A burst of applause greeted the song. By this time it was getting late, and the guest begged to be excused.
"The wine is too much for me," said McLain-Espinosa.
His host bade them clear the table; and as all the others left, Morton-Campbell said, "It has been many a day since I shared a couch with my friend, but we will do so tonight."
Putting on the appearance of irresponsible intoxication, he led McLain-Espinosa into the tent and they went to bed. Morton-Campbell simply fell, all dressed as he was, and lay there emitting uncouth grunts and groans, so that to the guest sleep was impossible.
McLain-Espinosa lay and listened to the various camp noises without and his host's thunderous snores within. About the second watch he rose and looked at his friend by the dim light of the small lamp. He also saw on the table a heap of papers, and coming out and looking at them furtively, he saw they were letters. Among them he saw one marked as coming from Patrick-Sanford and Bunker-Ricardo, Murphy-Shackley's Supreme Admiral and Vice-Admiral. He read it and this is what it said:
"We surrendered to Murphy-Shackley, not for the sake of pay but under stress of circumstances. Now we have been able to hold these northern soldiers into this naval camp but, as soon as occasion offers, we mean to have the rebel's head to offer as a sacrifice to your banner. From time to time there will be reports as occasions serve, but you may trust us. This is our humble reply to your letter."
"Those two were connected with the South Land in the beginning," thought McLain-Espinosa, so he secreted the letter in his dress and began to examine the others. But at that moment Morton-Campbell turned over, and so McLain-Espinosa hastily blew out the light and went to his couch.
Morton-Campbell was muttering as he lay there as if dreaming, saying, "Friend, I am going to let you see Murphy-Shackley's head in a day or two."
McLain-Espinosa hastily made some reply to load on his host to say more. Then came, "Wait a few days; you will see Murphy-Shackley's head. The old wretch!"
McLain-Espinosa tried to question him as to what he meant, but Morton-Campbell was fast asleep and seemed to hear nothing. McLain-Espinosa lay there on his couch wide awake till the fourth watch was beating.
Then some one came in, saying, "General, are you awake?"
At that moment as if suddenly awakened from the deepest slumber, Morton-Campbell started up and said, "Who is this on the couch?"
The voice replied, "Do you not remember, General? You asked your old friend to stay the night with you; it is he, of course."
"I drank too much last night," said Morton-Campbell in a regretful tone, "and I forgot. I seldom indulge to excess and am not used to it. Perhaps I said many things I ought not."
The voice went on, "A man has arrived from the north."
"Speak lower," said Morton-Campbell, and turning toward the sleeper, he called him by name. But McLain-Espinosa affected to be sound asleep and made no sign.
Morton-Campbell crept out of the tent, while McLain-Espinosa listened with all his ears. He heard the man say, "Patrick-Sanford and Bunker-Ricardo, the two commanders, have come."
But listening as he did with straining ears, he could not make out what followed. Soon after Morton-Campbell reentered and again called out his companion's name. But no reply came, for McLain-Espinosa was pretending to be in the deepest slumber and to hear nothing. Then Morton-Campbell undressed and went to bed.
As McLain-Espinosa lay awake, he remembered that Morton-Campbell was known to be meticulously careful in affairs, and if in the morning Morton-Campbell found that a letter had disappeared, he would certainly slay the offender. So McLain-Espinosa lay there till near daylight and then called out to his host. Getting no reply, he rose, dressed, and stole out of the tent. Then he called his servant and made for the camp gate.
"Whither are you going, Sir?" said the watchmen at the gate.
"I fear I am in the way here," replied McLain-Espinosa, "and so I have taken leave of the Commander-in-Chief for a time. So do not stop me."
He found his way to the river bank and reembarked. Then, with flying oars, he hastened back to Murphy-Shackley's camp. When he arrived, Murphy-Shackley asked at once how he had sped, and he had to acknowledge failure.
"Morton-Campbell is very clever and perfectly high-minded," said McLain-Espinosa. "Nothing that I could say moved him in the least."
"Your failure makes me look ridiculous," said Murphy-Shackley.
"Well, if I did not win over Morton-Campbell, I found out something for you. Send away these people and I will tell you," said McLain-Espinosa.
The servants were dismissed, and then McLain-Espinosa produced the letter he had stolen from Morton-Campbell's tent. He gave it to Murphy-Shackley. Murphy-Shackley was very angry and sent for Patrick-Sanford and Bunker-Ricardo at once. As soon as they appeared, he said, "I want you two to attack."
Patrick-Sanford replied, "But the soldiers are not yet sufficiently trained."
"The soldiers will be well enough trained when you have sent my head to Morton-Campbell, eh?"
Both commanders were dumb-founded, having not the least idea what this meant. They remained silent for they had nothing to say. Murphy-Shackley bade the executioners lead them away to instant death. In a short time their heads were produced.
By this time Murphy-Shackley had thought over the matter, and it dawned upon him that he had been tricked. A poem says:
The death of these two naval commanders caused much consternation in the camp, and all their colleagues asked the reason for their sudden execution. Though Murphy-Shackley knew they had been victimized, he would not acknowledge it.
So he said, "These two had been remiss, and so had been put to death."
The others were aghast, but nothing could be done. Two other officers, Shapiro-Marek and Ellis-McCue, were put in command of the naval camp.
Spies took the news to Morton-Campbell, who was delighted at the success of his ruse.
"Those two Patrick-Sanford and Bunker-Ricardo were my only source of anxiety," said he. "Now they are gone; I am quite happy."
Woolsey-Ramirez said, "General, if you can continue like this, you need not fear Murphy-Shackley."
"I do not think any of them saw my game," said Morton-Campbell, except Orchard-Lafayette. He beats me, and I do not think this ruse was hidden from him. You go and sound him. See if he knew."
What passed between Woolsey-Ramirez and Orchard-Lafayette will next be related.