Under the Star-Spangled Banner: A Tale of the Spanish-American War

"Halt there, and surrender!" a voice cried from the trees. "If you move a step farther away I will shoot you."

"We are caught, and must make the best of it," said Hal to Gerald, with a groan. "Tell them that we give in, old fellow."

Holding his hands above his head, Gerald did as he was asked. Then they stood still in a patch of brilliant light, which was made all the more glaring by the contrast of thick darkness all around. A few minutes later some Spanish soldiers advanced towards them, rifle in hand, and, forming a ring round the lads, marched them away, their path lit up all the while by the electric light which followed every movement. Passing down the street, they at length came to a large building, into which the prisoners were at once taken.

"Sit down there, and do not stir a finger, or you will be shot," said the sergeant who was in charge of the party, indicating a rough bench with a curt nod of his head. "I will go inside and ask his excellency the colonel to interview you. By the time he is ready, those who warned us from the barricade will have arrived to give their evidence; and then, my friends, it will be a case of a rope, a friendly branch, and plenty of air to dance on."

He glanced at his captives, favoring them with a malicious grin as he outlined their probable end. Then he went to a door close at hand, and, having knocked upon it, entered, and closed it behind him.

"I suppose he has gone to explain matters," said Hal coolly. "Keep up your pecker, Gerald. The case looks precious bad, but we'll pull through, depend upon it."

"Right. I hope we may. But things look ugly. That pleasant gentleman who has just done talking to me is good enough to tell me that we shall soon be hanged. If it comes to that, Hal, why, we must face it out, and die as those at the hacienda would have us do."

He looked into his companion's face and smiled bravely, for Gerald was determined to show his friend that he, too, possessed a fund of pluck which would carry him through an unpleasant difficulty.

"We will, old boy," Hal answered cheerily; "but let us hope that it will not come to that. Hallo! Who's this?"

At this moment an officer, who was dressed in the usual Spanish uniform, emerged from the inner room, and was walking hurriedly across to the door, being bent evidently upon the performance of some special duty, when his eye fell upon Hal and Gerald. Almost instantly a startled cry escaped him, and he sprang backwards in astonishment.

"What! You!" he exclaimed, in tones of surprise, surveying them with an air of delight. "You two from the hacienda! Idiots! You have played into my hands. Men, close round your prisoners, and take the best care of them, for I can vouch for it that they are Americans. They are spies, and have come here to find out our secrets."

He strode towards them, and grasping Hal's hat, tore it from his head. Then he laughed sardonically in his face, and, with a triumphant glance at the two prisoners, turned upon his heel, and re-entered the room from which he had emerged a minute before.

"What bad luck! What hard lines!" exclaimed Hal, with something approaching a groan. "That fellow José d'Arousta again!"

It was, indeed, an unfortunate meeting, and one fraught with the greatest peril for Hal and his friend. They were prisoners, and practically under a charge of spying upon the enemy; but for all that, a minute or more before, the aspect of affairs had not been altogether hopeless. How changed it was now! The very man of all others in Santiago whom it was most desirable that they should not meet had run up against them, had recognized them, and now, burning to avenge a private grievance, had promptly denounced them as spies. No wonder that Hal shuddered. Across his mind flitted the recollection of Mr. Brindle's tale of the Virginius, and of the fate meted out to her hapless crew – captured at night, condemned, and promptly shot at dawn. That was the sequence of events; and what was to prevent a similar fate from befalling them?

"The letter! Of course, the letter which Mr. Brindle gave me," exclaimed Hal, aloud, as if Gerald had been following the train of thoughts which had been running through his mind.

"Why that letter?" asked the latter, looking at him in astonishment. "What are you talking about, old fellow?"

"I was wondering what we could do to prove our identity, and the innocent intention we had in coming here. José d'Arousta, you may be sure, will not let such a golden opportunity of revenge slip by without making the utmost use of it. He will proclaim us as spies, and if you will only take the trouble to look at matters as they appear to others, you will admit that that is the most natural conclusion for any Spaniard to arrive at. War is declared, and, indeed, exists, between Spain and America; and no doubt the whole of the island of Cuba, including the towns, is under martial law. You are the son of a naturalized American, and I his overseer. We are discovered at night in Santiago, and when called upon to surrender, we fly from the soldiers. Naturally, we shall be put down as spies who have come to see what defensive arrangements have been made, so as to be able to communicate them to our friends. But the letter which your father gave me will exonerate us. It states in clear terms that we are endeavoring to leave for Tampa, and tells for what purpose. Do you see, old boy? We put a spoke in D'Arousta's wheel which I fancy will upset the whole apple-cart, so far as he is concerned."

"Splendid! I am relieved to hear it," cried Gerald. "I'll be honest, and tell you that I was beginning to feel in a blue funk; but now, of course, it will be all right, and we have nothing to fear."

"Ye-e-s, perhaps," Hal answered doubtfully. "But someone will have to pay for that officer's broken nose. I hit him heavily, I can assure you, and fairly laid him out. Hush! The door is opening."

At this moment José d'Arousta pushed his head into the outer room, and signaled to the sergeant.

"Bring in the prisoners," he said in triumphant tones, "and see that you surround them, for these foreigners are capable of playing the maddest tricks, and might throw themselves upon his excellency if you were to relax your watchfulness."

Shouldering their rifles, two of the soldiers grasped Hal and Gerald by the arm; then the others took up their positions in front and behind, and, at an order from the sergeant, the party marched into the room. It was a large, bare compartment, dimly lighted by a single oil lamp standing upon a table in the center. The atmosphere was thick with the fumes of burning oil and stale tobacco smoke, and even a widely opened window failed to clear it and make it more pleasant for those who were there.

Seated behind the table was a middle-aged officer, with stern but not unkindly features. A clerk in military attire stood at the desk beside him, and was taking down a letter at his dictation.

"These are the prisoners, then – the very first we have taken, I understand," said the officer, suddenly looking up and closely scrutinizing Hal and Gerald. "Who are they? Why have they been taken? Where is the evidence?"

"Captain Volaga is the chief witness against these spies," answered José d'Arousta, stepping forward from the shadow, "and I am the next, your excellency. They are known to me as Americans. But it would be better, perhaps, if my brother-in-arms told his tale first."

"Americans! Ah, they look it! Then we will employ their language. We who have lived in these parts soon pick up English, and, if we use it, all will be able to understand. Come, what are their names, and where do they hail from?"

The colonel turned to the lads, and asked them the question in tones which betrayed little accent.

At this moment the door of the room opened, and the officer whom Hal had struck entered with his face bound up, and scarcely more than his eyes showing.

"Who is this?" demanded the colonel.

"I am Captain Volaga, excellency," was the answer, in a voice which trembled with suppressed rage. "I have come to give my evidence against these men."

"Then step forward, and tell me first of all whether you identify them."

"Yes, excellency, they are the same," the officer replied, looking at the two prisoners with no friendly eyes, "and this young ruffian is the one who struck me and injured one of my men. I will tell you how it happened, Señor. The dolt at the barricade passed them through without question; but I was sharper. Seeing them stealing beneath a lamp, and being suspicious of them, I called to the rogues, and ordered them to come to me so that I might find out who they were. Then, without provocation, this one" – and he pointed at Hal with the end of his sword, favoring him at the same time with an angry glare – "struck me violently in the face, and followed up the attack by hurling one of my men against his comrades. Both then ran from us into a house standing near at hand, and when we searched it they were gone."

"Indeed! I trust that you are not greatly hurt, Señor Capitan," the colonel answered. "But, surely, your men were armed? How, then, did these prisoners escape? One is only a boy, and the other cannot be twenty yet. It is strange to hear that an officer and several of his Majesty's soldiers were insufficient to capture them."

It was, indeed, a peculiar tale, real though it was, and it scarcely redounded to the credit of the officer. He had no answer to give to his chief's questions, but stood there, a look of bitter hatred upon his face.

"Well, now for your story, Señor José d'Arousta," said the colonel. "What do you know of these lads?"

"They come from the hacienda Eldorado, and are Americans, and therefore spies, your excellency. Search them, and I am sure that you will find that they are armed."

He turned to the men who were holding the prisoners, and gave them an order. Instantly they ran their hands over them, and produced the revolvers which both lads carried.

"You see," continue José, with a sneer, "they meant to look after their own safety. Spying is a dangerous game to play!"

"And now, what have you to say?" asked the colonel courteously, turning to Hal. "A very serious charge is made against you. First of all, you are Americans, it seems. Then you are discovered slinking into the town, and when called upon to surrender and give an account of yourselves, you attack an officer, and contrive to escape from him in spite of his escort of armed men. You are captured finally, and are found to be carrying arms. An explanation is needed."

"And I shall be glad to give it," said Hal quietly. "We come, as this man beside me has stated, from the hacienda Eldorado; but we are not spies. The war is nothing to us, but our safety, and that of our friends, is another matter. Only yesterday, your excellency, we were attacked by a band of cut-throats, who nearly relieved us of all we possessed. Our mission now is to go to Tampa, and return with negroes from Mr. Brindle's other estate, who will help to defend the hacienda. We entered this town for one reason, and only one, namely, to get a passage on a steamer sailing to Tampa."

"The hacienda attacked!" exclaimed the colonel doubtfully; while the face of Captain Volaga showed a smile of insolent incredulity.

"Yes, señor," Hal answered calmly. "Attacked late in the afternoon, and under the leadership of this man." He pointed to José d'Arousta, and looked him sternly in the face.

"Ha, ha, ha! He will accuse me of being an American spy next, Señor Colonel!" cried José. "You can see that he is fabricating a tale. It is a splendid cock-and-bull story from end to end."

"So it would appear," the colonel replied. "Accuse one of my officers of brigandage! It is monstrous – ridiculous! Young sir, you do your cause no good by speaking in this wild manner. Confess at once that you and the boy are spying, for it may very well make your sentence lighter in the end."

He looked at Hal sternly and yet kindly, for in his heart the colonel was an easy-going fellow, and given to mercy if it were possible.

"Come," he said again, in a persuasive voice; "I have sons of your age who play pranks at times, though never one so dangerous and foolhardy as this. Declare to me that you came to the town out of curiosity, and to see what preparations we were making for the Americans."

"Your excellency, we cannot do as you ask," Hal answered firmly. "What I have stated is absolutely true, and if only you will favor me by reading the letter which I have in my pocket, you will be assured of it."

"Give it to me. One of you take it from his coat," said the colonel shortly.

The order was obeyed by José, and the letter handed to the colonel. Instantly he tore the envelope open, and scanned the contents.

"Yes, it is as you stated," he said. "I am more inclined to believe you."

"Pshaw! And you will allow two dangerous spies to escape because they are of the same age as your sons!" exclaimed José d'Arousta. "It is madness! It is folly!"

He had been standing close beside the table, following the interview between Hal and the colonel with the greatest attention; and now, seeing that it had turned in favor of the prisoners, he started forward, and interposed in a way which soon brought him a reprimand.

"Señor, you forget yourself, and in whose presence you stand!" the colonel cried angrily, turning upon him. "Have a care, Señor Capitan, for I am your superior, and should you see fit to address me again in such an unbecoming manner, I will place you under arrest. Perhaps it might meet your deserts," he added significantly, "for there are tales told in Santiago of the doings of José d'Arousta and his irregulars. I have even heard it said that they are brigands. Have a care, I tell you, for I might even go so far as to look into this strange accusation as to an attack upon Eldorado."

José had met his match. He turned pale at the colonel's words, and retired from the table looking downcast. But his assurance quickly returned.

"Excellency," he exclaimed, "your pardon if I was too outspoken; but I wish our country all that is well, and therefore I say again that these two men are known to me. They are spies. Everything points to it, señor. If not, then why should they attempt to escape, particularly when one of them carries a letter, the contents of which will clear them? Depend upon it, that note was there for a set purpose, and to be used only as a last resource. Think of their revolvers, too. Pah! Were I in your place I should give them till dawn, when they should face a corporal's picket, and meet the fate of all who take to the calling of a spy."

He ended an impassioned speech with a glare of hatred at Hal, and then stood closely scrutinizing the colonel's features, to see, if possible, what effect he had made, turning, however, every other moment to look again at Hal, with eyes which even now were beginning to light up with triumph.

As for our hero and his friend, they stood there amongst the soldiers, watching every movement and expression, and wondering vaguely what would be the end of the interview.

"I fear very much that you are right, Señor José," said the colonel at length. "The evidence is too strong, and shows without a shadow of doubt that the prisoners entered Santiago for one purpose only. It is sad that we should commence the war with an execution; but it cannot be avoided. We must protect ourselves, for if we were to allow these two lads to leave unpunished, others would be encouraged. For spying, death is the penalty. But I will not take the responsibility upon my own shoulders for an act which in my heart I consider to be harsh and unjust. Men should be treated as men; but to apply the same penalties to irresponsible, impetuous lads is cruel in the extreme. Captain Volaga, you will escort the prisoners to the cells in Morro Castle, and arrange for their refreshment. See also that blankets are given them, for the nights are getting cold. Here is a note to the officer in command. Deliver it to him personally. I will now cable to Havana and ask for instructions, but I fear that I can give no hope. Spies, whether men or boys, must meet the same fate."

He rose from his seat, and, with a wave of the hand, signified that the interview was over.

The soldiers at once closed round Hal and Gerald, and, at the officer's order, marched out of the room. Then they halted outside, while José d'Arousta and the injured captain conversed in low tones. Evidently some satisfactory arrangement was come to, for they nodded and smiled in the most pleasant manner, and when parting treated each other to an elaborate salute. Then José approached the prisoners, and, halting in front of them, addressed them in low tones which could not be overheard.

"Señores, who could have guessed that in such a short space of time the tables would turn so completely!" he said, with a triumphant smile. "But yesterday I was a prisoner in your hands, under a threat of death; and now you are in a similar condition, with this one difference: I escaped to avenge the insult, while you will live only till to-morrow's sun is up. Think of it! Dream of it! When the dawn comes, and you are led out into the cold, your end will await you. Consideration will be shown, I promise you, for some minutes shall be granted for quiet reflection. And then, Señor Marchant, if you will but raise your eyes, you will find that the ever-faithful José attends you, and will be ready, should you desire it, to carry your adieus to the fair Señora Dora. Believe me, we will weep together for your loss."

He smiled a cruel, vindictive smile, and looked hard at Hal to see what effect the words had had, but only to be disappointed. Not a muscle of the young fellow's face moved as he returned the stare of the Spaniard with one that was as proud and disdainful as it was possible to be. Then his features relaxed, and he smiled.

"The man is a bold villain," he said, with a laugh, turning to Gerald. "When we are surrounded and held by the soldiers, so that he need fear no punishment, he does his utmost to goad us into fury. Come along, old boy; we have better things to do than to listen to such a fellow."

Taking Gerald by the arm, he signified to the sergeant that he was ready, and the order being given to the soldiers, they marched out of the building, leaving José d'Arousta biting his lips with vexation.

A large crowd was waiting outside, hoping to catch sight of the first captives of the war. The news that they were spies, who had entered Santiago in search of information, had been conveyed to them, so that the appearance of the two lads was greeted with a storm of shrill cries.

"Kill them! Shoot them!" the mob shouted, rushing towards the party of soldiers who surrounded Hal and Gerald. But a line of troops drawn up outside the house interposed, and thrust them back. Then, forming up on either side, the Spaniards marched them off to the fortress which stands perched high up on one side of the long entrance to the harbor, and which goes by the name of the Morro Castle. Half an hour later the gates were reached, and they marched in, leaving the crowd outside. Hal and Gerald were led up a long flight of stone steps, through a dark corridor, and afterwards up more stairs. Finally, they came to a gallery, and were halted in front of an iron-studded door, at the keyhole of which a soldier fumbled.

A minute later they were thrust inside and the door was closed upon them with a clang that sent an echo ringing through the old castle.

"And so ends our little adventure," said Hal, seating himself upon a bench. "We came to Santiago with only friendly thoughts in our hearts. We were captured and accused of spying. The population jeered at us, and showed so much hatred that it took a whole regiment to put us in prison. And we are in reality two harmless young fellows. Well, it just settles the matter. Gerald, if we are here to-morrow we shall die. We must escape, and as the Spaniards have declared themselves our enemies, we will do our utmost to thwart them."

CHAPTER XIV

A DASH FOR LIBERTY

Desperate indeed was the position in which Hal and Gerald found themselves, and well might their usually exuberant spirits be damped, and their stock of courage ooze away at the dark prospect before them. Even as they sat there in their cell, the Spanish colonel who had interviewed them was probably dispatching his telegram to Havana; and how would it read? "We have captured two Americans, who are probably spies. They entered the town undetected, and when discovered and called upon to surrender, showed resistance, injuring an officer. They finally fell into our hands, and were found to be bearing arms. What shall we do with them?"

That in all probability would be the message, and it wanted little imagination to sketch the answer. Across the wires would flash the words, "Shoot them."

Hal sat down upon a stone bench beneath a grated window, and thought the matter out. Then he rose to his feet, and thrusting his hands into his pockets, stared out into the night. It was as black as ink, and at first only myriads of stars shone through the iron bars. But on casting his eyes downward, he saw other and bigger spots of light, while the reflection from them trailed towards him across a sheet of water that rippled slightly.

"The harbor!" he exclaimed. "The entrance to the shipping basin of Santiago. Never before did I feel so much like a bird in a cage. Look at those vessels, Gerald! They are just what we were in search of, and now they lie so close below our feet, and yet, for all that, so hopelessly far away. But we will not be beaten. I said that we must escape, and we will! I tell you that we will, however great the difficulty. Come here, old boy, and see what you can from the window; then we'll sit down and discuss the matter."

Gerald promptly stepped beside his friend, and, clasping the iron bars, thrust his head as far through them as possible.

"Hallo! What's this?" he cried. "Hal, they've turned the old searchlight on again."

He moved to one side to make room for Hal, who at once resumed his place at the window and gazed out. Away to the left a bright beam of light was stabbing the darkness from the far inland edge of the harbor. It swept steadily to the right, illuminating the sphere upon which it fell so clearly that everything within it was visible for a moment, then disappeared, while a fresh scene flashed into view, only in its turn to give place to another. They followed the broad beam as it fell upon harbor and town, and then upon the open country. In a few minutes it had reached the entrance to the harbor, and, shooting like a bar of silver beneath the Morro Castle, and under the very feet of the prisoners, lit up the swelling ocean beyond, by chance falling upon one of the ugly torpedo boats which Hal had seen that morning.

"That just shows what kind of a chance we should have had," said Gerald, nodding towards the craft.

"I don't know that I agree with you," Hal answered thoughtfully. "We know that she is there, and with all lights dowsed we might easily slip by her."

"But you speak as though we were already on a ship," exclaimed Gerald. "Of course, it is out of the question."

Hal did not reply, but followed the searchlight with the closest attention. It moved from the harbor mouth, searching every corner and crevice of the rocks as it swept inland again. Soon it passed over a landing jetty and illuminated a small launch which was lying moored alongside.

"See that?" exclaimed Hal, seizing Gerald by the shoulder to attract his attention.

"What? The launch?"

"Yes, old chap; it will do for us."

"But hold on! Look here, Hal, what the dickens are you talking about?" Gerald asked, as if in some doubt as to Hal's condition of mind. "Man alive, we are prisoners – jailbirds in the Morro Castle!"

"Quite so; and to-morrow, if we are still here, we shall be prisoners who are about to die. Listen to me, Gerald. We have but one life apiece, and may as well make a fight for it. If we are worsted, where will be the difference? It can mean nothing worse in the end, for what sentence can be more severe than that of death? I am determined to get out of this, for life is very dear, and I mean to cling to mine. Sit down while I talk to you. There, don't interrupt me till I have finished, then you can tell me exactly what you think. Now, the position is plain and straightforward. We must escape if we wish to live. Look round the cell and say if it is possible to break these bars, or knock a hole through walls, ceiling, or floor. It is out of the question, and so also is the door. Then we must turn to the jailer. I had my eyes well open when we came in here, and I noticed that the man was new at the work. He could not find the key, and fumbled at the lock. If he is strange to prison life, he may well be less suspicious of his charges, and less expectant of danger. Now, we will do our best to collar him, and I've an idea how it is to be done. You will lie there and pretend to be ill. Just groan and kick up a fuss to your heart's content, while I knock and kick at the door, and shout for the jailer. Then, when he comes in, and, as will be natural, goes across the cell to look at you, I'll jump on him, and with your help we'll tie him up and gag him. Follow, old chap?"