The Boy Soldier; Or, Garibaldi's Young Captain — page 370: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

364 THE BOY SOLDIER; OR, GARIBALDI’S YOUNG CAPTAIN. “ The wharf-boat at the landing was partly sunk in the first days of the bombardment, “ And I am happy to state that a row of wooden buildings on the levee, owned by a race of sleek Jews, was knocked into a mass of splinters, and no longer recognizable, ‘“‘ A few evenings since I saw a Mr. Mossstanding behind a house, gazing on the ruins of his ‘ Cheap Store’ and ‘ Emporiun,’ soliloquizing. “T might have heard what he said, but a distant explosion informed Mr. Moss the enemy were still inclined for business, and he had better run—which he did in great haste—away, “Yet what had the enemy effected by this bom- bardment ? ‘“‘Comparatively nothing. ‘They could not pass our batteries without great loss or damage. ““And although thousands of shells had been hurled at the town, not a house of importance had fallen. ‘““Business was continued to some extent, and people moved about, dodging the shells as best they could. ‘* Our batteries were intact. “Two guns were all they had dismounted, and we were now better prepared than ever. “We had not lost a man from the bombardment, ‘*Save a good old lady who was killed while carrying refreshments to the sick, and an old man watching the distant fleet, not a drop of blood was shed, despite all the noise and great exertions of the enemy. “When shells came thickly, those who had dug caves in the ground retired to them, and suffered nought but inconvenience from the enemy. “And strange as it may seem, during the whole ‘cannonade, which lasted a long time, they never fairly got the range of our batteries on the bluff, although continually firing in that direction. ‘‘The bombardment, however, was not without intermission. ‘Sometimes we were favoured with an unin- terrupted tornado of shot and shell for many hours, and then all would subside again, and people re- appear in the streets as if nothing had taken place. ‘‘ Occasionally, the spectacle was truly beautiful. ‘Standing on a hill two miles from the bluffs, the whole scene was delightful, when witnessed in the cool of evening, ‘‘For the snow-white houses of the quiet town, with flags flying in every direction, stood out in bold relief against the rich dark green of the Jand- scape, or in striking contrast of the light-blue skies, with rising stars. ‘While from the west, behind the thickly-wooded peninsula, thick clouds of sulphurous smoke curled from the dark sides of the fleets, as monster shells by scores were screaming through the air in all directions, bursting in town, or ploughing up the ground all around our lofty batteries, “For many hours after sunset would the strife continue. “And long after the moon had dipped beyond the dark lines of forest fringing the broad, swift waters of the Rio Grande, bright flashes lit up the heavens to the west, and earth-shaking reports suc- ceeded, as scores of shells and iron bolts were vomited forth from invisible vessels, pyrotechnically coursing through or exploding in the air, bursting over the town into a shower of parti-coloured, meteoric fragments, leaving vapoury circles of sulphurous smoke sensitively trembling in the starlight, “How long the enemy intended to remain in position before the town was a matter of conjecture, though not of anxious inquiry. » “For as long as ammunition lasted, we cared little for their obstinacy and waste of powder against us, since experience had taught all to laugh at their noise. “Yet, although despising their efforts to destroy the place, we were careful to husband our re- sources. “For although material was inexhaustible with them, it was difficult to procure with us, owing to the lack of waggons and resources, “Our gunners never fired at random, and seldom failed to hit the object intended. “This the enemy knew, and although the gun- boats hrd passed up without positive destruction, experience taught Imperial and French commodores it would not be safe or wise to try the experiment a second time. “For our men had become wonderfully expert, and tried their rapid advance in gunnery to the great annoyance of the enemy on more than one occasion, and with destructive effect. ‘Tt thus seemed, therefore, that the commodores would not allow more vessels to run the blockade from the south, although several were in view desirous of attempting it. “They were perforce obliged to stand off and cannonade, independently maintaining a cross fire upon the town. ““The intense heat had now passed, and sickly weather came in with fevers among the unacclimated enemy, cooped up in their ships amid smoke, heat, confinement, deathly night vapours of the lands and water. “ And though suffering extremely in every way, they were farther from realizing their hopes than ever. ‘““Tt was computed they had at anchor more than twenty boats playing on the city, together with a land force of several thousands, scores of transports, flats, &c. “And ordnance officers affirmed that they had fired more than 5,000 shells during the bom- bardment, without counting rockets, round shot, iron bolts, &c. ‘‘ For a few days they were inactive, but did not prepare to depart. “They had abandoned the canal project, after digging more than a mile, and spies informed us their wheelbarrows, tools, &c., were scattered around the~peninsula, and every house was an hospital, “The commodores were nonplussed, “And as their large fleet Jay at anchor on the ripless, copper-coloured river, with a cloudless sky, under the scorching sun, without the echo of a voice, without the motion of a leaf, or flapping of ensigns from a breath of air, the cries of sand-cranes com- ing to and fro reminded one of some river of death, with hospitals for ‘ships, and spectres for crews.” CHAPTER CXVII. THE STORY OF YOUNG DON CARLOS AND ELVINA, ONE evening during a cessation of hostilities, the Boy Soldiers were much amused by the stories told by old Mexicans who had flocked to the standard of the people, But of all who assembled round the watchfires of Young Frank, none were more welcome than old Don Roberto, who seemed to have at his fingers end a a a Gomichbooks sco