The Blue Grass Seminary Girls on the Water Part 26

"I just know we are going to be shot-and-and killed," sobbed Mabel.

"Nonsense," said Shirley sharply. "Look up now and stop that crying. We are perfectly safe. Stop crying."

Mabel looked up suddenly at the sharpness in her chum's tone, but her tears soon were dried away. Shirley, in speaking as she had, had done the best thing possible. She had realized that it was time for sharp words and not for sympathy.

After a march of perhaps a half hour, President Garcia called another halt, and then summoned his officers into consultation.

The two girls stood close, but they could not make out what was being said. At length the general dismissed his officers with a gesture, and as they scattered to their respective posts, the general approached the two girls.

"We are going to make a sharp turn to the south here," he said quietly, "and then we shall move back and engage the enemy. That will put you safely behind us. Now, if I were you, I would bear off slightly to the right, and then go straight ahead. In that way you will be out of danger. If the firing comes closer to you, make another wide detour, turn about and try to make your way back to the ship. But I would not do that until after the battle ceases."

"Thank you, sir," said Shirley. "We shall do as you suggest. We thank you for your thoughtfulness in keeping us from falling into the hands of the revolutionists. May you come through the battle unharmed, and may you be successful."

She extended her hand, and the President bent over it gravely.

"I thank you for your good wishes," he said quietly.

Mabel also now advanced and extended her hand, and the President bent over it.

"Good luck to you, Mr. President," said Mabel.

"I thank you, too, young lady," said the President simply. "Now heed my injunction and betake yourselves to a place of safety. We shall advance at once."

Once more he bowed low to them, swung sharply about on his heel and was gone. With hoa.r.s.e commands from the officers, the troops faced to the left and marched off.

"I guess we had better be moving, Shirley," said Mabel.

Instead of turning to the right, they went straight back.

"It should be safer here," said Mabel as they hurried along. "The revolutionists are liable to advance on the right as well as on the left!"

"I wish we could get some place where we could see," declared Shirley.

Mabel stooped in her tracks and gazed at her friend in the utmost astonishment.

"Shirley!" she exclaimed. "Surely you don't mean that?"

"Of course I mean it. If we could only find some place where it is safe."

Unconsciously the girls had borne off to the left, and now suddenly they came upon a clearing in the midst of the woods. And as they glanced back, they saw the Nicaraguan government troops advancing across it.

But even as they looked the troops came to a halt, and most of them fell to their knees. Shirley looked around quickly. Directly behind her was a large tree.

"If we haven't forgotten our tomboy days we'll climb up there and watch the battle," she declared.

She led the way, and in spite of her misgivings, Mabel followed.

CHAPTER XVI.-THE GIRLS SEE A BATTLE.

As Shirley and Mabel, from their shelter among the branches, peered across the plain, they saw puffs of smoke issue from the now kneeling body of men. Sharp reports came to their ears. The only man still standing erect, as they could see plainly, was President Garcia, who, with upraised sword, was directing the movement of his men.

A man dropped his rifle and fell to the ground, and Mabel shrieked.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed a moment later. "This is terrible, Shirley!"

Shirley's lips were compressed, and for a moment she turned her eyes away.

The firing became louder now, and for the first time the girls noticed that President Garcia and his men were retreating toward them.

"We had better get down out of here!" exclaimed Mabel. "We may be struck."

Shirley agreed, and they were about to descend, when, from behind them, came rapid footsteps, indicating the approach of a considerable number of men. Shirley and Mabel became silent.

A moment later a score of dark-visaged Nicaraguans, with rifles ready for instant use, appeared and took up their position at the edge of the little woods, several of them falling flat under the very tree in which the two girls were perched.

Mabel uttered an exclamation as the first volley was fired by these newcomers. In spite of the fact that she was prepared for it, the sharp reports of the weapons had wrung a cry of surprise from her. Shirley, more calm, uttered no sound.

The girls could now see that the men beneath them were a part of President Garcia's force, for they were shooting over the heads of their companions, apparently in an effort to cover the retreat of the main body.

The latter now retreated more rapidly and at length joined forces with the men beneath the trees. Shirley and Mabel could hear their conversation plainly, but as it was carried on in Spanish, they could not make out the trend of it.

For perhaps fifteen minutes President Garcia's men held their position, firing at the enemy from the shelter of the trees.

The plight of the two girls was much more serious than either realized, for a chance bullet was likely to hit one of them at any moment. And yet they felt safer in the tree than they would have felt among the soldiers on the ground.

So far the enemy had contented themselves with lying flat on the ground some distance away and firing at the trees, but now, as Shirley perceived by peering across the plain, they were preparing for a charge.

A moment later there was a wild yell, and they came forward on the run.

They spread out as they came on, and here and there a man fell over, struck down by a rifle bullet.

In spite of their great danger both girls became lost in wonder at the sight, and stared ahead with straining eyes. Shirley was brought to herself by the sound of something buzzing past her head. She knew in a moment what is was.

"Mabel!" she cried. "Climb as high as you can or we shall be shot!"

She scrambled higher up among the branches, and Mabel followed suit.

Here no bullets flew past them, and looking down they saw that President Garcia was ordering his men to retreat.

The government troops disappeared further back in the woods, and now the danger came from their bullets rather than from those of the enemy. The girls were in a ticklish situation and they were fully alive to their peril.

The enemy pushed further into the woods, pursuing the government troops.

The bullets flew less thick, the sound of firing became fainter and fainter, and then died away in the distance.

Shirley roused herself from the trance in which she seemed to have fallen.