The Dust of Conflict Part 22

Maccario laughed, and waved his hand to the men below. "I commend these two gentlemen to your respect. They are good friends of mine. There is nothing else," he said. "Now we will go back again, Don Bernardino."

The men apparently went away, and Maccario, who walked back into the room, smiled when he seated himself again.

"The Senor Harding is to be congratulated upon his manager," he said.

"Still, there is a difficulty about the rifles. There are ten cases of them here already. They are marked hardware and engine fittings."

Harper gasped. "Well, I'm blanked!" he said. "I guess it's the only time any kind of a greaser got ahead of me."

"Then they must be taken away," said Appleby. "Where are they, Don Maccario? If you do not tell me I shall certainly find them."

"In the iron store shed, I understand. They would have been sent for at night to-morrow."

"Get them out," said Appleby, turning to Harper. "They will be safer lying on the cane trucks in the open than anywhere."

Harper went out, and Maccario poured out a gla.s.s of wine. "It is fortunate you are a friend of mine, and one in whom I have confidence,"

he said. "Had it been otherwise you would have run a very serious risk, Don Bernardino."

Appleby laughed, though he was glad that he sat in the shadow. "I can at least, let you have four hundred pesetas if the Sin Verguenza want them; but you will remember that if more rifles arrive here I will send them to Morales."

"In silver?" said Maccario. "I have samples of tobacco to carry, and a mule."

Appleby brought out two bags of silver from the chest in his office, for golden coin was almost as scarce in Cuba then as it usually is in Spain, and the two talked of different subjects with a frankness that concealed their thoughts, until there was a rattle of wheels as Harper pa.s.sed below with several men pus.h.i.+ng a little truck along the cane tramway. By and by he came in and sat down.

"The cases are marked as he told us, and I've left them on the line," he said. "I guess n.o.body would think of looking for rifles there. When are your friends coming for them, Maccario?"

"I think that is better not mentioned," said Maccario. "Those cases will, however, not be there to-morrow."

"And your men?" said Appleby. "I cannot have them here."

"You will listen to reason, my friend. I know you are one who keeps his word, and we will send no more rifles here. Still, those men work well, and the Senor Harding is not a Loyalist. He is here to make the dollars, and because the Spaniards are masters of Cuba he will not offend them.

By and by, however, there is a change, and when it is we who hold the reins it may count much for him that he was also a friend of ours."

"You know he is not a Loyalist?" said Appleby.

Maccario laughed a little. "Can you doubt it-while the hacienda of San Cristoval stands? There are many burnt sugar mills in Cuba, my friend."

"Now," said Harper dryly, "it seems to me he's talking the plainest kind of sense. Make him promise he'll give you warning, and take his men out quietly when he wants them for anything."

Maccario gave his promise, and they sat talking for awhile until there was a knocking at the door below, and Pancho, who came up the stairway in haste, stopped where the light showed the apprehension in his olive face.

"Comes the Colonel Morales, and there are cazadores in the cane," he said.

There was a sudden silence, and Maccario, who started to his feet, seized one of the bags of silver. He, however, nodded and sat down again when Appleby's hand fell on his shoulder. There was, it was evident, no escaping now, for a quick tread showed that the officer was already ascending the stairway. Maccario made a little gesture of resignation.

"He has never seen me as a merchant of tobacco, and if he notices too much it is a.s.suredly unfortunate for him," he said. "Pancho will already have the affair in hand."

Appleby said nothing, but he could feel his heart thumping painfully as he leaned on the table until Morales came in. He carried his kepi in one hand, and though he greeted Appleby punctiliously there was a little gleam in his eyes, while for just a moment he glanced keenly at Maccario. In the meanwhile Appleby saw Pancho's face at the lattice behind his shoulder, and surmised that Morales was running a heavy risk just then. He had little esteem for the Spanish colonel, but it seemed to him that the fate of the San Cristoval hacienda, as well as its manager, depended upon what happened during the next five minutes.

"You will take a gla.s.s of wine, and these cigars are good," he said.

Though every nerve in his body seemed to be tingling his voice was even; but while the officer poured out the wine Maccario laid a bundle of cigars before him, and smiled at Appleby.

"Your pardon, senor-but this is my affair," he said. "It is not often I have the opportunity of offering so distinguished a soldier my poor tobacco, though there are men of note in Havana and Madrid who appreciate its flavor, as well as the Senor Harding."

Morales glanced at him, and lighted a cigar; but Appleby fancied he was at least as interested in the bag of silver on the table.

"The tobacco is excellent," he said.

Maccario took out a card. "If you will keep the bundle it would be an honor," he said. "If you are still pleased when you have smoked them this will help you to remember where more can be obtained. We"-and he dropped his voice confidentially-"do not insist upon usual prices when supplying distinguished officers."

"That is wise," said Morales, who took the cigars. "It is not often they have the pesetas to meet such demands with. You will not find business flouris.h.i.+ng in this country, which we have just swept clean of the Sin Verguenza. They have a very keen scent for silver."

"No," said Maccario plaintively. "There are also so many detentions and questions to be answered that it is difficult to make a business journey."

Morales laughed, "It is as usual-you would ask for something? Still, they are good cigars!"

"I would venture to ask an endors.e.m.e.nt of my cedula. With that one could travel with less difficulty."

He brought out the strip of paper, and Morales turned to Appleby. "This gentlemen is a friend of yours?"

Appleby nodded, and the officer scribbled across the back of the cedula, and then, flinging it on the table, rose with a faint shrug of impatience.

"A word with you in private!" he said.

Appleby went out with him into the veranda, and set his lips for a moment when he saw, though Morales did not, a stealthy shadow flit out of it. He also surmised there were more men lurking in the patio beneath, and felt that a disaster was imminent if Maccario's apprehensions led him to do anything precipitate. Then it seemed scarcely likely that the colonel of cazadores would leave the place alive. Still, his voice did not betray him.

"I am at your service, senor." he said.

"The affair is serious," said Morales dryly. "I am informed that there are arms concealed in your factory. Ten cases of them, I understand, are in your store shed."

If he had expected any sign of consternation he did not see it, for Appleby smiled incredulously.

"If so, they were put there without my consent or knowledge, but I fancy your spies have been mistaken," he said.

"Will you come with me and search the shed?"

Morales made a little gesture of a.s.sent. "I have men not far away, but I am a friend of the Senor Harding's, and it seemed to me the affair demanded discretion," he said. "That is why I left them until I had spoken with you. Still, if we do not find those arms n.o.body will be better pleased than me."

They went down the stairway, and Appleby bade a man in the patio summon his comrades. Then they walked along the tramway towards an iron shed, where there was a delay while one of the men lighted a lantern and opened the door When this was done they went in, and for almost an hour the peons rolled out barrels and dragged about boxes and cases of which they opened one here and there. Still, there was no sign of a rifle, and when they had pa.s.sed through two or three other sheds Morales' face was expressionless as he professed himself satisfied. They walked back silently side by side, until the officer stopped by a cane truck and rubbed off the ash from his cigar on one of the cases that lay upon it.

He also moved a little so that he could see Appleby's face in the light of the lantern a dusky workman held. The latter was eyeing Morales curiously, and Appleby fancied by the way he bent his right hand that very little would bring the wicked, keen-pointed knife flas.h.i.+ng from his sleeve.

"It seems that my informants have been mistaken," said the colonel. "I can only recommend you the utmost discretion. It is-you understand- necessary."

He turned with a little formal salutation and walked down the tram-line, while the dusty workman smiled curiously as he straightened his right hand. Appleby gasped and went back slowly, while he flung himself down somewhat limply into a chair when he reached his living-room, where Harper sat alone.

"Where is Maccario?" he asked.

"Lit out!" said Harper dryly. "He'd had 'bout enough of it, though I guess his nerves are good. Kind of a strain on your own ones too?"