Therewasapause,andtherifleofthesergeantwavered。Whenhespokehistonewasoneofdisappointment。
\"Heisascout,ridingalone,\"hesaid。
\"Heisanofficer,\"returnedthesharp-shooter,excitedly。\"Theothersfollow。Weshouldfirenowandgivethesignal。\"
\"Heisnoofficer,heisascout,\"repeatedthesergeant。\"Theyhavesenthimaheadtostudythetrailandtoseekus。Hemaybealeagueinadvance。IfweshootHIM,weonlywarntheothers。\"
Chestertonwaswithinfiftyyards。Afteranexcitedandanxioussearchhehadfoundthematch-boxinthewrongpocket。Theeyesofthesharp-shooterfrownedalongthebarrelofhisrifle。Withhischinpressedagainstthestockhewhisperedswiftlyfromthecornerofhislips,\"Heisanofficer!Iamaimingwherethestrapcrosseshisheart。Youaimathisbelt。Wefiretogether。\"
TheheatofthetropicnightandthestrenuousgallophadcoveredElCapitanwithalatherofsweat。Thereinsuponhisneckdrippedwithit。ThegauntletswithwhichChestertonheldthemwerewet。
Asheraisedthematchboxitslippedfromhisfingersandfellnoiselesslyinthetrail。Withanexclamationhedroppedtotheroadandtohisknees,andgropinginthedustbegananeagersearch。
Thesergeantcaughtattherifleofthesharpshooter,andpresseditdown。
\"Look!\"hewhispered。\"HeISascout。Heissearchingthetrailforthetracksofourponies。Ifyoufiretheywillhearitaleagueaway。\"
\"Butifhefindsourtrailandreturns——\"
Thesergeantshookhishead。\"Ilethimpassforward,\"hesaidgrimly。\"Hewillneverreturn。\"
Chestertonpounceduponthehalf-buriedmatchbox,andinapaniclesthemightagainloseit,thrustitinsidehistunic。
\"Littledoyouknow,ElCapitan,\"heexclaimedbreathlessly,ashescrambledbackintothesaddleandliftedtheponyintoagallop,\"whatanarrowescapeIhad。Ialmostlostit。\"
Towardmidnighttheycametoawoodenbridgeswingingabovearavineinwhichamountainstream,fortyfeetbelow,splashedoverhalf-hiddenrocks,andthesteppingstonesoftheford。Evenbeforethecampaignbeganthebridgehadoutliveditsusefulness,andtheunwontedburdenofartillery,andthevibrationsofmarchingmenhadsoshakenitthatitswayedlikeahouseofcards。
Threatenedbyitsownweight,atthemercyofthefirsttropicstorm,ithungadeathtrapfortheonewhofirstaddedtoitsburden。
NosoonerhadElCapitanstruckitsquarelywithhisfourhoofs,thanherearedand,whirling,sprangbacktothesolidearth。ThesuddennessofhisretreathadallbutthrownChesterton,butheregainedhisseat,anddiggingtheponyroughlywithhisspurs,pulledhisheadagaintowardthebridge。
\"Whatareyoushyingat,now?\"hepanted。\"That\'saperfectlygoodbridge。\"
Foraminutehorseandmanstruggledforthemastery,thehorsespinninginshortcircles,themanpulling,tugging,urginghimwithkneesandspurs。Thefirstroundendedinadraw。ThereweretwomoreroundswiththeadvantageslightlyinfavorofElCapitan,forhedidnotapproachthebridge。
Thenightwaswarmandtheexertionviolent。Chesterton,puzzledandannoyed,pausedtoregainhisbreathandhistemper。Belowhim,intheravine,theshallowwatersofthefordcalledtohim,suggestingapleasantcompromise。Heturnedhiseyesdownwardandsawhangingoverthewaterwhatappearedtobeawhitebirduponthelowerlimbofadeadtree。Heknewittobeanorchid,anespeciallyrareorchid,andheknew,also,thattheorchidwasthefavoriteflowerofMissArmitage。Inamomenthewasonhisfeet,andwiththereinsoverhisarm,wasslippingdownthebank,draggingElCapitanbehindhim。Herippedfromthedeadtreethebarktowhichtheorchidwasclinging,andwithwetmossandgrasspackeditinhisleathercameracase。Thecameraheabandonedonthepath。Healwayscouldbuyanothercamera;hecouldnotagaincarryawhiteorchid,pluckedintheheartofthetropicsonthenightpeacewasdeclared,tothegirlheleftbehindhim。FollowedbyElCapitan,nosingandsnuffinggratefullyatthecoolwaters,hewadedtheford,andwithhiscameracaseswingingfromhisshoulder,gallopeduptheoppositebankandbackintothetrail。
Aminutelater,thebridge,unabletorecoverfromthedeathblowstruckbyElCapitan,wentwhirlingintotheravineandwasbrokenupontherocksbelow。Hearingthecrashbehindhim,Chestertonguessedthatinthejungleatreehadfallen。
TheyhadstartedatsixintheafternoonandhadcoveredtwentyofthefortymilesthatlaybetweenAdhuntasandMayaguez,when,justattheoutskirtsofthetinyvillageofCaguan,ElCapitanstumbled,andwhenhearosepainfully,heagainfellforward。
Caguanwasalittlechurch,alittlevine-coveredinn,adozenone-
storyadobehousesshininginthemoonlightlikewhitewashedsepulchres。Theyfacedagrass-grownplaza,inthecentreofwhichstoodagreatwoodencross。Atonecornerofthevillagewasacorral,andinitmanyponies。AtthesightChestertongaveacryofrelief。Alightshowedthroughtheclosedshuttersoftheinn,andwhenhebeatwithhiswhipuponthedoor,fromtheadobehousesotherlightsshone,andwhite-cladfiguresappearedinthemoonlight。ThelandlordoftheinnwasaSpaniard,fatandprosperous-looking,butforthemomenthisfacewaseloquentwithsuchdistressandmiserythattheheartoftheyoungman,whowasatpeacewithalltheworld,wentinstantlyouttohim。TheSpaniardwaslesssympathetic。Whenhesawthekhakisuitandthecampaignhathescowled,andungraciouslywouldhaveclosedthedoor。Chesterton,apologizing,pusheditopen。Hispony,heexplained,hadgonelame,andhemusthaveanother,andatonce。
Thelandlordshruggedhisshoulders。Thesewerewartimes,hesaid,andtheAmericanofficercouldtakewhatheliked。TheyinCaguanwerenoncombatantsandcouldnotprotest。Chestertonhastenedtoreassurehim。Thewar,heannounced,wasover,andwereitnot,hewasnoofficertoissuerequisitions。Heintendedtopayforthepony。HeunbuckledhisbeltandpoureduponthetableahandfulofSpanishdoubloons。Thelandlordloweredthecandleandsilentlycountedthegoldpieces,andthencallingtohimtwoofhisfellow-villagers,crossedthetinyplazaandenteredthecorral。
\"TheAmericanpig,\"hewhispered,\"wishestobuyapony。Hetellsmethewarisover;thatSpainhassurrendered。Weknowthatmustbealie。Itismoreprobableheisadeserter。Heclaimsheisacivilian,butthatalsoisalie,forheisinuniform。You,Paul,sellhimyourpony,andthenwaitforhimatthefirstturninthetrail,andtakeitfromhim。\"
\"Heisarmed,\"protestedtheonecalledPaul。
\"Youmustnotgivehimtimetodrawhisrevolver,\"orderedthelandlord。\"YouandPedrowillshoothimfromtheshadow。Heisourcountry\'senemy,anditwillbeinagoodcause。Andhemaycarrydespatches。IfwetakethemtothecommandanteatMayaguezhewillrewardus。\"
\"Andthegoldpieces?\"demandedtheonecalledPaul。
\"Wewilldividetheminthreeparts,\"saidthelandlord。