Chapter 3 MORE VISITORS TO THE HUT-DAN DALY ROWS DOWN THE CREEK.

"You can crawl out of your shell, Dan, now," said Young Glory, when the last soldier had disappeared.

"Faith, that's a comfort. An' what did them sogers want?"

"They were looking for you, Dan. They found me, but didn't know me."

"It's great ye are, Young Glory. There's nobody but yourself could decave them. It's time we have for talkin' now, an' it's mesilf 'd like to know how ye stopped them spalpeens from shootin' me."

"When I saw you taken prisoner, Dan, I determined to save you. The boats went back to the cruiser, but I didn't."

"Ye stayed on shore?"

"Yes. By good luck I managed to get into a house while everyone was away, and get a change of clothes. Then I came to look after you. Why, I was present when they tried you."

"No!"

"But I was. It's not Young Glory's way to desert a comrade, Dan."

The Irishman pressed his hand warmly.

"It's the lucky man who has yourself for a friend, Young Glory."

Dan began foraging about the hut now.

"It's food an' drink I'm afther," he explained, "an' partic'larly the last. Ha! what's this? Wine! Well, it can't be helped."

"What did you expect to find?"

"A drop of the craythur, shure. It's much I'd give for three fingers of whisky."

The two seamen made a good meal of some cold fish and bread and the bottle of wine, most of which latter going down Dan's throat.

Then Dan lit his pipe.

"Hurroo! but it's great. It's happy as a king I'm feelin'."

"For how long? We can't stay here, Dan; we must get out of this."

"But not till it's dark."

"Perhaps not."

"It's Captain Miles won't go away, Young Glory. He'll be afther kapin' the cruiser near."

"Yes, I feel certain he will. I've no doubt he's doing his best to rescue you, Dan."

And so the two talked on, Dan smoking and Young Glory thinking how they might make their escape.

It seemed as if night would come and find them chatting.

An interruption took place.

Young Glory from time to time went to the door of the hut and glanced up and down the road. Now he came back quickly.

"Your hiding-place again, Dan."

"Why?"

"There are more soldiers coming."

"Murther!"

"There will be if you don't hurry."

The warning was enough. Dan was out of sight in a moment.

This second visit to the hut alarmed Young Glory greatly.

He saw that things were in a very critical position.

In the event of a thorough search it was absolutely certain that Dan would be discovered.

As the soldiers approached the hut, Young Glory tried hard to maintain his calm. He saw with surprise that all these men were officers. So much he could tell from their uniforms.

When they came to the hut they found Young Glory sitting at the table, busily engaged in mending some fishing lines which he had found in the hut.

He sprang up quickly as the leader entered, and saluted him respectfully.

"Welcome, senor capitan."

"My good fellow," answered the Spanish officer, "myself and my friends here won't interfere with your work. Go on, I beg. We only seek a short rest."

Young Glory put the fishing lines away.

"It is nothing," he said. "My friend who lives here is away to-day, and I am keeping house for him, so I thought I would do a little work."

"Has he anything in the drinking line?" cried a young lieutenant. "That's more to the point."

A shout of approval followed.

"You don't speak very often, Ruiz," said one of the officers, "but when you do, you display the wisdom of Solomon."

The officers, making themselves quite at home, bustled about the hut, as Dan had done, searching for drink.

Young Glory was on thorns all the time. Detection seemed imminent.

"Sit down, senores," he cried. "I will myself search for the wine."

"But it's found," cried one of the officers, gayly. "Why, my good fellow, your friend must be in the liquor business. He's a regular cellar of wine here. Come on, gentlemen; take your choice. Here's claret from France, Rhine wine, brandy, Amontillado from Spain, and whisky and wine from America."

"Nothing American for me!"

"Good sense again, Ruiz. Let us try the Amontillado. It will remind us of our country."

The proposition found favor, and several bottles were opened, and the soldiers helped themselves.

"Your friend's a smuggler," said one of the officers to Young Glory.

The latter shook his head.

"My good fellow, it's a matter of indifference to us what he is. He's a benefactor of his species, anyway. Don't you agree with me, gentlemen?"

They all raised their glasses and shouted boisterously.

Young Glory began to breathe more freely now. There was not a word said as to the escape of Dan Daly and the search for him.

Very soon he discovered from the talk that the officers were in complete ignorance of it. They were posted with their regiment a considerable distance from the village, and were now on their way to headquarters there.

What they had said was true. They had merely stopped at the hut in the hope of obtaining refreshment. No doubt they would soon take their departure.

The wine loosened their tongues, and they began to talk freely. Young Glory lost not a word of what was being said, for it seemed likely that he would hear something that might prove valuable.

"Where to to-night, Ruiz?" asked one man.

"Why ask him? He'll be waiting for the fair Julia. Her eyes will glance at him from the balcony."

"Wrong for once, gentlemen," said Ruiz.

"Captain Calderon is inconstant," laughed another officer.

"Oh! Ruiz, I did not think that of you."

"And if you did, you would be wrong. No, comrades, luck's against me to-night. I'm on duty."

"Garrison duty?"

"Worse."

"Can anything be worse?"

"I said so."

"Tell us, Ruiz."

"I'm going to Valmosa."

"What for?"

"There is a lot of ammunition collected there."

"I heard of it."

"Well, it's to be moved to-night to this place."

"You'll have hot work. The rebels are in force between here and Valmosa."

"Everybody knows that."

"I wish you good-by, Ruiz," said one of the officers, solemnly. "Old fellow, I pity you!"

"Pshaw! there's no danger. It's only the discomfort I'm thinking of. We are going to bring the ammunition to this place by water."

"What!"

"There's no cause for surprise. It's the simplest way."

"But the American cruiser. Think of that, Ruiz. She's sure to be hanging around."

"And if she is, it's a matter of very little consequence."

"But you'll be stopped."

"No. We shall be in small boats and keep close in to shore. Now, the Yankee cruiser must stay a good way out, for the water's not deep enough to let her in. To-night will be dark. There's no moon till two o'clock, and so it's simplicity itself to get the stuff through."

"Why did they send you? You don't belong to those fellows at Valmosa."

"Never saw one of them in my life. But the order was given me, and that's enough."

"The old general had had his dinner when he gave the order?"

"Yes."

"Then we know what that means. He had more wine than wit in his body."

"I must get away," said Ruiz.

"There's no hurry."

"Not for you. Stay, if you please."

"No, no; we'll all go together."

Ruiz Calderon rose.

"I have to get a good horse. The most dangerous part of the business is getting to Valmosa, because I must go near the rebel lines."

"Good luck to Ruiz!" cried all his comrades, emptying their glasses as they spoke.

"Thank you, gentlemen, thank you. My good fellow, your wine was excellent. If you should hear a horseman gallop past your hut to-night, don't be alarmed. It will only be me."

Scarcely had they gone, when Dan Daly rushed out.

"Faith, it's more than flesh an' blood could stand. Arrah! but me mouth watered when I heard the glasses clinkin'. The spalpeens!" he cried in dismay, "they've not left a drop for me."

"There's plenty."

Dan gazed in amazement at the hoard of liquor that had been discovered.

"What a find! It's meself could put in a week here in this blessed hut."

"But you won't."

"Eh?"

"I say you won't. It will be dark, Dan, in one hour. There's a boat lying down on the creek."

"An' faith, what's that to me?"

"Everything. You'll get on board that boat, go down the creek into the sea, and try and find the cruiser. The Brooklyn won't be far off. You must take a light with you and give a signal."

Dan was astounded.

"An' is it by mesilf I'm to go?"

"That's exactly what it is, Dan. You're old enough to be trusted alone, you know."

"But you?"

"Oh, I have work on shore. Never mind me."

"It's more danger ye're runnin' your head into."

"Trust me to get it out again. Now, don't interrupt me. I've a letter to write."

Dan busily employed himself with the whisky whilst Young Glory was writing his letter.

"Here it is."

"An' who's it for?"

"Captain Miles."

"Our skipper?"

"He's the only Captain Miles I know. Now, Dan, it's very important that that letter should reach Captain Miles as soon as possible. You understand me?"

"Yes, an' if it's to be done I'll do it."

"That I know. Now, to start you."

The two men left the hut. The boat was moored immediately opposite, and in it were a pair of sculls.

Young Glory would not allow a moment to be wasted. He unhitched the painter and pushed off the boat. Then, having seen Dan start on his dangerous mission, he went back to the hut.

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