Part 52 (1/2)

REAL WAR.

There was little sleep that night for those on board, for once his little cargo was discharged, the skipper had everything made snug and ready for putting to sea if necessary at a moment's notice.

Most of the men had been busy over the landing of the cases and guns, and Fitz had thoroughly enjoyed the looking on, feeling a strange longing the while to go ash.o.r.e and superintend the unpacking and putting together of the gun-limbers, and the mounting of the pieces. Not that there was a great deal to do, for, in obedience to instructions, the British manufacturers had sent the little field-guns with everything so simplified that the rough artillery-men from the Central American fort had few difficulties with which to contend. He saw little of Poole in the darkness, but knew that he was busy over something with a couple of men at his beck, while a third had had a duty of his own where a bright light had gleamed out and a little chimney had roared in a way which made Poole anxiously consult his father, who was superintending the landing of cases, when in their brief conversation something was said about sparks, and then a couple of tarpaulins were rigged up with lines, in a way which entirely cut off the galley from the rest of the deck.

The result of all this was, that when the deck was clear and hatches replaced, the Camel stood smiling, with glistening face, for his work too was done, and the fresh provisions that had been abundantly brought on board by the women of the place were in a most welcome form for the half-starved, weary crew, and about midnight there was something as nearly like a banquet as could be expected under the circ.u.mstances, and to the delight of all.

There had been no form; the only ceremony had been for officers and men to sit down sailor or tailor fas.h.i.+on, cross-legged upon the deck, and eat as much as such men would.

”Hah!” said the boatswain, turning towards the two lads, after being very silent for quite half-an-hour. ”I call this something like; but I do hope as the Camel's had time to pick a bit.”

So busy had the party on board been, that they had thought little about the proceedings on sh.o.r.e, the less so that the excitement and noise of shouting orders, trampling feet, and the buzz of chattering women and children had drifted farther and farther away to the opposite side of the town, where beyond the low houses and hovels of the poorer part of the population the long low valley commenced which rapidly became a pa.s.s, the key, so to speak, of the little city.

Here Don Ramon had mustered his force, and here during the rest of the night his men worked by the light of the stars, making a wall of stones with openings for the field-pieces, and clearing the road behind between them and the earthwork nearer to the fort, to which in case of emergency they could be withdrawn ready for another stand.

He was no novice in such matters, having pa.s.sed his life as he had amidst a volcanic people where revolutions came and went as if indigenous to the countries bordering upon the Mexican Gulf.

In his way he was no bad soldier, and in fact a better man than his rival the tyrant and oppressor, whom he had been urged by the superior part of his fellow-countrymen to supplant.

Hence it was that before morning, and without interruption, he made the most of the rough but enthusiastic and willing materials to his hand, so that at last he could breathe more freely and accept the congratulations of his friends over the knowledge they shared that Villarayo would find when he came up that not only had he a formidable nut to crack, but the probability before him that the nutcrackers would give way first.

All this was plain enough in the coming daylight, when the skipper and the two lads made their way ash.o.r.e in one of the boats from the spot where the _Teal_ was moored, floating more lightly now, and almost as gracefully in the pearly grey light as the beautiful little waterfowl after which she was named.

”Why, it looks almost like an anthill,” said Fitz, as they approached the mouth of the pa.s.s, whose sides were dotted with men, most of whom were carrying rifles, while each displayed a formidable knife in his belt. ”But there doesn't seem to be any sign of the enemy as yet.”

”No,” said Poole; ”but I say, father, do you think that they will be able to manage those guns?”

”Yes,” said the skipper gravely. ”The men who had the gumption to plant them like that will be pretty sure to find out the way to use them with effect. Besides, they have had some experience, of course, with the old-fas.h.i.+oned pieces in the fort.”

”There go their colours up!” cried Fitz excitedly, as the national flag was run up to the head of the flagstaff that had been raised during the night. ”I hope they'll win, Captain Reed, for the Don's been very plucky, and I suppose he is in the right.”

”If he hadn't been in the right I wouldn't have helped him as I have,”

said the skipper gruffly.

”No,” said Poole firmly, as if to endorse his father's words. ”But don't you think, father, that if you brought all our chaps ash.o.r.e to set these men by the guns at liberty and leave our lads to work them, they'd manage them much better--fire more regularly and twice as fast?”

”Yes, that they would,” cried Fitz excitedly. ”There's hardly one of them who doesn't know his gun-drill.”

”How do you know that?” said the skipper grimly.

”Oh, I asked them,” replied the lad, flus.h.i.+ng. ”They all talk to me about their old life on board different Queen's s.h.i.+ps. It was because I was a mids.h.i.+pman, I suppose. Why,” he continued, growing more excited by what he saw, ”our Chips--I mean, your Chips,” he said, hastily correcting himself--”would make a splendid captain for one of the guns; Mr b.u.t.ters another, of course; and the Camel, though he's cook now.

Oh, I could man all those guns easily.”

”Like to do it, perhaps,” said the skipper dryly, ”and fancy that battery was the broadside of a s.h.i.+p?”

”Yes, of course,” said the lad; ”I mean--” he stammered--”that is--Oh, it's nothing to do with me.”

”No,” said the skipper quietly, as he stood looking critically at the preparations Don Ramon had made, while the scene around seemed to have had the same peculiar exciting effect upon his son as it had upon the mids.h.i.+pman, for Poole said suddenly--

”Why, father, if you were to do that it would make all the difference, and be like turning the scale to Don Ramon's side.”