Home > Authors Index > H. Irving Hancock > Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz > This page
Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz, a novel by H. Irving Hancock |
||
Chapter 15. Ready For Vera Cruz |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER XV. READY FOR VERA CRUZ "Ensign Darrin"---and the Old Man's voice was more impressive than any officer present remembered ever to have heard it before---"what do you know of this matter?" Though the shock had struck him like an actual blow, Dave Darrin steadied both himself and his voice as he replied: "I know nothing whatever about it, sir, that is not common knowledge to everyone in this room." "Then you did not take this envelope from my room?" demanded Captain Gales. "I did not, sir." "And you did not receive it from any one else?" "I did not, sir." "You have no knowledge of how this envelope came to be in your quarters?" "I have not the least knowledge in the world, sir." Captain Gales debated the matter in his own distressed mind. Dave Darrin stood there, white faced and dignified, his bearing perfect. He looked, every inch a true-hearted young American naval officer. Yet he was resting under a terrible suspicion. "You may go, gentlemen," announced the captain. "I ask you to see to it that no word of this matter leaks out among the men forward. Ensign Darrin, you will report to me at my office just as soon as you think I have had time to reach there before you." Several of the officers walked hastily away. Others hung aloof, shaking their heads. Lieutenant Trent led about a dozen men who pressed around Dave Darrin, offering him their hands. "It would take the strongest kind of proof to make me believe anything wrong in you, Darrin," declared Trent. Others in the little group offered similar words of faith and cheer. But Dave broke away from them after expressing his gratitude. His head very erect and his shoulders squared, the young ensign walked to the captain's office. "Darrin," began the Old Man, "if you are as innocent as I want to believe you to be in this matter, then do all in your power to help me clear your name." "Very good, sir," Dave responded. "In the first place, sir, the important letter was in its envelope when I turned over to you the package entrusted to me by the consul." "It was," nodded Captain Gales. "And I have not since been in your office, sir. You know that of your own knowledge, and from what the marine orderly has been able to inform you, sir?" "I am satisfied that you were not in thus office after you delivered the packet," replied the Old Man. "Then I could not have taken it from your desk, sir." "I am well satisfied of that," assented Captain Gales. "The only untoward circumstance is that the envelope was found in your quarters." "Then, sir," Dave argued, "it is established that I could not have been the principal in the theft that was committed in your office this afternoon. That being so, the only suspicion possibly remaining against me is that I may have been an accomplice." "No lawyer could have put that more clearly," replied Captain Gales. "Now, sir," Dave continued, bravely, "if the important letter of instructions, or even if only the envelope had been handed me, is it likely, sir, that I would have hidden it under my mattress, when I might as readily have burned it or dropped it overboard?" "Any clear-headed man, I admit," said the Captain, "would have destroyed the useless envelope sooner than have it found in his possession." "The only possible use to which the otherwise useless envelope could have been put, sir, was to incriminate me. Would I have saved the envelope and by so doing taken a chance that could only ruin me? Of what service could the letter be to me, sir? I could not take it ashore, sir, for instance, to dispose of it to the Mexican officials, who probably would pay handsomely to get hold of the American naval plans. I have not asked for shore leave, sir. May I ask, sir, how many officers received shore leave, and used it, after I returned to the ship?" "Only one, Darrin; that was Lieutenant Cantor." Dave bit his lips; he had not intended to try to direct suspicion from himself to any other officer. "So it might seem possible," mused Captain Gales, aloud, "that Lieutenant Cantor might have obtained the letter and turned over the envelope to you to destroy, Darrin. I am stating, mind you, only a possibility in the way of suspicion." "Lieutenant Cantor and I are not on friendly terms," Dave answered, quickly. Then once more he bit his lip. But the Old Man regarded him keenly, asking: "What is wrong between Cantor and yourself?" "I spoke too quickly, sir," Dave confessed, reddening slightly. "I have no complaint to make against Lieutenant Cantor. The one statement I feel at liberty to make is that an antipathy exists between Lieutenant Cantor and I. I would suggest, further, that Lieutenant Cantor, even had he stolen the letter, could have taken it only after his return on board. So that he had no opportunity to carry it ashore, had he been scoundrel enough to wish to do so." Captain Gales leaned back, blankly studying the bulk-head before him. Disturbing thoughts were now running in the Old Man's mind. "Cantor was in this room," mused Captain Gales, "and it was some time afterwards that I missed the envelope. Then, too, Cantor fairly begged for more shore leave, and told me that it was vital to him to be allowed further shore leave. Still, again, in the ward-room it was Cantor who suggested that the officers' quarters be searched. Can it be that Cantor is the scoundrel? I hate to believe it. But then I hate equally to believe that Darrin could have done such a treasonable thing as to steal a copy of our landing instructions, prepared by the admiral and sent aboard through the consular office, so that the Mexicans ashore would not observe a great deal of communication between our ships." After some moments of thought Captain Gales announced: "Darrin, this thing is one of the most complex puzzles I have ever been called upon to solve. Your conduct and answers have been straightforward, and I am unable to believe that you had any hand in the stealing or handling of that accursed envelope." "Thank you, sir!" Dave Darrin cried, in genuine gratitude. "At dinner in the ward-room to-night I shall have Commander Bainbridge make announcement before all your brother officers of what I have just said," continued Captain Gales. "You may go now." Yet, as he spoke, the captain rose and held out his hand. Dave grasped it, then saluted and turned away. His bearing, as he went to Dalzell's quarters, was as proud as ever, though in his mind Dave Darrin knew well enough that he was still under a cloud of suspicion that would never be removed entirely from his good name unless the real culprit should be found and exposed. "Moreover," Dave told himself, bitterly, "Cantor, if he is the one who has done this contemptible thing, may yet devise a way clever enough to convict me, or at least to condemn me in the service." At dinner, before the first course was served, Commander Bainbridge ordered the ward-room doors closed after the attendants had passed outside. Then he stated that Captain Gales wished it understood that the finding of the telltale envelope under Ensign Darrin's mattress was the only circumstance against that officer, and that, in the captain's opinion, it was wholly likely that some one else had placed the envelope there with the intention of arousing suspicion against the officer named. It was further stated that, in time, Captain Gales hopes to reach all the facts in the mystery. The Captain wished it understood, stated the executive officer, that it would have been so stupid on Ensign Darrin's part to have hidden the envelope where it was found that there was no good reason for believing that Ensign Darrin was guilty of anything worse than having an enemy. While this statement was being made Dave sat with his gaze riveted to the face of Lieutenant Cantor. The officer looked stolid, but his stolidity had the appearance of being assumed. There was instant applause from some of the officers. This, being heard by sailors on duty outside, started the rumor that the officers had heard that an immediate landing was to be made in Vera Cruz or at Tampico. Thus, the jackies forward had an exciting evening talking the prospects over. So Dave was not placed under charges, and the majority of his brother officers on the "_Long Island_" regarded the suspicion against him as being absurd. Yet Darrin knew that suspicion existed in some minds, and felt wretched in consequence. Meantime, the news reached the fleet, as it reached newspaper readers at home, that General Huerta was becoming daily more stubborn. Then came the news that the Mexican dictator's refusal had been made final and emphatic. "The house has passed a resolution justifying the President in employing the military and naval forces of the United States in whatever way he deems best in exacting satisfaction for the insult to the Flag at Tampico," spread through the ship on the evening of Monday, the 20th of April. From then on no one in the American fleet doubted that war with Mexico was soon to begin. It was all right, the "_Long Island's_" officers declared, to talk about a mere peaceful landing, but no doubt existed that the landing of American sailors and marines would mean the firing of the first shots by resisting Mexicans which Would provoke war. On the morning of the 21st of April the officers assembled in the ward-room as usual. "Gentlemen," said Commander Bainbridge, calmly, in a moment when the Filipino mess servants were absent, "the present orders are that the American naval forces land and occupy Vera Cruz this forenoon. Orders for the details have been made and will be announced immediately after breakfast. That is all that I have to say at present." That "all" was certainly enough. The blow for the honor of the Stars and Stripes was to be struck this forenoon. Instantly every face was aglow. Each hoped to be in the detail sent ashore. Then one young officer was heard to remark, in an undertone: "I'll wager that all I get is a detail to commissary duty, making up the rations to be sent ashore." Commander Bainbridge heard and smiled, but made no reply. Soon after breakfast the work cut out for each officer was announced. Dave Darrin and Dan Dalzell were both gleeful when informed that they were to go ashore in the same detachment of blue-jackets. Lieutenant Trent was to command them. "David, little giant," murmured Danny Grin, exultantly, "we appear to be under the right and left wings of that good men known as Fortune." "I'm ready for duty wherever I'm put," Dave answered, seriously. "None the less, I'm delighted that I'm ordered ashore." Lieutenant Cantor was greatly disappointed when he found that he was to remain aboard ship. Captain Gales had his own reasons for keeping that young officer away from shore. Under cover on the "_Long Island_" all was bustle, yet without a trace of confusion. Officers and men had been so thoroughly trained in their duties that now they performed them with clock-like regularity. It was a busy forenoon, yet no one observing the American fleet from the shore would have discovered any signs of unusual activity. From the Mexican custom house, from the post-office, the cable station, and from the grim old prison-fortress, San Juan de Ulloa, the Mexican flag flew as usual. In the streets of Vera Cruz natives and foreigners moved about as usual. Not even the Americans in Vera Cruz, except the consul, knew that this was the morning destined to become a famous date in American history. At about eleven o'clock boats began to be launched alongside the American men-of-war. Men piled quickly over the sides. In number one launch Lieutenant Trent, Ensigns Darrin and Dalzell and forty seaman, with rifles and two machine guns, put away. Lieutenant-Commander Denton and Lieutenant Timson of the Marine Corps put off in launches numbers two and three with sixty marines and forty bluejackets. From the other warships detachments put off at the same time. One cutter, occupied by fourteen marines, put off from one of the men-of-war and was rowed ashore at high speed. These men quickly landed at No.1 Dock. "There they land---they're unfurling the American Flag!" breathed Dave Darrin in his chum's ear. Another cutter landed at another dock; then a launch rushed in alongside. It came the turn of the first launch from the "_Long Island_" to move in to berth at No.1 Dock, and Trent piled his party ashore, the launch immediately afterward being backed out and turned back to the "_Long Island_." Within fifteen minutes a thousand marines and sailors had been landed. "But where is the Mexican resistance?" murmured Danny Grin, impatiently. "Where is the excuse that was to be furnished us for fighting?" That "excuse" was to come soon enough! _ |
||