He turned eagerly to the Camera Chap. “I trust, sir, that if anything was lacking before to convince you of the necessity of giving up your venture, this will remove your last doubt. We have, now, new reason to hope that the life of our beloved president will be spared for some days. Portiforo will not take any desperate step unless he is spurred on to do so by the fear that his secret has leaked out. We can truly say that our fate lies in your hands, and we throw ourselves upon your generosity.”
“And upon your sense of honor as well,” the señora supplemented quickly. “You gave us your promise, Mr. Hawley, that if we could assure you that we had a plan more promising than yours, you would leave Baracoa immediately.”
“But I am not sure that your plan is more promising than mine,” Hawley replied, with a smile. “Don’t think that I’m trying to evade you, but I must remind you that your friend Rodriguez has tried his revolution once and failed. What guarantee have we that he will succeed this time? And even if he does make good with his revolution, how is he going to get President Felix out of El Torro? I don’t see why there wouldn’t be just the same objection to his plan as to mine. The revolutionists may capture the fortress, but——” He paused significantly.
The señora was about to make a reply when there came a startling interruption. Pedro, the aged servitor, who had departed from the room after delivering Doctor Picard’s note, now came rushing in, without going through the formality of knocking. He was in a state of great excitement. His eyes were rolling, and his face was almost white.
“Master,” he gasped, “the house is surrounded by soldiers. There are two of them knocking at the front door now.”
A faint cry of alarm escaped from the señora. She seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Doctor Bonsal’s face had turned very pale, and the Camera Chap saw that he was shaking as though suddenly seized with a chill. His lips moved as though he were about to speak, but no words came from them.
Hawley, the only cool member of the group, was the first to break the silence. “Pardon me for suggesting it, doctor,” he said, as a sound of a violent pounding came to his ears, “but wouldn’t it be a good idea to find out what those fellows want? From the way they are going at it, if you don’t answer them pretty soon, they’ll have the door in splinters.”
The physician made a heroic attempt to pull himself together. “I think I know what they want, without asking them,” he said, with a grim smile. “But you are right; nothing is to be gained by keeping them waiting. I will go and attend to them.”
He made a step toward the door, but the señora intercepted him. “Not you!” she protested frantically. “You must not go to them. It is for you that they have come. You must find some way of escaping from the house.”
The old man shrugged his shoulders. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, my dear friend,” he replied, now quite calm. “Did you not say, Pedro, that the house was surrounded by soldiers?”