Roosevelt, who had assisted at the examination of the Spanish
deserter.

"Lieutenant Norris," was the unhesitating answer.

"Then let Mr. Norris take my orderly's horse, make his way with all
speed to Siboney, press into service the first steam craft he comes
across, and carry this fellow's statement, with my compliments, to
Admiral Sampson."

Five minutes later our young trooper, once more on horseback, and in a
blaze of excitement, was galloping for dear life over the rugged road
by which the army had come from the coast.

CHAPTER XXVI

MUTINY ON A TRANSPORT

On the memorable morning of July 3d the sun had risen from the fog-bank
that promised a hot day before our young trooper, wearied and
mud-bespattered with his journey, and his face still powder-grimed with
the smoke of the day's fighting, rode into the village of Siboney. It
no longer presented the scenes of excited bustle and eager enthusiasm
that had marked it on the eve of Las Guasimas, for the army had
departed long since, and only its shattered wrecks of humanity had
drifted back. Now Siboney was a place of suffering and death; for here
had been established the hospitals to which wounded men limped
painfully from the distant front, or were brought in heavily jolting
army wagons.

On this peaceful Sunday morning--for it was Sunday, though Ridge did
not know it at the time--a great stillness brooded over Siboney, and
almost the only persons visible were medical attendants, who moved
quietly about the big hospital tents or the fever-infested buildings
that had been pressed into the same service.

In the little harbor lay but a single steam-vessel, a transport, though
others could be dimly seen far out at sea, where they spent most of
their time, which fact largely accounted for the woful lack of supplies
at the front. A boat from the single ship that had ventured into the
harbor lay on the beach discharging freight. To it Ridge hurried, and,
addressing himself to the man who appeared to be in charge, said:

"I have an important communication for the Captain of your ship. Will
you take me off to her?"

With a contemptuous glance at the disreputable-looking young trooper,
the man answered:

"See about it when I get ready to go."

"Please make haste, then, for my business is very important, and I am
in a great hurry."

"Oh, you be. Reckon you'd better swim out, then, for I've been hurried
by you landlubbers 'bout as much as I propose