“Well, you can consider yourself forgiven,” says Ashley, soothingly. “What’s up at Jibana? Anything special?”
“Yes; a rather important bit of work. This morning Capt. Alvarez, to give him the name he chooses to sail under, learned that a large force of insurgents under El Terredo were encamped somewhere between Cadoza and Jibana. He wired the fact to Havana and not ten minutes later received instructions to intercept a courier for the rebels who was on his way from Santiago to Jibana, presumably with dispatches to El Terredo. Although only his orderly, I am pretty close to Alvarez. The chap has taken quite a fancy to me, and to give him his due he is a devilishly clever fellow, with more pluck and fighting blood in him than a dozen Spaniards. American blood will tell, my boy.”
“Well, what’s the plan for the night?”
“This: We are to flag the train about a mile below Jibana and do the trick quietly, as the feeling about here is pretty strong against the Spanish; arrest the courier, secure the papers, and wire Havana that the road is clear, as I understand the dispatches relate to the big supply train which is on its way from the capital to Santiago. Truenos, you know, is shifting his headquarters to the latter city.”
“Then the supply train has already left Havana?”
“Presumably. The rebels at the Santiago end of the line got wind of the shipment, and have sent Don Carlos to put El Terredo onto the fact.”
“Don Carlos!” repeats Ashley, with a start that Barker does not notice; “and what disposition will you make of the prisoner?”
Barker shrugs his shoulders. “He will probably be honorably shot.”
“Unhappy youth!” murmurs Ashley.
“It is rather tough,” remarks Barker, coolly. “But it is the fortune of war.”