The Three Lieutenants Part 56

"If we lose the breeze, we cannot tell how long we may be detained here," he exclaimed, as he impatiently walked the deck. "We will give him another hour, however; if he does not then appear we must sail without him."

The cable, in the meantime, was hove short, the topsails loosed and every preparation made for getting under weigh.

The hour had nearly pa.s.sed, when Bevan exclaimed, "I see him, sir, at the end of the point. He is waving his handkerchief, as agreed on."

A boat was accordingly despatched, and Jose came on board.

He excused himself by saying that he had fallen in with some people whom he took to be enemies, and that he had to conceal himself till they pa.s.sed by.

"And what information do you bring us?" asked Jack.

"That another schooner and two gunboats have been destroyed, to prevent them from falling into the hands of your countrymen, and that not another vessel belonging to General Rosas remains afloat," answered Jose.

This was satisfactory news, as Jack now considered that he might carry out the second part of his instructions and proceed up the Parana, to rejoin the squadron already some way ahead, searching for Tom and Gerald as he went along. The anchor was hove up, sail was made, and with a fair breeze he ran out of the river. He had not got far when he fell in with her Majesty's sloop of war, _Dashaway_, which had just come from Monte Video, and from her he received despatches from the commodore.

He was still some distance below the place where Jose had desired to be put on sh.o.r.e. His patience was to be tried still further. After he had run on about twenty miles it fell calm, and he was compelled to bring up not far from Punta Obligado.

Completely knocked up, he and Terence at last turned in, desiring to be called should the wind change, or any occurrence of importance take place.

"At all events, Rosas must have had fighting enough for the present, and his people will not venture to attack us," observed Terence, as they went below. "If they do, we must let Long Tom speak to them in return,"

answered Jack, as he threw himself on his bed. In half a minute he was fast asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

THE SUPPLEJACK PROCEEDS UP THE PARANA--FIRED AT FROM THE Sh.o.r.e--MEET WITH FRIENDLY NATIVES--JOSE GOES IN SEARCH OF THE MIDSHIPMEN--RETURNS WITH TIDINGS OF THEM--JOSE LEFT BEHIND--THE BRIG SAILS ON--FIRED AT FROM THE Sh.o.r.e--Pa.s.sING BATTERIES UNDER A HEAVY FIRE--THE BRIG FREQUENTLY STRUCK--SEVERAL PEOPLE KILLED AND WOUNDED--GETS CLEAR AT LAST.

The night was calm, the brig lay on the Entre Rios sh.o.r.e, the inhabitants of which were friendly. Tall trees clothed the bank, towering high above her masts, while on the southern sh.o.r.e scarcely a tree was to be seen. A mist hung over the water, and, though the stars shone brightly from the sky overhead, partly obscured that side of the river, and rendered the night darker than usual. Jack and Terence had enjoyed a couple of hours of sound sleep, "not idling their time over it," as Adair observed, when the sound of a gun made them both leap out of their berths. It was followed by another and another. The next moment Bevan came down.

"They are firing at us, sir, from the sh.o.r.e," he said. "Shall we return it?"

"Not till the shots come unpleasantly near," answered Jack. "The flash of our guns might show them the proper range, which at present they do not appear to have got. Turn up the hands, but show no lights."

Meantime the enemy continued firing, the shot occasionally pa.s.sing close ahead or astern. At last one cut the fore-topmast-stay, a second whistled between the masts, two others followed at a short distance ahead.

"They have got the range now," cried Jack; "it is time to reply to them."

Long Tom was brought to bear on the spot whence the flashes proceeded, for the guns themselves could not be seen. His first bark, as Needham called it, was replied to by several shots, but they did no damage.

"Depress the gun slightly; that shot went over them," said Jack.

Long Tom gave a second bark; no reply came; a third and fourth followed.

It was evident that the shot had told with considerable effect, and that the enemy had thought it wiser to beat a retreat.

"We have done with them at present," observed Jack; "but we shall probably have a good deal of this sort of work going up the river. The rockets with which we have been supplied will come into play, I suspect."

"At all events the trip is not likely to be a dull one," observed Adair; "I only wish that we had the youngsters on board."

As there appeared no probability of the brig being again attacked, the guns were secured, and the watch below turned in. Of course, every possible care was kept to prevent surprise, should the enemy venture to make another attack; which was not, however, at all likely to occur.

The next morning the wind again set up the river, and the _Supplejack_ continued her course. No enemy appeared, but occasionally a few country people were seen on the banks, who seemed, simply from curiosity, to be watching the brig as she glided by.

A vigilant lookout was kept, on the bare possibility that the midshipmen might have made their escape, and gained the bank, in the hopes of being taken off by any pa.s.sing vessel. Jose, however, was still confident that they had been carried off to the north, and were not likely to be found in that part of the country.

The current being strong, and the wind light, the _Supplejack_ made but slow progress. At last she reached a place at which Jose had desired to be landed; he had friends in the neighbourhood, he said, and felt confident that he should gain tidings of the midshipmen.

The river was here wide, and as she kept close on the opposite sh.o.r.e, even should the enemy appear their field-pieces were not likely to do much harm to the brig. The wind had again fallen, and the delay, indeed, had there not been an important object to be obtained, could not have been avoided. Farther on, where the river narrowed at Rosario, Jose told them that they might expect to meet with considerable opposition. Perhaps that was his reason for not desiring to accompany them further. As soon as the brig had brought up, a boat was lowered, and Adair conveyed their very doubtful friend to the sh.o.r.e. He took ten men, armed with muskets, beside the crew, in case the boat should be attacked.

"Set your mind at ease on that point," said Jose "they are my friends hereabouts, and bear no enmity to the English."

As the boat approached, several country people were seen coming down the steep bank with fowls and vegetables, which they were perfectly ready to sell. Jose was recognised by several persons, who seemed surprised at seeing him, but he had a talk with them, after which they became thoroughly friendly and willing to communicate information. Terence learnt from them that the squadron had pa.s.sed up, and had already got considerably higher than Rosario, where Jose had told Jack that he might expect to be attacked.

"Probably Rosas, after the lesson he received at Obligado, is unwilling again to interfere with us," thought Terence. "Perhaps, however, he expects by allowing us to pa.s.s up, to catch us all in a net, and so prevent our return. If he does that same he will find that he is mistaken, and that he has not yet learnt what British seamen are made of."

Terence, with his stock of fresh provisions, was heartily welcomed on board. He and Jack only hoped that they might be detained for want of wind where they were till the return of Jose, with any information he might collect; they had agreed at all events to wait for him till the following morning. He was, he had said, certain that Rosas must have pa.s.sed either through the village, or at no great distance from the river, and he hoped to hear that the young midshipmen had been seen with his troops.

Next morning at daybreak, Terence taking the same precaution as before, returned to the sh.o.r.e. He had not been there long before several country people appeared, but nothing was seen of Jose Gonzalves. Adair, after waiting some time, began to fear that he had either been captured, or was playing them false. He was about to return on board, to let the men have their breakfasts, when the spy was seen, his horse, in a foam, galloping down the hill towards the boat.

"Any news of the young officers?" asked Adair, eagerly.

"Yes, senor, important news. They were alive a week ago, and though I don't know what the general might have done with them, had his anger been aroused, they were not ill-treated, but I find that they made their escape at the time I mention, and have not since been heard of. I am afraid, therefore," and Jose shook his head, "that they may have been overtaken by some of the gaucho cavalry, who would not scruple to run them through with their lances, or they may have been seized by a jaguar, and we have not a few man-eaters in these parts, fierce creatures, who would quickly put an end to a couple of lads. Not long since one leaped on board a vessel moored to the banks, and carried off a man asleep on the deck; there is no telling what they will not do, or, if the young officers have escaped the gauchos and jaguars, they may have wandered far away from any habitation, and have been starved to death. The country people would not hurt them, and would provide them with food, but as I say, I have been unable to obtain any further tidings of them, which makes me fear the worst."

"Well, come on board, and give your information to the commander; we will then consult what is to be done," said Adair; "you have taken a great deal of trouble without having gained your reward."

Jose shrugged his shoulders. "Paciencia, senor, I am an unfortunate man, I know, but if you will excuse me, I will continue the search; it is possible, that none of the accidents I have mentioned may have happened to the young officers, and perhaps they are hiding in some rancho, or have managed to find subsistence by themselves. You Englishmen do wondrous things, only as they have no guns, and cannot, I conclude, use a la.s.so, even if they have one, they will have been unable to catch game, or obtain any other food."

Terence, after due consideration, seeing that there would be no great use in taking Jose with him, and that he might be of more service by remaining on sh.o.r.e, returned on board with the unsatisfactory information, as he believed it, which he had obtained.

"As to its being unsatisfactory, I am not so sure of that," observed Jack. "As the lads escaped being killed at first, and were not, as Jose said, ill-treated, we may hope that they have found the means of supporting themselves in their wanderings, and that they have either made their way back to Obligado, or have reached the banks of the river.

As they decidedly have their wits about them, they may have found subsistence where others might have starved. Indeed, as I think of it, though you have to share my anxiety, I cannot help feeling glad that Desmond was with Tom; had he been alone, the case would have been different. Youngsters may occasionally lead one another into sc.r.a.pes, but they are as sure to help each other out of them."

The calm still continued, and thus a longer time was given to Jose to continue his search for the midshipmen. In the afternoon smoke was seen in the distance, up the river; Jack guessing that it proceeded from the funnel of a steamer, sent Terence in a boat to intercept her and learn the news.

She brought the satisfactory intelligence that the squadron had reached Baxadar de Santa Fe without molestation, with their convoy of merchantmen, of which there were upwards of one hundred sail, collected off the place.

The commodore had gone up the river some hundred miles farther, to Corrientes, the capital of the province of that name, to communicate with the government on diplomatic matters. The town is situated near the spot where the river Paraguay falls into the Parna.

"At first it was believed that Rosas, after the lesson which had just been given him at Obligado, would not venture to interfere with us again, and would be ready to sue for peace," observed the commander of the steamer. "But he has made us no overtures, and from the information we have gained he seems as determined as at first to hold out."

"I suppose there is but little chance of our being molested, however, as we go up?" said Adair.

"I am not quite so certain of that," was the answer. "Rosas thinks he has got us in a trap; and as I pa.s.sed the cliffs of San Lorenzo I observed a large number of men a.s.sembled, who quickly got out of the way as I came within shot of them; they were evidently at work throwing up batteries, and had their guns been ready, depend on it they would not have allowed me to pa.s.s so easily; I can promise that you will not get up without some warm work, here and there."

"Well, we must be prepared for them," said Adair; "we have a good supply of rockets, and our carronades will pepper them with grape and canister, while Long Tom will play his part as he always does."

"I would advise you not to expose your men more than you can help,"

observed the commander of the steamer; "a sailing vessel would have but a poor chance when going up the river, should the wind fail her under a battery."