He threw open the throttle as far as it would go, and the engine answered to his touch like a race-horse to the whip. It seemed to spring from the track into the air. It quivered and shook like a live thing, and as it shot in between the soldiers they fell back on either side, and MacWilliams leaned far out of his cab-window shaking his fist at them.
"You got left, didn't you?" he shouted. "Thank you for the Mannlichers."
As the locomotive rushed out of the jungle, and passed the point on the road nearest to the Palms, MacWilliams loosened three long triumphant shrieks from his whistle and the sailors stood up and cheered.
"Let them shout," cried Clay. "Everybody will have to know now. It's begun at last," he said, with a laugh of relief.
"And we took the first trick," said MacWilliams, as he ran his engine slowly into the railroad yard.
The whistles of the engine and the shouts of the sailors had carried far through the silence of the night, and as the men came hurrying across the lawn to the Palms, they saw all of those who had been left behind grouped on the veranda awaiting them.
"Do the conquering heroes come?" shouted King.
"They do," young Langham cried, joyously. "We've got all their arms, and they shot at us. We've been under fire!"
"Are any of you hurt?" asked Miss Langham, anxiously, as she and the others hurried down the steps to welcome them, while those of the 'Vesta's' crew who had been left behind looked at their comrades with envy.
"We have been so frightened and anxious about you," said Miss Langham.