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Dave Darrin at Vera Cruz, a novel by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 22. Playing Birdman In War |
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_ CHAPTER XXII. PLAYING BIRDMAN IN WAR Unconsciously Ensign Dave Darrin swayed slightly, so close did the shower of bullets pass him. Then the reports of more than a score of American rifles rang out just as Danny Grin reached his chum's side. "Hurt, David, little giant?" asked Dan. "Not even touched, so far as I know," smiled Darrin. "Boatswain's mate, take a dozen men and leap into that house through the open window!" Lieutenant Trent called, sternly. Then the senior officer hurried over to the subordinate. "Did the rascals get you, Darrin?" demanded the lieutenant, anxiously. "I don't think so, sir," was the reply. "I don't believe I've a scratch." "It's a marvel," gasped Trent, after having taken a pocket electric light and by its rays examined the young ensign. "I believe every one of those Mexicans aimed at you." "It seemed so, sir," Dave laughed. Danny Grin had already gone, and without orders. The instant he was satisfied that his chum was uninjured Dalzell had leaped away in the wake of the party led by the boatswain's mate. Now Dan was climbing in through the window, helped by two seamen who had been left on guard outside. But the search of the house revealed only one dead Mexican, not in uniform, who had been killed by the sailormen's fire, and a trail of blood that must have been shed by the wounded enemy as they were carried away. "Bandits---Cosetta's men---not soldiers, this time," was Dan's instant guess. The miscreants and their wounded, as the blood trail showed, had escaped by way of the rear of the house. None were in sight by the time the Americans reached the back yard. "Shall we pursue, sir?" asked the boatswain's mate, saluting. "In what direction?" asked Dalzell, scanning the ground. "The rascals can run faster than we can follow a trail of blood. But you may go back to Lieutenant Trent, report just what we have found, and bring me his orders." "Lieutenant Trent believes that you are not likely to catch up with the fugitives, and there would be danger of running a handful of men into a cunning Mexican ambush," the petty officer reported, two minutes later. After that the night dragged slowly. Trent allowed some of his men to sleep in doorways an hour or so at a time, but there were enough sailormen awake to handle any sudden surprise or attack. At four in the morning Trent's command was relieved by a company of marines with two machine guns. Lieutenant Trent, under orders, marched his command back to a park in which tents had been pitched. Here, under blankets on the ground, the tired sailormen and their three officers were allowed to sleep until noon. By daylight of that day, Wednesday, the first detachment ashore had been strongly reinforced. There was still much sniping in the city, though now the firing came mostly from the rear of the town. Slowly, patiently, the Navy detachments pushed their way forward, attending to snipers and also searching houses for concealed arms and ammunition. In the course of this search hundreds of Mexicans were arrested. Even some very small boys were found with knives. On the third day the residents of the city were warned that all who possessed arms must take their weapons to the provost officer's headquarters. About nineteen hundred men, women and boys turned in their weapons, running all the way from the latest models of rifles down to century-old muskets. Soon after orders were issued that all natives found armed were to be executed on the spot. To the average American this might have seemed like a cruel order, but now the list of dead sailormen and marines had reached twenty-five, and there were scores of wounded American fighting men. Stern steps were necessary to stop the deadly sniping. Another day passed, and Vera Cruz, now completely occupied by the Americans, had ceased to be a battle ground. Now and then a solitary shot was heard, but in every instance the sniper was tracked down, and his fate provided another tenant for the Vera Cruz burying ground. Detachments were now posted even to the suburbs of the city. On the morning of the fifth day, just after Trent's detachment had been roused from a night's sleep in a park in the heart of Vera Cruz, orders came to the lieutenant that seemed to please him. "We are to march as soon as we have had breakfast," Trent told his two junior officers. "We are to take position a mile and a half south-west of the advanced line, and there wait to protect, if necessary, the Navy aviators, who are going out soon on a scouting flight. At the same time, we are to keep a lookout for the appearance of one of the airships that the Huerta forces are supposed to possess. If we see one, we are to try to get it with the machine guns or rifles. And here is a piece of news that may interest you youngsters. If requested by either of the Navy aviators, I am to allow one of my junior officers to go up in the airship to help with the preparation of field notes to be used in making a military map. If such a demand be made upon me, which of you young men shall be the one to go?" Ensigns Dave and Dan had turned glowing faces to Trent. Then they glanced at each other. A scouting trip in one of the Navy aircraft would be an unqualified delight to either. "Let Darrin go," urged Danny Grin. "I withdraw, in favor of Dalzell," spoke Dave, with equal quickness. "Which shall it be, then?" Trent demanded quizzically. "Dalzell," said Dave. "Darrin," decreed Danny Grin. "How am I to decide?" asked the lieutenant, smiling at the two eager faces. Then, suddenly he added: "I have it! Which excelled the other in map work at Annapolis?" "Darrin had the higher marks! I defy you to dispute that, David, little giant." As Danny Grin's statement was true, Dave could not dispute it, so be contented himself by saying: "Dalzell's map-work at Annapolis was good enough to suit any need around here, and I shall be glad to see Dalzell get the chance." "On that showing," returned Trent, "Darrin shall have the chance if it comes this way." After a quick meal the detachment was under way. In about an hour the position ordered had been taken. "Here comes the first Navy birdman!" cried Dan suddenly, pointing townward. Just appearing over the housetops, and soaring to an elevation of a thousand feet, came one of the huge hydro-aeroplanes in which Navy aviators had long been practicing for just such work as this. Capable of coming down and resting on the water, or of rising from the same, these aircraft were ideally suited to the work. Swiftly over Vera Cruz came the airship, then straight out over the advanced line, and next on toward the detachment beyond. "He isn't coming down," cried Danny Grin in a tone of genuine disappointment. "No chance for you on that one, Davy! Too bad!" Yet suddenly the rattling noise nearly overhead almost ceased as the engine was shut off. Then gracefully the craft voloplaned and touched the ground, just inside the detachment's line. "Great work, Bowers!" cried Trent, recognizing in the Navy birdman a former classmate at Annapolis. "Thank you, Trent. You have an officer, haven't you, to help me with field notes on this survey?" "I have two," smiled Trent, "but I am afraid I can spare only one. Lieutenant Bowers, Ensign Darrin. Hop aboard, Darrin!" In a twinkling Ensign Dave had shaken hands with the birdman, adding: "At your orders, sir!" Then Dave stepped nimbly up to the platform. "Take a seat beside me, with your field-glasses ready. Here's your field note-book." At a sign from Lieutenant Bowers, the eager sailormen parted in front of the airship, which, after a brief run, soared gracefully once more. Behind Lieutenant Bowers stood a sailor with a signal flag. "Step to the rear," Bowers directed, over his shoulder, "and wigwag back: 'O.K. Stopped only for assistant.' Sign, 'Bowers.' "Aye, aye, sir," answered the signalman. "Lieutenant Sherman's airship is rising from the harbor, sir," reported the signalman. "Very good," nodded Lieutenant Bowers, and kept his eyes on his course. "Darrin, are you taking all the observations necessary and entering them?" "Aye, aye, sir." "There's the railroad bridge about which the admiral was so anxious," said Bowers, presently. "You will note that the bridge stands, but the railroad tracks have been torn up." "Aye, aye, sir," Dave reported, after using his field glass. "That's one of the things we wanted to know," Bowers continued. "And keep an especially sharp lookout, Ensign, for any signs of Mexican forces, hidden or in the open." But, though Dare looked constantly, he saw no indications of the Mexican column with which General Maas had retreated. "Too bad about Cantor of your ship," murmured Lieutenant Bowers, a little later. "Though the forces have been searching for him for three or four days he can't be found anywhere. It must be fearful to be tried for treason to one's flag. I am hoping that Cantor will be brought in dead. Under such charges as he faces, there's more dignity in being dead." "Much more," Dave assented, in a low voice. On and on they flew. Once, when Dave sighted moving persons in the distance, Bowers drove the craft up to three thousand feet above the earth. But soon, under the glass, these suspects turned out to be a party of wretched refugees, hurrying, ragged, barefooted, starving, gaunt and cactus-torn, to safety within the American lines at Vera Cruz. For many miles Bowers's craft flew inland, and much valuable information was picked up, besides the data from which any naval draughtsman could construct a very good map of that part of the country. At last Lieutenant Bowers turned back. Suddenly Dave exclaimed, "Hullo! There are two men coming out of the adobe house ahead." The house in question was out about four miles beyond Trent's station. Dave kept his glass turned on the two men on the ground, at the same the trying to conceal the glass from their view. "They haven't rifles," he told Lieutenant Bowers. Then, as the aircraft passed and left the adobe house to the rear, Darrin bent over and whispered something in Bowers's ear that the signalman behind them could not hear. _ |
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