The Dreadnought of the Air Read online

  CHAPTER XXII.

  DACRES REMINDS THE ADMIRAL.

  "STEADY, sir," remonstrated Dacres, addressing the Admiral and at thesame time turning his head away as if consulting with his colleague."This won't do; you'll spoil the whole show."

  "Surely, Mr. Dacres, you haven't signed on with these----"

  Admiral Maynebrace's remarks were cut short by the soldier bringingthe butt of his rifle down upon the stone floor with a resoundingclang and causing the astonished old officer to skip more agilelythan he had done for years past.

  "That's excellent," exclaimed Henri addressing the sentry in Spanish."Keep the rascally prisoner in his place. We do not want to behindered in our work."

  "Sit down, sir, and pray be calm," continued Dacres, still talking asif he were referring to the task of measuring the walls. "Don't payany outward attention and listen. (Twenty-five centimetres from thatcornice, Henri: have you got that down?) We hope to bring the airship'Meteor' to your rescue in a few days, sir, so be prepared. Turn inall standing, if you can, for we may have to hurry you up. (Do youthink that will be far enough from the wall for the position of theswitch, Henri? Good!) I can't expect you to answer any questions,sir. It isn't pleasant to be prodded on the toes by the butt-end of arifle. Yes, sir, I am once more impersonating a Frenchman. Let ushope with more success than on the last occasion. Then I wasliterally slung out of the Service; now, by a similar means, I hopeto get you slung out of here. (You think so, Henri? Suppose we carrythe wiring down in this direction?)"

  Dacres paused in his monologue, partly to allay any signs ofcuriosity on the part of the soldier and partly to enjoy his littlejoke with his one time superior officer. It wasn't every day in theweek that an ex-sub-lieutenant could talk like a Dutch uncle to anadmiral on the Active List. The idea of heaping coals of fire onMaynebrace's head commended itself to the pseudo-Frenchman, and hemade good use of the opportunity.

  "I am indeed sorry that you cannot express in words your gratitudefor what we are doing for you, sir," he continued. "I know thefeeling under which one labours when a man has to listen to a sermonwithout being able to put his spoke in the wheel (unwind the tape alittle, please, Henri. _Merci, bien_). However, we will not dwell onthat point. We hope at about six bells in the middle watch on thefirst convenient night to pay a surprise visit to the Cavarale. Wemay have to use explosives, so, sir, pray do not be unduly alarmed.(That is right, Henri, six metres will be quite sufficient.)"

  Dacres methodically paced the cell, motioning the Valderian sentry tostand aside so as not to impede his work. The fellow, impressed bythe zeal of the "electrician," stepped back without a murmur orgesture of remonstrance.

  "If in the meantime you can get into communication with the rest ofyour staff, sir," continued Dacres, "perhaps you will mention what Ihave told you in case we have to pack up before our professional workis completed. That being so, Messieurs Henri de la Fosse and Jean lePlaisant--you may have heard that name before--must bid you theiradieux."

  Admiral Maynebrace stood his unaccustomed gruelling like a man. Heknew quite well what Dacres was driving at. He was generous enough toadmit that his former subordinate was to a certain extent justifiedin "pulling his leg." Moreover, he admired the cool audacity of theex-naval officer in risking his life by entering the Cavarale prison.

  "Hang it all!" he soliloquized. "I was much too hard on the youngrascal. We all make mistakes. It was a mistake on my part that landedme in this hole. The Service lost a promising officer when Dacressent in his papers. If ever I get clear of Naocuanha I'll do my verybest to make things right for him."

  With this praiseworthy resolution Rear-Admiral Maynebrace sank backin his chair to endure the dreadful monotony of his cell, for theonly diversion he had was to make a systematic onslaught upon theswarm of insects that pestered him with their lively attentions.

  While the Valderian soldier was securing the door of the Admiral'scell Dacres took particular notice of the lock. It was not morticedinto the woodwork but simply screwed on from the outside. A fairlyheavy hammer and a cold chisel would, he reflected, soon make shortwork of the lock on the door of No. 19, for that was the officialdesignation of Rear-Admiral Maynebrace's substitute for the cabin ofH.M.S. "Repulse."

  The next cell was empty, but prudence compelled the two "electricalengineers" to spend a few minutes in taking bogus measurements. Theadjoining one was occupied by a bearded man whom Dacres rightlysurmised to be Gerald Whittinghame. There was a strong facial andbodily resemblance between him and the Captain of the "Meteor."

  Still pursuing his quasi-professional tactics Dacres explained whoand what his visitors really were, and at the same time cautioningthe prisoner to act with discretion and not to speak a word in reply.Acting implicitly on these instructions Gerald Whittinghame assumed adespondent air, burying his hand on his arm as if completelyindifferent to the presence of the three men.

  But, presently, in the lull in his monologue Dacres' quick eardetected a systematic tapping made by the prisoner's fingers upon thedeal table. He was replying in Morse.

  "Carry on, I understand," said Dacres who, rule in hand, was fumblingon his knees in one corner of the cell, while Henri was taking downthe measurements in his notebook.

  "Tell Vaughan to attempt rescue before Friday," rapped out themessage. "Zaypuru is coming here. Wants me to be a traitor to mycountry, or----"

  The message broke off abruptly. Of the ominous nature of theincompleted part there could be no doubt.

  "I say, Henri," said Dacres. "There's precious little time to belost. I vote we make some excuse to leave Naocuanha to-night. Cut andrun for it, if necessary."

  "We will try," agreed young de la Fosse. "I understand."

  "We'll do our best," said Dacres for Gerald Whittinghame'sinformation. "So stand by, say, on Thursday night, if it can possiblybe managed."

  When the second day's work was accomplished the two "electricians"left the Cavarale, and followed by their Indian servants set theirfaces towards Naocuanha.

  "We must clear out," said Dacres decisively.

  "How?" asked Henri. "To go before we have finished there will arousesuspicions. We shall be seen when we enter the train."

  "There are more ways than one of boarding a train."

  "But the peons--the Indian servants?"

  Dacres whistled.

  "We mustn't leave them in the lurch, by Jove!" he said. "If it comesto leaving our hotel unpaid I think the exigencies of the businesswill be sufficient excuse; but I don't relish the idea of thosefellows left to the mercies of Zaypuru and company."

  "It is not that," replied de la Fosse. "They would come to no harm.They would as easily serve one master as another; but they wouldbetray my father."

  "If that is the only objection I don't see that that matters in theslightest," observed Dacres. "After this it will not be safe for yourfather or any of your family to remain in Valderia while Zaypuru isin power. Whittinghame will see you all safely through and send youback to France with a guarantee of sufficient money to keep you incomfort for the rest of your days."

  "Very good: I am content," replied the young Frenchman simply.

  "Then send the Indians on to the town," continued Dacres. "We'll takea stroll. I've a wish to see what the approaches to Naocuanha arelike on the eastern side."

  "Not in that direction," expostulated his companion. "It is towardsFort Volador, and if we go towards it we shall probably be arrestedas spies."

  "Very well, we'll bear away to the right," said Dacres reassuringly."It doesn't so very much matter."

  Henri dismissed the Indians and proceeded with the Englishman in thedirection the latter had indicated. Young de la Fosse did not at allrelish the new phase of the adventure. To run the risk of beingcaptured he was willing to enter the Cavarale, but outside the prisona bid for freedom seemed fraught with more peril than he hadbargained for.

  Less than half a mile from the road to the prison ran the Naocuanhaand La Paz railway, the course diverging slightly fro
m that of thehighway. Although the country around the capital was generally levelat this spot, there was a slight valley, through which the Rio delSol made its way to join the waters of the Pacific.

  The railway, consisting of a single track, crossed the river by meansof a steel girder bridge, while on the Naocuanha side of the valleywas a siding.

  As Dacres and his companions approached the bridge a goods trainrumbled out of the city, panted heavily up the slight incline, andcame to a stand-still on the siding. There were two locomotivesattached to the train, one at either end, but upon pulling up there,no attempt was made to detach one of the engines.

  "Look here," said Dacres. "We'll nick that rear-engine."

  "What do you mean?" asked Henri dubiously. "What do you mean bynick?"

  "Take possession of it. We have our revolvers. We'll terrify thedriver and the fireman and make them disconnect the engine and pushoff towards La Paz."

  "But the train from La Paz will be on its way," objected de la Fosse.

  "I know; but we can wait till that goes by and then have a shot atit. We'll do it all right, never fear."

  There was something so utterly confident in Dacres' tone that theyoung Frenchman's objections vanished.

  "Very good," he replied. "I am ready."

  As the two adventurers drew nearer the nature of the goods trainbecame apparent. The twenty odd trucks were loaded with blastingpowder, and were escorted by a dozen armed men.

  It occurred to Dacres that it was rather an unusual thing to betaking explosives away from the seat of hostilities, until herealized that in anticipation of a siege of the capital Zaypuruthought it would be wiser and safer to send the blasting powder outof the city. It was a case of straws showing which way the wind blew.The president was beginning to fear for the safety of Naocuanha.

  Henri's face lengthened when he saw the armed party, but having oncesignified his intention of going through the business, the pluckylittle Frenchman was not one to back out.

  The display of force was more than Dacres bargained for, but knowingthe temperament of the Valderians he felt convinced that on thesudden approach of two determined men the dozen irregulars would inall probability bolt like frightened hares.

  However, he felt mightily relieved when the escort clambered downfrom the train and made their way down to the brink of the river,where, stripping off their raw hide shoes and canvas gaiters theypaddled about in the water.

  "Don't hurry, My festive friends!" exclaimed Dacres. "Take your time,and you'll do us a favour."

  It was certainly a daring move on Dacres' part, for the plain wasalmost without cover, and the two men were in full view of anyone onFort Volador or Fort Banquo who happened to be using a telescope orbinoculars.

  Nor was it advisable to attempt to take cover. The only feasible planwas to saunter towards the train and make a sudden rush at the lasttwenty yards.

  Presently a dull rumble announced the approach of the La Paz andNaocuanha "express."

  Dacres was half afraid that the escort hearing the noise of theon-coming train would hasten back to their charge, but fortunatelythe South American habit of procrastination was as deeply rooted inthese Valderian irregulars as it could possibly be. An hour or twomade very little difference to them: "to-morrow" was their creed.

  With a rattle and a roar the train crossed the bridge, passed thesiding and began to slow down as it approached the terminus ofNaocuanha.

  The time for action had arrived.

  "Take it easily," cautioned Dacres. "Keep your hands away from yourpockets till we make a dash for it."

  Calmly lighting cigarettes the Englishman and his companion ambledtowards the engine at the rear of the goods train. The driver wasleaning out of his hooded cab, with the inevitable cigar in hismouth. The fireman had descended and was leisurely awaiting theapproach of the two strangers.

  His apathy quickly changed to an attitude of consternation as hefound himself looking down the muzzle of Henri's revolver. His kneesshook and almost automatically he raised both arms to their fullestextent over his head.

  With a quick, deft motion de la Fosse plucked the revolver from thefireman's holster and threw it far into the thick grass, and, stillkeeping the man well covered, sternly ordered him to uncouple theengine.

  Meanwhile, the driver made an attempt to draw a pistol, but Dacreswas too quick for him. There was an ominous glitter in theEnglishman's eye that told the Valderian engineer the uselessness ofoffering resistance. The next moment Dacres swung himself into thecab and clapped the muzzle of his weapon behind the ear of theterrified man.

  Hidden by the brink of the declivity the escort was in totalignorance of what was going on. Their first intimation that somethingwas wrong was a warning whistle from the foremost locomotive as thecaptured engine began to back away from the rest of the train.

  "I hope to goodness that the other chap doesn't leave the siding,"muttered Dacres, "or our retreat will be cut off."

  Fortunately the driver of the first engine contented himself withgiving the alarm. Had he backed on to the main line the Englishman'sfears would have been realized.

  In thirty seconds the captured engine ran over the points. Hearingthe noise the pointswoman--a half-caste--came out of the hut andlooked suspiciously at the crowded cab of the engine.

  A sharp order from Henri was sufficient. The driver, thoroughlycowed, shouted to the woman to shift the points, and with the coupledwheels racing furiously the engine gathered speed in the direction ofLa Paz.

  The race for freedom had begun.