"Well, perhaps you are right, and I dare say tomorrow morning I shall
see things in a different light. However, in case I should fall, you
will see my wishes carried out."
Jack again promised that he would do anything and everything that Murray
wished. Terence joined them shortly afterwards, and the old shipmates
spent a pleasant evening, as did Tom with his friends in the
midshipmen's berth. They did not trouble themselves with forebodings of
evil, and all talked eagerly of the fun they hoped to see before long.
A sharp lookout was kept during the night. The steamers had their fires
banked up, as it was thought probable that the enemy might have prepared
fireships to send down among them. As soon, therefore, as it was dark,
the boats were sent ahead to row guard, and to tow them out of the way,
so that they might drop down clear of the squadron. The night, however,
passed away without any occurrence of the sort, and at daybreak the two
commodores proceeded up the river in their gigs to reconnoitre the
position of the enemy. A dense fog which hung over the water enabled
them to approach unobserved. Their return was anxiously waited for.
They quickly acquainted themselves with all they desired to know, and,
immediately they got back, the commanders of all the vessels were
directed to repair on board the flagship to receive instructions. They
then learned that Rosas had thrown up strong fortifications about three
miles from where they then lay. They consisted of four batteries, two
on heights sixty feet above the surface of the river, and two in an
intervening valley. The batteries mounted altogether twenty-two guns,
some long thirty-two pounders, and others of smaller calibre. Opposite
the point was an island, which occupied a considerable portion of the
breadth of the river, so that vessels going up must of necessity pass
close to the batteries. Yet, further to strengthen the position, three
heavy chains, supported by twenty-four vessels, extended across the
river from the main land to the island, one end being defended by a
man-of-war schooner, mounting six guns, while close to the chains, ready
to be let loose at any moment, lay ten fireships. A force of nearly
four thousand men, artillery, cavalry, and infantry, was collected, so
the commodores learnt from their spies, to man the forts, and to oppose
any force that might be sent on shore to attack them.
The sailing-vessels were now formed in two divisions, while the steamers
formed a third, to take up a position as soon as they had disposed of
the fireships. All on board the ships waited eagerly for the signal to
weigh.
The hands had been piped to breakfast. The meal was over, still the fog
prevailed. Suddenly a light breeze sprang up from the southward, when
the fog cleared, and at a quarter to nine the signal was given for the
leading division to weigh. With eager alacrity the men sprang aloft to
loose sails, and in a few minutes the two divisions of sailing-vessels
were gliding up the stream; the one to attack the northern, and the
other the southern batteries, with directions to anchor about seven
hundred yards from them. With all sail set to stem the current, they
approached the batteries, which immediately opened fire on the headmost
vessels. They returned the compliment with interest, as soon as they
could bring their guns to bear, the thunder of the artillery breaking
the silence which had hitherto reigned over the scene, the loud roaring
increasing as ship after ship got into action.
The wild gauchos fought their guns well, and showered down on their
assailants round shot, grape, canister, shells, and rockets, which the
ships returned with similar missiles, French and English vying with each
other as to who should load and fire their guns the fastest. The roar
of the guns, the crashing of the shot as they struck the ships, and the
shouts of the men, increasing every instant, became perfectly deafening.
About an hour from the time the gallant little _Philomel_ got under
fire, the action became general. Several of the vessels were suffering
severely; on board the French commodore's brig especially the men were
falling fast, while numberless shots struck her between wind and water.
The effect of the terrific cannonading going on was to make the wind
fall light, and some of the ships, therefore, were unable to reach the
exact stations assigned to them; the consequence was, that they were
exposed, more than would otherwise have been the case, to the fire of
the batteries.
Murray had carried his vessel as close as he could, and Jack did not
fail to follow his example. Round shot and grape came sweeping over
their decks, some of the missiles striking the hulls of the vessels,
others going through their sails and cutting up the rigging; but the
hotter the fire became, the more the British seamen seemed to enjoy the
fun, tossing about their guns with right good will, and sending shot
after shot, well aimed, into the batteries.
"I say, this is pretty hot work, Archy," observed Desmond; "I wonder how
long it is going to last?"
"I suppose till we drive the enemy from their guns and take possession
of their fort, unless they blow themselves up, and finish the batteries
in that way," answered Gordon.
"But, I say! look there! what are those craft about?"
Archy, as he spoke, pointed ahead, where about a dozen vessels were seen
bearing down on the squadron from the upper part of the river.
Presently, first one, and then another, burst into flames.
"They are fireships!" cried Desmond, "and if they come aboard they will
blow us all into smithereens."
"The steamers won't let them do that," observed Gordon; "see, they are
paddling towards them, and will sink or tow them out of the way before
they touch us, I hope."
Still the danger was imminent. It was evident that the steamers could
not take all of them in tow at once, and while some were got hold of,
others might continue their course.
The commanders of the men-of-war made preparations for the reception of
the fireships, and got their boats ready to tow them away, should they
threaten to drift closer than was safe. On came the burning masses; the
steamers had got hold of some of them.
"That fellow will be down upon us before long, sir," said Needham, "if
we cannot manage to get her out of the way."
Jack, on this, ordered a boat to be lowered; Needham, followed by Tom,
jumped into her, and rapidly pulled for the fireship. The difficulty
was to secure the towrope, while there was no time to be lost if the
brig was to be saved. Many of the shot, intended for the vessels, came
flying over the boat; no one was hit in her, however, and Needham
managed to hook on the towrope to her stern. The crew gave way, and,
aided by the current, just got her clear of the brig, when, the flames
rapidly increasing, Needham saw it was high time to cast off, and get
out of her neighbourhood.
The crew had not given many strokes when up she blew, and the fragments
of her deck and bulwarks came rattling down over them.
For a moment it seemed that all in the boat must be destroyed. Jack,
who had anxiously cast his eyes in that direction, as had also the two
midshipmen of the corvette who were looking on, thought that every one
in the boat must perish. Jack regretted that he had allowed Tom to go
in her; his anxiety, however, was soon relieved when he saw them
emerging from the shower and returning to the brig.
The other fire-vessels passing clear of the squadron, either drove on
shore or went floating harmlessly down the broad stream, till they blew
up and sank.
The battle still continued raging as at first, for the Spaniards fought
their guns with desperation, and no sooner had one set of men been swept
away than they were replaced by others. A body of cavalry was also seen
hovering about in the wood which backed the fort, and when any of the
artillerymen, as some did, could no longer stand it, and took to flight,
they were driven back, and compelled to fight till they were killed or
wounded.
The action had continued with unmitigated fury for a couple of hours,
and there appeared no prospect of its cessation as long as the enemy's
ammunition held out. Although the gunners were continually swept away,
fresh men, as at first, were driven up to take their places. The number
of casualties on board the squadron had greatly increased; two or three
officers and several men had already been killed, and many wounded.
Suddenly a still louder roar than the thunder of the guns was heard.
"Hurrah! there goes their magazine," cried Desmond.
"No! see the schooner guarding the chains has blown up," answered
Gordon, pointing in the direction of the barrier placed across the
river.
For a few seconds the enemy, astounded by the occurrence, ceased firing,
but the English gave them no respite, and both parties immediately again
set to work, battering away at each other. Shot after shot struck the
_Tudor_, but the crew kept up their fire with unabated vigour. Murray
had forgotten all about his forebodings of the previous evening; no
sooner had the schooner blown up, than he saw that the chain being left
unprotected it might easily be cut through, and the steamers would thus
be able to pass up the stream, and open a flanking fire on the fort.
The same idea had occurred to Jack, and he sent Tom on board the
commodore's ship, offering to make the attempt. Murray had, in the
meantime, sent Archy Gordon with a similar offer. Both being accepted,
they pulled away in their gigs towards the chains. Though several shot
came flying by them, and they were exposed to a hot fire of musketry,
they succeeded in reaching the chains. Had the schooner remained, the
attempt would have been hopeless, as her guns with an ample crew had
full command of the spot; but the guns were at the bottom of the river,
and most of her crew had either been blown into the air, or drowned.
Still it was no easy matter to cut through heavy chains. With cold
iron, axes, and hammers, Murray and Jack set to work, and although
bullets were whizzing over them, and every now and then pattered against
the boats, they worked dauntlessly away.
"There is one cut through, at all events," cried Jack, as he succeeded
at length in severing one of the thick links. Murray had unshackled
another; the third, however, still remained; they both worked away at
it, knowing that before it could be cut through the enemy might bring
down some of their flying artillery, and render their position still
more dangerous; besides which, the sooner the ships could get up the
more quickly would the victory be won.
"A few more blows, and we shall do it," cried Murray. He was raising
his arm to strike, when he fell back into the hands of Snatchblock, who
was assisting him.
"Go on, Jack," he exclaimed. "Don't mind me; you will have it through
in another minute."
Jack, though his heart felt very sad at the thoughts of Murray being
badly wounded, or perhaps killed, laboured away with all his might,
assisted by Needham.
"We will do it in a few minutes more," cried Jack, bringing down his axe
with tremendous force.
The chain was at length cut; the boats' crews uttering a loud cheer at
their success, while the vessels which supported it swung to the
current, floating down towards the opposite bank.
"Give way, now, lads," cried Jack, and the two boats proceeded as fast
as the men could bend to their oars back to the ships. Jack saw Murray
lifted on board and carried below--the surgeon expressed a hope that his
wound was not dangerous, though he had fainted from loss of blood. Jack
had, however, to hasten on board the commodore's ship, to report what
had been done.
The steamers were immediately ordered to proceed up the river and flank
the batteries. Jack's anxiety was increased by the knowledge that his
ship was greatly exposed, several of her people having fallen, and the
purser having been killed while assisting the surgeon below.
The French commodore's brig, however, was suffering much more severely,
a shot cutting her cable she dropped astern before another could be
ranged, with upwards of an hundred shot-holes through her sides, ten or
twelve of her people killed, and forty, or more, wounded. The French
and English vessels were now ordered up to place themselves within
musket-shot of the battery, that they might assist the flanking fire of
the steamers. This they did in a most dashing way, receiving a hot fire
in return, when one of the lieutenants of an English vessel was killed.
At length, however, the well-served guns of the squadron produced their
effect; the fire from the batteries began to slacken, some of the guns
being dismounted and the gunners driven from others. The engagement had
now lasted six hours.
At length, only an occasional shot came from the shore, but still the
enemy's flag continued flying, and the commodore made a signal for the
boats of the squadron to rendezvous alongside his ship, with marines and
bluejackets prepared for landing, to storm the batteries.
The ships were brought in as close as the water would allow to cover the
landing. The English forces, consisting of an hundred and eighty
bluejackets, and one hundred and forty-five marines were the first on
shore; here they quickly formed. Terence, with two boats' crews from
the _Tudor_, were among them. Desmond had accompanied his uncle; they
were soon afterwards joined by Bevan and Tom with the men from the
_Supplejack_.
"So we are to have some campaigning," said Tom. "I was afraid my
brother would not let me come, at first, but he thought, as I had
escaped the round and grape shot of the enemy which came rattling on
board, that I should not get into much harm on shore, and I was very
anxious to see the fun."
While the boats were disembarking the men destined for the attack, the
ships kept up a hot fire over their heads, to prevent the enemy from
rushing down to interrupt them.
"I suppose the ships will cease firing when we storm the hill, or they
may chance to knock our heads off instead of the enemy," said Desmond.
"No fear about that," answered Tom. "See, they have knocked off
already. The commodore will give us the signal to advance before long,
depend on that."
On the crest of the hill a strong force was drawn up to oppose them.
Without waiting for the French the word to advance was given, and
uttering three hearty British cheers, the marines with fixed bayonets
charged up the hill, the bluejackets on their flank.
They were received with a hot fire of musketry, but the gauchos, brave
as they were, could not stand the bayonets of the marines. As they saw
them coming they took to flight. On one side was a wood in which a body
of the enemy were posted. This was at once attacked by a light company
of seamen, and in a few minutes it was carried; the French landing,
rushed up to the attack of the forts, while the bluejackets pursued the
flying enemy, who now and then, when they found themselves in sufficient
force to make a stand, turned round and fired at their pursuers. Bodies
also of gauchos, who had been hovering in the rear during the action,
came sweeping down, endeavouring to cut off any of their assailants whom
they might find unprepared to receive them.
Terence, accompanied by the two midshipmen and a small party of seamen,
carried away by their ardour, after having assisted to clear the wood,
were considerably in advance of the main body. The marines were at the
same time in the act of charging a large body of the enemy, who were
again attempting to stand their ground.
"Halloa! who are these fellows?" cried Tom, pointing in the direction in
which he had seen a large body of the gauchos flourishing their long
lances, as they galloped fiercely forward.
"They intend to try and cut us down, and so they will if we don't drive
them back with a warm volley," cried Terence. "Prepare to receive
cavalry!" The seamen had been drilled to act as light infantry, and
being armed with muskets and bayonets were well able to use them. On
came the wild horsemen firing their carbines, when, with lances at rest,
they charged full down on the body of seamen. Several saddles were
emptied, but not till they had got close up to the bayonets did they
wheel round, apparently with the intention of retreating. Believing
that they were doing so, the bluejackets rose from their knees, and
imperfectly disciplined as they were for fighting on shore, without
waiting for their officer's orders, rushed forward in pursuit of the
apparently flying enemy. Tom and Gerald, carried away by their ardour,
took the lead, and having only their swords in their hands, got ahead of
the rest. At that moment the horsemen, once more wheeling, charged with
desperate fury against the partly broken square.
The seamen, however; again rapidly forming, fired a volley which
prevented the gauchos from cutting their way through them. Two of the
gauchos, however, as they came up, threw their lassos over Tom and
Gerald, who were at that moment in the act of springing back to gain the
protection of the bayonets, and greatly to their horror and dismay they
found themselves dragged up on the saddles of the horsemen, who with
their companions galloped off amid the showers of bullets which the
bluejackets sent after them. Among the few who, amid the smoke from the
muskets and the confusion, had seen the midshipmen spirited away, was
Snatchblock.
"We must get the young reefers back, lads! It won't do to lose them,"
he shouted out, and followed by a dozen of the _Supplejack's_ crew, less
accustomed to discipline than the rest, he started off in pursuit.
Terence seeing them going, and not knowing the cause, called them back,
but not hearing him they ran on, hoping to overtake the fleet horsemen.
The gauchos, discovering from the flight of their party in other
directions that the day was lost, continued their flight: had they
turned back, they would probably have cut down the whole of their
pursuers.
Snatchblock, compelled at length to return, told Adair what had
happened.
"Rogers and my nephew carried off?" exclaimed Adair. "How did you
fellows come to allow that?"
"We couldn't help it, sir! indeed we couldn't!" answered Snatchblock.
"There isn't a man among us who wouldn't have given his own life rather
than have let the young gentlemen be carried off by the savages, to be
killed and eaten for what we know, but their horsemen came down upon us
like lightning, and spirited them off before any of us saw what they
were about."
"Well, well, I am ready to believe that none of you could help it, and I
am sure, Snatchblock, that you would have risked your life to save the
youngsters," said Adair, his rising anger appeased. "They have
themselves alone to blame. We must now see what we can do to get them
back, for the gauchos will look upon them as prizes of too much value to
kill, and though they are savage enough, from all accounts, they are not
addicted to eating men or boys either."
"That's a comfort, at all events, for I couldn't tell what those wild
chaps might do with the young gentlemen," observed the honest sailor.
"If we might go off in chase, maybe we should come up with them before
long."
"Without cavalry we shall have no chance of overtaking the gauchos, and
I can only hope that they will not treat their prisoners ill. The lads
have their wits about them; if they have the chance, they will make
their escape," answered Adair.
"You may trust the young gentlemen for that, sir," said Snatchblock.
The recall being sounded, Adair with his party was compelled to rejoin
the main body; indeed, he saw too clearly that any attempt to rescue the
youngsters would be useless. The only task now to be accomplished by
the seamen and marines was to spike the guns and destroy the batteries,
which being quickly accomplished, they re-embarked.
The crews of the vessels which had been most severely treated had work
enough to do in stopping shot-holes and refitting the rigging, which had
been considerably cut up.
Adair on his return having to pass close to the _Supplejack_, went on
board to tell Rogers of the unfortunate loss of the two midshipmen, and
to offer him all the consolation he could.
"I would rather that anything had happened than that," exclaimed Jack.
"You don't suppose that the gauchos have killed the poor lads?"
Adair said he hoped from what he had heard that they had not injured
them, and probably supposed that they had made a valuable prize in a
couple of officers. They questioned Snatchblock further as to what he
knew of the affair.
"I would have given my right hand rather than have had the young
gentleman carried off, sir," he answered. "You see, sir, we did not
expect those horse-fellows would attack us on that side, and we were not
standing in shipshape fashion like the sodgers. Somehow or other also
the young gentlemen were where they should not have been, I'll allow,
and just then down the gauchos pounced upon us, and all in a moment,
before we could sing out, a couple of them whipped their lassos over the
lads' shoulders and hoisted them up on their saddles. You may be sure,
sir, we made all sail after them as fast as we could carry on, but it
was all of no use. The horses' four legs were better than our two, and
we were afraid of firing for fear of hitting the young gentlemen. Maybe
the fellows carried them off to save their own hides."
Poor Jack felt very unhappy, and at once pulled off to the commodore, to
consult him and some of the other captains as to what was best to be
done.
"It is only to be hoped that Rosas will not treat them as he is said to
have treated some of his prisoners, and cut off their ears," was the
remark made when Jack told his story. "Of course every effort must be
made to recover the youngsters; and as soon as we can hold any
communication with Rosas, we will send to demand their release, and will
offer to exchange any of his followers who may fall into our hands for
them. In the meantime such private means as are available must be
employed, and you and Mr Adair shall have every possible opportunity
given you of carrying them out. We will think over the matter, and
decide what steps, under the circumstances, it is best to take. The
general, however, has shown no inclination whatever to come to terms;
and not withstanding his defeat, it is evident that he intends to fight
out the quarrel to the bitter end." This was poor consolation to Jack
and Terence, who felt more cut up than they had ever been in their
lives.
Jack had not, however, forgotten Murray, and as soon as duty would allow
him, he went on board the _Tudor_. He found his old friend able to sit
up at table in his cabin, though looking pale and ill from loss of
blood, and certainly more fit to be in his cot.
"You see, Jack, that my forebodings are partly realised," he said, as
his old shipmate entered; "at all events, had the bullet struck me the
sixteenth of an inch on either side my wound would have been fatal. I
am afraid, from what the doctor says, that it may be some time before I
am fit for active duty, and he advises me to apply to be superseded, and
to go home."
Jack of course hoped that the doctor was wrong, and that Murray would be
able to remain out till the affair on which they had been sent had been
brought to a satisfactory issue.
"But you look unusually grave, Rogers; has anything happened?"
Jack told him all about Tom and Gerald's loss. Murray of course
heartily sympathised with him, and expressed his fears, as his other
friends had done, that it would be a hard matter to get the youngsters
back. He suggested, however, that Jack should try and get hold of some
natives, who might communicate with them, and perhaps assist them to
escape.
The suggestion gave him some consolation, as offering a means of
recovering the lads.
"Don't be cramped in your efforts for want of money," said Murray.
"Bribery with these fellows will go a long way, and you know that my
purse is always at your service, and never more so than on this
occasion."
"I know it, Alick," answered Jack. "Depend on it, if I can fall in with
any natives, I will try what bribery can do with them; and if my own
means are insufficient, I will come to you."