Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/161

  slipped some gold into his hand. 'It is only necessary for me to cross to the fort, deliver the command to the commandante and return. Your lieutenant is not known to any one there.'

"The fellow wavered, grumbled, slid the money into his pocket, eyed me suspiciously; but I laughed and told him that a good sergeant must stand by his lieutenant; then, rising, I told him to get his men together and I would return directly to get them to the fort. Although by no means satisfied, he made no protest, not knowing just what course to take. I left him and walked around the far side of the park to where Rosenthal was waiting.

"He laughed softly as I joined him, and his yellow teeth gleamed in the dusk. I simply told him to have the boat lying off the sea wall of the prison until he heard from me, and then returned to the commando, which was drawn up in a somewhat vacillating formation. The men no doubt took me to be an officer of the garrison to which they were [ 145 ]