Under The Star Spangled Banner Part 22

"By Jove! Follow? Ra-a-ather! Of course I do; and, what's more, I'm ready for the game. After all, as you said, capture for the second time can bring no worse penalty."

"That done," continued Hal calmly, "we must use our wits to get out of the castle. We've blankets to make into ropes, and I suggest that we begin to tear them into strips at once, for we shall want something for the jailer. Once away from the castle, we'll sneak down to the launch, and get up steam. Probably she is deserted at night, but, in any case, it is scarcely likely that more than one man will be aboard. He would have to be dealt with of course, and then we'd just slip our moorings and make a dash for the sea. There, now, what have you to say?"

"Say? Why, that I am with you through thick and thin," exclaimed Gerald, in tones of enthusiasm. "If we only manage to get through we shall have had an adventure to remember and talk about to the end of our lives."

"That's so," Hal agreed. "But now for the blankets."

Sitting side by side on the stone seat, they soon tore them into long strips, which they twisted and knotted together, and afterwards wound in lengths round their waists. Then they set apart a few pieces as lashings for their prospective prisoner, and fashioned a rough gag.

"That's finished," remarked Hal with satisfaction. "And now for the other part."

"Hush! Someone is coming along the pa.s.sage," whispered Gerald. "There, I can hear footsteps plainly."

Hal darted to the door, and, listening eagerly, distinguished a distant step, evidently of some heavily shod foot which was slowly coming nearer.

"Quick! Onto the bench and sham that you are ill," he cried, turning to Gerald. "I believe the jailer is going to pay us a visit."

This, in fact, was the case, for scarcely had Gerald thrown himself upon the low bench of stone, and commenced to give vent to the most heartrending groans, when heavy boots came to a halt outside the cell, and a key was heard grating in the lock. Then the door swung open, and the soldier who had admitted them when they first arrived at the castle entered, bearing on his arm a basket which contained a bottle of native wine and some bread and meat. He stopped in the middle of the cell, and looked wonderingly at Gerald.

"What's amiss? What ails the lad?" he asked in Spanish.

"Oh, I've such pain. Help me," groaned Gerald, in quavering tones.

Curious to learn what was the matter, the jailer placed his basket on the floor, and, crossing the bench, bent over Gerald. In an instant the prisoner, who had been in seeming agony before, had thrown his arms round the man's neck, drawing his face so tightly against his chest that he could not utter a sound, and was almost stifled. Then Hal sprang across the cell, and, with a hasty hitch, secured the jailer's arms behind his back. To bind his legs was a different matter, however, for he fought like a wild cat, and, wrenching his head free, gave vent to a loud shout. But he did not repeat it, for, conscious that their lives depended on the man's silence, Hal grasped him by the hair, and brought his head against the stonework with a bang.

"That should keep him quiet," he said, with a gasp. "Now for the gag."

Gerald had it ready, and before very long their prisoner lay on the floor, bound hand and foot, and incapable of speech.

"The first scene is ended satisfactorily," said Hal, eying him with no little pleasure; "and now for the second. Get hold of that basket, old man; grub will be welcome later on. I'll make free with the bundle of keys which the fellow carried. Now, out we go."

They gave another backward glance to see that the man was securely bound, and then stepped into the corridor, closing the door gently after them.

"Where now?" whispered Gerald.

"Follow me. We'll take the road that we know," was Hal's answer, "Keep close, and whatever you do, don't make a sound. If anyone runs up against us, go for him like the wind, and hammer him into silence. We have a chance before us that must not be lost."

He at once stepped forward, and gaining the stairs, descended cautiously. No one was in the lower gallery, nor on the second flight of steps, and the two escaping prisoners reached the door of the castle without hearing so much as a sound. It was locked, and many anxious moments were expended ere the right key could be found. Then the ponderous door swung open slowly, and they emerged into the castle yard, round which many lights were flashing from the windows of the soldiers'

quarters. Taking Gerald by the hand, Hal led him to the darkest corner, where they crouched, listening for any noise, and wondering whether the jailer's cry had been heard, and the alarm given. But not a sound disturbed the silence, save the stamp of a distant sentry plodding up and down upon his lonely beat, and coughing occasionally as the cool night air entered his lungs.

"All seems well," whispered Hal; "and no one heard the cry, or we should have had the soldiers after us already. Let us get out of this yard, and down to the harbor."

It was easier to propose than to accomplish, for no doubt, sentries were stationed on the walls. The yard itself was situated on the steep side of a hill, leading upward from the town to the castle, and, crouching where they were, Hal and Gerald could look along the roofs of many of the tiny houses which stood inside the walls, into the streets of Santiago. Suddenly the revolving searchlight turned once more in their direction, and in rushing behind a projecting b.u.t.tress to escape it, Hal tripped over a bucket, and fell headlong, sending it clattering over the stones.

Instantly there was a loud challenge from the sentry, to which no answer was given. Then, as they crouched in the shadow, they heard first one and then some twenty soldiers clatter from the house close to which they were lying, and run into the square.

"What was that noise?" the sentry demanded in Spanish. "Who caused the racket over in yonder corner?"

"Where? In what part?" asked one of the men.

"Close beside your quarters. The searchlight swept round, and suddenly a bucket or something of the sort was kicked. Go and look for me, one of you."

"They are coming to search here," said Gerald. "What shall we do?"

"Make a bolt into their own quarters," Hal answered promptly. "We escaped in that way before, and may well do so again."

He started to his feet, and, creeping along beside the wall, peeped in at an open window. The room was empty, and only faintly illuminated by a flickering tallow candle. Hal at once climbed in, and a.s.sisted Gerald to follow. Then they crept to the door, and, seeing no one, ran upstairs to the rooms above, which were also vacant.

"We shall have to clear from here," said Hal, looking round at the row of rough pallets which evidently served the soldiers for beds. "What about the roof? Perhaps we can reach it this way."

He ran into a room at the back of the building, and, climbing on to a window-sill, stretched his arm above his head. It was too short by a couple of feet, and the gutter looked hopelessly out of reach. Suddenly, however, he thought of the latticed shutter, and grasping the battens, and digging his feet in between those below, hoisted himself up. A moment later he had one hand on the iron gutter, and after that had no difficulty in clambering on the roof, which ascended at an easy slope.

"Hand up the grub, Gerald," he said, leaning over the edge and lowering his voice to a gentle whisper. "That's it. Let go; I've got hold of the handle. Now, up you come."

Gerald was as active as a monkey, and quickly climbed to Hal's side, when the two scrambled along the roof till they arrived at a part where the coping formed with the sloping tiles a deep angle; and here they lay full length, settling themselves into the narrow s.p.a.ce, and taking particular pains to make sure that no part of their dress was projecting over the top. Down below in the yard there was the clatter of many feet as the soldiers ran round the building. Then the same voice that had answered the questions of the sentry was heard again, calling loudly.

"There is a bucket lying over here," the man cried, "but we can see no trace of anyone. Are you sure you are not mistaken?"

"I distinctly heard someone fall," was the answer. "Idiot! Do you think that I could make an error when it occurred so close at hand? Am I not on duty? One would think that I was a log by the way in which you talk.

Mistaken, indeed! How do you know that it is not those beggarly prisoners whom we are to waste powder upon to-morrow morning? Perhaps it is they, and while you chatter and tell your comrade that he does not do his duty, they may be escaping."

The sentry bellowed out his words, and snorted with indignation, for his feelings were evidently hurt at such an accusation. But the other man was not to be subdued.

"Escaping? Ridiculous, Santo!" he cried. "They were locked in the cell.

I was one of the guard, and saw it with my own eyes. Perhaps you will tell me next that these American spies are capable of flying through a locked door!"

"I tell you that I am sure that someone is attempting to get away from the castle, and I believe it to be the two prisoners who came here this evening," the sentry answered angrily. "Give the alarm, comrade, and hurry off to make sure of the matter. Do not let the cause of our country suffer because we cannot agree."

The soldier in the yard below grumbled; but, urged on by his comrades, who seemed to agree with the sentry, he hastened to the castle, and Hal and his companion heard him running up the flight of stone steps.

"Now there will be a fine hullabaloo," said the former quietly. "I vote we stick closely in this hiding-place, and do not allow ourselves to be scared by all the noise and fuss which they are bound to kick up. Once the escape is discovered the alarm will fly all over the town, and search-parties will be about. We are their first prisoners, and you may be sure they will not allow us to slip through their fingers without a struggle. But no one will think of looking for us here, and we have the great advantage of lying in a hollow to which the searchlight cannot penetrate. Half a minute, though. I'll just take a look over the side, and see where we are."

He raised his head cautiously, and, carefully keeping well away from the stone coping, took a good look over the side.

"Good luck!" he exclaimed, with some show of excitement, suddenly sinking to his place again. "If only we can find some means of fastening our ropes, we can drop directly over the wall. Keep where you are, Gerald, while I see what can be done."

He rose to his knees, and crept up the sloping roof to something which looked in the darkness like a chimney-stack. It proved to be what he thought, and in a twinkling he produced the end of the rope, made from torn-up blankets, which he had wound round his waist. Making a big loop in it, he slipped it over the brick-work and descended again.

"There," he said, with an excited chuckle, "I've fixed the rope, so that if our presence here is suspected we shall have a chance for freedom.

Hush! What is that fellow saying?"

It was the soldier again, who, emerging from the castle at this moment, ran down the steps in such a hurry as to lose his balance and roll over and over into the yard. He picked himself up with an oath, and rushed towards the sentry.

"The prisoners have escaped!" he shouted, in high falsetto. "When I came to the cell the door was not locked, and inside Alberto lay insensible, and bound hand and foot. Quick! Ring the alarm bell, one of you."

A few moments later the deep notes were booming out over the town and castle, ringing the alarm so that all in Santiago should be on the look-out. That notice of it was taken was at once evident, for the change was wonderful. Shouts suddenly rang out from all quarters; and, as if thrown into a state of uncontrollable excitement by the commotion, the searchlight fluttered here and there, now flashing into the sky, and next moment burying its broad shaft of dazzling light in the deep waters of the harbor.

Then an officer ran hastily from his quarters in the castle, and called upon the soldiers to fall in.