Page:Rowland--The Mountain of Fears.djvu/166

  Bueno! I will soon break up their sweet dreams, the drunken vagabonds. Who is your sergeant!' He told me the man's name.

" 'And when are you to be relieved?'

" 'At midnight,' said he.

" 'Very well. You may return to your quarters, and if your sergeant is awake tell him that I have put one of my men in your place. Go!'

Si, Señor.' He saluted and slouched away.

"I proceeded, and in a few minutes had relieved two more of the regular garrison and bid one of the new men sleep at his post.

"It was then ten o'clock; there were two hours ahead of me. I made my way to the sea-wall and, reaching below the rampart with one arm, struck a match, extinguished it, struck another and extinguished that. A moment later I heard the soft grinding of oars and the boat glided out of the darkness. Rosenthal's great frame hove itself up over the rampart, then dropped into the shadow under [ 150 ]