Where Strongest Tide Winds Blew
Page 9
IX.
AMID THE DIN OF BATTLE.
The main body of the insurgent troops began to move to the front,headed by General Pierola and the priest marching to the mostunearthly music I ever heard. Women were conspicuous and cheered asthe men marched past. "Viva Pierola!" was heard on all sides.
Then came an order to double quick. The outposts were driven in ashort distance, and the enemy was in a valley, surrounded on bothsides by a chain of hills with a huge mountain in the background. WhenI saw the position of the government troops, I was satisfied theywould be defeated and the battle become a rout. There were tworegiments of infantry and one of cavalry in the valley. Pierolastationed his troops on each side of the pass and in front, reservinghis cavalry. In a short time the engagement became general. Thepriest encouraged the insurgents by displaying the cross. He was acourageous fellow, always to be found in places of danger. I mounted ahuge boulder and could easily see all that was going on. Thegovernment troops would waver and fall back, and again they wouldrenew the attempt to scale the hillsides, which was impossible as longas the insurgents held their position.
There was a strange happening just when success seemed assured. Theinsurgent cavalry had taken no part up to this time, as both sides ofthe valley had been actively engaged. The insurgents along the passwere running short of ammunition. An order was sent to the captain ofthe cavalry to send a company back to Torato and assist in hurrying upsupplies. There was a brief cessation of hostilities. I could plainlysee the government troops carrying their dead and wounded to the rear,but still holding their position. When another charge was made to takethe heights, the firing again became general. Suddenly arose the cry,"They come! They come!" Firing along the sides of the pass ceased, andI looked in amazement. Evidently, something was wrong. The insurgentswere throwing away their arms and running. There was a cloud of dustin the direction of Torato, and I could easily distinguish a companyof cavalry, which I knew was the company sent to hurry up theammunition. The insurgents saw them and imagined that the governmentcavalry had succeeded in getting to their rear. The panic became arout. In vain did Pierola plead, as he threw himself in front of hisdemoralized men, in vain did the priest hold his crucifix on high,threatening and pleading, but no persuasion could stop those runawaycowards. The government troops realized something was wrong, and beganto scale the heights. Still, if the cavalry which had done nofighting, could have been led to the side of the pass, the day wouldstill have been with Pierola, and probably the stampede would havebeen checked. But unfortunately for the would-be president, there wasno one in command capable of meeting the emergency.
I became excited, and snatching a cutlass from the hand of aretreating soldier, threw myself in front of a column in a vainendeavor to stop them, but they ran over me like so many sheep. Terrorhad lent them wings of flight and deprived them of reason. By thistime the government infantry had reached the plateau and was forminginto companies. Their cavalry had seized the heights and the day waslost.
I saw General Pierola shake hands with the priest and leave the field.The priest mounted and he, too, was gone. The ground was strewn witharms; even the discordant musical instruments were discarded.
Thus an army of revolutionists, who, a few hours before paradedthrough the streets of Torato, cheered by fair women, and shouting"Viva Pierola," had won a battle by natural surroundings and lost itby their cowardice. I, too, thought it was time to retreat, as myescort of twenty soldiers had long since disappeared. I rode toTorato.
Along the way I overtook straggling bands of insurgents going intotown to hide, while others were scaling the tallest mountains. I wentto my quarters, and soon the town was surrounded.
The next morning about two hundred insurgents were captured. Theothers were hid in some mysterious way and the commanding officer ofthe government troops was made to believe that the main body of theinsurgents was in the mountains.
I sought the general of the government troops to inform him of mypresence. He replied that he knew of my being a prisoner, and asked meto return to Moquequa at once and help to get the railway in operationto convey his troops and prisoners.
I was glad no other questions were put to me, and after pleading withthe general for my kind host who had treated me with great kindness inTorato, and who was not in sympathy with the revolutionists, he agreedto exempt him from the payment of money levied on nearly all theinhabitants.
THE EARTH BEGAN TO ROCK AND REEL. (Page 33)]
Soon after this a troop ship arrived in Ilo to convey prisoners andescort to Lima. I felt sorry for the prisoners. Many of themrecognized me and kept calling, "Don Juan, please try and help us,"but of course I was powerless to do anything for them. I was glad whenthey were aboard the transport for I felt miserable in the midst of somuch suffering. But I knew they would not suffer long. Anotherrevolution would set them free.
The railroad was again in running order and everything progressingsmoothly when one morning at breakfast I was informed that Pierola hadbroken out again. This time his party had, by means unknown, capturedthe Peruvian ironclad ram, Huascar. He must have been aided by theofficers, or at least one of them who declared in his favor. Howbeit,he had possession. The Peruvian fleet was sent in pursuit, but as theHuascar was the most powerful vessel of the fleet, they had to giveher up.
The fortunes of Pierola were brighter now than ever. He could, withthe exception of Callao, have entire command and control of all thesea ports along the coast. But unfortunately for him, he began to stopthe British mail, and later the French mail on the high seas, hisobject being to intercept mail for the Peruvian government.
The British government dispatched H. M. S. Amythist and the Shah tocompel him to surrender, the Huascar having had full sway along thecoast for a month.
The Huascar finally made her appearance in the port of Ilo, and almostimmediately the Amythist and Shah hove in sight. I had a good viewfrom the beach and saw a boat lowered from the Shah and pull directlyto the Huascar, I supposed for the purpose of demanding her surrender.However, if that was the object, it failed, for upon the return of theboat to the Shah, the Amythist cleared for action.
The afternoon was calm; not a ripple on the ocean. The Huascar wasnearest the shore, less than a mile from where I stood. The Shah wasover a mile distant seaward. A signal flashed from the Shah and theAmythist steamed toward the Huascar. The Amythist was a woodencorvette, equipped with twin screws. The Shah was a commercedestroyer. Neither vessel was a match for the modern ironcladHuascar.
Suddenly a shot came from the Shah. The flag and pole at the stern ofthe Huascar dropped overboard. The Huascar, equipped with a revolvingturret, sent a shot at the Amythist, but it went wide of its mark. TheAmythist circled and sent a broadside full on the Huascar, every shottaking effect. With the aid of a glass I could see the decks of theAmythist plainly from my position on a huge rock. The British sailors,stripped to the waist, cutlass in hand, stood eagerly awaiting orders.The gunners' crews were engaged in firing rapidly. The Huascar repliedby slow but heavy reports from her turret. The object of the Britishwas to disable the Huascar's turret, and they succeeded by directingall shots against it.
The Huascar, finding she could not effect the enemy by shots, turnedto ram her. The Amythist, being equipped with twin screws, awaited theHuascar and when within a short distance ran alongside and poured herwhole broadside on the rebel. That was the last act before the Huascarsurrendered.
I was aboard the Huascar a few months afterward at Mollendo and shepresented a most dilapidated appearance.
Thus again was General Pierola frustrated, and by a British woodenvessel against a crack ironclad of Peru. Pierola escaped as usual, andthe Huascar was turned over to the Peruvian government.
A few days after the Amythist-Huascar battle I discovered the peopleof Ilo were cold and distant towards me, and I soon learned the cause.Although they were in favor of the existing government, they did notrelish the idea of their people being beaten by the British. I couldnot con
demn the acts of my own country and I felt it would be betterto leave Ilo, which I did, little dreaming of the exciting eventswhich were soon to follow.