready for sea. Holy mother, such a chance, and only for to-night! Think of it, senor, and wonder won-der no longer if I seemed crazed. Sh( lies out there now in the darkness swinging to a single anchor chain, hei steam up, the nearest battery a quarter quar-ter of a mile away, and not a hall dozen men aboard her. It is as a gift of heaven. Yet, sangre de Cristo! he who should lead the venture HeB delirious de-lirious from fever. Was there ever such cursed luck before!" He gripped his head between his two hands, but I was already upon my feet, my mind Instantly grasping the situation. "Don Emilio," I exclaimed, eagerly, gripping his shoulder, and compelling him to look up, "let me understand his clearly.- You had perfected plans to capture and run off this Esmeralda Esmer-alda the moment war was formally declared? de-clared? You have organized a crew for the work, and they are waiting the word here now in Valparaiso? Their leader Is suddenly stricken ill, and you have no one capable of taking his place is that why you have come to me?" ' "Si, si, senor." "How did you learn about me?" "From Senor Loring. He has lived in Peru. I have known him long." "But you must have other officers in your party; what of them?" He spread his hands In a gesture ol utter helplessness. "Senor, I brought with me only the one. It was not safe to bring more. Besides, what need? This Valparaiso is a great seaport; here we may always al-ways find the scum of the seven seas; here ever are plenty of men glad enough to fight and plunder 'tis their trade. Cielo! we could enroll 100 devils in an hour along the waterfront, water-front, hell-hounds of the ocean, caring nothing for the flag above them if the pay be good." "True; and you have them ready at hand. Where are they?" "At the wine shop of Rodrigues beyond be-yond the plaza. You know the place?" I nodded, my memory instantly recalling re-calling the foul den. "How many?" "Twenty it is enough for a surprise, sur-prise, and they are sea-rats, senor." "But they are under officers?" "Of their own kind, yes, but not ol our navy. The first officer Is a Yankee Yan-kee whaleman; the second I know not what, only he is a deep-water sailor." "I see," I acknowledged, taking a long breath, yet continuing to stare at him. "What you need is some one able to command such an outfit, one who can operate a steamship." Like a flash the official envelope came forth again. "Si, si, and you can do that, senor. I know; I have been told. You hate this Chile; you fight her already in the hills; you hide here now for your life. I come to give you a chance to get away free. But I not stop even with that; no, no, my country not stop with that. See! here I possess the commission, all signed and sealed by my government, of a captain In the Peruvian navy. Only is the name lefl blank for me to write in. I write ir your name; that makes you an ofiicei of the Peruvian navy. See you what il means? Chile dare not touci you ex cept as prisoner of war. Is that nol right, senor? But I not stop even witt that no, no! Week the Esmeraldt comes safely to Peru, the government pays you five thousand American dol lars in gold. I pledge you that, I Emilio de Castillo, admiral." (TO BE CONTINUED.) m V SYNOPSIS. Th atory opens with the Introduction yf Dt John Stephens, adventurer, a Masaa- j ehusotts man marooned by authorities at Valparaiso, Chile. lining Interested In mining operations In Bolivia, he was denounced de-nounced hy Chile as an Insurrectionist fcnd as a consequence was hiding. At ids hotel his attention was attracted by an I'JriKllnhman and a young woman. Stephens rescued the young woman from a drunken officer. lie was thanked by her. CHAPTER III. In Which Opportunity Comes. A period of decided depression followed, fol-lowed, the earlier vision of youth fading fa-ding swiftly as I realized what the message of this card plainly meant, and contemplated the social gulf yawning between myself and this woman of the English aristocracy. A cat may look at a king, and a South American adventurer might venture to gaze admiringly upon this beaytlful gentlewoman, yet vaulting ambition should have a care lest it o'erleap ltsolf. Oh, well, it was not much I had to overcome merely an impression, a fugitive admiration which would early perish, for It was hardly probable we should ever meet again, In spite of his lordship's stiff Invitation, and her exceeding ex-ceeding warm glance secretly seconding sec-onding it. I smiled grimly at thought of so insane in-sane a drpam of love at such a time and place. Here was I, alone, unable to change my environment, every movement bringing new danger, almost al-most certain of early detection, the result Imprisonment or death; yet turning aside to quarrel with one only too glad to denounce me should he discover dis-cover the truth, and totally forgetting every caution in sudden admiration for a girl never seen before, probably never to be seen again. But a smile can leave a deeper wound than a sword, and my mind would recur, in spite of other interevening thoughts, to the pleasant mystery behind her gracious words and action. I was thus lingering over the nuts and wine, dreaming a fool's dream, and idly wondering won-dering at the cause of that endless racket in the streets below, with the chorus of vivas arising from the crowded plaza, when the open window win-dow facing my table became suddenly darkened by a burly figure. Before I could push back my chair, the unwelcome unwel-come intruder on my privacy was politely po-litely bowing before me, one hand pressed upon his heart. "Pardon, senor, my so abrupt appearance" ap-pearance" and I gazed curiously into a round, bronzed face, guarded by closely clipped side-whiskers, and illumined il-lumined by steady black eyes "but the waiter said I should certainly find you alone here, and my need was most urgent. I address the Senor West?" It was the name I had assumed, and, with closely pressed lips, I bowed In silent acknowledgment of my identity, feeling little doubt about the man's mission. The round, rather complacent compla-cent face broke Into a genial smile of relife. "Must fortunate I am t-'s to discover dis-cover you with such facility," he continued con-tinued fluently, using both hands in gesticulation. "Senor, it is now a grer-.t favor I would ask. Could you yield me the honor of a private interview inter-view in my own room?" pointing upward up-ward impressively. "It is upon the floor above." "If your mission is In regard to the Sanchez affair, senor," I returned somewhat coldly, "privacy is hardly necessary. The preliminary details can all be arranged here." He gazed at me in surprise, rubbing rub-bing his hands together swiftly. "The Sanchez afflair! I know not as to that, senor. The matter on which I come is most delicate, most secret; It is not for other ears. 'Tis because of what I would communicate that I seek private audience." I remained motionless, looking straight at him, my teeth clenched on my cigar, my mind busy with expedients. expedi-ents. If his call had nothing whatever to do with my quarrel with Sanchez, it must be an arrest. Yet why was the fellow so mysterious? What did he require of me in private audience? Ah! a bribe, probably he desired to learn first what amount I would give for an opportunity to escape. I arose to my feet, the whole affair settled within with-in my own mind, and cool enough to take advantage of every opening thus presented. "Very well, senor; lead the way and I will follow." "Bueno!" He laid one hand upon my shoulder, his eyes darkening with delight. "You have the courage, senor, . the audacity of the brave soul. 'Tis In the face, the eye, and gives me hope of my mission already. We will go by the outside stairway, so as to be unobserved by those within." I followed him silently up the steep Iron steps and along the narrow, dimly dim-ly lighted ha;i. He paused finally, unlocking un-locking a door, and stood politely aside while I entered. A moment he lingered outside, peering suspiciously up and down the deserted hallway. and, stepping within, closed and bolted the door, even carefully lowering the transom before turning up the gas lights. He hastily crossed the room, shut down the single window, and drew closer the heavy shade. I watched these evidences of excessive caution with considerable amusement undoubtedly un-doubtedly bribery of the Valparaiso secret police was considered a most .serious affair. A table occupied the center of the room, and with a wave of his rather fat hand my mysterious companion invited me to occupy a chair beside It. The perplexity exhibited exhib-ited by his troubled face caused me to smile again. "So, senor, to you It was all fun," he said, gravely, gesticulating with vigor. "But I appreciate the danger, the peril of discovery. Everywhere lurk the spies, and what I have to say is not for other ears. Senor, I have addressed ad-dressed you as the Senor West, for so I was bidden; but the man I really seek Is not in truth of any such name," his voice sicking to the merest whisper, whis-per, as he leaned impressively toward me across the table. "It is Senor Estevan." I crossed my legs In apparently careless care-less indifference, my fingers resting on the butt of the revolver In my pocket, undecided yet whether this was to be war or peace, but prepared for a bold play In either case. "I am Jack Stephens; so you may proceed, senor." "Ah! 'Tis as I was told!" his face brightening instantly, his hands delving del-ving within an inside pocket of his coat. "This card see; it is written in the English it will tell you if I be trusted, if I be all right. You know the handwriting, senor, the man who wrote it?" I accepted the bit of pasteboard curiously. It was the business card of a well-known sugar firm, and I ran my eyes hastily over the few lines dimly traced on the back: "Bearer is all he represents himself to be; you may do business with him safely. G. P. L." I glanced upward at the anxious anx-ious face of the man opposite; he was evidently tingling with excitement. "You know him, senor? You know the handwriting? You believe him? What is it he says? I read not the English." "Yes; we are acquainted. He Is George Loring, a friend of mine. He says you are what you represent yourself your-self to be. and that I may transact business with you in perfect safety. Now, then, what are you an agent of the police?" He shrugged his broad shoulders, spreading his hands deprecatingly. "No, no; Clelo, no! Does he not tell you my name?" I shook my head negatively, my interest in-terest already deeply increased. "No! He was most cautious. It was best so; but now I tell you, and you believe." Again he leaned forward, 1 is voice sinking to a mere whisper. "1 am Don Emilio de Castillo." My face must have expressed no familiarity with the name, for he sprang briskly to his feet, shaking a fat, official-looking envelope before my eyes. "What! you recognize it not? Car-amba! Car-amba! then I shall show you, senor. You read Spanish, si? This will tell why I speak with the authority of my nation. See I am admiral of the Peruvian navy. I have the power, the right, the authority, to say what I now speak to you. You believe that, senor?" "Yes," I replied, soberly, by now fully awakened to the fact that this was to be no ordinary meeting. "I believe all you say; more, now I remember re-member your name, Don Emilio; but what are you doing here? What is it you desire of me?" "You know not! You know not what all this means?" he questioned, pointing with trembling finger toward the window. Before I could answer he burst forth vehemently: "It is war, senor; war, disgracefully declared this very day between Chile and my country coun-try the pigs! the cowards! the bullies!" bul-lies!" He sprang to his feet as If crazed with surlden excitement, and began pacing the room, waving his hands with wild gesticulations. "They think to fright us, senor, but they will learn a lession. We will fight, senor; fight to the knife. It will not be vivas they will shout these Chilean dogs when the Peruvians come to their country. Then they will be beg-gtag beg-gtag on their knees for mercy. Sangre de Cristo! but we will show them what war means!" I watched him earnestly, already beginning be-ginning dimly to perceive in all this a possible opening for my own escape. "War?" I repeated. "And declared to-day? It has come suddenly, although al-though I am aware there have been months of controversy. Did Peru expect ex-pect such a result? Is she prepared?" He paused in his nervous walk, his hands outspread on the table, his dark eyes glowing into mine. "Both yes and no, senor. We knew well that nothing save war could ever wipe out the Chilean Insults to our country. Yet we hoped for more time in which to prepare. Cielo! it is not lack of men no! no! the army is strong, valiant, senor; it will fight to the death. But the navy! Dios de Dios! we have not the ships, senor. They come not yet, those we have bought in Europe. 'Tis that which has brought me here in disguise to Valparaiso; Val-paraiso; 'tis that which brings me now to you." I watched him closely without venturing ven-turing response, and he sank into a chair, his elbows on the table. "Si, now I explain it all to you," his voice falling so low I could scarcely foAow. "We know for two weeks past war was to come. We have only a few warships, one, two, three; not enough to fight Chile, or even guard our own coast. We have the men sufficient, suf-ficient, but not the ships, sonor. What could I do? I, the admiral? There was but one hope the audacity of sur- |