THE RETURN OF THE FLEET.
Admiral de Mello had been true to his word, and had obeyed the order
which had reached him through the proper channel. He was within a
hundred miles of Port Said when the despatch-boat, with the Agent of
the Republic, had been met. He at once changed his course, and steamed
towards the city he had so lately left. His fleet consisted of two
battleships, which, though slow and out of date, were yet formidable
machines, two cruisers, and a gunboat. The inopportune bursting of a
steam-pipe on board the flagship, the _Fortuna_, caused a delay of
several hours, and it was not till two o'clock in the afternoon of the
second day that he rounded the point and saw the harbour and city of
Laurania rise fair and white on the starboard bow. His officers
scanned the capital, which was their home and of whose glories they
were proud, with anxious eyes; nor were their fears unfounded. The
smoke of half a dozen conflagrations rose from among the streets and
gardens; the foreign shipping had moved out of the basin and lay off in
the roads, for the most part under steam; a strange red flag flew from
the fort at the end of the mole.
The Admiral, signalling for half-speed, picked his way towards the
mouth of the channel cautiously. It was so contrived that a vessel in
passing must be exposed to a cross-fire from the heavy guns in the
batteries. The actual passage was nearly a mile wide, but the
navigable channel itself was dangerously narrow and extremely
difficult. De Mello, who knew every foot of it, led the way in the
_Fortuna_; the two cruisers, _Sorato_ and _Petrarch_, followed; the
gunboat _Rienzi_ was next, and the other battleship, _Saldanho_,
brought up the rear. The signal was made to clear for action; the men
were beat to quarters; the officers went to their posts, and the fleet,
assisted by a favourable tide, steamed slowly towards the entrance.
The rebel gunners wasted no time in formalities. As the _Fortuna_ came
into the line of fire, two great bulges of smoke sprang from the
embrasures; the nine-inch guns of the seaward battery were discharged.
Both shells flew high and roared through the masts of the warship, who
increased her speed to seven knots and stood on her course followed by
her consorts. As each gun of the forts came to bear, it was fired, but
the aim was bad, and the projectiles ricochetted merrily over the
water, raising great fountains of spray, and it was not until the
leading ship had arrived at the entrance of the channel, that she was
struck.
A heavy shell, charged with a high explosive, crashed into the
port-battery of the _Fortuna_, killing and wounding nearly sixty men,
as well as dismounting two out of the four guns. This roused the huge
machine; the forward turret revolved and, turning swiftly towards the
fort, brought its great twin guns to bear. Their discharge was almost
simultaneous, and the whole ship staggered with the violence of the
recoil. Both shells struck the fort and exploded on impact, smashing
the masonry to splinters and throwing heaps of earth into the air; but
the harm done was slight. Safe in their bomb-proofs, the rebel gunners
were exposed only to the danger of missiles entering the embrasures;
while such guns as fired from _barbette_ mountings were visible only at
the moment of discharge.
Nevertheless the great ship began literally to spout flame in all
directions, and her numerous quick-firing guns searched for the
embrasures, sprinkling their small shells with prodigal rapidity.
Several of these penetrated, and the rebels began to lose men. As the
ships advanced, the cross-fire grew hotter, and each in succession
replied furiously. The cannonade became tremendous, the loud
explosions of the heavy guns being almost drowned by the incessant
rattle of the quick firers; the waters of the harbour were spotted all
over with great spouts of foam, while the clear air showed the white
smoke-puffs of the bursting shells. The main battery of the _Fortuna_
was completely silenced. A second shell had exploded with a horrid
slaughter, and the surviving sailors had fled from the scene to the
armoured parts of the vessel; nor could their officers induce them to
return to that fearful shambles, where the fragments of their comrades
lay crushed between masses of senseless iron. The sides of the ships
were scored and torn all over, and the copious streams of water from
the scuppers attested the energy of the pumps. The funnel of the
_Fortuna_ had been shot off almost level with the deck, and the clouds
of black smoke floating across her quarters drove the gunners from the
stern-turret and from the after-guns. Broken, dismantled, crowded with
dead and dying, her vitals were still uninjured, and her captain, in
the conning tower, feeling that she still answered the helm, rejoiced
in his good fortune and held on his course.
The cruiser _Petrarch_ had her steam steering-gear twisted and jammed
by a shell, and becoming unmanageable grounded on a sand-bank. The
forts, redoubling their fire, began to smash her to pieces. She
displayed a white flag and stopped firing: but of this no notice was
taken, and as the other ships dared not risk going ashore in helping
her, she became a wreck and blew up at three o'clock with a prodigious
report.
The _Saldanho_, who suffered least and was very heavily armoured,
contrived to shelter the gunboat a good deal, and the whole fleet
passed the batteries after forty minutes' fighting and with a loss of
two hundred and twenty men killed and wounded, exclusive of the entire
crew of the _Petrarch_, who were all destroyed. The rebel loss was
about seventy, and the damage done to the forts was slight. But it was
now the turn of the sailors. The city of Laurania was at their mercy.
The Admiral brought his ships to anchor five hundred yards from the
shore. He hoisted a flag of truce, and as all his boats had been
smashed in running the gauntlet, he signalled to the Custom-House that
he was anxious for a parley, and desired that an officer should be sent.
After about an hour's delay, a launch put out from the jetty and ran
alongside the _Fortuna_. Two rebel officers in the uniform of the
Republican Militia, and with red sashes round their waists, came on
board. De Mello received them on his battered quarter-deck, with
extreme politeness. Rough sailor as he was, he had mixed with men of
many lands, and his manners were invariably improved by the proximity
of danger or the consciousness of power. "May I ask," he said, "to
what we are indebted for this welcome to our native city?"
The senior of the two officers replied that the forts had not fired
till they were fired upon. The Admiral did not argue the point, but
asked what had happened in the city. On hearing of the Revolution and
of the death of the President, he was deeply moved. Like Sorrento, he
had known Molara for many years, and he was an honest, open-hearted
man. The officers continued that the Provisional Government would
accept his surrender and that of his ships, and would admit him and his
officers to honourable terms as prisoners of war. He produced the
authorisation of the Committee of Public Safety, signed by Savrola.
De Mello somewhat scornfully requested him to be serious.
The officer pointed out that the fleet in its battered condition could
not again run the gauntlet of the batteries and would be starved out.
To this De Mello replied that the forts at the head of the harbour were
in like condition, as his guns now commanded both the approaches by the
military mole and the promontory. He also stated that he had six
weeks' provisions on board and added that he thought he had sufficient
ammunition.
His advantage was not denied. "Undoubtedly, Sir," said the officer,
"it is in your power to render great services to the Provisional
Government and to the cause of Liberty and Justice."
"At present," replied the Admiral dryly, "it is the cause of Justice
that appears to need my support."
To that the officers could find no more to say than that they had
fought for a free Parliament and meant to have their way.
The Admiral took a turn or two before replying. "My terms are these,"
he said at last. "The leader of the conspiracy--this man,
Savrola--must be surrendered at once and stand his trial for murder and
rebellion. Until this has been done, I will not treat. Unless this is
done by six o'clock to-morrow morning, I shall bombard the town and
shall continue to do so until my terms are complied with."
Both officers protested that this would be a barbarity, and hinted that
he would be made to answer for his shells. The Admiral declined to
discuss the matter or to consider other terms. As it was impossible to
move him, the officers returned to the shore in their launch. It was
now four o'clock.
As soon as this _ultimatum_ was reported to the Committee of Public
Safety at the Mayoralty, something very like consternation ensued. The
idea of a bombardment was repugnant to the fat burgesses who had joined
the party of revolt so soon as it had become obvious that it was the
winning side. It was also distasteful to the Socialists who, however
much they might approve of the application of dynamite to others, did
not themselves relish the idea of a personal acquaintance with high
explosives.
The officers related their interview and the Admiral's demands.
"And if we refuse to comply?" inquired Savrola.
"Then he will open fire at six o'clock to-morrow morning."
"Well, Gentlemen, we shall have to grin and bear it. They will not
dare to shoot away all their ammunition, and so soon as they see that
we are determined, they will give in. Women and children will be safe
in the cellars, and it may be possible to bring some of the guns of the
forts to bear on the harbour." There was no enthusiasm. "It will be
an expensive game of bluff," he added.
"There is a cheaper way," said a Socialist delegate from the end of the
table, significantly.
"What do you propose?" asked Savrola looking hard at him; the man had
been a close ally of Kreutze.
"I say that it would be cheaper if the leader of the revolt were to
sacrifice himself for the sake of Society."
"That is your opinion; I will take the sense of the Committee on it."
There were cries of "No! No!" and "Shame!" from many present. Some
were silent; but it was evident that Savrola had the majority. "Very
well," he said acidly; "the Committee of Public Safety do not propose
to adopt the honourable member's suggestion. He is overruled,"--here
he looked hard at the man, who blenched,--"as he will frequently be
among people of civilised habits."
Another man got up from the end of the long table. "Look here," he
said roughly; "if our city is at their mercy, we have hostages. We
have thirty of these popinjays who fought us this morning; let us send
and tell the Admiral that we shall shoot one for every shell he fires."
There was a murmur of assent. Many approved of the proposal, because
they thought that it need never be carried into execution, and all
wanted to prevent the shells. Savrola's plan, however wise, was
painful. It was evident that the new suggestion was a popular one.
"It is out of the question," said Savrola.
"Why?" asked several voices.
"Because, Sirs, these officers surrendered to terms, and because the
Republic does not butcher innocent men."
"Let us divide upon it," said the man.
"I protest against a division. This is not a matter of debate or of
opinion; it is a matter of right and wrong."
"Nevertheless I am for voting."
"And I," "And I," "And I," shouted many voices.
The voting went forward. Renos supported Savrola on legal grounds; the
case of the officers was now _sub judice_, so he said. Godoy
abstained. The majority in favour of the proposal was twenty-one to
seventeen.
The count of hands was received with cheering. Savrola shrugged his
shoulders. "It is impossible that this can go on. Are we become
barbarians in a morning?"
"There is an alternative," said Kreutze's friend.
"There is, Sir; an alternative that I should gladly embrace before this
new plan was carried out. But," in a low menacing tone, "the people
will be invited to pronounce an opinion first, and I may have an
opportunity of showing them their real enemies and mine."
The man made no reply to the obvious threat; like all the others he
stood in considerable awe of Savrola's power with the mob and of his
strong dominating character. The silence was broken by Godoy, who said
that the matter had been settled by the Committee. A note was
therefore drafted and despatched to the Admiral, informing him that the
military prisoners would be shot should he bombard the city. After
further discussion the Committee broke up.
Savrola remained behind, watching the members move slowly away talking
as they went. Then he rose and entered the small room he had used as
his office. His spirits were low. Slight as it was, his wound hurt
him; but worse than that, he was conscious that there were hostile
influences at work; he was losing his hold over the Party. While
victory was still in the balance he had been indispensable; now they
were prepared to go on alone. He thought of all he had gone through
that day; the terrible scene of the night, the excitement and anxiety
while the fighting was going on, the strange experience in the square,
and, last of all, this grave matter. His mind, however, was made up.
He knew enough of De Mello to guess what his answer would be. "They
are soldiers," he would say; "they must give their lives if necessary.
No prisoner should allow his friends to be compromised on his account.
They should not have surrendered." When the bombardment began he could
imagine fear turning to cruelty, and the crowd carrying out the threat
that their leaders had made. Whatever happened, the affair could not
be allowed to continue.
He rang the bell. "Ask the Secretary to come here," he said to the
attendant. The man departed, and in a few moments returned with
Miguel. "What officer has charge of the prison?"
"I don't think the officials have been altered; they have taken no part
in the Revolution."
"Well, write an order to the Governor to send the prisoners of war, the
military officers taken this afternoon, in closed carriages to the
railway station. They must be there at ten o'clock to-night."
"Are you going to release them?" asked Miguel opening his eyes.
"I am going to send them to a place of security," answered Savrola
ambiguously.
Miguel began to write the order without further comment. Savrola took
the telephone off the table and rang up the railway-station. "Tell the
traffic-manager to come and speak to me. Are you there?--The President
of the Executive Committee of the Council of Public Safety--do you
hear? Have a special train,--accommodation for thirty--ready to start
at ten p.m. Clear the line to the frontier,--yes,--right to the
frontier."
Miguel looked up from his writing quickly, but said nothing. Although
he had deserted the President when he saw that he was ruined and his
cause lost, he hated Savrola with a genuine hatred. An idea came into
his head.