The Tiger Hunter Part 26

Morelos remained for a moment thoughtful, and apparently reluctant to permit so perilous an attempt.

Just at that moment a rocket was seen ascending into the air, and tracing its curving course against the still sombre background of the sky. It had evidently been projected from the fort of Roqueta, which in daylight would have been visible from the camp of the insurgents.

Morelos and his Marshal, through the open entrance of the marquee, saw the rocket and conjectured it to be some signal for the garrison on the isle to the besieged within the fortress. Almost on the instant, this conjecture was confirmed by another rocket seen rising from the citadel upon the summit of the cliffs, and in turn tracing its blue line across the heavens. It was evidently the answer.

For some minutes the General and Galeana remained within the marquee, endeavouring to conjecture the object of these fiery telegraphs. They had not succeeded in arriving at any satisfactory conclusion, when the General's aide-de-camp, Captain Lantejas, entered the tent. His errand was to announce to the Commander-in-chief that Costal, the scout, had just arrived in the encampment as the bearer of some important intelligence.

"Will your Excellency permit him to come in?" requested the Marshal.

"This Indian has always some good idea in his head."

Morelos signified a.s.sent, and the next moment the Indian entered the tent.

"Senor General!" said he, after having received permission to speak, "I have just been up to the cliff of Los Hornos, and through the grey dawn I have seen a schooner at anchor by the isle of Roqueta. She must have arrived during the night: since she was not there yesterday."

"Well, what of it, friend Costal?"

"Why, General, I was just thinking how easy it would be for a party of us, after it gets dark, to slip up alongside, and take possession of her. Once masters of that schooner--"

"We could intercept all the supplies destined for the castle,"

impetuously interrupted Galeana; "and then we shall reduce it by famine.

Senor General, it is G.o.d who speaks by the mouth of this Indian. Your Excellency will no longer refuse the permission which I have asked?"

It is true, the danger apprehended was not diminished by the presence of the schooner; but, overcome by the earnest appeals of the Marshal, and the prospect of the important results which would certainly arise from the possession of the vessel, Morelos at length consented to the attempt being made.

"If I know how to read the clouds," said Costal, whose counsel on this point was now requested, "I should say, from the way in which the sun is now rising, we shall have a dark calm day and night--at least, until the hour of midnight--"

"After midnight?" demanded the Marshal.

"A tempest and a howling sea," replied Costal. "But before that time the schooner and the isle of Roqueta may be ours."

"_Shall_ be ours!" cried Galeana, with enthusiasm.

In fine, and before the council broke up, the enterprise was planned.

The expedition was to be commanded by the Marshal, accompanied by his nephew, the younger Galeana, while Lantejas was to be the captain of a canoe, with Costal under his orders.

"The brave Don Cornelio would never forgive us," said Galeana, "if we were to perform this exploit without him."

The Captain smiled as he endeavoured to a.s.sume a warlike expression of countenance. He thought to himself, however, how much more to his taste it would be to have been deprived of the privilege accorded to him. But according to the habit he had got into, and in conformity with the energetic Spanish refrain: _Sacar de tripas corazon_ (Keep a stout heart against every fortune), he pretended to be delighted with the honour that was yielded to him.

The prognostic of Costal about the weather appeared likely to be realised. During the whole day, while they were making preparations for their night expedition, the sky remained shadowed with sombre clouds; and, as evening arrived, the sun went down in the midst of a thick c.u.mulus of vapour.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

AN ENTERPRISE BY NIGHT.

As soon as darkness had fairly descended over the deep, the men took their places in the boats.

The flotilla was comprised of three barges or whale-boats, and a small canoe--in which altogether not more than fifty men could be embarked; but as it was at this period the sole fleet possessed by the insurgents, they were forced to make the best of it.

With oars carefully m.u.f.fled, they rowed out from the beach; and, thanks to the darkness of the night, they succeeded in pa.s.sing the castle without causing any alarm.

They were soon out of sight of the sh.o.r.e; and after rowing a mile or so further, the dark _silhouette_ of the cliffs ceased to be visible through the obscurity.

The canoe commanded by Captain Lantejas carried, besides himself, Costal and two rowers. As it was the lightest vessel in the flotilla, it was directed to keep the lead, as a sort of _avant-courier_, to announce whatever might be seen ahead.

Costal sat in the stern guiding the craft; and while engaged in this duty, he could not resist the temptation of pointing out to his captain what the latter had already tremblingly observed:--three or four great sharks keeping company with the canoe.

"Look at them!" said the Indian; "one might almost imagine that the instinct of these fierce sea-wolves told them--"

"What?" inquired Lantejas, with an anxious air.

"Why, that this vessel we are in is not sea-worthy. She is as rotten and ricketty as an old tub; and very little--Bah! I only wish that my friend Pepe Gago was one of those fellows in the water, and I had nothing more to do than leap in and poniard him in presence of the others!"

"What! are you thinking still of that fellow?"

"More than ever!" replied Costal, grinding his teeth; "and I shall never leave the army of Morelos--even when my time of service is out--so long as there's a hope of capturing the castle of Acapulco, and getting my hands on the miserable traitor."

Lantejas was paying only slight attention to what the Indian said. The doubt which the latter had expressed about the sea-worthiness of the canoe, was at that moment occupying his thoughts more than Costal's project of vengeance; and he was desirous that they should reach the island as soon as possible. Even an engagement with a human enemy--so long as it should take place on _terra firma_--would be less perilous than a struggle in the water with those terrible monsters--the sharks.

"The canoe goes very slowly!" remarked he to Costal mere than once.

"Senor Don Cornelio!" exclaimed the Indian with a smile, "you are always in a hurry to get into the fight; but we are now approaching the isle; and, with your permission, I think we would do well to obtain leave from the admiral (by his t.i.tle Costal designated Don Hermenegildo) to go a little more in advance, and reconnoitre the way for the others. The canoe can approach near the schooner without much risk of being seen; whereas those great whale-boats would just now stand a pretty fair chance of being discovered. That's my advice--do you agree to it, Captain?"

"Willingly," replied Lantejas, scarce knowing between the two dangers which might be the greatest.

At a command from Costal the two rowers now rested upon their oars; and, shortly after, one of the barges arrived alongside. It was that which carried the admiral.

"What is it?" inquired the latter, seeing that the canoe had stopped for him. "Have you discovered anything?"

Don Cornelio communicated to him the proposition of Costal. The idea appeared good to the Marshal; and, in accordance with it, the three barges were ordered to lie to, while the lighter craft glided on in advance.

In a short time the isle appeared in sight--a dark spot upon the bosom of the water, like some vast sea-bird that had settled down upon the waves, to rest a moment before resuming its flight.

Presently, as they drew nearer, the dark ma.s.s appeared to grow larger, but still lay buried in sombre silence, with no light nor any visible object distinguishable through the gloom.

Still drawing nearer, they at length perceived, rising over the tops of the trees that thickly covered the island, the tall tapering masts and cross-yards of a ship. It was the schooner they were in search of.

Continuing their course, in a few moments they were able to make out her hull against the white background of the beach, and then the two cabin windows in her stern. Through these, lights were shining, that in two broad bands were flung far over the surface of the water. In the darkness, the vessel might have been likened to some gigantic whale that had risen a moment, and was bending its huge eyes to reconnoitre the surface of the sea.

"We must change our course," muttered Costal. "If the canoe gets under that light, some sentry on the quarterdeck may see us. We must make a detour, and approach from the other side."

In saying this the Indian shifted the rudder, and turned the head of the craft into a new direction, while the rowers still continued to ply their m.u.f.fled oars.

The sharks turned at the same time, and kept on after the canoe, as could be told by the luminous traces left by their viscous bodies in pa.s.sing through the water.

Beyond, the surface was sparkling with phosphoric points, as if the sky, now covered with a uniform drapery of dark clouds, had dropped its starry mantle upon the sea.

At intervals there came a slight puff of wind, and the water curling under it glanced more luminously; while an occasional flash of lightning announced that the clouds above were charged with electricity.