CHAPTER VIII.
A FRIENDLY OPPONENT.
I had known the young English doctor only a short time, but I hadlearned to love him as a dear friend. In the fight he had shownhimself brave and fearless, but quite apart from this, his qualitiesendeared him to every one. He was always cheery and full of hope, evenin our worst straits; he was tender-hearted as a child, and every sickor wounded soldier worshipped him for his unvarying attention andkindness.
He was not dead when, slipping from my horse, I placed my arm round himas well as I could to support him. I saw that his eyes were open, andthat a beautiful smile lit up his face. For a second or two herecognized me and tried to speak, but this was beyond his powers. Thena change came swiftly and suddenly; the light faded from his eyes, hischeeks grew ashen gray, and though quite unfamiliar with death, I knewthat his spirit had fled.
Some wounded Indians, staggering from the fight, helped me to place thelifeless body on the ground; and these poor, simple natives filled theair with their lamentations. The death of the brilliant young surgeonhad deprived them of a good friend, and they were quick to show theirgrief.
The fight was now over. The majority of the Spaniards were eitherkilled or captured; but no one took much pleasure in the well-earnedlittle victory. From the chief to the meanest soldier in thedetachment, every one mourned sincerely the loss of a trusty comrade.
On active service, however, one has not much time to spend in grieving.There were the dead to be buried, the wounded to be seen to, theprisoners to be secured, and then, after a short space for food andrest, we were marching in hot pursuit of the scanty remnant that hadescaped.
"It's lucky," observed Jose, with a laugh, "that the colonel managed toprocure a few horses."
"His command would have been one short without them," I replied.
We were by no means a smart-looking detachment. The officers rode onhorseback, and a number of mules had been obtained for the men, whofollowed the system of _ride and tie_. Our clothes began to show signsof hard wear, we suffered much from hunger and thirst, and most of allfrom loss of sleep. This last was really a terrible hardship, and Inoticed more than one poor fellow fall from his mule in a kind ofstupor as I rode along.
However, by dint of pegging away, we arrived at the town of Moqueguajust in time to capture most of the runaways, and then, utterly wornout and exhausted, gladly settled down for a few days' rest.
Jose and I were billeted in a house near the colonel's quarters, andthe people gave us a warm welcome. They spread a good meal, to whichwe did ample justice, and then, although barely noon, we went straightto bed.
"I hope," exclaimed Jose as he lay down, "that we shan't be disturbedfor a month. I can easily do with a month's sleep."
"The chances are," said I gloomily, "that the colonel will be knockingus up before we have fairly begun to dream." At which dismal prophecyJose threatened me with all sorts of pains and penalties unless I heldmy peace.
As it happened, the colonel did not need us, and we actually sleptwithout waking until nine o'clock the next morning, when, having made ahearty breakfast, we went to call upon the chief.
"Why, Crawford," exclaimed the colonel, smiling, "I thought you werelost!"
"Only in dreams, sir," I replied. "We've been catching up a little ofour lost sleep. We did not know how soon we might be on the marchagain."
"So you made the most of your opportunity? Well, I don't blame you;but it is possible we shall make a long halt here."
"Possible," remarked Jose to me afterwards, "but not probable;" andevents proved that, as far as we were concerned, he was right.
That evening the colonel invited us to dinner; but we had scarcely satdown when he was called away to speak to a messenger who had broughtimportant news. He returned looking rather thoughtful, and, catchingsight of Jose, exclaimed,--
"Craig, you are pretty well acquainted with the Indian dialects, Ibelieve?"
"Yes, sir," answered Jose readily; "I can manage to talk with most ofthe natives."
"Then you are the very man I want. I'll tell you all about it afterdinner. Mustn't send you off without satisfying the inner man, eh?"
Jose glanced at me with a smile, as much as to say, "I wasn't very farout this morning;" while I was all curiosity as to what the businessmight be.
As soon as we had finished, the colonel and Jose had a very earnest andconfidential talk, after which my companion rejoined me, and togetherwe left the room.
"What is it?" I asked anxiously; "anything of importance?"
"Rather, unless the Indian has made a mistake. La Hera is hiding witha few wounded men in the mountains, not a dozen miles away."
This was the Spanish leader whom we had defeated at Mirabe. He was abold, dashing soldier, and a firm Loyalist, whose capture would dealthe enemy a heavy blow.
"Get the horses ready," said Jose, "while I pick out a few men. Wemustn't make a mess of this affair, or the colonel won't trust usagain. And don't mention where we are going, up at the house. Idaresay the folks are all right, but what they don't know they can'ttell."
"Where shall I meet you?"
"Outside the colonel's quarters. Now, off with you, we've no time towaste."
The horses had benefited by their unusually long rest, and havingsaddled them with the help of one of our host's servants, I led theminto the street. Jose soon appeared with a dozen mounted men, wild,fierce-looking fellows, and all natives.
Presently the guide came out, and directly afterwards the colonel, whospoke a few words, telling us that we were bound on an importanterrand, which he trusted we should accomplish successfully. Then theguide placed himself, on foot, beside Jose's horse, and we moved off.
He led us at first, purposely, in a wrong direction, in case of pryingeyes, turning back at the end of a mile or so, and then steering acrossa wild and lonely desert track. Having covered nearly a dozen miles,we came to a tiny hamlet at the foot of the mountains. Halting here,we left our horses in charge of two men and pressed forward on foot.
Fortunately, in one way though not in another, it was a moonlightnight, and we could see where to step. All around us towered hugemountains, grim and forbidding. We marched in single file by the edgeof steep precipices, so close sometimes that we seemed to hang over theawful abyss. Further and further we penetrated into the drearyrecesses. We seemed to be a body of ghosts traversing a dreary world.No man spoke; we heard the cry neither of bird nor of animal. The onlysound to break the eerie silence was the occasional clatter of a stone,which, loosened by our passage, rolled over into the unknown depths.
I looked neither to right nor to left, but kept my gaze fixed on Jose,who walked before me. The track narrowed down so that it hardlyafforded footing for one, and I prayed in my heart that we might sooncome to a better vantage-ground.
I was no coward, and since leaving home had met with more than oneadventure, but this was the most perilous of all. Despite every effortto keep firm, my limbs trembled, my head grew dizzy; I was seized by astrong temptation to launch myself into space. The fit passed assuddenly as it had come, but I felt the sweat trickling down my face.
Presently we emerged on to a broad platform, and Jose, stopping, seizedmy hand. He was trembling now, but it was at the thought of dangerpast. One by one the men stole cautiously along while we waited,watching with fascinated eyes, and drawing a deep breath of relief aseach stepped safely from the perilous path. Whether they had also feltfearful I could not tell; their faces were wonderfully impassive, and,except when roused by savage anger, quite expressionless.
At a sign from Jose they dropped to the ground behind a group ofboulders, and he, addressing them in some Indian dialect, issued hisinstructions. I gathered very little from his speech; but presentlythe men disappeared, gliding like serpents along the side of thecliffs, and leaving me with Jose and the guide.
"I don't much like this, Jack," said Jose. "I almost wish you hadstayed behind. I hope the colonel can depend o
n this fellow."
"What is it?" I asked. "I suppose we didn't come out just for thepleasure of exercising ourselves on that goat-track?"
"No," said he; "though, to be sure, that was an uncommon diversion.The real thing is just about to begin, and this is the way of it.According to the guide, La Hera is in a cave close at hand."
"All the more chance of trapping him."
"I'm not so sure of that. The entrance to the cave is some sixty feetfrom the ground, in the side of a steep cliff."
"Well, we've had some experience in mountain-climbing."
"Yes, but not this sort. The face of the cliff is as perpendicular asthe side of a house."
"The other fellows got up."
"So they did, but it was in the daylight, and there was no one at thetop waiting to pop them off with a bullet. It seems the bandits havebeen in the habit of using this cave as a depot, and one of them guidedLa Hera there with the real object of betraying him."
"Ugh!" said I; "these traitors make me sick."
"Just so; but they are very useful. Without the help of this one, forinstance, we can't capture La Hera, unless we starve him out."
"What does he propose to do?"
"Well, there is a stout rope fixed in the cave which he will let downat the right moment. Up this we shall have to climb by help of theniches that have been cut in the cliff."
"Suppose La Hera finds it out, and is waiting to receive us?"
"That," replied Jose, with a shrug of the shoulders, "is just what isbothering me. However, we shall soon discover. Our men have had timeto hide themselves, and the guide is getting fidgety. But I say, Jack,I wish I hadn't brought you."
"I'm rather pleased now that you have, though I wasn't half an hourago."
"No; I thought you breathed too hard to be enjoying yourself."
With that he ordered the native to proceed; and we all three creptalong, keeping well in the shadow, though the enemy, feeling secure inpossession of the rope, were hardly likely to have set a watch.
Coming to a halt, the guide pointed to a towering cliff, which, on thatface at least, was in truth steep and smooth as the wall of a house.Our men lay close at hand, but completely concealed, watching for thelowering of the rope.
Now it seemed to me that we were running great risk when our objectmight have been gained with none at all. Why not, as Jose had remarkeda short time previously, starve the inmates out?
"No good," answered he, when I asked the question. "The guide saysthere are stores in the cave sufficient to last a small party formonths. The war would be over before they had finished theirprovisions. No; we must get them by surprise or not at all. I shouldlike to see that rope dangling."
It was weary waiting, and a great strain on our nerves too, as everymoment's delay gave us more time to appreciate the danger. The longerI pondered the more I disliked the business, and doubted what would bethe end of it. La Hera was a bold man, and if he got an inkling of thetruth, we should meet with an unpleasant reception. He might notapprove of such an unceremonious intrusion into his dwelling-place.
I was still thinking of these things when the Indian guide drew ourattention to the cliff. The time had come. There, distinguishable inthe pale moonlight, dangled the rope, and as we watched it descendedlower and lower, very steadily, until the end of it was not higher thana man could grasp.
It was the signal agreed upon to show that the enemy were asleep.
Calling softly to one of his men, Jose said, "Stay here and watch. Ifwe are betrayed, take this man back to Colonel Miller. If he tries toescape, kill him."
The Indian moved not a muscle, while his guard took his place besidehim with drawn sword, for no muskets had been brought on theexpedition. Then word was quietly passed round to the others, and oneby one we gathered close to the hanging rope.
We could not communicate with the man at the top, lest we should beheard by the Spaniards, and we dared not make a sound. Holding a knifebetween his teeth, Jose clutched the rope firmly, planted one foot in aniche, and began to mount. When he had reached half-way up, I beganthe ascent, bidding the men be ready to follow me.
I did not mind this part of the enterprise, dangerous though it was.The niches cut in the rock afforded decent foothold, while the rope wasknotted at intervals. The peril lay not so much in the climbing as inthe chance of discovery. If the Spaniards learned what was goingforward, nothing could save us from certain death. This was anunpleasant thought, which I hastened to put as far from me as possible.
Meanwhile Jose's head was on a level with the cave, and I felt that thebest or the worst of the business would soon be known. If the enemywere awake, it would go hard with him. His foot left the last niche,he swung on the rope, and as I watched breathlessly he disappeared.
Casting a glance downward, I called softly to the troopers to hurry,and then went up hand over hand at a breakneck pace. In a short time Iwas gazing at as strange a spectacle as I have ever seen. The cavernwas an immense apartment, with steep walls and exceedingly lofty roof.Near the centre was a fire, on which some one had hastily thrown afresh supply of dry fuel, and the red flames were leaping high in long,thin tongues.
Just inside the entrance Jose and the traitorous Indian stood over thewindlass, by means of which the rope was worked, and as I ran to theirside, one of the Spanish soldiers uttered a cry of alarm. Instantlyall was tumult and confusion. Shots were fired at random, men shoutedwildly, "We are betrayed!" while, above all, Jose's voice rang out highand clear, "Surrender! you are my prisoners."
With a rush the Spaniards sprang at us, fighting with the fury of wildanimals, while we had to guard not only ourselves but the rope up whichour men were swarming. If that were cut or loosened, our opponentswould hold us at their mercy. We fought against long odds, but for atime held our own, though once I was stricken almost to my knees, andfelt the graze of a sharp blade across my cheeks.
Fortunately help came soon, or it would have gone badly with us. Witha wild shout a burly trooper sprang into the fray, and another soonjoined him. A third and a fourth followed quickly, and the issue wasplaced beyond doubt.
Now, although our Indians made splendid soldiers, they hated theSpaniards so much that it was difficult to restrain their passions.Some excuse may be found for them in the long years of misery andoppression they had endured; but, of course, Jose set his face sternlyagainst cruelties.
Thus it was in our enemies' own interest that I raised my voice,crying, "Surrender, and we will spare your lives! You cannot escape!"And Jose echoed my appeal. He, too, dreaded the slaughter that mustensue if our Indians got out of hand. Perhaps the Spaniards guessedour motive; at least they must have seen the futility of continuing thecontest. One by one they flung their weapons sullenly to the ground,and yielded themselves prisoners.
"Torches!" cried Jose quickly, "and let us examine our capture. Whereis Colonel La Hera?"
No one spoke, but several Indians plucked blazing brands from the fireand brought them to us. By their light we saw one man lying dead nearthe windlass, and three wounded. Six others, disarmed, stood round,for the most part black-browed and scowling.
Jose repeated his question. "Where is Colonel La Hera?" he asked.
"Gone to get reinforcements to drive you into the sea," answered a calmvoice.
"Then he is not in this cave?" asked Jose bluntly, but with a certainring of admiration in his tone.
Now all this time I had been taking particular notice of this Spaniard.His uniform showed him to be a major, though he was quite young. Hisface was frank and open; he had dark, expressive eyes, and a pleasant,musical voice, which somehow seemed familiar to me. Where had I metthis man before? In a moment or two he himself supplied the answer.
"Who is in command here?" asked Jose.
"I have the honour, and, as it seems, the misfortune also, ofcommanding these brave fellows. I am Major Santiago Mariano, in theservice of His Spanish Majesty, whom may God preserve!"
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sp; "I wish him no harm," replied Jose; "only for the future he must notreckon Peru among his dominions. Now, how am I to know that La Hera isnot here?"
"Ask the man who betrayed us," said the major scornfully; and onquestioning the Indian, it appeared he had mistaken Santiago for thefamous colonel.
"Well," muttered Jose, "it's a disappointment; but it can't be helped.What are we to do with the wounded? They can't go down the rope."
"Let me stay with them," I suggested, "and you can send a doctor back."
"Meanwhile," interrupted the major, "I have some little skill insurgery, and, with your permission, I will remain also. You need notfear that I shall run away. I will give my parole to come to Moquegua.After that, matters must shape their own course."
"Very well," exclaimed Jose; "the plan has its advantages. I'll hurryalong the first doctor I come across, Jack. But you are hurt!"
"It's only a scratch; nothing serious at all."
Jose sent half a dozen of his men down the rope; then the dead Spaniardwas lowered, the prisoners followed, and Jose himself descended withthe remainder of the troopers.
"Haul up the rope, Jack," he cried in farewell, "and make sure of yourvisitors before dropping it again."
At the Point of the Sword Page 8
