"Them signals aer a-waggin" fit ter split theirselves," the man cried.
"Reckon it erd be jist right ter send "em aboard."
"So; then we"ll get under way. Get to your post."
The torpedo boat quivered and throbbed from stem to stern as the screws revolved in the water.
"Say," said the officer, "there"s steam and plenty of it in that old tub of yours. Suppose we go aboard the flagship in it; it"ll be the handier."
Hal and Gerald acquiesced, and at once stepped into the launch. A man was left in charge of the wheel of the torpedo boat. Then two were sent aboard the launch, one of whom dived into the engine-room; the lashings were cast off, and they steamed alongside the huge vessel which flew the admiral"s flag.
A monster she looked, too, for the _New York_ was one of the largest of armored cruisers afloat.
"Down below there! Hook on, and we"ll bring you flyin" up," someone shouted, and the tackle of the two falls began to descend, a sailor clinging to the lower block of each. Hal was no seaman, and it was a revelation to him to see the way in which the hooks were made fast, and the launch, engines, and all, whisked aloft. A minute later he and Gerald, together with the officer, were standing on the white decks of the magnificent flagship _New York_.
"Admiral"s compliments, and will ye sthep below?" an Irish marine said, saluting.
"To be sure I will! Stay here till I come up again," replied the officer, turning to the lads.
As he left them for his interview with the admiral, another officer approached.
"Should say that this was irregular," he said, looking keenly at Hal and Gerald. "Two prisoners left unguarded! But you"d be amazin" clever, I reckon, to do us much harm. Hallo! What"s this? I"ve a kind of recollection of one of you. Now, where have we met?"
"And I remember you; I saw you aboard the _Maine_," replied Hal quietly.
"Why, the _Maine_! That you did, certainly. Are you not the Britisher?
You are, of course, but what are you doin" with this young fellow aboard a Spanish craft?"
This needed another explanation, which was barely completed when Admiral Sampson, the commodore of the squadron of American ships, came up.
"Congratulations, young gentlemen," he said, extending his hand in welcome. "I have heard part of the story, and shall be glad to learn more. Meanwhile, I fancy that a bath and some clean clothes will be more in your line than anything else. Mr. Perkins, I"ll be obliged if you will hurry next time something turns up. This time it"s different, for they"re excellent young fellows."
The officer saluted, and at once descended the gangway, and entered a boat which had been lowered, bestowing a wink on Hal and Gerald as he did so.
"Mr. Billing, you"ll do me the favor of looking after our guests,"
proceeded the admiral. "Fix them up, and bring them along to dinner to-night."
"Thankee, sir, I will," was the reply; then he turned to Hal and Gerald, and led them below.
"You"ve had a good square meal, I understand," he said, "so we"ll see right away what"s to be done about togs. Come along here."
He led them into a cabin, and began to ransack various drawers, producing, after a long hunt, undergarments and a spare suit for each.
"Perhaps you won"t mind telling us what"s going on?" said Hal. "We know no more than that war was declared a few days ago."
"Then I fancy that you are as well primed with information as we are. I can tell you that this is a very queer war--in fact, quite the strangest I have ever heard of. The truth is, that neither the Dons nor my country are prepared for fighting; for, you see, ships are not sufficient to enable a nation to carry on hostilities. An army to invade is wanted, and where is ours to come from? Mind you, sir, I"ve not a morsel of doubt that we shall raise all the troops we want, and that very quickly too, for all America is buzzin" with enthusiasm at this very moment. But you must understand that men who have not been trained to work together stand a very poor chance when confronted with regulars. Then, again, where would our supply department be? I can inform you right now that there would be terrible confusion when it was found that a hastily raised arm of the service was called upon to feed, say, twenty thousand men, perhaps in Cuba, or elsewhere.
"So it comes to this, that we must wait till all is ready ash.o.r.e.
Meanwhile, the navy will have to do all the fighting, and, if only the Dons show the spirit for which their ancestors were famous, we shall have some very ticklish brushes with them.
"After our forces are ready to move, and the various departments have got into thorough working order, we shall want ships to carry them to Cuba, or even to Spain, for all I know; and then I have a notion that there"ll be a heap of fun, and a mighty lot for all of us to do."
"Then there is no chance of an invasion taking place yet a while?" Hal asked.
"No, that"s just how it stands. But how does it interest you, Mr.--er--er--oh, I can"t remember your name. Anyhow, you"re a Britisher.
How do you come into the quarrel?"
"It did not interest me greatly till a few days ago," said Hal. "Now it does. You see, these Spaniards have given us a very bad time. I must admit that the greater part of the trouble has arisen through one Don in particular, who is a very bad specimen of humanity. He attacked our hacienda, and the next day did his utmost to have us shot as spies. In fact, if matters had not turned out otherwise, you may take it that he would be gloating over our deaths at this very moment."
"George! That is most uncomfortable to think of!"
"We had a precious near squeak for it," continued Hal; "and now you ask how it concerns me. I am going back to the island, and, if I find that all is secure at the hacienda, I shall join the invading forces."
"Just to make matters even, I suppose?" laughed the officer. "I can easily follow you. These Dons have given you and the youngster a warmish time, and have roused you into a temper. You Britishers have the reputation of being as easy-going as possible, and of being able to put up with a heap; that is, up to a certain point. After that, we all know that the old bull-dog nature comes to the fore, and then there"s going to be trouble. And so you"ve got to that point? Well, I am not a morsel surprised, for there are few who would stand what you have gone through, and forget in a hurry. In fact, I reckon that the majority would have failed to come through at all. There"s no doubt that you youngsters were in an almighty mess. Say, sir, what was the name you mentioned?"
"Hal Marchant."
"Ah! So that is it. Well, sir, I"m pleased to meet you. I"m Billing; Lieutenant aboard the _New York_. Lieutenant Samuel K. Billing."
He held out his hand, which Hal took and shook with enthusiasm.
"And so you have decided to join the boys?" continued the officer. "It"s the kind of thing that a lad of your sort would do, and I don"t suppose that you"ll have much difficulty about the matter. But in case you have, apply to me. I haven"t forgotten how you came to the fore and helped to dowse the magazines aboard the poor old _Maine_, and, if I can, I"ll do something to repay you. Come, think the matter over right now."
He motioned both the lads to seats, and threw himself into another opposite.
"There," he said pleasantly. "Now, fire away."
"You have asked me how you can help us," said Hal, after some moments of silence. "It is very kind of you, and if you will arrange to have us landed somewhere near Santiago, we shall be most grateful to you."
"Can"t be done. It is out of the question altogether," replied the officer, leaning back in his chair, and shaking his head emphatically.
"See here, Mr. Marchant, you"ll admit that we Amurricans have a reputation for smartness. Well, whatever the Dons may be in ordinary circ.u.mstances, they are fully alive to the situation just now, and have their eyes very wide open. Christopher, man! the coast is bristling with guns and men, and it is no exaggeration to state that you could hardly float a piece of bread ash.o.r.e without its being discovered. That will give you an idea of the vigilant watch that is being maintained."
"But we must return to the hacienda. The safety of our friends demands it!" exclaimed Hal hotly.
"Is that so? What friends, may I ask, sir? Relatives, by any chance?"
"Well, not exactly in my case," Hal answered, in some confusion.
"Gerald"s father and sister live at the hacienda."
"You don"t say so!" the officer answered quizzingly. "You don"t fear that your pa"s in danger, do you, Mr. Gerald?"
"Yes, I fancy he is," replied Gerald. "You see, we are anxious about him with those rascally irregulars about. Besides, there"s Dora."
"Oh, ho; there"s Dora!" repeated the officer, smiling at Hal. "And so you have determined to rush into all sorts of dangers, Mr. Marchant, just on the chance of rescuing your friends from some scoundrels who, after all, may never have been near the hacienda of which you speak.
Well, it"s a fix, for you can"t exactly fly ash.o.r.e, and you"ll be shot so sure as you attempt to get there in a boat."
"Then I"ll swim," said Hal quietly. "I"ll go overboard some day when you are close insh.o.r.e."
"Yes, and what about the sharks? Those loathsome brutes are just jostlin" one another round here."