Beadle's Dime Library No. 151 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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24 The Freebooters. @ — -—+—— intended to habituate the men to the sound of bis voice, and prove to them that he was a thorough sailor, which all recognized in a few minutes. The orders were then executed with such rapidity and rness that the corvette, almost unservicea- ble an hour previously, was soon under jury-masts, and in a condition to sail for any port to which it pepeed its new commander for take it. The deck ad been completely cleared, the running rigging cut during the action spliced—in short, an hour be- fore sunset any stranger whom accident brought aboard the Libertad could have formed no idea of what had really taken place. When he had obtained this result, Captain John- son smiled in his mustache, and ordered Master Lovel, who had followed him on board, to pipe all hands on deck. At this familiar signal the sailors, who were now quite submissive, gayly ranged them- selves at the foot of the mainmast, and waited pa- tiently for their new captain's orders The latter knew how to address rude fellows like these; after complimenting them on the intelligent way in which they had comprehended his orders, he told them that he had no intention of keeping them prisoners, for the majority of them were Texans like himself, and as such had a claim to his entire sympathy. aay those sailors who did rot wish serve the Texan Republic would be landed at the first place ou Mexican territory the corvette touched at; as for those who consented to remain aboard and serve their country, their pay would be raised to twenty-five piasters a month, and in order to prove to them the good intentions of the Texan gov- ernment toward them, a month’s pay would be dis- tributed on the spot in the shape of bounty. This generous proposition was greeted with shouts of joy by those men who began at once to calculate how many glasses of tafia and measures of pulque they could consume for this fabulous sum of twenty- five dollars. The poor fellows, ever since they had been in the Mexican service, had only been paid in promises, and for along time past had considered this pay far too meager. The ee was aware of this circum- stance, he saw the effect he had produced, and con- tinued in the midst of a religious silence: “Then, that is settled, my men. You are free not to remain on board, where I[ have no desire to retain you as prisoners. Still, reflect on the propositions I make you, inthe name of the government I have the honor of serving, for I consider them in ever way neta ag oa to you. Now, let those who wis to enter on board the corvette pass to larboard, while those who wish. to be put ashore can remain where they are. The purser will draw up the agree- meut and pay the bounty at once.”’ The cap had in ed the P aos at the foot of the mizen-mast, with a table before him, and bags of dollars at his feet. This display met with the greatest success, nothing more was wanting, and the sight of the piasters decided even the most irresolute. At the command of “Go,” given by the captain, the sailors crowded round the purser, who ere long did not know whom to attend to first, so anxious were all to receive the bounty. The captain smiled at the result of his eloquence, but he considered it advisa- ble to go to the aid of the purser, and by his orders, the ors displayed a little less precipitation in pre- senting themselves to him. The enlistment lasted two hours. All the sailors entered—all now joyously clinked in their horny hands the handsome piasters they had received; and assuredly, if a Mexican Tig come up at the mo- ment, the new crew would have given it a rude re- ception. The result obtained by Captain Johnson was easy to foresee: in every sailor there is some- thing of the privateer, and ready money is the only available argument with him. But Captain Johnson was a cool and methodical man, on whom enthusiasm had but a slight effect. He was not at all intoxicated by the success he had met with; he knew very well, that.after the first moments of excitement d reflection, would come, and with reflection that insubordination so natural to the sailor’s character. Aboveall, hemust avoid giving any pretext for mutiny; and for that purpose it was urgent to break up the unanimity which a lengthened dwelling together had produced among them. The means to effect this were simple and the captain employed them. His own brig had a crew of one hundred and ninety men; of these he only retained fifty, while the others went aboard the corvette, one hundred and forty of ber crew being transferred to the brig; in this way the two crews were fused, and were completely at the disposal of the captain, who e their entire master. The various events we have described, and the in- cidents that followed them, had occupied a consider- able period; the whole day had slipped away, and the organization was not complete till an hour before sunset. ng my Johnson gave the command of the corvette to Don Serapio, with Don Cristoval as first lieutenant, and Ramirez as master; while he himself retained the command of the brig. Then, when all was in order, the ~ gong had the Mexican fi hoisted at the peak of the corvette, which immedi- ately started for Galveston. The ee returned on board his own vessel, taking with him El Alferez, to whose determination and coolness the Texan Revolutionary Government owed the ye pera of a tg gee The result was grand, and surpassed even the expectations of the insurgents. Butthat was not ome: on get- ting aboard his brig, the captain ordere the Texan flag to be struck, turned upside down, and hoisted ’ again with the Mexican colors above it. The bri set sail, and kept up with the corvette, pets #) keep under her guns, as if really captured by her. The sailors did not at all comprehend thie singular maneuver; but, asthey had seen the captain laugh, they some stra m, and, in spite op shame they felt at seeing their colors beneath those of , they repressed their murmurs, in the hope of a speedy revenge. n the mean while,the whole population of Galves- ton had since morning been plunged in the greatest onxiety. Assembled en the jetty they had watched the obstinate pursuit until the vessels ppeared ; the sound of cannon, ye org by the echo of the cliffs, had reached the ci ‘fi a fight had, therefore, taken eae but what the t was everybody asked the other, and no one could angwer. The silence of the fort had also seemed inexplica- ie; they could not understand why it had not sunk carefu the brig as it Suddenly there was an outburst of shouts and cheers, for the brig and corvette ceepennee at the entrance of the passage, with the Mexican colors proudly flying on the two ships over the Texan , which was disgracefully reversed, This delight knew no bounds when the ships were seen to anchor beneath the guns of the battery; the Mexicans were victors, and the Texan insurgents had suffered a defeat, from which they would not so easily recover. CHAPTER XXL A HAZARDOUS UNDERTAKING. We will now return to the Jaguar, whom we left departing from the pulqueria, and proceeding at the ee of his bold companions toward the fort of the oint. The night was dark; beavy clouds laden with elec- tricity coursed across the sky, and by ype ¢ the moonbeams rendered the gloom denser still, The conspirators passed silently though the deserted streets of the town like a legion of phantoms. They went on thus for a long time, with watchful eye and finger on the rifle trigger, ready to fire at the slight- est suspicious sound; but nothing disturbed their march to the seashore, which they reached after making a thousand windings, in order to foil the spies who might have attempted to follow them in the darkness. The spot where they were was a small, sandy creek, sheltered on sides by tall cliffs; here, at a word from the Jaguar, they halted, for the difficulties of the expedition were about to begin. The young chief assembled his comrades round him, ‘*Caballeros,” he then said, in a low voice, “ we are prnncedng to the fort of the Point, which we must carry before sunrise; listen to me attentively, and remember my instructions, in order that during the expeditiog we may be exposed to no misunder- standing, which, in our present situation, would not only be mortal to us, but cause our comrades, who on their side are attempting a hazardous enterprise, to lose all the fruit of their labors.”’ The conspirators drew nearer, in order to hear better. The swell died at their feet with a hollow murmur, and out at sea could be seen the waves raised by the north-east wind, which would probably rise into a tempest within an hour. The Jaguar continued— “The fort of the Point is impregnable, or, at least, asses as such; I have resolved to deprive it of the hasan boast, and for that purpose, have counted on you, comrades. Owing to the opinion the Mexi- cans have of the strength of this citadel, they have considered it unnecessary to keep up a numerous garrison there, convinced as they are that its posi- tion will defend it, and that it is impossible to it, save by treachery. The garrison, therefore, only composed of thirty soldiers, commanded by a lieutenant; it is small, and yet enormous; small, if we force them into a hand-to-hand fight; enormous, if we are compelled to remain at a distance. On the land side, the granite rock on which the fort is built is so perpendicular that we could not hope to ascend beyond one half of it; for, excepting the path cut in the rock, which is defended at regular distances b barricades, escalading is impracticable. We cannot, therefore, think of attacking it on that side. But the sea is left to us, if the land fails us; if we can succeed in landing on the narrow strip of earth which is left uncovered at low water for about an hour at the foot of the fortress, it is probable that we shall succeed in our enterprise; for it will never oceur to the garrison that any attempt to attack them by sea will be made on such a night as this. That is not all—we must reach that strip of land and speedily, too; the sea is pestasing to ebb, an oe the om is favorable. This is what 1 propose rs Pi The conspirators, collected round their chief, paid the most earnest attention to his words. It was for them a question of life or death. “Now, my ery mage "the Jaguar continued, “we have no boat in which to reach the base of the fort; the sound of oars striking against the tholes would give the alarm, excite the suspicion of the pearaee. and reveal our presence; we must, there- ore, cross by gishempe tes but itis nearly a league to go; the tide runs out fast, and we shall have to cross it at right angles; moreover, the night is dark, and the sea rough. I will only remind you of the sharks and tintoreras we run a risk of meeting on the way. You see, comrades, that it is a rude and it is certain that we shall not all reach the sand strip. Some of us will remain on the road: but what matter, so long as we succeed? You are brave inen, sol have preferred to speak openly with you, and allow you to seeallthe danger, than deceive you, for a peril if known is half overcome.”’ In spite of all their courage, the conspirators felt a spasm at their hearts; still not one of them hesitated, for they had freely offered their lives as a sacrifice; besides, they now gone too far to recoil; they must proceed at all risks. We must say, in praise of the conspirators, that of all the pe enumerated by the Jaguar, only one alarmed them. What they most feared was the meeting with the tintorera, We will lain to the reader, who is probably enone of t . what this congecoms — is, whi ssesses the pri eo ucing goose- flesh in the bravest man te mare mention of its name. The seas of Mexico, and especially the coasts, swarm with dangerous fish, ease which the shark holds a very honorable place. But, though it be so dangerous, the Mexican l-divers, who are mostly Indians, care little for it, and bravely fight ~! when the opportunity offers. Still, there is a specia sort they are extraordinarily afraid of, and t is the tintorera. The tintorera is a shark of the largest size, and owes its name to a peculiarity that reveals ite pre- sence at a considerable distance. Holes placed near the snout of the fish distil a gluey matter, which spreads over its whole body, and renders it brilliant as fire- These peospsorie gleams are the most splendid on stormy nights, when the wind moans and the thunder growls. The same phenomenon is produced on dart nisbte: the denser the gloom, the more vivid isthe furrow traced by the tintoreras. This an, mal, fortunately, is nearly blind, and, con- sequently, cannot follow its prey by sight. They are also age to turn their belly con rae | up on seizing their prev. In the pearl islands of the — ee ae Mexican coast there are Indian and half-breed divers, who are not at all afraid of fighting them, and who frequently succeed in killi em, “* Now,” the Jaguar continued, after allowing his comrades some minutes for reflection, “it is time for us to get ready. Listento me. We are about to attempt a surprise, and must therefore act accord- ingly. Let us leave here our firearms, which would not only be useless, but might prove dangerous, if a shot were fired imprudently and revealed our pre- sence; hence each will undress, only keeping on his trowsers, and carrying his dagger between his teeth; that will be sufficient, as further clothing would only embarrass us in our long swim.”’ The night grew more and more dark; the sea moaned sadly, under the impulse of the coromuel, which was beginnin to blow in gusts; the sea- wolves howled in the denkmees: the guvicta groaned sadly on the top of the rocks; and from time to time the lamantine, as if jealous to add its mournful moan to the sinister sounds of night, mingled with the sharp sighs of the wind its accents, melancholy and ey as those of asoul in pain:—all, in short, foreboded a tempest. The hour was well chosen for a deed of darkness. The first emotion passed, the conspirators, gal- vanized, so to by the firm and confident accent of their chief, bravely made up their minds without observation or murmur. ‘tLey threw down their weapons and arms, and silently ranged them- selves on the beach, only av aiting «le order to dash into the sea. The Jaguar, with fis ec eye and frown- ing brow, remained motio.less tor some minutes, doubtless thinking of the in.rmicnse responsibility he assumed in devoting to a probalue death so many men who paces their hope and confidence in him. At length he made a powerful effort over himself, a sigh escaped from his overladen breast, and, turn- ing to his comrades, who were calmly awaiting the order to start, which would probably be a sentence of death to the majority, he said in a hollow voice: ‘* Brothers, let us pray!’ All knelt down, and the J r offered up a prayer. His powerful voice was mingled with the howls of the wild beasts and the c of the tempest; his companions repeated the sentences after him, with the faith of primitive souls, who regard the belief transmitted to them by their ancestors as the only true one. It was at once a touching and terrible spectacle offered by these simple-minded, lion-hearted men, piously kneeling on this deserted shore in the black night, while the tempest raged around them, pre- paring pnermectnes by prayer for the sacrifice of their life—alone in the gloom, without the dazzling prestige of a brilliant sun and thousands of specta- tors, but compelled to lay down their lives, and know no reward in this world. When the prayer was ended, all rose to their feet. They felt stronger; as Gop would henceforth be on their side, what had they to fear? they had made their accomplice. e Jaguar was the last one to rise; his brow was serene, but a febrile ardor caused his eyes to flash; he believed in the success of his enterprise. After ass himself that all his comrades were ready, he ordered: “Take your daggers between your teeth: Heaven protect us. Forward, brothers, and long live lib- erty!”’ o ‘ne live liberty!’ the. conspirators shouted. A dull sound was heard, as they dashed simul- taneously into the sea. CHAPTER XXII. THE SURPRISE. THE Jaguar spoke truly when he said that the task the conspirators were about to undertake was rude, Swimming side by side, the Texans advanced in a straight line in the direction of the fort, which the qnecurny prevented them seeing. The sea was rough and lumpy; heavy waves poured in, and rolled at every moment on their heads; the wiud redoubled its violence; the terrible coromuel, the scourge of these coasts, where it causes so many shipwrecks, had risen; there was nota star in the sky to guide these determined men. ey swam on—not @ ery, moan, or sigh reveal- ing any fatigue or discouragement on their part. At the head of the gloomy line formed by the energetic heads of the conspirators, the Jaguar progressed alone. Three-quarters of an hour passed, durii which all the strength and courage the human wi ssesses were expended in this s le of giants by hese men, whom nothing could qu Not one had broken dewn; the line was still compact, and they advanced with the same vigor. Before them, at about a musket-shot distance, a denser shadow was visible in the gloom, thrown out by the enormous mass of the fortress ane sae appececsana: Since the 5 e conspirators, with their eyes ardentl ed ahead, not exchanged a llable. at could they have said? They were rfectly aware of the probable consequences of heir mad enterprise, and fully conscious of the danger they incurred. Besides, what was the good of speaking, when they could act? Hence they were silent, but they ac vigorously, Still, as ali the men swam like otters, and were accustomed to the perfidious element in which they now were they only expended the nec amount 0 strength, and were very careful to keep the line regular. At length, after superhuman efforts, they suc- ceeded in cutting through the current that ed with extreme rapidity and strength into the straits. The hardest work was over; from this moment they needed only to let themselves drift gently ashore, wit careful be: — + the right n. “* Courage !"’ the ar ‘ This word, the on ty the young mam had uttered since the start, restored the strength of his com- rades and aroused their ardor again. The fortress stood out gloomy and imposing a short distance ahead, and the conspirators were already ls in the shadow it cast. All at oncea ery distur the silence. wee * Tintorera I” A brilliant mass came to meet the conspirators, © leaving a long phosphorescent trail behind it. “'Tintorera!” a second voice shouted. In fact, another k was advancing from the open sea and swimming straight toward the con- apirators, leaving a line of fire. (E(0) JOO im cS (E (E() \"