attack of ships, but were unable to be depressed sufficiently to command the spot where the rebels were encamped, thus, in the very jaws of danger, lay the besiegers in comparative safety. Jack, surveying all this through a telescope, was astonished to see that the engineers who had constructed the defences had been so foolish as to leave this debatable ground between rampart and sea. Perhaps they deemed that the cannon would not permit ships to approach near enough for the disembarking of hostile troops, but they seemed to have forgotten that the heavy guns of a man-of-war could silence the forts. This, perhaps, had not been done, as the cannon on the ramparts still defended the city; but there was no doubt in Jack’s mind that Don Hypolito had landed his troops under cover of a heavy fire from his three ships directed at the forts. Once encamped on shore, and the besiegers could bid defiance to the lines of cannon, whose balls passed harmlessly over their heads.
“Ola, Señor Juan,” said Rafael’s gay voice behind him, “you are up early.”
“Good morning, mi amigo,” replied Jack, turning with a smile. “I have been up at least half an hour, examining the town.”
“A place forsaken of God, is it not? Dios! to think that some fools would have this to be the capital of Cholacaca. Swamps there, sandy plains yonder. Holy Mary! how can it compare with Tlatonac?”
“It is the first time I have been so far south, and I don’t think much of either country or town.”
“Oh, the situation is good for defence.”
“I’m not so sure of that, Rafael. It is true that the city is built on a rocky height, and well defended by swamp and desert; but look how safely enemies can lie under the walls.”
“Eh! what would you, Juan? The muzzles of the guns cannot be depressed sufficiently to sweep the beach.”
“Then why didn’t the engineers build two forts right and left, in order to command the intervening ground?”
“Dios! And thus knock each other to pieces.”
“True. Well, then, have one fort. See, mi amigo. On the right, that wide swamp is a sufficient protection against the approach of an enemy; but had I constructed the defences of the town, I would have run an arm of forts between the desert and that sea-fort. Thus a double line of cannon would have commanded the beach, and even if an enemy did succeed in landing in face of the fire of the town forts, they could not have encamped there as they have done.”
“That is true, Juan,” replied Rafael, who now had the telescope to his eye. “But it is now too late to deplore the lack of defences. The rebels have landed, and are safely bestowed within stone-throw of the city. Look at the number of them, and all on the alert. Santissima! they won’t feel very happy this morning, now that they see The Pizarro is lost.”
“Surely,” said Jack, taking no notice of this last remark, “surely Pedraza does not intend to land two hundred men directly in front of the town?”
“It is foolish, I admit,” answered Rafael, shrugging his shoulders; “but what with a sally of our troops from the town, and the guns of our boats playing on the beach, it may be managed.”
“I doubt it. Two hundred men may land under cover of our fire; but, believe me, Rafael, fifty will not break through that living barrier and enter the town.”
“I grant that. As I said last night, it is a useless waste of life, and his Excellency must have surely forgotten the situation of Janjalla when he gave such a rash command. But what else can be done, save obey his order?”
“Obey it, by all means, but not in the way commanded.”
“What do you mean?”
Jack was sweeping the shore right and left with the telescope, and did not reply for a few minutes. At length he spoke, indicating the several points he mentioned, with his hand.
“Behold, mi amigo,” he said, pointing towards the desert, “to land there would be foolish, as the enemy could march along to defend that point while the boats pulled in. The same with the central position. It is madness to land in the teeth of two thousand men. But look to the right. Why not land the troops up the coast, and let the swamp lie between them and the enemy?”
“Bueno!” replied Rafael, seizing the idea at once. “But how do you propose to enter the city?”
“Ah, that I can’t say, not knowing the geography of the place.”
“I have a map below. Come with me, Juan, and we will invent some plan, then go on board The Iturbide to interview Pedraza. I am with you in trying to prevent this sacrifice of two hundred men by landing them in the jaws of danger.”
They went down to the cabin, and Rafael, after hunting about for a few minutes, found a map of the southern portion of Cholacaca. He spread it out on the table, and they began to examine it at once.
“Here!” said Jack, drawing his finger along the paper; “here is Janjalla, here the swamp and river, beyond is a kind of rolling prairie. If we land the troops here, we can march them parallel to the river, into the interior country.”
“That is so, mi amigo! But, you see, the river is ever between the troops and the city. If the enemy see our men marching on this side, they can march on the other, and so keep our men from entering the city.”
“Not if Pedraza signals to the forts. You forget that the rebels are only safe so long as they keep in the hollow of the beach. If they march up on the right, they expose themselves to a heavy fire. Consequently, the forts can keep them in check, and our troops, marching along on the right bank of the stream, can surely find some ford by which to cross, and then gain the inland gate of Janjalla by a detour.”
“Como, no!” exclaimed Rafael, in a lively tone rolling up the map. “It is not at all a bad idea. Let us board The Iturbide, and explain your plan to the Comandante.”
“Who commands the expedition?” asked Jack, as he hastily snatched up a brace of revolvers and a heavy cloak.
“Don Sebastian de Ahumada. He is a great friend of mine. In fact,” added Rafael, laughing, “he is a cousin of Doña Carmencita de Tajada.”
“My poor Rafael, your suit does not progress much in that quarter.”
“Not with Don José, perhaps; but I am content to wait till the war is ended, so far as my angel is concerned. She will be true to me, as I to her. By the way, mi amigo, know you that Don José is now Governor of Acauhtzin, in the absence of Don Hypolito?”
“No, I did not know it. Is Don Hypolito yonder?”
“Not now. He was on board The Cortes, and has gone back to Acauhtzin, but will doubtless come south again, to personally conduct the war.”
“I should like to get a shot at him,” said Jack, grimly; “the brute. I shall never forgive him for his treachery. Well, who knows?—
Perhaps a recruit
May chance to shoot
Great General Bonaparte.”
“What say you?” asked Rafael, puzzled at those lines, which were recited in English.
“Nothing, nothing. A something to relieve my feelings.
