“Jake, we owe you an apology for having thought you wrote that,” said Sam, frankly.
“Yes,” put in Darry. “We owe you an apology true enough. I guess you were locked up in the same old convent we were in,” he went on.
“I am going to proceed against Captain Sudlip without delay,” said Professor Strong. “We have a strong case against him and he shall suffer for his misdeeds.”
But though the professor spoke thus, to proceed was no easy matter. When the old convent was visited no trace of the ex-master of the Chester was to be found, nor could his whereabouts be traced from the Fairfax House. The Cuban who had driven the volante had likewise disappeared.
“Stumped!” said Darry, laconically. “He knows enough to keep shady. He won’t show himself until after we are gone, and neither will that rascally Cuban.”
Owing to what had occurred, it was resolved to remain in Havana for the balance of the week, and during the next few days all the boys spent a large part of their time in sight-seeing. They inspected Morro Castle, and a guide explained how it had been fortified during the Spanish-American War, and they also visited some of the other fortifications. Next came a trip to the post-office, treasury building, the military offices and the cathedral. At the latter place they were shown an urn said to contain the bones of Columbus.
“Are they really his bones?” asked Mark.
“More than likely,” answered Professor Strong. “Yet this statement has often been disputed. Some say the bones are in Spain and others that they are in South America. It matters little where his bones lie. The fame of Columbus will ever remain the same.”
After the visit to the cathedral came another to the public art gallery, and the museum, and they also visited both the Cuban and the English cemeteries, beautiful spots, with many tall and imposing monuments. They also drove out to Principe Castle and spent two days at other points in the suburbs.
A railroad runs from Havana, south-westward to Pinar del Rio, a distance of about a hundred miles, and it was decided that one day should be spent at this city, the most important in the extreme western section of Cuba. This railroad was formerly of small importance but since the dawn of Cuban liberty, matters have taken a brisker turn.