Swift and Sure Part 19

They made their way slowly up this stream for some three miles, pa.s.sing many small creeks on both sides. At last they reached that which would bring them to the spirit-yielding trees. Their progress now was even slower than it had been. The creek was shallow and very weedy. More than once the vessels were brought up by clinging ma.s.ses of aquatic vegetation. Not till the short dusk was beginning did they reach the neighbourhood of the wood. Here they found a little sandy strip on which they ran the vessels and disembarked, tired out. After a meagre supper they lay down on a stretch of green sward to pa.s.s the night, Will arranging that they should take turns to watch against intrusion by wild beasts.

Early next morning Azito led Will and Ruggles into the wood, and showed them the trees to tap for the spirit. Then he said that he would paddle himself some miles further up the creek in the yacht, until he reached an Indian village where he might obtain food. The others set about rigging up a benzine distillery. This was naturally of the most primitive description. Will first made a clay crucible in which he collected the liquid obtained from the trees; then, connecting this by means of a metal pipe from the engine with a water-bottle he was accustomed to take with him on the hydroplane, he lit a small fire, borrowing a box of matches from Machado, and distilled over the vapour from the crucible to the bottle. It occurred to him to hasten the condensation by placing the bottle in the flowing water of the stream, propping it up with two stones. As soon as he had collected a small quant.i.ty of the spirit he tested it, and found that it had all the volatile and inflammable qualities of petrol.

"I'd never have believed it," said Ruggles; "but it will take a month before we get enough to carry us to Bolivar."

"So it will if we don't make more crucibles. There's plenty of clay."

"But what about pipes and bottles?"

"There are plenty of reeds at the edge of the creek: they'll do for pipes. As for bottles, we've got two petrol cans, and we shall have to make some clay bottles. The sooner the better."

They set to work at once with Jose to make, first, crucibles out of the white clay which formed the subsoil, and as these were finished, they took them into the forest and set them down at the trees they tapped.

While the liquid was collecting they gathered reeds from the border of the stream, and fas.h.i.+oned clumsy clay bottles as receptacles of the vapour. By the afternoon they had a dozen pieces of apparatus at work, and Will was in high spirits at the prospect of filling his tank with the all-important fuel. He found the moist heat of the forest very trying, but willingly endured the discomfort and fatigue.

In the evening Azito returned, staggering under a basket loaded with yuca, a root from which a capital bread could be made, and a goat-skin filled with resinous liquid, purchased in the Indian village. He reported that he had seen, as he came by the edge of the forest, a sloth clinging to the branch of a tree, and several tapirs grubbing for roots, and wished Will to return with him and kill one of the animals for supper; but Will did not care to risk a revolver shot, which might be heard by the enemy if they were coming up the river, and so he decided to make a meal of yuca bread alone.

Next day he set up more crucibles, and then, having at work as many as could be conveniently tended, he adopted Ruggles' advice and rested during the hottest hours. But he grew restless in inaction, and by and by strolled into the forest, whose gloomy depths had a fascination for him. He marked signs of the great struggle for life going on all around. Innumerable creeping plants twined about the trees, striving to force a way to the sunlight in which their gorgeous blossoms might expand, and stifling the vitality out of the forest giants. Beetles and termites scurried hither and thither: birds flitted from bough to bough, pecking at the ripe berries, and carrying away seeds which would germinate in some other part, to be strangled ere they came to maturity, or to grow into stranglers in their turn. Among the other trees the palms rose straight and lofty, their branchless trunks defying the murderous creepers, their leafy crowns dominating as if in contempt the lowlier compet.i.tors beneath.

Here he caught sight of a cavy nibbling a nut, there a peccary hunting among the undergrowth for seeds. Moving cautiously among the trees, he had a glimpse of a labba peeping out of a hollow trunk, and disturbed a deer which was lying amid the bushes, its colour harmonizing so well with them that he had not distinguished it until it moved, though it was within a few feet of him. In the foliage overhead howling monkeys kept up their resounding notes, and tree-frogs boomed and whistled incessantly. As evening drew on, the forest was filled with the continuous hum of mult.i.tudinous insects; owls hooted, goatsuckers flitted from bough to bough uttering their weird cry, and snakes uncoiled themselves from the branches on which they had taken their siesta. Will would have liked to spend days in studying these creatures of the forest.

Returning to the camp, he discussed with Ruggles what should be done when the cans were filled.

"It will be two days more before we have enough spirit," he said. "I think we should start from here in the early afternoon, run down to the narrows at half-speed, and try to rush them at dusk. No more night running for me. We might strike a snag again, and we can't risk it a second time."

"Couldn't we simply drift?" suggested Ruggles.

"Too risky--not from the river, but you may be sure that Espejo will watch it day and night. He will know we haven't got past him."

"You had better send Azito out to scout, then, before we start."

"A good idea. But I am sure we shall have to trust to our speed alone.

We can't fight them with only two revolvers between us. Our only chance is to get to the narrows before we are seen, and then go at top speed.

A quarter of an hour would do it."

On the second night thereafter the petrol tank was full, and there was a considerable quant.i.ty of spirit left over in one of the cans. Will ordered Azito to go out in the yacht as soon as it was light, and see if he could discover the movements of the enemy. While the Indian was absent the others prepared for the adventurous voyage. The two prisoners, who had sullenly watched the making of the benzine, were laid in the bottom of the hydroplane: Will and Ruggles thoroughly overhauled and oiled the engine, and cleaned the planes and the propeller of the weeds which had already begun to cling about them.

About nine o'clock Azito returned. His report was that he had seen a boat filled with armed men coming slowly up the stream, searching the creeks on either side. There were twelve men, all armed with rifles.

"We must get out before they come up here," said Will. "Otherwise we shall be like rats in a trap. How far are they down, Azito?"

"About three twists, senor."

This was not very enlightening. The Indian's "twist" may be of any length, according to circ.u.mstances. But Azito went on to explain that the enemy were not far below a creek that ran into the stream from the opposite side, which, as nearly as Will could recollect, was about half-a-mile from that up which the hydroplane had come. He had little doubt that if the enemy were proceeding systematically they would search the opposite creek first. Accordingly he ordered all on board. The yacht was left. Will promised it as a present to Azito when his work was over, having no doubt that Mr. Jackson would purchase it of De Mello. Then they poled the hydroplane down the creek until they came within a few yards of the point where it entered the stream. There they drew into the bank, where they could not be seen until the enemy came right opposite the mouth.

Many tall trees grew at the edge of the stream.

"Climb up, Azito," said Will, "and tell us when the boat enters the creek on the opposite side."

In a few minutes the Indian was snugly perched among the thick foliage at the top of one of the loftiest trees.

"We'll start as soon as we know they're in the creek," said Will to Ruggles. "That may give us time to get several miles down before we're discovered."

Several minutes pa.s.sed. Then they saw Azito sliding down the tree with the agility of a monkey.

"They have gone into it, senor."

"Very well. Pole us out. It's neck or nothing, Ruggles. Have you got your revolver handy?"

"Trust me. You'd better give me yours. You can't use it and steer too, and I'm rather a dab with my left hand."

"Here you are, then," said Will, smiling as he handed the weapon to him.

"But I hope we shan't come to close enough quarters for you to use it.

We're off, and good luck to us."

CHAPTER XV--HYDROPLANE _VERSUS_ LOCOMOTIVE

Captain Espejo thought himself to be very hardly used. He had expected to be by this time Jefe of Guayana. That was the office promised him by General Carabano in reward for his services in the "liberation" of Venezuela. The General had not kept his promise. That was a clear breach of faith. Nay more, so far was he from acting up to his self-a.s.sumed t.i.tle of Liberator, that he himself needed liberating. That was most annoying. Really, he ought to have been more careful. His capture was a malign stroke of Fate, but since Fate was inaccessible, Captain Espejo vented his annoyance and disappointment on his subordinates, which did not improve matters.

Success is the best credential of a revolutionist, and the General's want of success bid fair to ruin his cause. There was no moral enthusiasm to buoy up the spirits of his men. Quite the contrary, indeed: the triumph of General Carabano would be the triumph of corruption. The bonds linking them to him were of the slightest, and when with his disappearance their prospects of sharing the spoils of victory vanished into thin air, they began to ask themselves whether it was not time to disband. Perhaps in a few years another Liberator might arise who would not so easily be snuffed out. That was how the Venezuelans looked at the situation. The Indians of the force had already made up their minds that General Carabano was a bladder, and betaken themselves to their own place.

Captain Espejo was worried as well as annoyed. Food was running short; the exchequer was empty; the men had not received the pay promised them; and the Captain was not at all happy at the prospect of having to deal with a mutiny. He had declared, to be sure, with great vehemence, that the audacious kidnappers of the Liberator had not gone down-stream; he had no doubt that the detestable machine which had proved such a troublesome instrument in the hand of Fate had broken down, and the Englishman was hiding somewhere in the neighbourhood. But machines could be repaired, and when the repairs were made the Englishman would probably make another attempt to carry off his captive. If he could be intercepted all might yet be well. Captain Espejo used this argument to some effect with his men, and they had agreed to wait a week, and to keep a careful watch on the river meanwhile. The locomotive was kept constantly under steam, so that, immediately the discovery of the fugitives was signalled, the train might start for the junction. It could surely outstrip an overladen hydroplane, and then the Englishman might think himself lucky if he escaped a bullet through the head. It would give the Captain great pleasure to accompany the Liberator-General to his hacienda of Las Piedras, and witness the shooting of that impertinent engineer who had dared to flout him.

The Captain was ruminating thus when there fell upon his ear the report of two rifles, fired in quick succession. Springing up from the chair which the General had lately filled, he ran into the camp, summoned a hundred men from their _dolce far niente_, and with much excitement ordered them to board the three wagons coupled to the engine.

"They are discovered!" he cried. "We have them!"

He climbed into the cab beside the engine-driver.

"A thousand pesos," he shouted, "if you reach the junction before the Englishman!"

The driver opened the throttle, the wheels spun round, and when they held the rails the train started with a great rumbling and clanking towards the junction.

The hydroplane had floated only a few yards down the stream when there was a shout from the bank opposite. Looking round, Will saw, at the embouchure of the creek, a man wearing General Carabano's green feather in his sombrero. He held a rifle. The enemy had clearly taken the precaution to post a look-out, so that while their boat was searching the creek, the hydroplane should not pa.s.s undiscovered.

One glance, then Will started the engine, and the hydroplane shot forward.

"Not too fast," said Ruggles anxiously.

"All right. Ten miles an hour till we see how she goes. Keep your eyes open, Azito."

The Indian grunted. He stood as far forward as was convenient, holding his pole, and fixing his eyes on the course. He meant to earn the little yacht that lay snugly beached in the creek behind.