"A pity. If anything arouses the suspicion of the man there he can send a message to Bolivar in a few seconds and wreck the whole scheme. How is it he also is not a friend of yours?"
"His mother's cousin holds a good position in the administration, Excellency."
"That place shall be yours when I form my administration."
"Is it certain, Excellency," asked Espejo, "that the bridge beyond Santa Marta is mined?"
"I can trust my information on that point, and I am pretty sure that our coup here has not leaked through, thanks to Señor Machado's friend at the junction and our other precautions. There is one risk: that Señor de Mello has given information. It was a bad mistake of yours not to secure him, Espejo, and I am annoyed with you. But it cannot be helped. The only thing wanted to complete the perfection of our arrangements is to surprise the station at Santa Marta. How is it, Señor Machado, that you cannot find the hydroplane about which we have heard so much? If we had it, it would be quite easy to approach Santa Marta from the river; they would think it was the mad Englishman on one of his jaunts. If we could only capture the signalman there, and you took his place, we could quite rely on your ability to keep the people at Bolivar from becoming suspicious. I compliment you, señor, on your extreme ingenuity in conducting the communications with Bolivar during the past few days. It required a man of genius to prevent the railway people from smelling a rat."
"You do me too much honour, Excellency," said Machado, his gratification manifest in his tone of voice. "But I fear I can't keep it up for another day. I have to make so many excuses and explanations; and from the last two or three messages that have come through from Bolivar I can't help feeling that the people there are becoming uneasy."
"The more reason for striking at once. Why can't you find the hydroplane?" asked the General with some impatience.
"I have done my best, Excellency. I believe the negro knows where it is, but he is a perfect mule, and neither starvation nor whipping has any effect upon his stubbornness."
"Caramba! are there not other means of taming mules? Fetch the boy. We'll see."
Will heard Machado rise from his chair and open the door leading to the patio. José was staunch, then. Will set his teeth at the thought of the ill-usage the boy had had to endure. His clutch tightened on Azito's knife, and he scarcely heeded what passed between Carabaño and his lieutenant during the few seconds of Machado's absence.