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Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants, a fiction by H. Irving Hancock |
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Chapter 20. An Officer And His Honor |
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_ CHAPTER XX. AN OFFICER AND HIS HONOR "I'm afraid you're as badly off as the hunter's dog," observed Lieutenant Hal coldly. "How is that?" "You're barking up the wrong tree." The purple-faced man looked searchingly into the clear, steady eyes of the young Army officer. Then he answered laughingly: "Oh, come, now. Don't try to keep me guessing too long, or I may lose my patience, and you may lose some money that you'd rather have. Up forward there's a stateroom, and the light is turned on in there. Just step into the stateroom, by yourself, and count--this." From a trousers pocket the purple-faced one had drawn a huge roll of bank-notes. Before Hal Overton could understand what was happening the stranger had pushed this roll of money into the young officer's hand. "That's only a starter--something down to prove good faith, you understand," whispered the stranger. "You--you _dog_!" cried Lieutenant Hal angrily. Swat! The compact roll of bank-notes struck the stranger in the face, then bounded to the floor at Hal's feet. The latter kicked the money away from him. "You needn't be so huffy about it," grumbled the other. "As I told you, that money is only a deposit paid down." "You'll go down, if you try anything more like that," uttered Lieutenant Hal wrathfully. "Ah, now, see here, don't be a fool," urged the stranger huskily. "I don't want to spend a lot of time behind bars or too much in the courts either. Now, all you'll have to do will be to help me frame a yarn that we can both----" "Stop! I think I've heard about enough from you," warned Lieutenant Overton angrily. "But, you idiot, I can offer you more money than you'll make in twenty years of soldiering!" "Perhaps you can, but you needn't bother. Do you imagine, fellow, that an Army officer's honor is of so little importance to him that he'll sell it to a higher bidder. Now, I've had enough of you. Get out of here." As Hal spoke he unfastened his belt and tossed it on to a seat at the side. It was his intention to call his brother officers into the cabin during the trip back. But at that moment Noll showed in the doorway. "Lieutenant Overton, Mr. Halstead is inquiring whether you are ready with further orders." That brought Hal to his feet, and also to the realization that both motor boats would have to be manned. Indeed, he would have to give a few moments of thought about the return to the American shore. Hastily joining his brother officers on deck, Hal also called to Prescott, who placed a chair for the young woman and then joined the group. "Prescott," Hal began, "I don't imagine that the capture of this craft is warrant for our abandoning river guard for the rest of the night. The 'Restless,' I take it, must continue the patrol until other orders are received." "Undoubtedly," nodded Prescott. "Therefore, it's my intention, with a few of our men, to take this prize into Agua Dulce. The remainder of the officers and men ought to remain aboard the 'Restless.' Now, as that boat belongs to the Thirty-seventh for the present I shall have to leave Terry in command in my absence, though yourself and Holmes are clearly the ranking officers here." "There isn't anything else that can be done," agreed Lieutenant Prescott. "And believe me, my dear fellow, Holmes and I are not disturbed over seeing the command in the hands of officers whom we just happen to rank." Hal, therefore, ordered his own sergeant and six men to remain on the prize, while the rest of the military party stepped over on to the "Restless." The two craft thereupon parted. "Sergeant," ordered Overton, "you will see that this helmsman steers a straight course for Agua Dulce. Don't stand any nonsense from him. See that the start is made at once." Just then Lieutenant Hal recalled the fact that he had left belt and revolver on a seat in the cabin. He went there, promptly, picked up the belt and buckled it on. "Are you ready to talk business with me, now?" demanded the purple-faced one, in a low voice. "I don't believe I care to have anything more to do with you," Hal retorted stiffly. "Oh, go ahead and ruin me, then," snarled the stranger. Hal, ascending to the deck, spoke to a soldier standing there. "Rainsford, see that the man in the cabin does not come up on deck," Hal directed. "Keep your eye on him as the most important prisoner on this prize craft." The purple-faced man stared after Hal Overton's retreating form. "So you wouldn't come to terms, eh?" demanded the fellow, under his breath. "You'd rather ruin me. Two or three years in prison will ruin me, just at present, for my affairs will go to smash if I have to drop behind bars for a while. And if the government of Mexico finds that I have been helping the _insurrectos_ it will mean total loss to me, perhaps, where my properties are situated in other parts of Mexico. And you, young whippersnapper in shoulder straps, you talked to me of your honor. Well, I'll pitchfork that honor of yours!" The purple-faced man laughed harshly. He was in a deadly frame of mind. Presently two soldiers came down, halting in the cabin doorway. "We are ready, sir," spoke one of them. "Ready for what?" jeered the stranger. "Have you come to shoot me?" "We're nearing the dock at Agua Dulce, sir, and the lieutenant sent us to get you and make sure that you don't try to escape." "I'll be bound that you won't give me any chance to get away," jeered the fellow. "No, sir," answered the soldier gravely. The Mexican helmsman proved that he was no mean boat-handler. He ran in alongside the dock, making nearly as fine a landing as Skipper Tom Halstead himself could have done. Lieutenant Hal waited only long enough for Corporal Shimple to send over two men from the tug in a row-boat to stand guard over the motor boat prize. Then, with his own boat squad, and leaving behind only the dead and the wounded Mexican, the Army boy marched his prisoners by a route that led around the village instead of through it. Captain Foster had lain down, fully dressed, prepared to be called at any moment. He now came forth from his tent. He heard Lieutenant Hal's brief report with few interruptions. "Your name, sir?" demanded Foster, turning to the purple-faced one. "James D. Ruggles," came the surly answer. "I hope you are giving your correct name." [Illustration: "That's the Money!"] "Why shouldn't I? If I gave you a wrong name there are plenty of people hereabouts who could soon set you straight." "Your business, Mr. Ruggles?" "Owner of mines in Mexico." "Any in the _insurrecto_ district?" pursued Captain Foster. "Yes. That's why----" Ruggles checked himself suddenly. "You are not required to confess or incriminate yourself, unless you want to," Captain Foster advised the prisoner. "However, I imagine that the cargo of the boat and your actions to-night will furnish all the evidence against you that are needed. Mr. Ruggles, I shall have to hold you and your Mexican companions until I am advised what to do with you. There is no charge against your daughter. She may go to the hotel in Agua Dulce, if you wish. I will see to it that she is properly escorted." "If you will be so good, Captain," answered Ruggles huskily. "But where shall I sleep to-night?" "On a cot in the guard-tent, sir. I am sorry, but that is the best that we can do." Meta Ruggles began to weep softly over her father's trouble and disgrace. Sergeant Raney, therefore, escorted her from camp as soon as he could persuade her to start for the village. Raney was also directed to send an undertaker for the body of the dead Mexican, and a local physician to look after the wounded one. "You are going to sit here for a while, Captain?" inquired Ruggles. "I think I shall." "Then may I sit with you a few minutes before I am marched off to the guard-tent?" "Certainly." Hal had stepped into the tent shared in common by the officers. Ruggles, who had bitten the end from a cigar and had lighted the weed, now leaned over to whisper to Captain Foster: "Has the young man had chance to give you a word or two of explanation yet?" "What young man?" demanded Captain Foster, turning to look at Ruggles. "Why, the officer who marched us over here." "Lieutenant Overton?" "Certainly. Has he told you anything? I mean about how this whole business is to be fixed so as to keep me out of it altogether?" "What on earth are you talking about?" demanded Captain Foster, who was now wondering whether his ears had played him a trick. "Why, it's all settled," murmured Ruggles. "I turned the money over to your chap, Overton, and he told me it would be all fixed. I'm not to be held or prosecuted in this matter. The trouble is all to fall on the Mexicans." "I wish I knew what you were talking about," cried Captain Foster. "Why, it's plain enough, Captain. I paid the money over to your lieutenant, and he and you were to fix it so I could slide out of the matter and keep my name out, too. I paid Overton the five thousand dollars, which he said would be enough for you both and that it would be all right." "Mr. Overton!" called Captain Foster gasping. But Hal did not have to be summoned. He had heard Ruggles's last statement from the doorway of the officers' tent. "Here I am, sir," cried Lieutenant Hal, coming forward, "and I overheard that lying hound! What this fellow, Ruggles, is telling you, Captain, is wholly false." "I know it, Overton, I know it," cried Captain Foster, who had sprung to his feet. "Am I to be flimflammed, after paying the money in good faith?" demanded Ruggles. "See here, Captain, I drew twenty thousand dollars, in twenty bills, at the bank this afternoon. That I can easily prove, of course. Nor can any one on earth prove that I have spent any of that money, for, as it happens, I had the cashier at the bank take the numbers of the thousand-dollar bills. In this envelope, sir, you will find fifteen of the bills left. The numbers of the missing bills can be proved, and the missing bills you will find in the possession of your lieutenant." "It's a cowardly lie!" blazed thunderstruck Hal, leaping forward. But Captain Foster pushed him gently back. "I haven't a doubt that it's a lie, Overton, my boy," replied Foster. "Yet don't get too excited, or try to use violence on your accuser. Remember that I am simply bound to hear any complaint that may be preferred against any officer in my command. Be cool, Overton, and be sure that no harm can come to you if you are innocent, as I am certain that you are. Here is your envelope, Mr. Ruggles. I have looked over the contents, which are, as you state, fifteen one-thousand-dollar bills." "And the other bills you will find on this lieutenant. Though, wait a moment. He has just been in his tent. He may have hidden the money there." "If it's true that you handed this lieutenant money, Mr. Ruggles, what did he do with it when he first received it?" asked Foster. "I don't know, Captain, except that he went forward into the stateroom to look it over. He didn't have it in his hand when he came out of the stateroom." "You----" quivered Hal. "Easy, Overton, lad," admonished the captain. "Nothing is proved by calling another hard names. Take that chair, Mr. Overton, and wait until Sergeant Raney returns." Pausing by the chair, before dropping into it, Hal faced his captain to say: "I beg, sir, that you will order a search at once. I offer my person, my baggage--everything to be searched." "I will have Sergeant Raney do it as soon as he returns," Captain Foster assured the angry young officer. "Raney is a wholly discreet fellow." In time Sergeant Raney returned. He looked somewhat surprised when, after being taken into the officers' tent with his two superiors and Ruggles, Raney was ordered to begin a careful search of the lieutenant. Captain Foster stood where he could instantly have detected any effort that the Army boy might have made to throw any thing away. Hal's first act was to unfasten his belt, and drop it, revolver and all, upon a chair. Then he straightened up, very white from the humiliation, yet absolutely sure, of course, that nothing damaging could be found upon him. Sergeant Raney went systematically through the young officer's pockets, searched for a money belt and failed to find one, explored his young officer's socks and shoes and even searched Hal's hatband. "Now, the cartridge-box and revolver holster, Sergeant," insisted Captain Foster. "And after that whatever baggage the young man may have," breathed Ruggles. "Also his bedding and----" "Peace, sir!" commanded Captain Foster. "Wait until----" Sergeant Raney, having opened Hal's revolver holster, now extracted a crumpled mass of folded bills! "That's the money!" cried Ruggles, as Captain Foster unfolded the bills. "Read out the numbers, Captain, and we'll all take notes. I'll prove by the bank that this was my money earlier in the day!" _ |
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