The fortress castle of Acapulco stands at some little distance from the
town, commanding the latter. It is built upon the summit of the cliffs
that inclose the Acapulco Bay--against whose base the waves of the South
Sea are continually breaking. On each side of the fortress a deep
ravine or barranca pierces the precipice down to the depths of the
ocean--so that the castle stands upon a sort of island promontory or
_voladero_. The cliff upon the right flank of the castle is called the
_Voladero de los Hornos_; and over the ravine between it and the citadel
stretches a narrow bridge called _El Puento de los Hornos_.
Early in the following morning--while the insurgent camp was in
some confusion consequent upon an unexpected order from the
commander-in-chief; and while a strong detachment was getting under
arms, not knowing where they were to be conducted--Captain Don Cornelio
Lantejas and Costal the Indian were seen gliding silently along the
sea-beach in the direction of the fortress.
The night was still dark--for it wanted yet two hours to sunrise--and
both the town and castle were wrapped in the most profound slumber. The
only sounds heard distinctly were the continuous murmuring of the waves
as they broke along the beach.
The two men, after cautiously advancing towards the black cliff, on
which stood the fortress, commenced climbing upward. It was not without
much exertion, and danger too, that they at length succeeded in
ascending to the bridge of Los Hornos.
The Indian now struck a light; and kindling a resin candle, which he
carried inside his lantern, he hung the latter to a post that stood near
the middle of the bridge, fixing it in such a manner that the light
should shine in the direction of the fortress. It was the signal agreed
upon by the Gallician; and as their part of the performance was now
over, the two men sat down to await the attack which was soon to be made
by the General in person.
The position which they occupied commanded an extensive view--taking in
the town, the castle, and the ocean. Of the three, the last-mentioned
alone gave out any sound; and Lantejas, after a time, ceased watching
the two former, and involuntarily bent his regards upon the sea.
Costal was also turning his eyes upon the great deep, in which
everything might also have appeared asleep, but that at intervals a
narrow line of light might be seen gleaming along the black surface of
the water.
"There's a storm in the air," muttered Costal to his companion in a
solemn tone of voice. "See, how the sharks are shining in the roadway!"
As Costal spoke, half-a-dozen of these voracious creatures, in search of
prey, were seen quartering the waters of the bay--crossing each other's
course, and circling around, like fireflies over the surface of a
savanna.
"What think you," continued the _ci-devant tigrero_, "would become of
the man who should chance to fall overboard among those silent swimmers?
Many a time, for all that, have I braved that same danger--in the days
when I followed pearl-diving for my profession."
Don Cornelio made no reply, but the thought of being among the sharks at
that moment sent a shivering through his frame.
"I was in no danger whatever," continued the Indian. "Neither the
sharks nor the tigers--which I afterwards also hunted as a profession--
could prevail against one destined to live as long as the ravens. Soon
I shall be half-a-century old; and then _quien sabe_? At present,
perhaps, no one here except myself could swim in the midst of those
carnivorous creatures without the danger of certain death. _I_ could do
it without the slightest risk."
"Is that the secret of your courage, Costal--of which you give so many
proofs?"
"Yes, and no," replied the Indian. "Danger attracts me, as your body
would attract the sharks. It is an instinct which I follow--not a
bravado. Another reason, perhaps, gives me courage. I seek to avenge
in Spanish blood the assassination of my forefathers. What care I for
the political emancipation of you Creoles? But it is not of this I wish
to speak now. Look yonder! Do you see anything down there?"
A strange object just then came under the eyes of Lantejas, which caused
him to make a movement of superstitious terror. Costal only smiled,
while gazing calmly upon the object.
A dark human-like form, with a sort of tufted hair hanging loosely over
its head, had emerged from the water, and was supporting itself by his
two arms upon the beach--as if resting there like some bather fatigued
with swimming.
"What is it?" inquired Lantejas in a troubled tone--the more so that a
plaintive whine seemed to proceed from this singular object, which, with
somewhat of the form of a woman, had nothing human in its voice.
"A _manatee_," responded Costal; "an amphibious creature we call
_pesca-mujer_--that is, half-fish, half-woman. Dare you stand face to
face with a creature still more human-like in form--ah! more perfect
than any human creature?"
"What do you mean?" inquired Lantejas.
"Senor Captain Don Cornelio," continued the Indian, "you who are so
brave in the face of the enemy--"
"Hum!" interrupted Lantejas with an embarrassed air, "the bravest has
his moments of weakness, do you see?"
An avowal of his want of courage--though on certain occasions the
ex-student of theology was not lacking this quality--was upon the tongue
of Lantejas, when Costal interrupted him with a rejoinder--
"Yes, yes. You are like Clara--although a little braver than he, since
he has not had such an opportunity to cultivate an acquaintance with the
tigers, as you. Well, then, if you were to see down on the beach
yonder, in place of the manatee, a beautiful creature rise up out of the
deep--a beautiful woman with dishevelled locks--her long hair dripping
and shining with the water, and she singing as she rose to the surface;
and were you to know that this woman, although visible to your eyes, was
only a spirit, only of air--what would you do?"
"A very simple thing," answered the ex-student, "I should feel terribly
afraid."
"Ah! then I have nothing more to say to you," replied the Indian, with
an air of disappointment. "For a certain object I had in view, I was in
search of a comrade, one with more courage than Clara. I must content
myself with the negro. I expected that you--never mind--we need not
talk any more about the matter."
The Indian did not add a single word; and the officer, whose fears were
excited by the half-confidences of his companion, was silent also. Both
awaiting to hear the sounds of the attack upon the castle, continued to
gaze upon the vast mysterious ocean, in which the luminous tracks of the
sharks and the dark body of the manatee alone animated its profound
solitude.
They were thus seated in silence, with their eyes wandering over the
dark blue surface of the water, when all at once the manatee was heard
to plunge under the waves, uttering a melancholy cry as it went down.
Just then the loud booming of a cannon drowned the voice of the
amphibious creature.
"The castle is taken!" cried Lantejas.
"No," replied Costal, "on the contrary, Pepe Gago has betrayed us. I
fear our General has been tricked."
Several discharges of cannon followed on the instant, confirming
Costal's surmise; and the two men, hastening to leave their dangerous
post by the bridge of Hornos, retreated towards a narrow defile called
the _Ojo de Agua_. There they saw the Mexican detachment scattered, and
in full retreat towards their encampment. A man standing in the middle
of the path was trying to intercept their flight.
"Cowards!" cried he, "will you pass over the body of your general?"
Many halted, and, returning, made an attack upon the works of the
citadel. But it was to no purpose: the gate was too well defended; and
a discharge of grape had the effect not only of terrifying the
assailants, but also killed several of their number.
Morelos now saw that he had been betrayed, and caused the retreat to be
sounded. It was the first check he had experienced during a victorious
career of months.
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The day had not yet dawned, when two men were seen advancing from the
direction of the insurgent camp toward the bridge of Los Hornos. One of
these men was Costal, but this time he was accompanied by Clara the
negro. The resin candle still burned within the lantern, but giving out
a more feeble light, as the first streaks of day began to succeed to the
darkness of night.
"You see that lantern, Clara?" said Costal, pointing out the glimmering
light to his companion. "You know what it was hung there for: since I
have just told you. But you haven't yet heard the vow I have taken
against the traitor who has so played with us. I shall tell you now."
And Costal proceeded to disclose to his old camarado the oath he had
registered against Pepe Gago.
"Devil take me!" said Clara in reply, "if I can see how you will ever be
able to fulfil your vow."
"No more do I," rejoined Costal, "but as I have promised Pepe Gago that
he should not forget the lantern on the bridge of Los Hornos, and as I
am determined he shall have a sight of it now and then, to keep his
memory awake, I don't see why I should leave it here to be picked off by
the first comer. At all events, it is no longer needed as a signal."
Saying this, the Indian took down the lantern from the post, and blew
out the light.
"Here, Clara," he continued, "help me to make a hole. I intend hiding
it--so that I can get it again, whenever I may want it."
The two men kneeling down, and using the blades of their knives, soon
carved out a hollow place, in which Costal deposited the lamp still
containing the resin candle.
"Now, friend Clara," said the Indian, as soon as they had covered it in,
"sit down here, and let us try if we can't think of some way to capture
this castle, as well as the _picaro_ who is within it."
"Willingly, I will," answered the black; and seating themselves side by
side, the two associates commenced with all due gravity their important
deliberation.