She was about to speak, when shouts and calls caused both to hurry outside. As might have been anticipated, General Yozarro and his party had speedily returned and had halted on the edge of the river, the President shouting his orders for Captain Ortega to return at once. The Major, standing beside the pilot house, could not deny himself the pleasure of answering for the other.
“The Captain is under my orders; he cannot obey you.”
“That is my boat!” howled General Yozarro; “return at once or suffer the consequences of your thievery.”
“I’ll suffer the consequences, but I am only borrowing it for a little while; you did not seem to be able to deliver Miss Starland to Zalapata, and I will do it myself; I place at your disposal the small boat we left behind.”
“I shall make known your crime to your government,” shouted the Dictator, for nothing better to say.
“I shall be glad; perhaps it would be better to lay it before The Hague Tribunal. The whole world will be interested in learning what a cowardly wretch calls himself President of the Atlamalcan Republic.”
CHAPTER XXIX.
