When the three had hastily reviewed the troubles they had passed through they decided unanimously to return to Colonel Marchand with such haste as was consistent with safety. They had important intelligence to bear, beside the fact that El Capitan was upon his track. Under the changed circumstances, they decided to take the captives with them, and of course Riva and his friend would keep along. While the don was very loath to see them depart, he knew it was their duty to go, and so he offered to send an escort of fifty men to conduct them on their way as far as might be deemed necessary. At first thought, Ronie felt like declining this, but he finally asked for an escort of ten men, who went with them until noon of the second day, when they turned back and the scouts kept on, reaching the encampment of the Venezuelan regiment that night in safety.
I need not describe the reception accorded our heroes by the impetuous colonel, any more than I need dwell upon the scenes that followed. The campaign had now opened in deadly earnest, and weeks of great activity and considerable fighting and skirmishing ensued. El Capitan rallying after a few days from his discomfiture at Isadora sought in every way to disconcert and capture the doughty Venezuelan regiment. In his efforts he was encouraged on every hand by the reports of the success of the insurgents in almost every section. First intelligence came of the capture of a town on the island of Margarita by the audacious cruiser Bolivar, erstwhile the Libertador, and earlier the Ban Righ. Close upon this, Castro's troops under Castillo were defeated near San Antonio. In May, reports of insurrections came in from every quarter. Castro suppressed two newspapers which had become pronounced against him, and in his lack of sufficient funds to carry on the war, levied a million bolivars from the widow of Guzman Blanco, the former president. Then the revolution broke out in the State of Bolivar, and after five days' fighting the president of the State was driven out of the capital. In June General Matos, encouraged by the success of his followers, announced a provincial government, with himself as president.
This bit of news reached Colonel Marchand at the close of a warm day's fight with his old-time enemy, El Capitan. As usual, it had been a draw game, and the colonel was sitting in his hammock feeling in anything but an amiable mood.
"By the soul of Bolivar!" he exclaimed, slapping his knee by way of emphasis, "he is like a ground mole, that runs for its hole the moment an enemy is in sight. I wish we might meet a foe worthy of our steel. Orderly, send for Sergeant Rand at once."
Ronie was with his friends, discussing the outcome of the recent meeting with the enemy, and deliberating upon their own fortunes since they had become comrades under Castro, when this order was given him.
"I wonder what this means?" he exclaimed. "Say to Colonel Marchand I will report at once."
Upon reaching the officer, the young sergeant found that he was anxious to send a message to President Castro, and at the same time to reconnoiter the country between them and the capital.
"Castro must take the field himself," declared our hero, in the course of the conversation. "If this growth of the insurgents is allowed to continue much longer his cause will become hopeless."
"By the soul of Bolivar! you are right, Sergeant Rand, and it is just what I want you to say to Castro himself. You can do it and not offend him, while I could not. You will go to him at once, taking as many men as you choose. I have only to instruct you to start as soon as may be."
"It shall be as you say, colonel. I desire to have only three companions, Señor Riva Baez and my countrymen, Harrie Mannering and Jack Greenland."