Where Duty Called; or, In Honor Bound

by George Waldo Browne

"Keep on for the boat!" cried Jack, who felt that it would be fatal for them to stop now. So they sped ahead, with Manuel sprinting his best to overtake them, and the armed posse behind madly pursuing.

They were soon close down to the boat, drawn up on the white sand, out of the reach of the water, and then Ronie and Jack, panting for breath, stopped beside it.

"Quick! push it out into the water," said Jack, seizing upon the gunwale and giving the object a furious shove toward the tide. Ronie had already caught upon the boat, and together they sent it forward more than its length in the twinkling of an eye. But the short delay enabled Manuel to overtake them, so, as the boat floated on the water, he sprang into the stern. There were a pair of oars in the bottom, and Jack and Ronie each took one of these, to begin to send the light craft flying across the narrow bay, while the Venezuelan steered for the opposite shore.

Renewed cries from their pursuers reached their ears in the midst of this flight, and another volley of shot followed them. But the latter proved as ineffectual as the first, and glancing back a few minutes later, Manuel gave expression to a chuckle of delight, while he said:

"We've outstripped them, señors. There is not another boat they can get in season to follow us before we reach the land."

Nothing further was said until the keel of the boat grated on the sand, when Ronie and Jack jumped out upon the land, closely followed by Manuel. The shadowy forms of their enemies could be discerned upon the other side of the water, but feeling comparatively safe from them, our twain turned to their guide for such suggestion as he might have to offer. It was a beautiful tropical night, the full, round moon of the South, now fairly above the horizon, was gliding over a sky of cloudless blue, having already driven the stars into the background of space, so that only Venus, the zone of Orion and the brilliant radii of the Southern Cross were visible.

Away from their feet stretched the silvery mirror of the sea, marking the meridian of the moon. So calm and silent lay the deep water that a satellite sky seemed carved from its azure depths. Upon the other hand, the country, growing more and more broken in the distance, lay clothed in its tropic verdure as silent and mysterious as the Blue Water Empire. The beauty of nature, however, had no attraction for Manuel Marlin, who felt that his life was at stake, and only swift flight could save him.

"A friend of mine, living a short distance from here, has a couple of horses you can get," he said. "I shall not need one," he added, seeing their looks of inquiry, "as I shall not go very far. I have friends who will afford me protection until this shall blow over."

Then he led the way up from the shore and along a path at times nearly choked with the overhanging growth, until they finally reached the home of a planter. After considerable trouble Manuel succeeded in rousing the owner, who did not appear in very good humor at being thus disturbed. But as soon as he understood the errand of his untimely caller he became more genial. Would he let the Americanos have horses to carry important news to the revolutionists near Caracas? Most assuredly he would for so important a purpose! It will be noticed that Manuel did not try to stick very near to the truth in the matter, and neither of our friends felt like correcting him under the circumstances.

Finally the planter ordered out a couple of peons, who soon brought forward a pair of small, but hardy ponies, which their owner declared were good for all that might be required of them. Leaving Manuel to arrange for the loan of them in such a manner as he thought best, Ronie and Jack sprang into the saddles and prepared to start upon their long and hazardous journey.