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Updated: June 20, 2025
The man who thus grossly insulted him was Martella, the deserter, who chuckled with delight when he heard the stinging answer given to General Yozarro by Miss Starland. The others were too interested in what was going on before them to observe the by-play.
"Martella, take charge of the other gun!" called the Major to the deserter, who, as quick as himself to note the danger, had stepped to the side of the second piece of ordnance. The two half-circles commanded by these included the whole horizon, a fact which General Yozarro and his comrades were not likely to forget.
The brief distance was quickly passed, and the three drew together on the edge of the river, just within the shadow. "The Captain is in the pilot house," whispered Martella, indicating the figure of a man who had seated himself; "but I don't think there are any others beside the engineer and firemen."
But during the absence of the American, the Captain had had a visitor, who did not step ashore, but helped in getting the boat under way, and showed by his action, that he meant to remain with them, if they did not object thereto. "Who is he?" asked Starland, at the first opportunity to speak privately to his friend. "Martella, a deserter from President Yozarro."
"The Captain is a wise man and has surrendered; Valentin, I want to make General Yozarro angrier than before," added Martella with a grin. "He cannot be any angrier than he has been ever since I gave him your message; but I accept the situation. He cannot condemn his men for being overpowered when he leaves them no weapons with which to fight. You needn't fret about the firemen or me "
"Martella, I am now ready to join you in capturing the tugboat." "Esta buena! Esta buena!" whispered the delighted fellow; "it makes no difference, if there is more risk, for we do not know how many they have left behind." "Hang the risk! Lead on!" In his eagerness, Martella took no pains to hide the noise of tearing through the jungle, and the next moment they emerged into the trail again.
Guzman and Martella came to the upper deck, where Major Starland was holding converse with Captain Ortega. "I wish," said the Major, speaking too low for the Captain to hear him, "you would find out how many are in the boat yonder. I make it six." The three gave several minutes to scrutiny and agreed there were seven, which was more than had been supposed.
This took place early in the afternoon, and, under the guidance of Martella, the three started inland over the trail that had been followed by the two ponies less than four and twenty hours before. While all doubt of the presence of his sister at the Castle had been removed, the young American officer did a big lot of thinking when tracing the path through the mountains.
"You know I am one of the firemen on the gunboat; it lies against the shore where we stopped last night when the Señoritas were brought here." This was the critical moment. If Captain Navarro had learned of the desertion of Martella, the life of the latter was not worth a moment's purchase, but in reality he knew nothing of it.
He had no trouble in persuading Martella to engage himself as one of the firemen on the Warrenia, for wages that were three-fold what he had received when he did receive them which was not often in his own country. Something in the nature of a compromise was made with Captain Guzman. He could not be induced to go so far as the great Republic of the North, but halted at Caracas.
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