EXIT DON FRANCISCO GOMEZ.
Depart, incapable!
You are no pilot to be at the helm when the ship is in
danger;
The vessel of state labours in the turmoil of troublous
waters,
Rocks this side, that side, she is drifting to leeward,
shoals threaten her stout timbers.
Round her rage the tempests which would sink her in waves
of blood;
Only a skilful captain can pilot her into a safe haven.
You are not a skilful commander!
In fair weather you guided the ship in a meritorious fashion;
Now, when blow rebellious storms, you are not fit for the
steering; the danger renders you helpless--a child were
a better helmsman;
No longer can you hold the ship of Republican fortunes in her
right course.
Captain! President! you are Captain--President no longer!
Depart! give way to one who can steer with clear head and
keen eye.
Depart, incapable!
"Dear one!" cried Dolores, as Jack embraced her, in the patio. "At last
do I see you once more. Santissima! how pale! What ragged clothes! and
beards on all your faces."
"Indeed, Dolores, a siege is not conducive to luxury. But we will go to
my house; bath, shave, and dress. When we return, you will behold us as
civilised beings."
"You are wounded!"
"It is nothing--a mere scratch. How delighted I am to see your dear
face once more, my Dolores."
Eulalia put out her hand timidly under the shelter of her fan, and
touched Philip gently on the hand. She was unable to do more, as Doña
Serafina, severe, and vigilant, was present. Their engagement had not
yet been made public.
"Querido," she murmured, looking at her lover tenderly. "Constantly
have I prayed for thee."
Philip kissed her hand, and then that of Doña Serafina, to avert
suspicion. The old lady was voluble, and after the first greetings were
over, burst forth into speech with much dramatic gesture.
"Alas, señores! How sad look you all. Don Pedro! Pobrecito! And the
city is in the hands of the rebels. Ay di mi! Ah, the evil ones! Yet,
if they win on land, they lose at sea."
"What is it you say, Señora?" asked Tim, ever on the alert for news.
"Have you not heard, Señor Correspoñsal? No; you have been away.
Gracios á Dios! The torpederas have captured _The Columbus_."
"Bravo!" cried Jack, delightedly; "this is indeed good news! And
Rafael?"
"Rafael is here," said that young man, hastily entering the court. "Ah,
my dear friends, how delighted I am to behold you."
"Even though we bring bad news?"
"Yes; for I can tell you good. We followed _The Columbus_, and by
threatening to sink her with torpedoes, forced her to strike her flag.
Now she is lying in the harbour, with a crew of our own men. Her rebel
sailors are all in prison."
"What about _The Iturbide_?"
"She is there also, but in a crippled condition. One of her masts was
shot away by _The Columbus_ before she surrendered."
"And what do you do now?"
"Sail south to-morrow at dawn."
"Alas!" said Jack, sadly, "you will be too late to relieve Janjalla."
"Never mind," replied Rafael, hopefully; "we shall capture or sink
_The Cortes_, and bring her back to Tlatonac with the transports. Then
Don Hypolito will be irrevocably cut off from Acauhtzin."
"That does not matter to him," interposed Philip, overhearing this
remark; "he has most of his troops at Janjalla, and will simply hold
the south instead of the north."
"At all events, Señor Felipe, we have crushed him by sea."
"It will be a more difficult task to crush him by land, especially as
Don Francisco is so dilatory."
"Don Francisco! Don Francisco!" cried Rafael, stamping his foot with
rage. "He is not fit to be President. Through him have we lost
Janjalla. Even my father, who was his firm supporter, has turned
against him."
"What do you say, Rafael?"
"I cannot tell you yet; but there will be a stormy meeting of the Junta
to-morrow."
"You are going to depose Don Francisco."
"It's not improbable."
"More trouble," said Tim, reflectively. "There will be three Presidents
shortly. Don Francisco, Don Hypolito, and--Don Miguel!"
"No more, mi amigo," said Rafael, doubtful even in his own house. "It
is dangerous to speak like that--as yet."
He added the last words significantly, and turned away. Jack was saying
good night to Dolores, as he was quite worn out, and wanted to get back
to his own house for a good night's rest.
"Dolores," he whispered, as he held her hand; "you have yet the opal?"
"Yes; surely."
"Can you bear to part with it for the sake of the city?"
"You can do with it as you please, Juanito. But, what mean these
words?"
"I have a plan whereby I can detach the Indians from the cause of Don
Hypolito, and thus weaken his army. But the carrying out of the plan
may entail the loss of the opal."
"Let it go, so that it save Tlatonac," replied Dolores, heroically,
though, woman-like, she loved the jewel. "What is your plan?"
"I must see Cocom about it first. Then I will tell you my secret; but
now we must go. Adios, querida."
When the four friends left the Casa Maraquando, they were surprised to
find themselves followed by Maraquando and his son. On reaching Jack's
house, Don Miguel begged the Englishman to give him a few moments'
conversation, and explained how matters stood at Tlatonac.
It appeared that Maraquando's party were disgusted at the way in which
the war was being conducted by Don Francisco, and wanted him to resign
the Presidential chair. This Gomez was unwilling to do, and as he had
yet many supporters, it was doubtful if they could force him into such
a course. Now, however, that the news of the fall of Janjalla, the sack
of Puebla de los Naranjos, and the investment of Chichimec had arrived,
Don Miguel thought that he would be able to show plainly that the
continuance of Don Francisco as President meant ruin to the Government.
The next day there was to be a meeting of the Junta, and Maraquando,
explaining his designs to Jack, asked him for a full report of all that
had taken place in the south, so as to plainly prove the incapacity of
the President in conducting the war. The four friends thoroughly agreed
with Maraquando's view of the matter, and told him all that he wished
to know, after which they retired to rest. Don Miguel, on the contrary,
went back with Rafael to his own house, and there found a few members
of his party waiting him, whom he informed of the consequence of the
terrible series of blunders made by Gomez.
The next day there was a stormy debate of the Junta in the Palacio
Nacional.
"I blame his Excellency for all that has taken place," cried
Maraquando, at the conclusion of a long and fiery speech. "By his
negligence and timidity he has lost us our opportunity of crushing this
rebellion in the bud. Had a few thousand soldiers been sent to Janjalla
at the outbreak of the war, that city would not now be in the hands of
the rebels. Nay, they would not have even gained a footing in the
south. But, by withdrawing the garrisons from that seaport, from the
inland towns, his Excellency had laid them open to capture, and they
had been captured. Janjalla is in the power of Xuarez; by this time,
for aught we know, Centeotl may have surrendered to his victorious
army. Puebla de los Naranjos has been sacked by the Indian tribes, who
should have been crushed at once. Now Chichimec is surrounded, and may
fall at any time, yet no aid has been sent to the relief of the
citizens. All these terrible disasters have been caused by the
blundering of Don Francisco, by his incompetency. I call on him to
resign his command into more capable hands, else will we see the foe at
our gates, our city in ruins, and Cholacaca helpless, under the heel of
the tyrant Xuarez!"
Don Francisco, bursting with indignation, replied, He had done his
best! If he had sent forward troops to Janjalla, they might have been
defeated, and then the capital would have fallen an easy prey to the
rebels, through lack of garrison. As it was, the city could hold out
for months; the walls were strong, the garrison were resolute, there
was plenty of provisions.
He had held the army at Tlatonac to save the capital. Where, then, was
the blunder in that? By sea, the forces of the Republic had been
victorious. _The Pizarro_ had been sunk, _The Columbus_ captured, and
now the torpederas were on their way to Janjalla harbour to force _The
Cortes_ to strike her flag. He had succeeded by sea. He would succeed
on land. When the army of Xuarez was before the walls of Tlatonac the
fate of the country could be decided in one battle. He refused to
resign his position as President.
The partisans of Maraquando, the supporters of Gomez, broke out into
noisy demonstrations, and the whole place was in an uproar. The one
called upon Gomez to resign, the other denounced Maraquando as a
traitor. It seemed as though neither would give in, as though the
capital would be divided into two hostile factions, when a solution of
the difficulty was proposed by Padre Ignatius.
Making his appearance suddenly in the hall, the good priest first
stilled the tumult by holding up his crucifix, and then begged to lay
before the Junta a proposition which would suit all parties. It would
never do, said the Padre, to depose Don Francisco. The pretext for war,
alleged by Xuarez, was that Gomez ought to be deposed for breaking the
Constitution of Cholacaca. They knew that His Excellency had not done
so; that he had loyally upheld the freedom and laws of the Republic. If
deposed by his own party, such a deposition would give colour to
Xuarez's assertion that he had right on his side, and perhaps prejudice
the inland towns in his favour. Better it would be to let Don Francisco
still remain President till the date of the expiration of his office,
four months hence, and in the meantime entrust the conduct of the war
solely to Don Miguel Maraquando. By this arrangement his Excellency
would still continue nominal head of Cholacaca, and the war could be
conducted by Maraquando, without the responsibility resting on the
President.
This proposition, seeming to be the only possible solution of the
problem, was unanimously accepted by both parties. It is true that
Gomez, who hated Maraquando like poison, sorely grudged giving up the
command of affairs to his rival; but as he saw that the Junta wished it
to be so, he was forced to yield. Don Miguel was, therefore, elected
General of the army of the Republic, and Don Francisco was permitted to
retain the civil rule. Then the meeting broke up, and Maraquando went
off to take measures for the immediate relief of Chichimec, while
Gomez, much mortified at the slight he had received, retired sullenly
to his palace.
"What's the matter, Tim?" asked Jack, as they left the Palacio
Nacional. "You ought to be pleased at witnessing such a stirring scene,
instead of which you are like a bear with a sick head."
"And haven't I a cause?" replied Tim, gruffly. "Look at all this shindy
going on, and I can't send a telegram to my paper."
"Oh, that's it, is it? Well, then, ask Philip to lend you _The
Bohemian_, and go off to Truxillo at once."
"Begad, that isn't a bad idea anyhow," cried Tim, stopping suddenly;
"but I don't want to leave Tlatonac just now."
"Well, you may be pretty certain Philip won't go, nor I. Why not send
Peter? Write out your news here. Peter will take it, and old Benker
will look after the yacht."
"How far is it to Truxillo?"
"A trifle over three hundred miles."
"Do you think Philip will lend me the yacht?"
"I'm sure he will. Let us ask him at once. He is flirting with Doña
Eulalia in Maraquando's patio."
Tim, who had quite recovered his spirits at Jack's happy suggestion,
started off at once to the Casa Maraquando. There was no necessity,
however, for them to go so far, for they met their friend coming down
the Calle Otumba. He hailed them at once.
"Tim! Jack! come along to the Puerta de la Culebra. News from
Chichimec."
"What do you say?" roared Tim, plunging towards the speaker.
"Cocom came to the Casa Maraquando a few minutes ago, and told me that
a messenger had arrived from Chichimec. He is at the Puerta de la
Culebra."
"The deuce!" cried Jack, in alarm, as they hurried along towards the
gate; "perhaps it's another request for relief."
"If so, they will soon have it," said Tim, quickly. "Don Miguel is
going to send three thousand men this day to finish off these savages."
"Ah, that is something like!" said Philip, approvingly; "there will be
some chance of relieving the city with that force. I am glad Don Miguel
has matters now in his own hands."
"So am I. He'll end the war in no time. I say, Philip, lend me the
yacht."
"What for? You are not going to Janjalla again?"
"No! I'm going further south. That is, I'm sending Peter with
despatches."
"Where to?"
"Truxillo! He can send off my telegrams from there. Lend me the yacht,
Philip, and I'll love you for ever more."
"Oh, take her, by all means; but I hope she won't be smashed up by the
warships of Xuarez."
"He's only got one now," replied Tim, coolly; "and she'll have her
hands full looking after the torpederas."
"I forgot that! It's a good idea, Tim! Get all the news together you
can, and Peter shall go out with _The Bohemian_ to-night, both of
them in charge of Benker."
"Do you think Peter will go?" said Jack, doubtfully.
"Of course he will," said Tim, promptly. "The little man's of no use
here. I'll make him Queen's messenger for once in his life."
"Hallo!" cried Philip, at this moment, "there's old Cocom making signs.
Ola, Cocom!"
The old Indian, who was hobbling on the other side of the street, came
over to them with an excited look on his usually immobile face.
"Carambo, Señores! the news. The terrible news!"
"What is it?" cried the three Englishmen simultaneously.
"Chichimec has fallen!"
Jack uttered an ejaculation of rage, and darted off to the gate,
followed by Tim and Philip. They found an excited throng of people
talking wildly together. Don Sebastian was just under the archway, with
his glasses to his eyes, looking towards the plains beyond.
"Is the news true of Chichimec's fall?" asked Jack pushing his way
through the crowd.
Don Sebastian turned slowly with a grave bow, and handed Jack the
glasses.
"Quite true, Señor. See! fugitives are arriving every moment."
Jack clapped the glass to his eye, and saw that the plain was sprinkled
with people all making for the gate of Tlatonac.
"Why don't you send out a regiment to protect them, De Ahumada?"
"It is going now. Behold, Señor."
About five hundred men, well mounted, came trotting down the street,
and began to file through the archway out on to the plain. Jack stood
on one side and watched them go by in all their martial splendour.
"How did the Indians take the town, De Ahumada?"
"It was surprised last night," replied Don Sebastian, sadly. "I expect
the sentinels were worn out with constant watching. Dios! It is
frightful. First Puebla de los Naranjos, now Chichimec; Janjalla has
already fallen, and Tlatonac----"
"Won't fall," interrupted Jack, abruptly, as the last of the cavalry
swept through the gate. "When things are at their worst, matters mend.
Just now they are very gloomy. To-morrow they may improve."
Tim stayed behind to make inquiries about the fall of Chichimec for the
use of his paper, and Philip, in company with Jack, went off to look up
Peter, and ask him if he would consent to act as Tim's messenger to
Truxillo. They could not find him in their own house, and learned from
a servant that he had gone in search of them to the Casa Maraquando. At
once they repaired thither, and had just reached the door, when Peter,
with a look of alarm on his face, rushed out of the house, almost
falling into their arms in his hurry.
"Philip! Jack! Have you heard?"
"What is the matter, Peter?"
"Don Francisco has shot himself! Don Miguel has just told me."
Philip made a gesture of horror, and Jack ran into the house to see
Maraquando, and learn the particulars of the case.
It was perfectly true. Unable to bear the disgrace of being deposed
from the active conduct of affairs, President Gomez had retired to his
room, and shot himself through the heart.