At the Point of the Sword Part 47

But by this time we were convulsed with laughter, and the sentry, in no very gentle tones, advised us to be quiet.

"It's a great scheme, Alzura," I said presently, "a wonderful scheme, but it can't be carried out. Suppose the trick was discovered after my escape, all you fellows would be punished sharply, and I shouldn't like that."

"No," said he, in a disappointed tone; "I thought your scruples might stand in the way."

Alzura's plan was still fresh in our minds when the Royalists showed us how to pa.s.s the sentry. One morning, directly after breakfast, an officer entered the room with a number of soldiers, and we were ordered to stand in line. Producing a paper, he read a list of the names, and each man, as he answered, was told to step forward. Then we were marshalled in twos, the left arm of one man being tied to the right of the other. My companion was Alzura, and very disgusted he looked at the treatment.

"What are they going to do with us?" he asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps they heard we wanted to get away, and are obliging us."

"Silence!" roared a Royalist sergeant; "no talking!" And Alzura groaned. How was he to live if he had to keep his tongue still?

A long strip of tough hide was now brought, and was knotted at intervals to the fastenings between each pair of prisoners. It formed a sort of gigantic single rein, and I suggested in a whisper to Alzura that we were to be harnessed to the viceroy's chariot.

"'Twill save horseflesh, and we shall be doing something for our living," I added.

Some of the soldiers now went to the front of us, some to the rear; the door was flung wide open. "March!" cried the officer, and into the corridor we marched, through the yard, and so into the open road.

"Out at last," I remarked to Alzura. "The Royalists have hit on an even simpler plan than yours."

"Simple, but not clever. There is no art in this kind of thing."

"Oh, isn't there?" I laughed, giving the thongs a tug. "The arrangement strikes me as unusually artistic."

"You are trying to be witty, dear boy. Don't. The Royalists will be revenged on us, and who shall blame them? Hullo, they aren't taking us into the town!"

"No; we're going for a pleasure trip somewhere, I expect. How kind of them to think we need a change!--I say, Barriero, don't you think this is an improvement on Alzura's plan?"

Barriero, who was one of the couple in front of us, laughed and said, "Well, I can't say yet. I'll tell you when I know more about it."

At the gate of the prison our escort had been strengthened by a number of hors.e.m.e.n, who now rode on either side of us, so that any hope of escaping was quite extinguished. We knew nothing as to our destination, which I think the officer in charge did not make known even to his subordinates. A few people stood at the outskirts of the town to watch us pa.s.s, but during the remainder of the day we saw no one except our guards.

The march was terribly painful and fatiguing, though I have no wish to suggest that we were ill-treated. The fact was, the long confinement we had undergone made us keenly alive to the trials of a wearisome journey such as this. About midday a halt was called, our fastenings were loosened, while we were allowed to sit down and eat a ration of meat which was served out to each of us. Some of the soldiers rested; others stood on guard, with orders to shoot any man who made the slightest effort to escape.

"They needn't fear my running far," said Alzura ruefully, showing me his bleeding feet.

"Caramba!" cried a soldier sitting near, "that won't do, senor. The rocks are sharp in this part of the country. Wait; I have some green hides in my knapsack. I'll make you some sandals if the colonel halts for an hour."

"I shall be very grateful for your kindness," said Alzura; "the pain in my feet has kept me from admiring the scenery, and there are some grand views about here."

"I've seen finer in Lima," muttered the man, who was already busy at his self-imposed task.

"Give me some stuff," said one of his comrades; "I'll make one sandal while you make the other. The youngster will have his feet cut to the bone. He ought to be at school instead of marching about the country."

"I'm not eager to march," laughed Alzura; "I'll stay behind willingly."

"Ugh!" exclaimed the first soldier, "you would soon be dead in this wilderness. We have seen some sights in this district--haven't we, Alonzo?"

"That we have," replied his companion, "and I don't want to see any more of them."

The two worthy fellows worked so industriously that in less than half an hour the sandals were completed, the holes pierced, and the laces put in, all ready for use.

"I don't know how to thank you," said Alzura earnestly, "but if we manage to live through this war, I may be able to pay you back. At present you must take the will for the deed."

"It's all right, senor; we could not see you suffer like that. And our officer will say we did right. Just in time, too! There's the summons to a.s.semble."

At the evening halt we were again set free a short time, being refastened for the night. After travelling for four days in this way, we saw from the top of a high hill the waters of a magnificent lake, studded with islets. It seemed quite near; but several hours pa.s.sed before we reached its border--a broad mora.s.s, through which ran devious tracks.

Our leader now stopped, and we saw a number of soldiers carefully crossing one of the tracks from the lake. As soon as they reached us we were unbound and placed in single file, while the chief of the escort said, "The journey is ended. Yonder is your home while the war lasts. It is not a lively place, but you will be out of mischief.

Follow your guides, and walk carefully; you will not enjoy sinking in the quagmires."

We appreciated his advice more when, about half-way across, a stout middle-aged major, missing his footing, plunged into the liquid mud.

In an instant he was immersed to the chin, and but for Barriero, who grasped his head, would have disappeared altogether. As it was, he presented a miserable appearance, and showed us how terrible was the danger.

Several boats were moored at the edge of the lake, and an officer directed us to get in, one by one. Barriero, Alzura, and I entered the same boat; which was fortunate, as the prisoners were divided into three groups and taken to different islets.

There were six of us in our group, and twelve soldiers under the command of a non-commissioned officer. The guard occupied comfortable quarters, while three mud huts were reserved for us. The islet was quite bare of trees, and was so small that Alzura pretended he could not stretch his legs comfortably for fear of slipping into the water.

The men who had rowed us over did not land, but took the boats to another islet, much larger than ours, which we guessed to be the headquarters of this novel prison.

"The governor of this place is a clever warder," remarked Barriero; "there's no getting away from here."

"Why not?" I asked.

"The risk is too great. Just think for a minute. First one would have to swim to the sh.o.r.e, and then cross the mora.s.s in the dark, as it would not be possible to escape in the daytime. It's really waste of time to mount a guard over us."

"We must set our wits to work," observed Alzura gravely.

"No, no," I cried; "Barriero's is the only way, and a very poor one it is. The swim is a trifle, but to cross the mora.s.s--"

"Why not build a bridge?" suggested Alzura.

"And use our bodies as part of the foundations," said Barriero, laughing. "If you make any more idiotic remarks, Alzura, I'll throw you into the lake."

"All right," said he. "You'll be sorry when Crawford and I escape and leave you behind."

"I've a long time to wait," replied Barriero, "so I'll pa.s.s some of it in sleep."

Alzura and I shared one of the huts between us. There was no furniture; the floor was of mud, and so were the walls, while the roof was thatched with some dried vegetable matter. The place was not exactly a palace, but it sheltered us, and for that we were thankful.

The sergeant in charge of the islet was a good-humoured fellow.

Feeling sure that we could not escape, he treated us quite genially, though maintaining discipline at the same time. He often talked of the war, giving us news now and again of events which never happened.

On the third morning after our arrival, we saw several boats leave the main island and visit the various islets on which prisoners were kept.

"That's the governor making a tour of his kingdom," the sergeant explained. "He is bringing us a week's provisions, and will no doubt have a peep at his new subjects."

The governor was a Spanish officer, quite old, but stiff and erect in spite of his many years. He ordered us to draw up in line, called our names from the list, hoped we should be comfortable, ordered the sergeant to put in irons any man who disobeyed him, wished us all good-morning in courtly old-world style, stepped into his boat, and was rowed away.