The Dreadnought of the Air Read online

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  PREPARING FOR THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT.

  "NOT all of you," remonstrated Dacres, although well pleased at thedevotion of the men under his immediate orders. "Seven will besufficient. That will lighten No. 5 section enough to give it properbuoyancy. Callaghan, you will take charge of the section until it isrejoined to the rest of the airship. Explain matters to CaptainWhittinghame and say that we will sit tight so long as we can. Askhim to take the 'Meteor' out of sight of Naocuanha till ten thismorning. If then it is advisable for him to return, a blue and whiteflag will be hoisted from the flagstaff of the Cavarale."

  "One moment, Dacres," interposed Gerald Whittinghame. "I am ready toabide by your decision, but couldn't I render some assistance byremaining with you? My knowledge of Spanish, for instance? If you areto lure Zaypuru into the Cavarale you'll have to be very wary."

  "I quite agree," replied Dacres, "but at the same time I think youought to rejoin your brother."

  "It's not a question of ties of relationship," objected Gerald. "It'sa question of duty. That idea of yours, Dacres--if it comes off--willbe a means of bringing the war to an end. With Zaypuru in our handsthe resistance of the Valderian troops will crumble like a pack ofcards."

  "Very well, then," agreed Dacres. "We shall be very glad of yourassistance. We'll discuss the plans later."

  "I say, Dacres," persisted the Admiral's flag-lieutenant, "I mean tostay----"

  "I'll put you under close arrest if you don't obey orders," retortedDacres with well-assumed severity.

  "Landing-party, fall in!" he ordered.

  The seven men quickly descended and fell in upon the courtyard.Dacres bade the released prisoners farewell, gave a few necessaryorders to the trustworthy Callaghan, and followed Gerald Whittinghamedown the ladder.

  "All clear!" he shouted.

  Once more the ultra-hydrogen was forced into the reserve ballonettes.Carried sideways by the wind No. 5 section rose, cleared the wall byless than six feet, and shot upwards at a rapid pace till lost tosight in the darkness. Her movements, however, had been followed bythe anxious Captain of the "Meteor," and without delay he started toget in touch with the tail portion of the Dreadnought of the Air.

  By the time the "Meteor" coupled on her No. 5 section the airship haddrifted twelve miles to leeward of Naocuanha.

  "That hare-brained rascal!" exclaimed Vaughan Whittinghame, when hereceived the Irishman's report. "I suppose he'll scrape through allright--he generally does. In any case, it's a piece of sterling work;self-sacrifice of the highest order."

  "Can you land us at Zandovar?" asked Rear-Admiral Maynebrace.

  "Sorry," replied Whittinghame. "Not by night. I've no fancy to beplugged by the shells of your squadron or mistaken for a hostileaircraft. After ten o'clock to-morrow I may--if I haven't to avengeDacres and my brother." Acting under Gerald Whittinghame'sinstructions General Galento--for that was the name of the Valderianwho had been entrusted to maintain order amongst the releasedprisoners--ordered his compatriots to assemble in the _patio_.

  This they did, to the number of eighty. As far as Valderians wentthese men looked capable of giving a good account of themselves. Theywere all actuated by feelings of revenge towards their former captorsand especially President Zaypuru. Had they got out of hand the livesof the soldiers who had formed the garrison of the Cavarale would nothave been worth a moment's purchase. Without delay GeraldWhittinghame addressed them. His almost perfect knowledge of Spanish,the fluency of his words and his commanding delivery all told uponhis listeners.

  "Friends of the late President San Bonetta," he exclaimed. "The timeis at hand when you will be able to completely turn the tables onyour oppressors. To do so you must implicitly obey the orders of theCommandante Dacres here, whose mouthpiece I am. The Cavarale isentirely in our possession. Don Alonzo da Costa is a prisoner,together with every man of the garrison. At nine o'clock this morningthe villainous Zaypuru will pay us a visit."

  Shouts of execration burst from the lips of his listeners. Cries of"Death to the President!" "Down with Zaypuru!" were heard on allsides. At length Gerald silenced them by raising his right hand.

  "Zaypuru must be captured," he continued. "It can be done. How, Iwill explain; but before so doing I must have your promise that if hefall into our hands he will be treated in a manner worthy ofcivilized people."

  "We will have him shot," muttered a Valderian, and several voicesbacked him up.

  "Very well," rejoined Whittinghame. "If that is what you are resolvedto do you had better go outside the prison and do it. Remember thatyour only chance of safety lies in remaining here. Without, you willbe seen and pursued by Zaypuru's horsemen. Detachments of his troopsare at La Paz, so that your retreat in that direction is cut off.Rather than allow a prisoner in our hands to be barbarously murderedthe Commandante Dacres will release and arm the soldiers who are nowin his power. Think it over quickly, and let me know your decision."

  The partisans of the late president saw that the Englishmen held thewhip-hand. Great as was the hatred of the former for Zaypuru, thefear of what might happen should the aid of Dacres and his companionsbe withdrawn was greater.

  "We agree," they announced. "We swear it."

  "It is well," continued Gerald. "Now for our plans. When your Englishfriends surprised the garrison many of the soldiers were in theirbeds. They were sent into one of the cellars under the barracks,their clothes and accoutrements remain. Thirty of you will,therefore, put on these men's uniforms, and by forming a guard ofhonour and placing sentries on the walls will completely deceive thePresident Zaypuru. General Galento will oblige us by arraying himselfin the uniform of the Commandante Alonzo da Costa and acting the partof our late custodian-in-chief, until Zaypuru is safely landed in thetrap."

  "And what then, senor?" asked one of the Valderians.

  "Be content with that, senor," replied Gerald. "With Zaypuru in ourpower the rest will be easy. Your lives and liberties will beassured. Now, remember, success depends upon your discretion andimplicit obedience of Senor Dacres' orders. We have yet five hoursbefore us: hasten and make ready."

  Away trooped the Valderians, filled with hope and resolution, to donthe uniforms of their former captors, while General Galento,accompanied by two of the crew of the "Meteor," made his way to thecommandante's quarters to deck himself out, without asking theowner's permission, in the gorgeous regimentals of the luckless DonAlonzo da Costa.

  At sunrise the new garrison was under arms. The men, havingbreakfasted, were ready for any duty that Dacres called upon them toperform.

  There were no signs of the "Meteor." Acting upon Dacres' request tohis chief the airship had put a safe distance between herself and thecapital. The wind had fallen, the sky was cloudless and unbroken. Hadthe "Meteor" remained she would have inevitably been sighted by thegarrison of Naocuanha and Zaypuru's suspicions would have beenaroused.

  Just before eight a telephone message was received at the Cavaralestating that the president would arrive half an hour earlier than hehad previously arranged.

  His object in visiting Gerald Whittinghame was a crafty one. He knewthe value of the captive Englishman's technical skill; he totallyunderestimated his sense of honour. Reno Durango having, from somecause for the present unknown, failed him, Zaypuru bethought himselfof Gerald Whittinghame.

  His plan was to offer the Englishman his liberty and a huge sum ofmoney if he would take charge of the aerial defences of the city ofNaocuanha. He remembered that under President San Bonetta's regimeGerald Whittinghame had brought out an aerial torpedo--a monoplanecarrying a heavy charge of guncotton--which could be electricallycontrolled by an operator on the ground. The device passed the severetests imposed upon it with the greatest ease. Then came therevolution that caused San Bonetta to lose his life and GeraldWhittinghame his liberty. The knowledge, unlike that which resultedin the construction of the "Libertad," remained with the inventors,and hitherto threats and promises alike had failed to extort thepriceless secret
.

  "Troops on the move, sir," announced one of "Meteor's" crew who hadbeen posted to supplement the Valderian sentries on the wall of theCavarale.

  Dacres and Gerald ascended as quickly as possible, then taking coverbehind the breastwork, used their binoculars through one of theembrasures. "That's Zaypuru's bodyguard right enough," said Vaughan'sbrother. "He doesn't go far without that escort."

  "Quite enough to set up a fairly good fight if they've any pluck,"remarked Dacres. "I don't think we ought to let the whole party intothe courtyard."

  "Yet I don't see how we can prevent them without arousing suspicion."

  "I do," said Dacres. "You've forgotten the bridge across the drymoat. We'll fix a detonator, sufficient to bring the whole concerndown without doing very much harm to the President's bodyguard. We'llhave to hurry, for there's precious little time."

  "But we haven't a battery," objected Gerald.

  "No, but we have plenty of rifles. Smith, bring a couple of sticks ofguncotton from the magazine."

  Putting on a coat and _kepi_ belonging to one of the former garrisonDacres issued from the gateway, descended into the moat and lashedthe explosive to one of the props of the wooden bridge. To the onenearest to it he fixed a loaded rifle, taking care to lock the safetybolt while he made fast a thin but strong wire to the trigger. Thiswire he led back to one of the narrow loopholes by the side of thegate, giving one of his men instructions to release the trigger themoment he heard the bugle give the "Alarm."

  Rapidly the president and his escort approached the Cavarale. Theywere all splendidly mounted, while many of them were distinguishableas generals by their gorgeous uniforms. Like most revolutionaryarmies of the South and Central American republics staff officerswere numerically out of all proportion to the size of the army.

  Half a dozen troopers armed with carbines led the procession.Immediately behind them, and supported by two generals, rode thepresident.

  Zaypuru was a little man, with iron-grey hair and moustachios. Herode very erect with his arms thrown well back, but Dacres noticedthat one shoulder was slightly higher than the other. His featureswere sharp and pointed, his eyes close-set, while his eye-brows,slanting upwards from the bridge of his nose, gave him a saturnineexpression in keeping with his character.

  An arrant coward at heart he, like most men of tyrannical nature,took a delight in inflicting pain upon those who, having thwartedhim, had fallen into his power. Blindly he regarded himself as beingessential to the welfare of Valderia, and counting on the support ofthe men he had gathered around him, he was as insensible to danger asthe proverbial ostrich hiding its head in the sand. It was only byrelying upon others that he had any confidence in his officialcapacity. Reno Durango's disaffection had hit him hard. Had it notbeen for his successful coup in capturing Admiral Maynebrace and hisstaff, he would have fled from Naocuanha and sought an asylum in oneof the neighbouring republics when the "Libertad" failed to return.Puffed up with success he was riding hot-shod towards ruin.

  Behind the president rode a lieutenant bearing the national flag ofValderia with an eagle emblazoned in silver upon the centrehorizontal stripe. This was the presidential standard of the head ofthe republic.

  The cavalcade concluded with about forty officers and men in nearlyequal numbers.

  As Zaypuru and his retinue approached the outer wall General Galentoordered the general salute to be sounded. The great gate of the innerwall was thrown open and a guard of honour, composed of twenty men inthe borrowed uniforms of the imprisoned garrison, presented arms.

  Greatly to Dacres' delight the president gave orders for the bulk ofhis escort to wait beyond the dry moat. Attended only by ten of hisstaff Zaypuru trotted his steed across the wooden bridge, stifflyacknowledged the compliment paid by the guard, and cantered into the_patio_.

  Dacres, still out of sight of the president, raised his hand. A sharpdetonation was followed by the crash of shattered woodwork, as thebridge collapsed into the dry moat. Simultaneously the guard closedthe gateway.

  President Diego Zaypuru was trapped.