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Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz, a novel by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 12. The Man Of The Evil Eye |
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_ CHAPTER XII. THE MAN OF THE EVIL EYE "The captain's compliments, sir, and will Ensign Darrin report to him immediately?" Darrin had dressed for breakfast the morning after, but there were yet some minutes to spare before the call would come to the ward-room mess. "My compliments to the captain, and I will report immediately," Ensign Dave replied. Turning, he put on his sword and drew on his white gloves. Then, with a glance over himself, he left his quarters, walking briskly toward the commanding officer's quarters. Captain Gales, at his desk, received the young ensign's salute. On the desk lay the papers in the matter of the night before. "Ensign, I have gone over the papers in last night's affair," began the "Old Man," as a naval vessel's commander is called, when not present. "Yes, sir?" The captain's face was inexpressive; it was impossible to tell what was going on in his mind. "I have given careful attention to your report, and also to that of Lieutenant Cantor. I have talked with Mr. Carmody, and have asked Coxswain Riley and Corporal Ross some questions. And so I have come to the decision-----" Here the captain paused for an instant. How Dave Darrin's heart thumped under his ribs. The next few words would convey either censure, criticism or exoneration! "-----that Lieutenant Cantor's charges are not well sustained," continued, Captain Gales. Dave Darrin could not repress the gleam of joy that flashed into his eyes. The memory of the men killed under his command and the present sufferings of the wounded had preyed upon him through a long, wakeful night. But here was a veteran in the service, prepared, after hearing all possible testimony, to declare that he, Darrin, was not blamable! "I had hoped," resumed Captain Gales, "that the affair on shore could he conducted without firing a single shot, However, Ensign Darrin, the fact has been established to my satisfaction that you did your work well; that you did not allow your men to fire a shot until you had been attacked in force. Nor did you fire upon Mexican troups or reputable natives, but upon a body of bandits---outlaws---who are enemies of all mankind. Not to have returned the fire, under such circumstances, would have been censurable conduct. That several times through the night you held your party's fire, and at no time fired oftener than appeared to be absolutely necessary, is established by the eye-witnesses with whom I have talked. Nor were the losses to your command higher than might have been looked for in a fight against superior numbers, such as you encountered. I have endorsed these views of mine upon Lieutenant Cantor's report and also upon your own. I can find no fault with your course of action." "I cannot tell you, sir, how highly I appreciate your decision." "Of course you do, Darrin!" cried Captain Gales, holding out his hand. "No young officer in the service enjoys being censured when he has used the very best judgment with which Heaven has endowed him. No man of earnest effort, likes to have his motives questioned. And I am happy to say, Ensign Darrin, that I regard you as the same faithful, hardworking officer that I considered you when you had not been more than three days aboard the '_Long Island_.' I congratulate you, Ensign, upon your skilful handling of a bad situation last night. Now, I am not going to keep you here longer, for mess call is due in two minutes, and you will want your breakfast." With a heart full of joy and gratitude Dave hastened back to his quarters, where he laid aside his sword and gloves. Just outside the ward-room door he encountered John Carmody, who appeared to have been waiting there purposely. "Now, Mr. Darrin," cried the planter, holding out his hand, "I want to try to give you some idea of my gratitude for the magnificent work you did last night for my dear ones and our friends. I don't know how to begin, but-----" "Please don't try to begin," laughed Dave. "An officer of the American Navy should never be thanked for the performance of his duty. I can't tell you how delighted I am that my efforts were successful, and that the scoundrels, who had tried to violate Mexico's sacred duty of hospitality, were roundly punished. Tell me, sir, how are the ladies this morning?" "All of them are in excellent spirits, Mr. Darrin. I suppose you have not seen them yet. They are in full possession of the captain's quarters, and are at breakfast now." The breakfast call sounded, and in twos and threes the officers of the "_Long Island_," passed into the ward-room. John Carmody was provided with a seat beside the chaplain. "Darrin, you lucky dog!" called Lieutenant-Commander Denton, as soon as the officers were seated. "Am I really fortunate?" Dave smiled back. "Yes; for you were privileged to order the firing of the first shots in the Mexican war that is now close at hand. You are, or will be, historical, Darrin!" Dave's face clouded as he replied, gravely: "And I am also aware, sir, that I had the misfortune to lose the first men killed." "That was regrettable," replied another officer, "but we of the Navy expect to go down some day. The two men who were killed died for the honor and credit of the service, and of the Flag, which we serve. It is the lot of all of us, Darrin. If war comes many a soldier and sailor will find an honored grave, and perhaps not a few here will lose their mess numbers. It's just the way of the service, Darrin!" "Cantor, you were out of luck last night," observed Lieutenant Holton, who sat next to him. "In what way?" asked Cantor, but he flushed deeply. "You had only a boat ride, and missed the fight," replied Holton. "Oh!" replied Cantor, and felt relieved, for he had thought that Holton referred to something else. "Where are we heading now?" asked Dave. "Didn't you notice the course?" inquired Dalzell. "About westerly, isn't it?" "Yes; we are bound for Vera Cruz," Danny Grin answered. "We shall be there in two hours. Mr. Carmody and his party have no notion of going back to their plantation at present. Instead, they'll take a steamer to New York." Breakfast was nearly over when an orderly appeared, bringing an envelope, which he handed to Commander Bainbridge. "Pardon me," said the executive officer to the officers on either side of him. Then he examined the paper contained in the envelope. "Gentlemen," called Commander Bainbridge, "I have some information that I will announce to you, briefly, as soon as the meal is over." Every eye was turned on the executive officer. After a few moments he continued: "Yesterday, at Tampico, an officer and boatcrew of men went ashore in a launch from the 'dolplin.' The boat flew the United States Flag, and the officer and men landed to attend to the purchase of supplies. An officer of General Huerta's Federal Army arrested our officer and his men. They were released a little later, but Admiral Mayo demanded a formal apology and a salute of twenty-one guns to our insulted Flag. Some sort of apology has been made to Admiral Mayo, but it was not satisfactory, and the gun salute was refused. Admiral Mayo has sent the Mexican Federal commander at Tampico something very much like an ultimatum. Unless a satisfactory apology is made, and the gun salute is fired, the Washington government threatens to break off all diplomatic relations with Mexico and to make reprisals. That is the full extent of the news, so far as it has reached us by wireless." "_War_!" exploded Lieutenant-Commander Eaton. "We mustn't jump too rapidly at conclusions," Commander Bainbridge warned his hearers. "But it _does_ mean war, doesn't it?" asked Lieutenant Holton. "That chap, Huerta, will be stiff-necked about yielding a gun salute after it has been refused, and Mexican pride will back him up in it. The Mexicans hate us as only jealous people can hate. The Mexicans won't give in. On the other hand, our country has always been very stiff over any insult to the Flag. So what hope is there that war can be averted? Reprisals between nations are always taken by the employment of force, and surely any force that we employ against Mexico can end in nothing less than war." As the officers left the table nothing was talked of among them except the news from Tampico. The rumor spread rapidly forward. Cheering was heard from the forecastle. "The jackies have the word," chuckled Dan Dalzell. "They're sure to be delighted over any prospect of a fight." "If we have a real fight," sighed Darrin, his mind on the night before, "a lot of our happy jackies will be sent home in boxes to their friends." "A small lot the jackies care about that," retorted Danny Grin. "Show me, if you can, anywhere in the world, a body of men who care less about facing death than the enlisted men in the United States Navy!" "Of course we should have interfered in Mexico long ago," Dave went on. "Serious as the Flag incident is, there have been outrages ten-fold worse than that. I shall never be able to down the feeling that we have been, as a people, careless of our honor in not long ago stepping in to put a stop to the outrages against Americans that have been of almost daily occurrence in Mexico." "If fighting does begin," asked Dalzell, suddenly, "where do we of the Navy come in? Shelling a few forts, possibly, and serving in the humdrum life of blockade duty." "If we land in Mexico," Dave retorted, "there will be one stern duty that will fall to the lot of the Navy. The Army won't be ready in time for the first landing on Mexican soil. That will be the duty of the Navy. If we send a force of men ashore at Tampico, or possibly Vera Cruz, it will have to be a force of thousands of our men, for the Mexicans will resist stubbornly, and there'll be a lot of hard fighting for the Navy before Washington has the Army in shape to land. Never fear, Danny boy! We are likely to see enough active service!" Dave soon went to the bridge to stand a trick of watch duty with Lieutenant Cantor. For an hour no word was exchanged between the two officers. Cantor curtly transmitted orders through petty officers on the deck below. Dave kept to his own, the starboard side of the bridge, his alert eyes on his duty. There was no chance to exchange even a word on the all-absorbing topic of the incident at Tampico. Vera Cruz, lying on a sandy stretch of land that was surrounded by marshes, was soon sighted, and the "_Long Island_" stood in toward the harbor in which the Stars and Stripes fluttered from several other American warships lying at anchor. A messenger from the executive officer appeared on the bridge with the information that, after the ship came to anchor, Ensign Dalzell would be sent in one of the launches to convey the Carmody party ashore. There was no chance for the rescued ones to come forward to say good-bye to Darrin on the bridge, for they went over the port side into the waiting launch. Dalzell, however, manoeuvred the launch so that she passed along the ship's side. A call, and exclamations in feminine voices attracted Dave's notice. "Mr. Darrin, Mr. Darrin!" called four women at once, as they waved their handkerchiefs to him. Dave, cap in hand, returned their salute. "Thank you again, Mr. Darrin." "We won't say good-bye," called Mrs. Carmody, "for we shall hope to meet you and your splendid boat-crew again." At that the jackies on the forecastle set up a tremendous cheering. Not until Dave had gone off duty did another launch put out from the "_Long Island_." That craft bore to one of the docks two metal caskets. Brief services had been held over the remains of the sailor and the marine killed the night before, and now the bodies were to be sent home to the relatives. After luncheon a messenger summoned Ensign Darrin to Commander Bainbridge's office. "Ensign Darrin," said the executive officer, "here are some communications to be taken ashore to the office of the American consul. You will use number three launch, and take a seaman orderly with you." "Aye, aye, sir." Darrin went over the side, followed by Seaman Rogers, who had been in the landing party the night before, Both were soon ashore. Rogers, who knew where the consul's office was, acted as guide. Crowds on the street eyed the American sailors with no very pleasant looks. "Those Greasers are sullen, sir," said Seaman Rogers. "I expected to find them so," Ensign Darrin answered. They had not gone far when a man astride a winded, foam-flocked horse rode up the street. "Do you know that man, sir?" asked Seaman Rogers, in an excited whisper. "The bandit, Cosetta!" Dave muttered. "The same, sir." But Darrin turned and walked on again, for he saw that the recognition had been mutual. Espying the young ensign, Cosetta reined in sharply before a group of Mexicans, whose glances he directed at Dave Darrin. "There he goes, the turkey-cock, strutting young officer," cried Cosetta harshly in his own tongue. "Eye the young Gringo upstart well. You must know him again, for he is to be a marked man in the streets of Vera Cruz!" It was a prediction full of ghastly possibilities for Ensign Dave Darrin! _ |
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