JOURNEY TO THE CAMP--SLEEP AT A CATTLE-FARM--OBTAIN A GUIDE--MODE OF
CATCHING ELECTRIC EELS--REACH THE CAMP--OUR LIFE IN CAMP--CARNE CON
CUERO--THE DOCTOR AND THE WILD BOAR--ALARMING NEWS ABOUT NORAH--MARCH ON
CARABOBO--INTELLIGENCE FROM NORAH--IMPORTANT INFORMATION GIVEN BY THE
MESSENGER--THE DEFILE CLEARED--WE PASS THROUGH IT--BATTLE OF CARABOBO--
THE PADRE DOES HIS PART--HORRIBLE SLAUGHTER--GALLANTRY OF A SPANISH
OFFICER--DEATH OF COLONEL ACOSTA--GLORIOUS RESULT OF THE BATTLE--WE SET
OFF IN SEARCH OF NORAH--MEET HER ATTENDED BY KANIMAPO--FIERCE SKIRMISH--
AQUALONGA CAPTURED--NORAH'S ADVENTURES--CONTINUE OUR MARCH TO DON
FERNANDO'S--ANOTHER ADVENTURE--MEET WITH OUR FRIENDS--ARRIVAL--GRIEF FOR
THE DEATH OF COLONEL ACOSTA--AQUALONGA SHOT--FURTHER CAMPAIGNING--
RETURN--FRIENDLY MEETING WITH KANIMAPO'S TRIBE--HAPPY MARRIAGES--
CONCLUSION.
After passing through a thickly-wooded region bordering the banks of the
river, we emerged on an open country, the celebrated llanos of
Venezuela, which extended far away beyond human ken. As the best part
of the day was spent, we agreed that it would be folly to attempt
pushing forward without a guide; so, as a hato, or cattle-farm, was seen
in the distance, we resolved to ride towards it for the purpose of
obtaining one.
With the exception of the rich grass which covered the surface of the
ground, the only vegetation visible consisted of a few clumps of
palm-trees, with fan-like leaves, scattered here and there over the wide
expanse. The farm-buildings consisted of palm-thatched huts surrounded
by a fence of palm-trunks, beyond which were the corrals or cattle
enclosures. Countless herds dotted the plain, even to the horizon.
On reaching the gate, the overseer, a fine-looking elderly negro, came
out and inquired our business. On hearing who we were he invited us in,
promising to supply all our wants. He had not much to offer in the way
of accommodation, but such as it was he gladly put it at our disposal.
Such luxuries as beds did not exist, but a long table and benches and
chairs were found in the principal hut; also an ample supply of beef,
which an old negress immediately began to prepare for us. Suffice it to
say that we had a substantial supper, and could sleep secure from the
attacks of foes.
The next morning, our breakfast having been a repetition of the evening
meal, we prepared to start, the overseer having selected a trusty
llanero as our guide. It was difficult to say to what race he belonged.
He called himself a white, but his complexion and features betokened
Indian and African progenitors. He was a fine, athletic-looking fellow,
lithe yet muscular, and evidently capable of enduring continued and
violent exercise without fatigue. A broad-brimmed hat, a shirt and
trousers, and a coloured poncho over his shoulders, completed his
attire; his weapons being a long lance and a large-mouthed blunderbuss.
Of his steed, which he had caught and broken-in himself, he was
excessively proud; and he boasted that, mounted on its back, there was
not a bull on the plains, however fierce, which he could not overtake
and capture with his lasso. He would conduct us without fail to the
camp, though streams and marshes intervened, over a wide extent of the
llanos.
We set off, therefore, without anxiety, either keeping alongside our
guide or following close at his heels; now galloping along the borders
of a marsh, now plunging through places where I should have expected to
be smothered, had I not trusted to his experience to lead the way. I am
afraid to say how many miles we covered without pulling rein. Our hardy
steeds requiring no food till the end of the day's journey, we only
stopped for a few minutes by the side of a pool to allow them to drink,
and then went on again.
Towards nightfall we arrived at another farm, very similar to the one we
had left. The padre complained much of the fatigue of riding at a rate
to which he had been so long unaccustomed. Even the doctor declared
that he had no wish to travel the same distance another day. Our guide
laughed at their complaints, observing that they were welcome to rest as
long as they liked. He looked with more respect at me, as I had endured
the fatigue better than my companions.
During the evening he told me that some of the men at the farm were
going out next morning to catch fish; and, should I wish it, I might
accompany them, as they would return before the time we had fixed for
setting out. I gladly accepted the offer; as did the doctor, who was
curious to see the mode of fishing adopted by those sons of the desert.
We accordingly rode forth, with our llanero, Pablo, as guide--the
servants having set out some time before. We overtook them just as they
had arrived at a large pond--or lake, rather--surrounded by reeds, with
a few trees scattered here and there in the neighbourhood. They had
driven before them a small herd of horses and mules, many of which
appeared to be broken-down animals, such as I should not have supposed
were to be found on the llanos. As we approached the pond, we saw
several heads, resembling those of large serpents, just lifted above the
surface; and now and then I caught sight of a huge, thick-bodied,
snake-like creature gliding through the water, seven or eight feet in
length.
"What are they?" I asked of Pablo.
"The fish we are going to catch," he answered.
"Fish, my friend, they really are," observed the doctor, "though known
as gymnoti, or electric eels; and truly glad I am that I came to see
them caught."
The men were armed with harpoons and long slender rods. They now
collected the horses and mules, and with loud shouts drove them into the
lake. The combined effect of the horses' hoofs and the men's shrieks
was, that numbers of the hideous-looking gymnoti issued from the mud in
which they lay hid and came to the surface of the water, when they
simultaneously made a dash at the unfortunate animals swimming and
floundering about. The scene was a most extraordinary one. Several of
the horses, being struck by these electric eels, succumbed to the
violence of the invisible strokes which they were receiving from all
sides, and disappeared beneath the water; others, with manes erect and
eyeballs wild with pain, strove to escape from their enemies, but were
driven back again by the Indians with their long rods; while several of
the gymnoti, approaching the shore, were harpooned and dragged to land.
The livid, yellow eels, like great water-snakes, swam after the
unfortunate horses which were attempting to make their way to the
opposite shore. But in a short time I observed that the animals
appeared less alarmed; they no longer erected their manes, while their
eyes expressed less pain and terror. The eels, at the same time,
instead of following them, swam slowly towards the shore, when they,
like those first caught, were harpooned, and, by a line fastened to the
weapon, jerked on to the bank.
The doctor observed that they had lost much of their electric force;
also, that the natives took care that the lines should not get wet. I
wished to try my hand in catching one of the creatures, but they warned
me that should I allow the line to touch the water, I would feel a shock
which would well-nigh knock me down.
The doctor then invited some of the men to join hands, which he and I
did with several of them; then touching one of the eels with the point
of his long knife, a shock passed through the whole of us, which made
the natives jump and shriek out--one or two of them falling to the
ground, overcome with astonishment at the unexpected sensation rather
than by the force of the shock.
Hideous as the creatures are, the natives declared that they were very
good for food, and a number of them were packed up and carried back to
the farm.
So powerful is the electric force possessed by the eels, that several of
the horses were killed immediately; and our companions assured us that
the strongest man, if struck by one of them when crossing a river, would
become so benumbed that he would certainly lose his life.
The doctor told me how the employment of their electric powers is
spontaneous; and this exhausts the nervous energy, so that they need
repose and an abundance of nourishment before a fresh accumulation of
electricity is produced. These curious creatures have the power of
making holes for themselves in the marshes and mud of watercourses which
remain filled with moisture during the rainy season; and they are thus
able to support existence in their usual localities until the return of
rain, when they come forth and prey upon all living animals within their
reach.
It took us several days after this to reach the camp. I was warmly
greeted by my gallant chief, who heartily congratulated me on having
escaped the dangers to which I had been exposed. My companions, also,
had a kindly welcome.
"Though we have been inactive for some time, we shall soon have work for
all of you," he remarked, laughing: "you, Barry, to take a part in the
fighting; you, senor doctor, to attend the wounded; and you, senor
padre, to shrive the dying. Each man to his trade,--though, to confess
the truth, I shall be very glad when our part of the business is over,
and we have driven the Gothos into the sea. That, I feel confident,
will be before long."
I had received no intelligence from my family since the doctor joined
me, and I was becoming very anxious to hear from them. At that time, it
will be remembered, Norah was setting out to visit our relative Don
Fernando; so I eagerly sought out my cousin, Don Carlos, fully expecting
that he would have heard of her arrival. Greatly to my disappointment,
he told me that one letter alone had reached him,--in which it was
mentioned that Norah was expected, but that some time had passed since
they hoped to see her, and that she had not arrived.
On talking over the matter and comparing notes, we both became greatly
alarmed for her safety. I was sure, from what the doctor had told me,
that she fully intended to go at the time he spoke of, and ought to have
arrived before the date of this letter. Don Carlos told me that on one
important account his family hoped that Norah would not have set out:
the Guahibos (gained over, as they believed, by Spanish emissaries) had
become more than ever threatening in their conduct. Their chief and
some of the principal men, who were supposed to be friendly to the
patriots, were absent, and the rest were thus left to their own devices.
They were not likely to make any hostile movement without their regular
leaders; but should these return and prove unable to restrain them, or
be themselves gained over by the Spaniards, serious consequences, might
ensue.
Had we not expected shortly to encounter the enemy, we would both have
obtained leave to return home and ascertain the truth; but under the
circumstances this was impossible, and we had, therefore, to restrain
our impatience and hope for the best. Don Carlos became very unhappy,
and a high sense of duty alone prevented him from asking permission to
quit the army for a short period. We in vain endeavoured to find a
trusty messenger who would convey letters to our friends and return with
an answer; those we sent by the couriers--who had a circuitous route to
take--might not reach their destination for a long time, and answers
would be equally tardy in their transit.
As it was not in my nature to look on the dark side of things, I quickly
recovered my spirits, trusting that all would turn out right.
When I told the padre what we had heard, he promised that on his return
home he would visit the Guahibos and try to win them over. "I have
before paid them a visit, when they received me in a friendly way," he
observed. "I know how to treat them; and though they are still
heathens, they look upon me with respect, and may listen to what I say,
however little inclined they are to renounce their idolatrous
practices."
I might give a graphic description of our life in the camp. Our time,
however, was too much taken up with amusements,--the discipline and
organisation of the troops being but little attended to. We had
shooting and hunting excursions nearly every day. If we could not
obtain smaller game, the llaneros with their lassos or bolas quickly
captured as many head of cattle as they required. The chase of a wild
bull afforded, indeed, excellent sport, though it was not without its
dangers, for the savage animal, irritated by its pursuers, would often
turn and attempt to gore them with its horns. These, however, the
llaneros dexterously avoided; and throwing the lasso over the animal's
head, brought it with a violent jerk to the ground, when a thrust of the
lance quickly finished its career.
To give an idea of the rough style in which we lived, I may describe the
mode of cooking the beef thus killed. A joint was selected, which may
be termed the saddle--it being formed of the two rumps, which are never
divided. The hide was not stripped off, but the hair was singed by the
application of a burning brand, which rendered the skin hard and nearly
impenetrable. Several of these joints were placed in a large hole dug
in the ground, about five feet deep, and of a length and breadth in
proportion to the quantity of meat to be dressed. The inside of the
hole having been previously lined with flat stones, and a brisk fire
maintained in it till it had become sufficiently hot, the ashes were
then raked out, and the meat was placed, with the hide downwards, on
sticks fastened from side to side horizontally; and the hole being
covered over with large stones to exclude the air, it was thus baked.
The hide was drawn by the heat from the centre of the meat, but the
sides being bent up, the juices were preserved, and the use of dishes
rendered unnecessary. Joints thus prepared are termed "carne con
cuero."
Another dish on which we regaled ourselves was a sheep or goat with the
skin left on,--as in the way I have described,--and with the inside
filled with turkeys, fowls, ducks, wild geese, pieces of pork,
plantains, yams, calvanasses, cassava, bread powdered, boiled maize,
oranges, lemons, and such other ingredients as could be obtained; the
whole being cut up into small pieces, and duly seasoned. The animal
thus stuffed is skewered together, and baked in the same manner as the
beef.
When the cook considered that the viands were sufficiently dressed, a
trumpeter proclaimed the important fact to the officers, who immediately
ranged themselves in a ring to enjoy the repast. One of the men, acting
as waiter, used to stick his lance into the meat, and thus conveyed it
to our chief, who helped himself; after which it went the rounds, on the
point of the lance, to the rest of us.
The doctor's office was a sinecure so long as no fighting was going
forward, as the hardy llaneros were seldom sick, or preferred their own
remedies to those he could administer. He accordingly generally joined
in our hunting expeditions. I can fancy I see him now--a large
handkerchief bound round his hat and fluttering in the breeze--as, lance
in hand, he one day came on a herd of wild hogs, and set off after them
with a shout which had often echoed in his younger days amid the forests
of his fatherland. The animal he had singled out took to flight, and
showing good bottom, led him a long chase amid the tangled brushwood;
till, finding that running would not avail it, the creature turned at
bay, and with its sharp tusks made a rush at the legs of the doctor's
steed. The animal at that moment gave an unexpected hound, and the
doctor was thrown ignominiously to the ground,--happily, on the opposite
side to that on which stood the enraged boar.
We saw the accident, but were too far off to render him assistance
before the boar could reach him. Springing up, however, and shortening
his lance, of which he had not let go, he stood ready to receive the
savage animal; and loud shouts of applause burst from the throats of our
men as he was seen to plunge his spear into the body of the boar.
"Carne con cuero!" he shouted out; "we'll have this fellow baked in his
skin, and I'll eat him in revenge for the fall he has given me."
The doctor's steed being caught, he remounted; and the llaneros carrying
the hog in front of him, with several others which had been killed, we
returned to the camp. It was one of the last days we spent there.
On arriving at the camp Don Carlos met me, and I saw by his countenance
that he was much agitated. He put into my hand a letter from my father.
"It will give you terrible news, I fear," he said, "as mine did to me.
Your sister never reached our house, though she undoubtedly left her
home about the time you expected she would do. Don Fernando, after
waiting for some time and not seeing her, sent to your father to
ascertain if she was coming, and received the intelligence that she had
already set off! It was at first hoped that she might have gone to
Castle Concannan; but though she called there to pay a visit to our
aunts, she again left it; and after that no traces of her or her
attendants could be discovered. Oh, what can have happened to her?
Cannot you suggest anything to relieve the anguish of my mind?"
"I will see what my father says," I answered; but, alas! his letter only
confirmed the account Don Carlos had given me.
We then told my elder cousin of the alarming intelligence we had
received; but he could afford no hope: broken-hearted himself, he could
only fancy that some dreadful fate had overtaken my young sister.
We had no time, however, to dwell on our anxiety, for news was received
that the Spanish generals Morales and La Torre had concentrated their
forces on the plains of Carabobo; and in a council of war it was decided
that they should be immediately followed and attacked. Marching at a
speed which hardy troops such as ours alone could have accomplished,
late at night we reached the foot of a range of hills lying between us
and the Spanish army--which amounted to above seven thousand men, while
our forces numbered little more than five thousand. We had a British
legion, commanded by the gallant Colonel McIntosh; and our llaneros, we
flattered ourselves, counted for something.
The intervening ground consisted of rocky hills, densely covered with
trees, through which one narrow path alone was known as leading to the
plains of Carabobo. The enemy having obtained notice of our approach,
had, our spies informed us, so placed their artillery as completely to
command it.
I was seated in the evening round the camp-fire, with Don Carlos, his
brother, the doctor, the padre, and several of my brother-officers, when
I saw an Indian approaching. At first I thought he was one of those who
had accompanied the army as guides across the plain, but as he made his
way directly up to me I recognised him by his appearance as belonging to
the tribe of our friend Kanimapo.
"I would speak to you, Senor Barry," he said--"for I know you, though
you may not recollect me. I bring you a written message; here it is;"
and he put a paper into my hand.
Kneeling down, I read it eagerly by the light of the fire. It was
written hurriedly, in pencil, and signed "Norah."
"I have been captured by Aqualonga's band, and he himself is with them;
I have twice seen him, though he has not visited me. I am treated with
respect, but compelled to travel wherever they go. Their object is, I
believe, to obtain a ransom. I asked them to send to my father; they
replied that Senor Desmond was ruined, and could not pay the sum they
require. I suspect, therefore, that they intend to deliver me up to the
Spaniards. They will hold me as a hostage for you and Carlos, whom they
know to be serving with the patriots. You will, I am sure, try and
arrange some plan to rescue me. The bearer, who is attached to his
chief, will inform him how I am situated; and he also will endeavour, I
think, to help me. Aqualonga is marching to join the Spaniards; and,
from the intelligence I can gain, I believe that we are not far off from
where you are. Whatever plan you propose should be carried out
speedily. Consult Carlos."
I instantly called my cousin aside and read the contents to him. On
hearing the message, he was even more agitated and anxious than I had
been. We then called up the Indian and questioned him. He had found
his chief, he said, and faithfully delivered the message entrusted to
him. Kanimapo had, he added, bidden him hasten on to me, saying that he
himself would risk everything to rescue my sister.
"This will make me doubly anxious to defeat the Spaniards," observed Don
Carlos, after he had somewhat recovered from the agitation into which
this intelligence had thrown him.
We both promised the Indian a reward for his faithfulness in delivering
the message.
"I require none," he answered; "my desire is to obey the wishes of my
chief."
He then inquired whether we expected soon to be engaged with the enemy,
of whose position he was well aware.
"Why do you wish to know?" I asked.
"Because I am acquainted with a defile through these hills, of which,
perhaps, your leaders are ignorant," he replied. "It is thickly
overgrown with brushwood and trees, so as to be completely concealed
from view; but if these impediments were cleared away, you might descend
suddenly on the enemy and take them by surprise. It was here that my
people once fought a fierce battle with the Castilians; and though ages
have since passed away, the memory of it still survives among us."
Carlos and I were fully satisfied, after further conversation with the
Indian, that the account he gave us was correct,--the more so as he
undertook to lead us to the entrance of the defile. We at once set off,
therefore, discussing as we went plans for rescuing Norah, in case
Kanimapo should not have succeeded in doing so. But even for her sake
we could not leave the army till the battle was over; and, indeed, it
would have been impossible to obtain men to accompany us.
Quitting the camp, the Indian led us some way to the right of our
position, along the foot of the wooded hill; after which he struck off
directly towards it. Instead of having steep rocks to climb, as would
have been the case in every other part except the before-mentioned
passage, we ascended a gentle slope, and then continued over tolerably
level ground till we found ourselves on the top of another slope
reaching down to the plain below. From the position we had gained, we
could distinguish between the trees the camp-fires of the Spanish army
extending for a considerable way to our left.
We at once saw the importance of this pass, and hastened back to General
Bermudez with the information we had obtained. He had lain down to
sleep, but on hearing what we had to say he hurried with us to General
Bolivar. The commander-in-chief, after complimenting us on the
intelligence we had displayed, immediately issued orders for a party of
his men, with their machetes and axes, to proceed into the defile and
clear it of wood, so as to allow of the passage of cavalry. They were
thus employed during the whole of the night, under the command of a
gallant young Englishman.
After a few hours' sleep, by the time morning broke Carlos and I were in
the saddle. The blacks had nearly completed their work; and the only
reward the Sambos asked was to be allowed to lead the assault. They
were followed by the British legion, under Colonel McIntosh.
As the last trees were cleared away, their position was shown to the
Spaniards, who opened a tremendous fire on them, through which they ran
down to the attack, numbers falling as they advanced; but nothing
stopped them. The British legion, six hundred strong, next rushed
through the defile, with the steadiness for which they have been so long
famed, and attacked the enemy; who, thus taken by surprise, had not time
to bring their artillery to bear upon us. A smaller force of
newly-arrived English troops, under Colonel Ferrier, was fearfully cut
to pieces; their gallant commander being killed just as he had succeeded
in recovering his colours taken by the Spaniards. I am sorry to say
that some of the llaneros under General Paez, unable to withstand the
repeated volleys of musketry which the well-formed ranks of the
Spaniards poured into them, for a few minutes showed the white feather,
and began to retreat; but the general, after lancing a dozen or more,
succeeded in rallying them and leading them against the enemy.
We meanwhile got through, with our well-trained cavalry; and while the
British, supported by the ferocious Sambos, charged with the bayonet
into the thickest of the Spanish lines, we, led by Bermudez, sprang
forward at headlong speed, with lances in rest; and Paez and his men
again attacking the remaining part of the enemy's line, they now went
down before us like chaff before the wind. The British legion, with
their black supporters, had already forced the centre, bayoneting
hundreds of their opponents; and now, when Paez and our party charged
upon the devoted Royalists, horrible indeed was the destruction which
overtook them.
Again and again we charged, each time adding to the fearful slaughter.
Fresh troops now came pouring through the defile, and cut off those
portions of the Spanish army which had separated from the main body,--
invariably putting them to death. Several times I got glimpses of the
padre leading on a band of horsemen against the ranks of the enemy,
flourishing a huge sword, but never once, to my belief, striking with
it; conscientiously allowing his followers to do the killing work with
their lances. He seemed to bear a charmed life, for, though in the
thickest of the fight, the bullets whizzed harmlessly by him.
In one hour from the time Colonel McIntosh entered the plain, five
entire battalions of the enemy had laid down their arms; whilst, with
one exception, the survivors of the remaining regiments had taken to
flight.
I feel called upon to speak of the gallantry of one young Spanish
officer, who, at the head of his regiment, remained on the field
fighting to the last; then, perceiving that he had no longer a chance of
contending successfully against us, he moved his men off in a cool and
regular manner. So struck was General Paez with the bravery he
displayed, that he would not allow him to be attacked in his retreat.
I was returning from our last charge, when I saw a wounded officer whom
I recognised even at a distance as one of our party. On dismounting to
ascertain what assistance I could give him, I found, to my sorrow, that
it was my cousin, whom I had so long known as Colonel Acosta. He
recognised me; and pressing my hand, in a faint voice he asked me to
take a locket from his neck. I did as he desired; and holding it in his
hand, he gazed steadfastly at it with eyes rapidly becoming dim as the
chill of death stole over him.
"Paola!--Paola! I would have died to save you," he murmured. "Let this
be buried with me," he whispered. "Take care of it, lest any
sacrilegious hands should tear it from me."
I lifted him up, meanwhile shouting to some of my men to try and find a
surgeon, in case it might not be too late to save his life. But even
then his spirit was departing; and ere another minute had passed I found
that I held his lifeless form in my arms.
Ordering a party of men to carry the body to the camp, I next went in
search of Carlos, to give him the sad information; and that night we
buried the betrothed of the unfortunate Donna Paola Salabriata beneath a
lofty palm-tree, with her miniature, as he had desired, placed on his
breast.
That battle decided the fate of the Spanish power in Venezuela; and
though in some places along the sea-coast isolated bands held out in the
hope of receiving succour from Spain, ere long every Spanish soldier was
driven from the land, and the cause of Liberty triumphed.
We had no difficulty in obtaining from General Bermudez a strong troop
of horsemen, with which to proceed, under the guidance of the Indian, in
search of the band who held Norah in captivity.
The padre and the doctor, too, on hearing of our expedition, insisted on
accompanying us.
"But I fear that you, senor padre, will not be able to endure the
fatigues we may have to undergo," I observed.
"In such a cause I shall be insensible to fatigue," answered the padre
in a spirited tone. "Perhaps, too, I can be of use in influencing some
of the rascals who know me, and may be willing to listen to what I say.
Go I must, Barry, so say no more about it."
The doctor was equally determined. "There are plenty of surgeons
belonging to the British legion in the camp to attend to the wounded;
and your fair sister may be ill, and require my aid," he answered, "so I
intend to form one of your party. If there is any fighting, you shall
see that I can wield a sword or lance as well as my reverend friend
here. Ah, senor padre! you did wonderful execution among the enemy
yesterday."
"Heaven forgive me for the deaths I caused!" answered the padre, with a
sigh. "My blood was up, and I fought for liberty and my country. I
thought of nothing else; and where the odds were so much against us, I
knew that no true man could be spared."
Carlos and I, with our two stalwart friends, set off without loss of
time at the head of our brave llaneros. Caution was necessary, however.
The banditti might not have heard of the defeat of the Spaniards; and
should we discover and attack them, they might retaliate on my hapless
sister.
We pushed forward as rapidly as we could, eager to release her; and as
we proceeded we sent out scouts, to ascertain, if possible, the position
of Aqualonga and his band of cut-throats. Though we took a wide range,
we could nowhere hear of them, and were satisfied therefore that they
had not passed us. Night and day we were on the watch, whether resting
in camp or galloping forward; and relying on the hardihood of our
steeds, we advanced at a rate that no ordinary cavalry could have done.
One day, about noon, we reached a slight elevation of the ground,
scarcely to be called a hill, to the top of which we rode, that we might
obtain a wider look-out over the country ahead of us. Near at hand was
a stream, bordered by a thick copse of a height sufficient, when we
dismounted, to conceal us and our horses. It was a spot well suited for
an ambush. Scarcely had we gained the top of the hillock, when we saw
in the far distance what appeared to us the leading files of a party of
horsemen. Both the doctor and the padre declared that this must be
Aqualonga's party, and advised that we should conceal ourselves behind
the brushwood, and rush out upon them as they passed by.
Supposing that the approaching strangers were enemies, the suggestion
was a good one: we therefore ordered our men to ride round the foot of
the mount, while we, hoping that we had not been seen, descended and
joined them.
For some time we did not regain sight of the strangers; but at length we
observed, instead of the large body we expected to see, two figures
galloping across the savannah, while behind them came a number of
Indians on foot, running at headlong speed, with a party of horsemen
coming quickly up in the distance. As they drew nearer, one appeared to
be a female; and from the plume of feathers in her hair, the doctor
declared that she must be an Indian, as undoubtedly, from his costume,
was her companion.
"An Indian! No, no! that she is not!" exclaimed Don Carlos, springing
to his horse. "It is Donna Norah!"
The idea that such was the case had flashed across my mind; and,
convinced that he was right, I followed his example. In another
instant, breaking from our cover, we were galloping across the plain
towards them, followed by our entire party. They saw us coming, and the
Indian for an instant altered his course, as if to avoid us; but soon
seeing who we were, he and Norah came galloping on. I then recognised
our friend Kanimapo; though, dressed as he was, in all the war-trappings
of a chief, I had certainly not known him at first.
He and Norah were soon in our midst. I need scarcely describe the joy
of the meeting. But there was short time for exchange of greetings.
"Those you see are our foes, from whom we have just escaped," exclaimed
Kanimapo. "They will endeavour to recapture us; but your band, if you
can trust your men, will be sufficient to defeat them should they
venture to attack you."
As he spoke, the men on foot, who were all Indians, drew up on one side
to allow the horsemen to advance--which they did, shouting loudly and
flourishing their weapons. Begging the padre and the doctor to guard
Norah, Carlos and I put our men in order; then, joined by Kanimapo, and
with our lances couched, we dashed on to meet the foe. A swarthy man of
hideous aspect was at their head, whom I recognised as Aqualonga
himself. His men wavered as they saw us coming; and in vain did he
endeavour to cheer them on, galloping forward at headlong speed, as if
resolved to conquer or meet a soldier's death. Some of his men,
inspirited by his example, continued to urge on their steeds; but the
rear-ranks, panic-stricken, wheeled round, and galloped off to save
their lives.
The lance of Don Carlos caught the guerilla chief in the shoulder, and
forced him from his saddle. Most of those who followed him were pierced
through or cut down; the rest sought safety in flight, leaving us
masters of the field, and their famed leader a prisoner in our hands.
Several of our men, leaping to the ground, bound him hand and foot, and
placed him on horseback; but it would have been dangerous to pursue the
defeated foe, as we could not leave my sister without protection.
Having already performed nearly half the distance to Don Fernando's
house, we agreed to proceed thither, it being somewhat nearer than my
father's--though I was anxious to inform my parents of Norah's safety.
But we remembered that our arrival, though we should be welcomed by our
friends, would bring sorrow to the household.
Norah, though pale and thin from the fatigue and alarm she had
undergone, soon recovered her spirits; her happiness being increased by
finding that Don Carlos had escaped the dangers to which he had been
exposed, albeit she was grieved at hearing of the death of his brother.
She very briefly, at that time, narrated her adventures. After leaving
Castle Concannan on her way to Don Fernando's house, while she was
riding on ahead a party of banditti pounced out of a wood and surrounded
her and her attendants, and made them all prisoners. She before long
discovered that Aqualonga was the leader of the party. He was, she
believed, going to carry her off across the mountains; but, from some
intelligence he obtained, he changed his plan and proceeded across the
savannah. He left her at a solitary rancho, under the charge of a
negress, and a party of men to guard her. She received no insult, but
she was coarsely fed, and no attention was paid to her comforts. She
was, however, allowed to stroll about the rancho; and one day, to her
surprise, she saw an Indian whom she recognised as belonging to
Kanimapo's tribe. She found an opportunity of communicating with him,
and persuaded him to inform his chief where she was. He promised to do
so, and to return with any message she might give him.
After some time Aqualonga and his band returned, whereupon they set out
to the north-west, carrying her with them; so her hopes of being rescued
vanished.
One evening, however, Kanimapo fearlessly entered the camp, and
introduced himself to Aqualonga, succeeding by the account he gave in
winning his confidence. He soon found means of communicating with
Norah; when he told her that he had a disguise ready for her, and a
couple of fleet horses, and that if she would agree to escape with him
he would conduct her to the patriot camp. Feeling confidence in his
honour, she consented; and the following night, accompanied by her
faithful attendant, she stole out unperceived by any one, dressed as an
Indian girl, with a plume of feathers in her hair, and a cloak of skins
over her shoulders. The horses were found behind a clump of trees; and
mounting, they first took a westerly direction,--then circling round,
they finally, giving the reins to their horses, galloped at full speed
to the eastward, and happily met with us in the way I have described.
Norah was a good horsewoman, and declared herself well able to move on
without further delay. We accordingly proceeded eastward, till the
approach of night warned us to encamp. We of course took every
precaution against surprise; for though the Spaniards had been so
signally defeated, some roving bands of Indians attached to their cause
might possibly discover and attack us. We had not only sentries placed
round the camp, but we sent out vedettes to patrol the neighbourhood,
and thus give due notice of the approach of an enemy. A hut was built
for Norah; and Don Carlos and I lay down outside, that, in case of any
sudden surprise, we might be at hand to protect her.
The first watch of the night had passed by, when a shot was heard, and
one of the vedettes came galloping in with the announcement that he had
descried a body of men approaching the camp, and that, as he galloped
off, he had been pursued by several horsemen. We of course ordered the
men to be ready to leap into their saddles for the attack which we fully
expected to be made; and Norah's horse was brought up, that she might be
able to mount, if necessary, at a moment's notice. She took the
announcement very calmly, as if it was quite a matter of course.
While these preparations were being made, the padre rode up and offered
to go forth in the direction in which the strangers had been seen, and
ascertain who they were.
"They may be enemies, but they may possibly be friends; and unless we
learn the truth, we may be knocking our heads together before we
discover it," he observed. "I have had so many bullets flying about my
ears of late, and have got off scot-free, that I am not afraid of any
they may fire at me."
Though we were unwilling to expose the padre to danger, his offer was of
too much value to be refused. We accordingly begged him to do as he
proposed; and bidding us not to be anxious about him, he rode off in the
direction from which the vedette had come.
We waited, fearing every instant to hear the sound of a shot; but the
silence of night remained unbroken. I had directed my men not to fire
till they received my order to do so, to prevent the risk of the padre
being shot at on his return to the camp.
Some time had passed away, when a horseman was seen coming over the
plain, and the padre's voice was heard shouting,--"All right! They are
friends, and will be here anon!"
In another minute he had reached us. "Who do you think they are?" he
exclaimed. "The labourers of your father and Senor Concannan, with a
number of villagers and blacks; and some of my people, headed by Senor
Denis, your young brother, and your Irish servant. They knew my voice,
which I took care to let them hear before I approached; and I told them
that I would ride back and inform you, lest you should begin peppering
at them as they marched here to embrace you. They have come in search
of Aqualonga and his band, whom they had traced in this direction,
having ascertained that he it was who had carried off Donna Norah."
My uncle and the whole party were thankful to have recovered her without
having to fight, as they had expected; though Gerald declared that he
was sorry not to be able to break a lance in her service, against the
renowned tawny-skinned chieftain Aqualonga.
"Faith, Masther Gerald, it's much betther as it is," observed Tim, "as
the savage might have managed to run his lance into you; and Miss Norah,
depend on it, is a mighty deal more pleased to have no blood spilt in
her cause."
We were now--our two parties forming one camp--capable of setting at
defiance any enemies likely to approach us.
The next morning we continued our journey; and at length, after a
somewhat fatiguing march over the wide-extended plain,--having to cross
several rivers and swamps, sometimes fording them, and at others passing
over in hide-formed canoes, while the horses swam behind us,--we reached
Don Fernando's. Our welcome was such as might have been expected: Norah
was received as a daughter, and Don Carlos and I were treated as heroes;
and by none more so than by Isabella Monterola,--who has since, to my
great happiness, become my wife. My cousin, Colonel Acosta, as I will
still call him, was truly mourned for. "Poor fellow!" said Don
Fernando; "the loss is ours. He would never have recovered the death of
Donna Paola."
The next day the bandit chief, whose safe-keeping cost us much anxiety,
was sent off under a strong escort to Popayan; where he was, soon after,
ordered to be shot. An immense crowd collected to gaze on an Indian who
had been the terror of the country for so many years; and one man, as he
observed his short figure and coarse and ugly features, exclaimed,--"Is
that the hideous little fellow who has alarmed us so long?"
"Yes," replied Aqualonga, darting a fierce look at him from his black
eyes; "in this small body is the heart of a giant."
At his request he was allowed to die in his colonel's uniform; and just
before he was shot, he declared that had he twenty lives, he would have
been ready to sacrifice them all for the king he served.
But to return to the time I was describing. We all of us endeavoured,
by every means in our power, to express our gratitude to Kanimapo for
the service he had rendered us.
"I have but done my duty," he answered, "and tried to prove that I am
grateful for the kindness I received at your hands. I wish to render
you still further service. I must now go back to my people, who have so
long shown enmity to you and your family; and I hope to teach them that
it is their duty, as it is assuredly to their interests, to be on
friendly terms with those who truly wish to benefit them."
"And I, my friend," said the padre, "will accompany you. I may be able
to counteract the evil effects produced on their minds by the Spanish
emissaries, and tell them of a purer faith than any they have hitherto
heard of."
"And I will go also," exclaimed the doctor. "I should like to study
their habits and customs; and I may be able, by healing them of their
complaints, to support my friend the padre in his endeavours to
enlighten the minds of the poor savages, and thus show practically that
our wish is to benefit them."
Kanimapo accordingly set off, accompanied by the padre and the doctor;
the former having resumed his clerical robes, while the latter was
attended by his faithful dog Jumbo.
We had, of course, immediately on our arrival, despatched a messenger to
my father to announce the recovery of Norah, and my safety. The next
day Uncle Denis, with Gerald and Tim, went home with their followers.
After spending a few days with my friends, I was compelled to conduct my
llaneros back to rejoin the army.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I need not mention the other events of the campaign. At the end of a
couple of months, Don Carlos and I again got leave to return home; and I
accompanied him to his father's house, where Norah had since been
staying, and where the whole of my family--who had been invited to pay a
long visit--were assembled. It was to be terminated, I found, by my
sister's marriage.
The day after our arrival had been fixed, Don Fernando informed me, for
a meeting with Kanimapo and his tribe; which was to take place in a
beautiful spot at the foot of the mountains. They set off at
daybreak,--Don Fernando, with his sons and grandsons habited in full
Spanish costume to do honour to the occasion. My father, uncles, and I,
with some others, accompanied them,--making in all a party of about
twenty.
Although our meeting was to be of a pacific character, we went armed as
usual, no one moving about in that region without weapons. As we
approached the spot, Don Fernando and his immediate relatives dismounted
and advanced on foot towards a circle formed by a number of arrows stuck
in the ground, beyond which stood Kanimapo and his tribe. He
approached, and putting out his hand, grasped that of Don Fernando.
"My people," he said, "have hitherto been enemies to you, who desired to
do them good; but henceforth, as the points of yonder arrows are
concealed in the ground, so let all enmity be buried."
On this the Indians waved their hands, and uttered loud shouts,
indicative of approval of what had been said. The speech, by-the-by,
was much longer than I have reported it. Don Fernando replied in
appropriate language; and the Indians again shouted, and held up their
children to gaze at the white men who had now become their friends.
I must not dwell longer on the scene. It appeared to afford infinite
satisfaction to all parties; and after other speeches had been made by
inferior chiefs, and replied to by our friends, we returned home, while
the Indians retired to their camp.
Kanimapo paid us a private visit soon afterwards, and assured me that
the padre and the doctor had been mainly instrumental in bringing about
the change of sentiment in his people.
After my sister's marriage with Don Carlos, we returned to my father's
house, which had been substantially rebuilt.
The padre, in the meantime, had been engaged in further instructing the
Indians, and in establishing a school; having also procured an
enlightened young Creole and his wife to act as master and mistress. He
had begun, also, to translate portions of the Bible; which he was
convinced, he said, was the only book by which their heathen darkness
could be dispelled. He afterwards became one of the warmest advocates
for its dissemination throughout the Republic, where a Bible Society
soon after that period was established and flourished.
The doctor, who had been adding greatly to his knowledge of the natural
history of the country, returned home with us; and, to his infinite
satisfaction, found his boxes uninjured. At length he departed, with
the fruits of his labours, to his beloved fatherland. He wrote me word
of his safe arrival, and promised some day or other to pay us another
visit.
The independence of Columbia being at length acknowledged by Spain,
peace was established; and those who keep free of the political disputes
which have so frequently broken out, impeding the moral and material
progress of the country, have enjoyed, as we and our friends have done,
as much happiness as frail mortals can expect to find here below.
On the cessation of hostilities I sheathed my sword, which I have never
since drawn; and though I have given some brief descriptions of the
battles and skirmishes in which I was engaged during the most eventful
period of the history of Venezuela, I wish to impress on the minds of
all the readers of my narrative that War is a terrible thing,--which
Satan for his own ends encourages, but which wise men, and Christians
especially, should endeavour by every means in their power to avoid.