One evening while Jack1 and Mr. Ryder were partaking of one of Tom Why’s elaborate meals, Phil Underwood, the young American whose duty it was to take care of the huge[140] searchlight, rushed into the dining room.
“Mr. Ryder,” he exclaimed with a savage5 note in his voice, “there’s a peon in Necaxa I’d like to lay hands on. He’s that blasted sympathizer. If I knew who he was I’d choke him to death. What do you think he’s done now to help that bunch of cutthroats out there in the mountain? He’s put the big searchlight out of business! He’s wrecked6 the entire outfit7 and there isn’t a place this side of New York where we can get the broken parts replaced! It looks as if we were up against it for sure.”
The engineer looked thoroughly8 worried.
“When did it happen?” he demanded.
“The light was all right up to dawn this morning. I shut it off promptly9 at four o’clock, put the canvas jacket over it and went to bed. When I tried to start it a few moments ago I found the whole mechanism10 gone to smash.”
For a long time Mr. Ryder was silent. His brow was wrinkled and it was evident to both Phil and Jack that the situation was causing him some deep thought. Finally he spoke11.
[141]
“Look here, Phil, this condition is mighty12 serious and I am at a loss to know exactly how to proceed. I think the best plan is not to mention this last piece of treachery. Merely go to Lieutenant13 Hernandez and tell him that the searchlight suddenly became out of order and until we can repair it or make better arrangements he must keep a double guard along the barricade14 and the first trench15. If we spread the news about this broadcast we can’t tell what sort of an effect it will have on the soldiers. Mexicans are a peculiar16 lot, you know, and for that reason alone I think it would be far better for us to keep this incident secret. In the meantime you and Jack and myself can keep a watchful17 eye on everything in general and I’ll try to work out a plan for an improvised18 searchlight.”
“Very good, sir,” said Phil, as he hurried off to the military barracks.
When the youth had gone Mr. Ryder turned to Jack and said: “I trust you are still willing to help me in this difficulty, my boy.”
“You’re right I am,” exclaimed Jack enthusiastically, “I am as much interested as if[142] I were employed here and I’ll do anything I can to be of assistance.”
“Very well then, Jack, I’ll look to you to do a man’s share of the watching around here until we can get things straightened out. This trouble with the searchlight may mean that a night attack is impending19. I purpose doing some guard duty myself to-night and I should like to have you help me out. Will you?”
“Only tell me what you want of me and I’ll do it without a word of protest,” said Jack loyally.
“Well, suppose you buckle20 on your revolver now and start patroling the village. Keep an eye out for anything that does not look absolutely normal. At midnight report back to the cottage here and wake me up. I’ll do my trick between midnight and dawn, for I do not intend that this traitor shall get in any more of his underhanded work without being caught at it.”
“That’s a capital scheme,” said the young Vermonter and finishing his coffee he hurried to his room. There he secured his belt and[143] holster which he had tossed on his bed an hour previous. Also before he left he rummaged21 through his traveling bag until he had located a tiny electric pocket flash lamp which he had brought with him all the way from Drueryville. Ten minutes later he was sauntering down the single narrow street toward the power plant.
Darkness was just coming on as the sentries22 were changed and the lad watched the small squad23 of regulars leave the barracks and take their places at various points around the tiny village.
“I wonder,” mused24 the boy, “how many actually keep awake all night? I’ll warrant half of them find some sheltered spot and go to sleep after midnight.”
For an hour or two the little community resembled the quarry25 towns of far off Vermont to such a degree that Jack actually became a little homesick as he viewed the scene. Every cottage window glowed with cheerful light and the day men, free from their tasks for a while, were indulging in the only sociability26 Necaxa afforded: that was to gather in twos and[144] threes on cottage porches and spend the evening in telling stories and smoking. Now and then some one of these groups would burst forth27 in songs and what the tunes28 lacked in harmony was made up for in the enthusiasm of the singers. Most of the songs Jack recognized as having been popular back in the States two years before.
At half past nine the groups began to dwindle29, the men going off to their various cottages. One by one the lights went out and by ten o’clock the place was in total darkness, save for the lights in the power plant. Jack felt very lonesome then. Except for the steady grumble30 of the generators31 inside the big gray building, not a sound disturbed the stillness. From place to place about the village the youth roamed, peering here and there for signs of trouble. But mostly he watched in the vicinity of the power plant.
This constant vigil was very tiresome32, however, and several times he paused in a secluded33 angle of the building and flashed his electric lamp on the face of his watch. He was thoroughly[145] glad when the hands pointed34 out the hour of midnight.
He made one more tour of inspection35 after that, then started up the street toward Mr. Ryder’s cottage. He had almost reached his destination when suddenly his attention was attracted by a gray shadow moving between two cottages some distance to his left. Jack remembered that both buildings were occupied by Mexican linemen and his suspicions were aroused immediately. As softly as a panther he moved across the roadway and gained the corner of one of the buildings. The shadow still lingered in the alley36 and the youth softly slipped his revolver from its holster. But just as he was on the point of calling to the man to throw up his hands he became aware of another gray shadow moving about. This one was coming stealthily up the roadway he had just left and Jack thanked his lucky stars that he had hidden himself when he did.
It was quite evident to the Vermonter that the two shadows intended to meet, but in order[146] to accomplish this either one or the other must pass within six feet of him. For a moment he scarcely knew what to do, for he realized that he could not handle two men at once.
The man in the alley had paused, but the one in the roadway came forward softly and swiftly. When he was within fifteen feet of the crouching37 youth Jack could see him quite distinctly. He wore a very broad hat and the tight jacket of a rurale. Of a rurale! Instantly the old Indian doctor’s story about a rurale with an injured foot flashed upon him! This must be the man of the scarred heel!
Throwing all caution to the wind, Jack dropped his revolver and leapt toward the shadowy figure. It was a perfect flying tackle and the man came down with a crash, his legs pinned tightly together, exactly as Jack had pinned the legs of many an opposing fullback on the field at Drueryville.
The attack was so sudden that the man lay stunned38 for a moment. Then as if he suddenly realized that it was a human being and not a vice39 that had gripped him, the soldier began to struggle. He tried to kick and squirm[147] his way out of the boy’s arms, at the same time thrashing about with his fists and cursing lustily in Spanish. He was a big man and exceedingly powerful and Jack had all that he could do to hold him on the ground.
The lad had the advantage, however, since the native was almost flat on his stomach. By careful maneuvering40 and the help of two or three wrestling holds that are known to every American boy he was soon able to work himself astride the prostrated41 one and pin the refractory42 hands down as well. This accomplished43, the youth began to shout for help at the top of his voice.
Mr. Ryder was first on the scene. He came running across from his cottage, a revolver in one hand and an electric flash lamp in the other. The Mexican linemen came tumbling out of their cottages a few moments later and immediately after two Mexican regulars arrived, all out of breath.
“Well, I think we’ve captured our man,” said Jack, panting in his excitement. “Here, lay hold of this fellow, so I can stand up.”
The soldiers seized the prostrated one but[148] they still kept him pinned flat on his stomach, in spite of his protests.
“Mr. Ryder,” said Jack, “I think this is the man with the scarred foot. Turn your light this way until we have a good look at his feet. He hasn’t any boots on, that’s certain, for he moved about like a cat.”
Hurriedly the engineer turned the light on the native’s naked feet and there, standing44 out plainly in spite of the dirt and dust, was a long scar that extended across the heel and partly up the side of his foot toward the ankle. The wound looked exactly as if the man had at one time stepped on a very sharp stone that had laid the flesh open to the bone.
“By George, you’re right! He’s our man!” exclaimed the engineer jubilantly. Then to the soldiers in Spanish he said:
“Hustle him off to the guardhouse, men, and put a double watch over him, for he’s a traitor. I’ll pay a peso a day to the men who watch him, but I’ll have the scoundrel shot who lets him get away.”
Without any ceremony the regulars jerked the big man to his feet and marched him off[149] down the street, Mr. Ryder and Jack following directly behind with their revolvers cocked and ready for action. But the heavy door to the prison pen had hardly been bolted behind the rurale when the town was aroused by another sensation. From down along the line of barbed wire fence came the sharp report of a rifle. The first report was followed by two others in quick succession.
“What is it! An attack!” gasped45 Jack as he rushed forward with Mr. Ryder. The sound of firing aroused every man in the camp and in an instant half-clad soldiers and workmen came tumbling from barracks hall and cottage.
But after the third shot the sentry47’s guns were silent so long that Mr. Ryder and Jack and Lieutenant Hernandez and Captain Alvarez went to investigate.
“What was the trouble?” they demanded of the first soldier they met.
“Shadows came along the fence. Three, four, five of them all came to try and cut the[150] wire. One dropped this,” said the sentry as he held up an ugly looking machette.
“That’s mighty bad news,” said Mr. Ryder, “for it looks to me as if the rebels are planning an attack. But we’ll fix these wire cutters to-morrow night. In the meantime you fellows keep awake and on the lookout48 until dawn.”
But when the news of the shadowy wire cutters was spread about among the men there was little need for extra vigilance on the part of the sentries, for every man in the village stayed up until daylight discussing the possibilities of an attack. Indeed, the sun was just rising as Jack and Mr. Ryder turned in for some much-needed sleep.
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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4
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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6
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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7
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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8
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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9
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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10
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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11
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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13
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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14
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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15
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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16
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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18
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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19
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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21
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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22
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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23
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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24
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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25
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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26
sociability
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| n.好交际，社交性，善于交际 | |
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27
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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28
tunes
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| n.曲调，曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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29
dwindle
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| v.逐渐变小（或减少） | |
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30
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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31
generators
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| n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司 | |
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32
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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33
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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34
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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35
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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36
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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37
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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38
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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39
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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40
maneuvering
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| v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵 | |
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41
prostrated
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| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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42
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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43
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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44
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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45
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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46
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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47
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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48
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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