“Young telegraph poles,” reproved Tom, laughing at Jack’s exaggeration.
The soldiers were quickly disembarked and right glad they were to get their feet on dry land again, although some of them looked misgivingly about them at their odd surroundings. They chattered like so many monkeys till ordered to fall in by their officers.
“What’s he telling them to do?” asked Tom of Silas, who understood some Spanish.
“He’s telling ’em to fall in. On the old Ohio——”
“Fall in? Fall in where?” demanded Tom with a cherubic look of innocence.
“Into the pool,” supplemented Jack with a wink at Tom. But Silas had stalked off full of offended dignity.
As he went he muttered something about what was done to “fresh kids” on the old Ohio.
Under Mr. Jameson’s guidance the troops marched off up the old stairway which, as Jameson had hinted, the Spaniards had used for dark purposes. The rest followed behind. The two boys, half wild with excitement, brought up the rear, having been admonished by Mr. Chadwick to keep out of danger. As for Jupe, he lay under his bunk. The red lights, the soldiers and the mysterious cave had been too much for him.
As they emerged into the stockade, the haggard-faced defenders of the place looked at them as if they had been angels from heaven. One of the men stated that through a peephole in the stockade he had seen the rebels outside massing as if to make a charge.
“Then we are just in time, laddie,” said Mr. Jameson. “Some of you mount the machine gun and open fire, then the troops will follow up. Give a few cheers, just to show them outside that you’ve got plenty of heart left in you.”