登陆注册
5195300000032

第32章

"By noon the next day the submerged Gatling was rescued, as Kearny had promised.Then Carlos and Manuel Ortiz and Kearny (my lieutenants)

distributed Winchesters among the troops and put them through an incessant rifle drill.We fired no shots, blank or solid, for of all coasts Esperando is the stillest; and we had no desire to sound any warnings in the ear of that corrupt government until they should carry with them the message of Liberty and the downfall of Oppression.

"In the afternoon came a mule-rider bearing a written message to me from Don Rafael Valdevia in the capital, Aguas Frias.

"Whenever that man's name comes to my lips, words of tribute to his greatness, his noble simplicity, and his conspicuous genius follow irrepressibly.He was a traveller, a student of peoples and governments, a master of sciences, a poet, an orator, a leader, a soldier, a critic of the world's campaigns and the idol of the people in Esperando.I had been honoured by his friendship for years.It was I who first turned his mind to the thought that he should leave for his monument a new Esperando--a country freed from the rule of unscrupulous tyrants, and a people made happy and prosperous by wise and impartial legislation.When he had consented he threw himself into the cause with the undivided zeal with which he endowed all of his acts.The coffers of his great fortune were opened to those of us to whom were entrusted the secret moves of the game.His popularity was already so great that he had practically forced President Cruz to offer him the portfolio of Minister of War.

"The time, Don Rafael said in his letter, was ripe.Success, he prophesied, was certain.The people were beginning to clamour publicly against Cruz's misrule.Bands of citizens in the capital were even going about of nights hurling stones at public buildings and expressing their dissatisfaction.A bronze statue of President Cruz in the Botanical Gardens had been lassoed about the neck and overthrown.

It only remained for me to arrive with my force and my thousand rifles, and for himself to come forward and proclaim himself the people's saviour, to overthrow Cruz in a single day.There would be but a half-hearted resistance from the six hundred government troops stationed in the capital.Th country was ours.He presumed that by this time my steamer had arrived at Quintana's camp.He proposed the eighteenth of July for the attack.That would give us six days in which to strike camp and march to Aguas Frias.In the meantime Don Rafael remained my good friend and /compadre en la cause de la libertad/.

"On the morning of the 14th we began our march toward the sea-

following range of mountains, over the sixty-mile trail to the capital.Our small arms and provisions were laden on pack mules.

Twenty men harnessed to each Gatling gun rolled them smoothly along the flat, alluvial lowlands.Our troops, well-shod and well-fed, moved with alacrity and heartiness.I and my three lieutenants were mounted on the tough mountain ponies of the country.

"A mile out of camp one of the pack mules, becoming stubborn, broke away from the train and plunged from the path into the thicket.The alert Kearny spurred quickly after it and intercepted its flight.

Rising in his stirrups, he released one foot and bestowed upon the mutinous animal a hearty kick.The mule tottered and fell with a crash broadside upon the ground.As we gathered around it, it walled its great eyes almost humanly towards Kearny and expired.That was bad;

but worse, to our minds, was the concomitant disaster.Part of the mule's burden had been one hundred pounds of the finest coffee to be had in the tropics.The bag burst and spilled the priceless brown mass of the ground berries among the dense vines and weeds of the swampy land./Mala suerte/! When you take away from an Esperandan his coffee, you abstract his patriotism and 50 per cent.of his value as a soldier.The men began to rake up the precious stuff; but I beckoned Kearny back along the trail where they would not hear.The limit had been reached.

"I took from my pocket a wallet of money and drew out some bills.

"'Mr.Kearny,' said I, 'here are some funds belonging to Don Rafael Valdevia, which I am expending in his cause.I know of no better service it can buy for him that this.Here is one hundred dollars.

Luck or no luck, we part company here.Star or no star, calamity seems to travel by your side.You will return to the steamer.She touches at Amotapa to discharge her lumber and iron, and then puts back to New Orleans.Hand this note to the sailing-master, who will give you passage.' I wrote on a leaf torn from my book, and placed it and the money in Kearny's hand.

"'Good-bye,' I said, extending my own.'It is not that I am displeased with you; but there is no place in this expedition for--let us say, the Senorita Phoebe.' I said this with a smile, trying to smooth the thing for him.'May you have better luck, /companero/.'

"Kearny took the money and the paper.

"'It was just a little touch,' said he, 'just a little lift with the toe of my boot--but what's the odds?--that blamed mule would have died if I had only dusted his ribs with a powder puff.It was my luck.

Well, Captain, I would have liked to be in that little fight with you over in Aguas Frias.Success to the cause./Adios/!'

"He turned around and set off down the trail without looking back.The unfortunate mule's pack-saddle was transferred to Kearny's pony, and we again took up the march.

"Four days we journeyed over the foot-hills and mountains, fording icy torrents, winding around the crumbling brows of ragged peaks, creeping along rocky flanges that overlooked awful precipices, crawling breathlessly over tottering bridges that crossed bottomless chasms.

"On the evening of the seventeenth we camped by a little stream on the bare hills five miles from Aguas Frias.At daybreak we were to take up the march again.

同类推荐
  • 淡新凤三县简明总括图册

    淡新凤三县简明总括图册

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宦乡要则

    宦乡要则

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄帝四经

    黄帝四经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小儿推拿广意

    小儿推拿广意

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Commission in Lunacy

    The Commission in Lunacy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 慕川向晚

    慕川向晚

    千年难得一遇的写作废柴向晚,因为书扑成了狗,被逼相亲。“妈,不是身高一米九腹肌十六块住八十八层别墅从八百米大床上醒来的国家级高富帅,一律不要。”“……你是准备嫁蜈蚣?”后来向晚终于如愿以偿。他被国家级高富帅找上门来了,扑街的书也突然爆火——有人按她书中情节,一比一复制了一桩命案。而她与国家级高富帅第一次碰撞,就把人家给夹伤了…………爱情、亲情、伦理、悬疑、你要的这里都有,色香味俱全。【本文狂撒狗血,太过较真的勿来。】☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆强烈推荐姒锦完结文。现代:《史上第一宠婚》、《步步惊婚》、《唯愿此生不负你》、《溺爱成瘾》古代:《且把年华赠天下》、《孤王寡女》
  • 梁漱溟心理学思想研究

    梁漱溟心理学思想研究

    《梁漱溟心理学思想研究》包括梁漱溟生平及其心心理历程,梁漱溟人格特质研究,梁漱溟心理学思想的哲学基础,梁漱溟对心理科学学的理解,梁漱溟的分支心理学思想等八章内容。
  • 胡雪岩发迹史

    胡雪岩发迹史

    胡雪岩到底是个什么样的人?他是如何从穷乡僻壤走入富丽堂皇的大都市的?又是怎样一步步地走近和他命运息息相关的钱庄?他生命中的两个大贵人是谁?左宗棠是个什么样的人?他和胡雪岩是怎样互相扶持的?王有龄又是何方神圣?他在胡雪岩的生命中扮演了怎样的角色?神奇的胡雪岩是怎么主导中外大商战的?最后他又为何会一败涂地?到底是谁给了他致命一击……想要知道这些问题的答案吗,那么就请打开《胡雪岩发迹史》,让我们一起回到历史的轮回中,去重新品味那段充满传奇色彩的历史乐章吧!
  • 让孩子受益一生的经典童话

    让孩子受益一生的经典童话

    爱听故事是每个孩子的天性,阅读已经被认定为人一生最重要的素养。阅读素养高的人,不仅求职的能力、转换行业的能力强,而且从心理学角度讲,也更容易拥有快乐、充实的人生。本书选取了中外经典童话,这些童话仿佛一滴滴甘露,滋润着孩子稚嫩的心灵;又好似一位循循善诱的智者,引导孩子变得聪明好学,让孩子更加求知若渴。相信有了这本书,孩子们的生活会变得更加丰富多彩。
  • 随身空间:重生小夫妻

    随身空间:重生小夫妻

    上辈子,她和他皆是孤儿,艰难修成正果,不想一朝穿越。这辈子,她成了乡下小农女,他却是世家贵公子,相隔千里之遥。幸得老天爷庇护,随身农场妙用多多。属于俩人的农场,塑造完美农家生活。
  • 民国奇闻异事录

    民国奇闻异事录

    2010年冬,我闲来无事,刚刚从单位辞职,这个时候,死党俞飞过来找我,说要我陪他去一趟西安城郊的终南山,说这个山上住着一些隐士,有的是故事。那个时候,我接了一个编辑的任务,给一家图书公司写一些文稿,大都是些奇异的人和事,手头正缺素材,于是就愉快地答应了他的要求。他是俞飞的一个爷爷,没有出五服,老头有九十岁左右,手脚利索而且思路清晰,不仅如此,他还有记日记的习惯,当他把那三大皮箱的日记和游记给我们从草屋里间拉到外面时,我和俞飞都惊呆了。老头自我介绍,那些都是从民国开始,他所记录和经历过的种种奇人和异事,现在老了,也回味了几遍,就想找个人把这些东西重新写下来,供人们做为茶余饭后的消遣……
  • 比别人多做一点

    比别人多做一点

    在工作或生活中,我们总是渴望成功。可是,在竞争激烈的今天,别人不比我们傻,我们也未必比别人聪明,那么我们凭什么成功?答案是:“比别人多做一点!”
  • BOSS专宠之最强祭司

    BOSS专宠之最强祭司

    明面上是穆家高冷家主,暗地里是神秘组织的大王爷。本是高山雪莲,直到遇见你,坠落神坛……小剧场:“你干嘛把儿子送出国?”穆恒之走过去,搂住她,“跟我争宠,不自量力!”慕子安“……”——我愿为你放弃一切等候千年,因为你值得……PS:(处女作,1v1双洁,“我和你除了恋爱没什么好谈的”,男女互宠,欢迎入坑)
  • 吴光禄使闽奏稿选录

    吴光禄使闽奏稿选录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 有温度的人

    有温度的人

    《有温度的人》是作者继《有理想的人》、《有远方的人》之后创作的散文诗集。全书收集整理了作者近年来创作的散文诗90篇,分为4辑,分别为:“只在往事里发现那些暖的”“在现实中记住温度”“我可以自己暖”“温度,在山水之间”。作品文笔精练,善于通过某一种意象萃取事物背后的寓意,富有哲思和深刻的内涵,让读者感受到文字内在的力量,具有较强的感染力和思想性。