arms bound by their side, the only way of doing so was by lying flat
upon their backs.
With the early dawn they were awake.
"I expect they are getting up steam on board the 'Falcon,'" Hawtry
said, "and no doubt there is a nice row over our being missing. I'd
give a good sum, if I had it to give, to be back on her decks again."
The band was soon astir, but for some hours nothing was done. They
were evidently waiting for the arrival of some one, as one or other of
the bandits went frequently to the edge of the plateau and looked
down.
At last one of them announced to his comrades that the person expected
was in sight, and shortly afterwards the muleteer of the previous day
appeared. Over his shoulder hung a heavy skin of wine. In his hand he
carried a large basket, in which were several loaves of coarse bread.
His arrival was hailed with a shout. A fresh supply of meat had been
placed on the fire immediately his coming was reported, and in a short
time the meal was prepared, the meat being washed down by horns of the
rough wine of the country.
The lads had been again unbound when the band awoke, and were, as
before, invited to share the meal. They continued to maintain their
forlorn and downcast attitude. The rascally guide of the day before
gave the company an account of the proceedings, and roars of laughter
were excited by his tragic imitation of the defiant way in which the
boys had drawn their dirks, a proceeding which was rendered the more
ludicrous from its contrast with their present forlorn attitude.
"But mind," he continued, "they can run like hares. Going up a hill,
no doubt, any of you would soon overtake them, but along a straight
road, I would back them against the best of us."
"There is no fear of their trying that," the chief said, pointing to
the rifles. "They would soon be stopped if they tried it on. However,
they are not likely to make any such mad attempt. They are, after all,
only young boys, and their spirit has speedily evaporated."
However, as a measure of precaution, he ordered that the man who was
acting as sentry over the boys should always keep his rifle in hand.
The meal over, the muleteer produced from his pocket some
writing-paper and a pencil. The chief then wrote on a piece of paper
the figures 5000, followed by the word "dollars." Then he said to the
boys, "Capitan," giving them a pencil and a sheet of note-paper. He
pointed to the figures he had written down, then to the sun, marked
with his hand its course twice through the sky, and then drew it
significantly across his throat.
"Well," Hawtry said, "that's clear enough. We are to write to the
captain to say that unless 5000 dollars are paid in two days we are to
have our throats cut. Well, I may as well write,--
"Dear Captain Stuart,--We are in an awful mess. We took some mules in
the Spanish lines for a ride yesterday, and the fellow who owned them
steered us into the middle of a lot of brigands. They were too strong
for us to show fight, and here we are. As far as we can make out, they
say that, unless 5000 dollars are paid in two days, we are to have our
throats cut. We don't expect that you will get this note, as by this
time the 'Falcon' was to have sailed. In that case we suppose it will
be all up with us. We intend to try to slip our anchors, and make a
bolt for it. We are awfully sorry that we have got into this scrape."
To this epistle the boys both signed their names, and as the muleteer
had not provided himself with envelopes, the letter was roughly folded
and directed,--
"Captain Stuart, H.M.S. 'Falcon.'"
Another letter, embodying the same in the form of a demand, was then
written, after much consultation, by the brigands, with postscript
stating that if the bearer were in any way molested, the prisoners
would at once be put to death. The youngest of the party, a peasant of
some twenty years old, was then selected, and to him the letters were
given, with full instructions as to his conduct.
During the next two days, the boys maintained their appearance of
extreme despondency. They lay on the ground with their faces buried in
their arms, and at times strolled listlessly about. They could see
that this conduct had lulled to rest any suspicion of their captors
that they might attempt an escape. The sentry no longer kept in their
immediate vicinity, and although he retained his gun in his hand, did
so as a mere form. The others went about their business, several of
them absenting themselves for hours together; and at one time but
three men, including the guard, remained at the encampment.
The boys kept every faculty on the alert, and were ready to seize the
first opportunity, however slight, which might offer itself. They
agreed, that however much their guard might be reduced, it would be
unsafe to make the attempt in the daytime, as they were wholly
ignorant of the way down to the sea, and the shouts of their pursuers
would be sure to attract the attention of any of the party who might
have gone in that direction.
As to the two days assigned for payment, they did not anticipate that
the crisis would arrive at the end of that time, as they felt sure
that the "Falcon" would have sailed before the messenger could have
arrived, in which case fresh negotiations would probably be set on
foot.
So it proved. On the evening of the day after his departure, the
messenger returned, and the news that he brought was greeted with an
outburst of ejaculations of anger and disappointment on the part of
the brigands. They crowded round the boys, shook their fists at them,
cuffed and kicked them. When they had somewhat recovered their
equanimity, they made signs that the ship had departed.
By using the word "Governor," they made the boys understand that a
fresh letter must be written to that officer.
This was done at once, and another of the party started immediately
with it.
Late on into the night the boys talked in low voices as to their best
plan of attempting an escape. Although free in the daytime, they were
tightly bound at night, and the guards, who were changed every two
hours, never for a moment relaxed their vigilance. Finally, they
concluded that their only chance was to endeavor to slip away on the
following evening, just as it became dusk, when all the party
generally reassembled, and were busy cooking their food, or relating
what had happened during the day.
Immediately in front of the encampment the slope was extremely steep.
The brigands, in going or coming, always turned to the right or left,
and kept along the brow for some distance to points where, as the boys
supposed, the slope became more gradual, and paths existed by which
they could make their way down to the shore.
At one time the boys thought of rolling down the steep slope, and
taking their chance, but this they agreed would be a last resource, as
it was probable that the slope ended in an absolute precipice.
"I have an idea," Jack said suddenly in the middle of the day.
"What is it, Jack?"
"You see that heap of rugs in which they wrap themselves when they go
to sleep? Now I vote that when it gets dusk, we stand for some time at
the edge, looking down into the sea; then, when we see our guard
chatting with one of the men who have just arrived, and the others
busy round the fire, we will quietly move back towards it. If our
guard notices us at all, he won't pay any special attention, as we are
going that way. We will steal up to the rear of the blankets, within a
few feet of where they are standing, and will crawl quietly under
them. When we are missed, they are sure to suppose that we have either
made down the slope, or along the brow, and will at once set off in
pursuit. The betting is they'll all go, but if only one or two are
left, we may take them by surprise. At any rate it seems our best
chance."
Hawtry agreed, and it was decided that they should attempt to put the
plan into execution that evening.
Late in the afternoon, the brigands, as usual, came dropping in, in
twos and threes. One brought in a kid, and two others exhibited to
their admiring friends a purse containing some ten or twelve dollars
in silver. They related, amid the uproarious laughter of their
comrades, the manner in which they had threatened the worthy farmer,
its late possessor, into surrendering the proceeds of his day's
marketing without resistance. It was already dusk. Jack and Hawtry had
a minute before been standing near the edge of the slope. The guard
was chatting with the last comer, and keeping one ear open to the
narrative told by the fire.
Suddenly he glanced round, and perceived that the figures he had, as
he believed, scarcely taken his eye off were missing.
"Madre de Dios!" he exclaimed. "Where are the prisoners?"
At his exclamation, all round the fire started into activity. A hasty
glance round the encampment showed that their captives were not within
its circle. With an exclamation of fury, the captain seized his gun,
and with the butt-end struck the sentry to the ground. Then in furious
tones he ordered every man off in instant pursuit. Snatching up their
arms, some hurried off one way, some another, shouting threats of
vengeance as they went.
As their voices receded, there was a slight movement among the rugs,
and the boys' heads peered out from below their hiding-place. The
encampment was deserted, save that on the ground lay the form of the
prostrate sentinel, while the captain stood, gun in hand, on the edge
of the slope, peering down into the gathering darkness.
The boys rose stealthily to their feet, and keeping along by the side
of the hill, so as to be out of the direct line of sight should the
brigand turn towards the fire, they noiselessly approached him.
He did not look round until they were within five paces, and it was
then too late. He turned and threw up his gun, but before he could
level it, they both threw themselves upon him.
Taken wholly by surprise, he staggered backwards. He was but a pace
from the edge of the steep declivity, and in another moment he fell
backward, his gun exploding in the air as he went. The boys heard his
body as it rolled and crashed through the slight brushwood on the
slope. Fainter and fainter became the sound, and then it suddenly
ceased.
As long as it continued the boys stood motionless, and were turning to
go, when there was the crack of a rifle, and a ball whizzed between
them. Leaping round, they saw the guard, whom they had supposed to be
insensible, had risen to his feet. Throwing down the rifle which he
had just discharged, and drawing his long knife, he rushed at them.
"Dodge him, Hawtry, dodge him. Get hold of the rifle. I will get a
stick from the fire."
The boys separated, one going each way. The Spaniard, still bewildered
by the stunning blow he had received, hesitated a moment, and then
rushed at Jack, who darted round the fire. Hawtry seized the rifle,
and with the butt-end attacked the Spaniard, who turned to defend
himself. Jack snatched up a heavy brand from the fire, and coming
behind the Spaniard, who was waiting, knife in hand, for an
opportunity to rush in between the sweeping blows which Hawtry was
dealing at him with the butt-end of the rifle, smote him with all his
force across the side of the head.
With a scream of agony the Spaniard fell prostrate and Jack, snatching
up his knife, while Hawtry still retained the rifle, they darted off
at full speed along the brow.
Presently they heard footsteps of men hastily returning, and drawing
aside, threw themselves down among some low bushes. The men were
talking eagerly. They had heard the two reports of the guns, and had
no doubt that the captain had discovered the fugitives.
When the Spaniards had passed, the boys rose to their feet, and
continued their flight at the top of their speed. The men had come
from below, and the boys soon discovered traces of a path descending
the slope. This they at once took, proceeding with caution now, for
the descent was an extremely steep one, and the path little more than
a goat track. Fortunately the moon was shining brightly, and by its
light they were enabled to follow its windings.
After half an hour's descent, they found themselves in a rough road,
along the face of the hill. This they doubted not was the road from
one of the coast villages into the interior. They now went more
cautiously, for the road was extremely rough, with large stones lying
here and there upon it, and a heavy fall or a sprained ankle would be
disastrous. They had no fear of pursuit. Once or twice they fancied
that they heard shouts far above them, but they considered it likely
that the band would be too far paralyzed by the loss of their captain
to again take up the pursuit.
Three hours later, they stood by the sea shore, near a tiny fishing
village, composed of three or four houses only. They held a
consultation as to whether it would be better to rouse the villagers
and explain the circumstances, but they had become suspicious of
Spaniards, and thought it likely that there would be a close
relationship between the people here and the band in their
neighborhood. No lights were visible in the village, and it was
probable that the inhabitants were already in bed.
They sat down for another hour to avoid the chance of their being
surprised by any straggler. Then, proceeding to the shore, they
launched a small boat. Hawtry stepped the mast and hoisted the sail,
and they were soon making their way off the land. The wind was light,
and their progress slow. For a time they kept straight out to sea, and
then turned the boat's head towards Gibraltar.
The wind presently died quite away, and, lowering the sails, they got
out the oars, and set to work. Beyond trying once or twice upon the
Stour, Jack had had no experience in rowing, and his clumsiness
