I could offer no consolation2. I knew that we should be tried as spies; and, if convicted—a result almost certain—we had not twenty hours to live. The thought that I had brought this brave fellow to such a fate enhanced the misery3 of my situation. To die thus ingloriously was bitter indeed. Three days ago I could have spent my life recklessly; but now, how changed were my feelings! I had found something worth living to enjoy; and to think I should never again—“Oh! I have become a coward!” I cursed my rashness bitterly.
We passed the night in vain attempts at mutual4 consolation. Even our present sufferings occupied us. Our clothes were wet through, and the night had become piercingly cold. Our bed was a bench of stone; and upon this we lay as our chains would allow us, sleeping close together to generate warmth. It was to us a miserable5 night; but morning came at last, and at an early hour we were examined by the officer of the guard.
Our court-martial was fixed6 for the afternoon, and before this tribunal we were carried, amidst the jeers7 of the populace. We told our story, giving the name of the boy Narcisso, and the house where he was lodged8. This was verified by the court, but declared to be a ruse9 invented by my comrade—whose knowledge of the place and other circumstances rendered the thing probable enough. Raoul, moreover, was identified by many of the citizens, who proved his disappearance10 coincident with the landing of the American expedition. Besides, my ring and purse were sufficient of themselves to condemn11 us—and condemned12 we were. We were to be garrotted on the following morning!
Raoul was offered life if he would turn traitor13 and give information of the enemy. The brave soldier indignantly spurned14 the offer. It was extended to me, with a similar result.
All at once I observed a strange commotion15 among the people. Citizens and soldiers rushed from the hall, and the court, hastily pronouncing our sentence, ordered us to be carried away. We were seized by the guard, pulled into the street, and dragged back towards our late prison. Our conductors were evidently in a great hurry. As we passed along we were met by citizens running to and fro, apparently16 in great terror—women and children uttering shrieks17 and suddenly disappearing behind walls and battlements. Some fell upon their knees, beating their breasts and praying loudly. Others, clasping their infants, stood shivering and speechless.
“It is just like the way they go in an earthquake,” remarked Raoul, “but there is none. What can it be, Captain?”
Before I could reply, the answer came from another quarter.
Far above, an object was hissing19 and hurtling through the air.
“A shell from ours! Hurrah20!” cried Raoul.
I could scarcely refrain from cheering, though we ourselves might be the victims of the missile.
The soldiers who were guarding us had flung themselves down behind walls and pillars, leaving us alone in the open street!
The bomb fell beyond us, and, striking the pavement, burst. The fragments went crashing through the side of an adjoining house; and the wail21 that came back told how well the iron messengers had done their work. This was the second shell that had been projected from the American mortars22. The first had been equally destructive; and hence the extreme terror of both citizen and soldier. Every missile seemed charged with death.
Our guard now returned and dragged us onward24, treating us with increased brutality25. They were enraged26 at the exultation27 visible in our manner; and one, more ferocious28 than the rest, drove his bayonet into the fleshy part of my comrade’s thigh29. After several like acts of inhumanity, we were thrown into our prison and locked up as before.
Since our capture we had tasted neither food nor drink, and hunger and thirst added to the misery of our situation.
The insult had maddened Raoul, and the pain of his wound now rendered him furious. He had not hands to touch it or dress it. Frenzied30 by anger and pain to a strength almost superhuman, he twisted off his iron manacles, as if they had been straws. This done, the chain that bound us together was soon broken, and our ankle “jewellery” followed.
“Let us live our last hours, Captain, as we have our lives, free and unfettered!”
I could not help admiring the spirit of my brave comrade.
We placed ourselves close to the door and listened.
We could hear the heavy cannonade all around, and now and then the distant shots from the American batteries. We would wait for the bursting of the bombs, and, as the hoarse31 thunder of crumbling32 walls reached our ears, Raoul would spring up, shouting his wild, half-French, half-Indian cries.
A thought occurred to me.
“We have arms, Raoul.” I held up the fragments of the heavy chain that had yoked34 us. “Could you reach the trap on a run, without the danger of mistaking your way?”
Raoul started.
“You are right, Captain—I can. It is barely possible they may visit us to-night. If so, any chance for life is better than none at all.”
By a tacit understanding each of us took a fragment of the chain—there were but two—and sat down by the door to be ready in case our guards should open it. We sat for over an hour, without exchanging a word. We could hear the shells as they burst upon the housetops, the crashing of torn timbers, and the rumbling33 of walls rolling over, struck by the heavy shot. We could hear the shouts of men and the wailing35 of women, with now and then a shriek18 louder than all others, as some missile carried death into the terror-struck crowd.
“Sacre!” said Raoul; “if they had only allowed us a couple of days, our friends would have opened these doors for us. Sacr–r–r–e!”
This last exclamation36 was uttered in a shriek. Simultaneously37 a heavy object burst through the roof, tearing the bricks and plaster, and falling with the ring of iron on the floor.
Then followed a deafening38 crash. The whole earth seemed to shake, and the whizzing of a thousand particles filled the air. A cloud of dust and lime, mixed with the smoke of sulphur, was around us. I gasped39 for breath, nearly suffocated40. I endeavoured to cry out, but my voice, husky and coarse, was scarcely audible to myself. I succeeded at length in ejaculating:
“Raoul! Raoul!”
I heard the voice of my comrade, seemingly at a great distance. I threw out my arms and groped for him. He was close by me, but, like myself, choking for want of air.
“It was a shell,” said he, in a wheezing41 voice, “Are you hurt, Captain?”
“No,” I replied; “and you?”
“Sound as a bell—our luck is good—it must have struck every other part of the cell.”
“Better it had not missed us,” said I, after a pause; “we are only spared for the garrotte.”
“I am not so sure of that, Captain,” replied my companion, in a manner that seemed to imply he had still hopes of an escape.
“Where that shell came in,” he continued, “something else may go out. Let us see—was it the roof?”
“I think so.”
We groped our way hand in hand towards the centre of the room, looking upwards42.
“Peste!” ejaculated Raoul; “I can’t see a foot before me—my eyes are filled—bah!”
So were mine. We stood waiting. The dust was gradually settling down, and we could perceive a faint glimmer43 from above. There was a large hole through the roof!
Slowly its outlines became defined, and we could see that it was large enough to pass the body of a man; but it was at least fourteen feet from the floor, and we had not timber enough to make a walking-stick!
“What is to be done? We are not cats, Raoul. We can never reach it!”
My comrade, without making a reply, lifted me up in his arms, telling me to climb. I mounted upon his shoulders, balancing myself like a Bedouin; but with my utmost stretch I could not touch the roof.
“Hold!” cried I, a thought striking me. “Let me down, Raoul. Now, if they will only give us a little time.”
“Never fear for them; they’ve enough to do taking care of their own yellow carcases.”
I had noticed that a beam of the roof formed one side of the break, and I proceeded to twist our handcuffs into a clamp, while Raoul peeled off his leather breeches and commenced, tearing them into strips. In ten minutes our “tackle” was ready, and, mounting upon my comrade’s shoulders, I flung it carefully at the beam. It failed to catch, and I came down to the floor, my balance being lost in the effort. I repeated the attempt. Again it failed, and I staggered down as before.
“Sacre!” cried Raoul through his teeth. The iron had struck him on the head.
“Come, we shall try and try—our lives depend upon it.”
The third attempt, according to popular superstition44, should be successful. It was so with us. The clamp caught, and the string hung dangling45 downwards46. Mounting again upon my comrade’s shoulders, I grasped the thong47 high up to test its hold. It was secure; and, cautioning Raoul to hold fast lest the hook might be detached by my vibration48, I climbed up and seized hold of the beam. By this I was enabled to squeeze myself through the roof.
Once outside I crawled cautiously along the azotea, which, like all others in Spanish houses, was flat, and bordered by a low parapet of mason-work. I peeped over this parapet, looking down into the street. It was night, and I could see no one below; but up against the sky, upon distant battlements, I could distinguish armed soldiers busy around their guns. These blazed forth49 at intervals50, throwing their sulphureous glare over the city.
I returned to assist Raoul, but, impatient of my delay, he had already mounted, and was dragging up the thong after him.
We crawled from roof to roof, looking for a dark spot to descend51 into the street. None of the houses in the range of our prison were more than one story high, and, after passing several, we let ourselves down into a narrow alley52. It was still early, and the people were running to and fro, amidst the frightful53 scenes of the bombardment. The shrieks of women were in our ears, mingled54 with the shouts of men, the groans55 of the wounded, and the fierce yelling of an excited rabble56. The constant whizzing of bombs filled the air, and parapets were hurled57 down. A round-shot struck the cupola of a church as we passed nearly under it, and the ornaments58 of ages came tumbling down, blocking up the thoroughfare. We clambered over the ruins and went on. There was no need of our crouching59 into dark shadows. No one thought of observing us now.
“We are near the house—will you still make the attempt to take him along?” inquired Raoul, referring to the boy Narcisso.
“By all means! Show me the place,” replied I, half-ashamed at having almost forgotten, in the midst of our own perils60, the object of our enterprise.
Raoul pointed61 to a large house with portals and a great door in the centre.
“There, Captain—there it is.”
“Go under that shadow and wait. I shall be better alone.”
This was said in a whisper. My companion did as directed.
I approached the great door and knocked boldly.
“Quien?” cried the porter within the saguan.
“Yo,” I responded.
The door was opened slowly and with caution.
“Is the Señorito Narcisso within?” I inquired.
The man answered in the affirmative.
“Tell him a friend wishes to speak with him.”
After a moment’s hesitation62 the porter dragged himself lazily up the stone steps. In a few seconds the boy—a fine, bold-looking lad, whom I had seen during our trial—came leaping down. He started on recognising me.
“Hush!” I whispered, making signs to him to be silent. “Take leave of your friends, and meet me in ten minutes behind the church of La Magdalena.”
“Why, Señor,” inquired the boy without listening, “how have you got out of prison? I have just been to the governor on your behalf, and—.”
“No matter how,” I replied, interrupting him; “follow my directions—remember your mother and sisters are suffering.”
“I shall come,” said the boy resolutely63.
“Hasta luego!” (Lose no time then). “Adios!”
We parted without another word. I rejoined Raoul, and we walked on towards La Magdalena. We passed through the street where we had been captured on the preceding night, but it was so altered that we should not have known it. Fragments of walls were thrown across the path, and here and there lay masses of bricks and mortar23 freshly torn down.
Neither patrol nor sentry64 thought of troubling us now, and our strange appearance did not strike the attention of the passengers.
We reached the church, and Raoul descended65, leaving me to wait for the boy. The latter was true to his word, and his slight figure soon appeared rounding the corner. Without losing a moment we all three entered the subterranean66 passage, but the tide was still high, and we had to wait for the ebb67. This came at length, and, clambering over the rocks, we entered the surf and waded68 as before. After an hour’s toil69 we reached Punta Hornos, and a little beyond this point I was enabled to hail one of our own pickets70, and to pass the lines in safety.
At ten o’clock I was in my own tent—just twenty-four hours from the time I had left it, and, with the exception of Clayley, not one of my brother officers knew anything of our adventure.
Clayley and I agreed to “mount” a party the next night and carry the boy to his friends. This we accordingly did, stealing out of camp after tattoo71. It would be impossible to describe the rejoicing of our new acquaintances—the gratitude72 lavishly73 expressed—the smiles of love that thanked us.
We should have repeated our visits almost nightly; but from that time the guerilleros swarmed74 in the back-country, and small parties of our men, straggling from camp, were cut off daily. It was necessary, therefore, for my friend and myself to chafe75 under a prudent76 impatience77, and wait for the fall of Vera Cruz.
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1
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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frenzied
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| a.激怒的；疯狂的 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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34
yoked
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| 结合（yoke的过去式形式） | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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40
suffocated
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| （使某人）窒息而死( suffocate的过去式和过去分词 )； （将某人）闷死； 让人感觉闷热； 憋气 | |
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41
wheezing
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| v.喘息，发出呼哧呼哧的喘息声( wheeze的现在分词 )；哮鸣 | |
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42
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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44
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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45
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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46
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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47
thong
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| n.皮带；皮鞭；v.装皮带 | |
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48
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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49
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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50
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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51
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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52
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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53
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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54
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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55
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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56
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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57
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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58
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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60
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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61
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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62
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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63
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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64
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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65
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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67
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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68
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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70
pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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71
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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72
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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73
lavishly
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| adv.慷慨地，大方地 | |
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74
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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75
chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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76
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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77
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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