Under the Chilian Flag Part 8

These arrangements having been made, the captains returned to their respective ships, the anchors were raised, and the fleet separated into two divisions--one going south direct, and the other going west in the first instance.

CHAPTER NINE.

THE BATTLE OF ANGAMOS.

Although somewhat disappointed at their failure to find the Peruvian fleet lying in Arica Bay, the men on board the _Blanco Encalada_ looked forward, with all the pleasure of antic.i.p.ation, to the time when they should overtake the marauding warships, bring them to action, and destroy them. And Commodore Riveros' offer of a hundred _pesos_ to the man who should first sight the enemy, only increased the anxiety of the flagship's crew to fever-heat, and men were to be found aloft upon the look-out at all hours of the day and night. It had been made known, too, that Captain Latorre, who had been promoted to the _Almirante Cochrane_, had also offered a similar reward; and every man aboard the _Blanco_ made up his mind that _his_ ship should have the honour of bringing the Peruvians to action.

Leaving Arica on the 4th of October, the insh.o.r.e squadron, with the flagship leading the way, steamed slowly down the coast, exploring every nook and cranny where the enemy might by any possibility be lurking--for it was evident that they must have been hiding somewhere when the Chilians had steamed northward a few days before. But no sign of an enemy was seen during that day, nor during the next, in and on the 6th the fleet steamed into the harbour of Mejillones de Bolivia, in order to coal.

Commodore Riveros, bearing in mind his own attempt on the Peruvians at Arica, and feeling convinced that their fleet must be somewhere close at hand, gave the strictest orders that no men should be allowed to go ash.o.r.e, and that a patrol of steam-launches should ply up and down the harbour the whole night through, in order to prevent the attempt of similar tactics on the part of the enemy. He had also seen fit to express approval of the manner in which Jim Douglas had carried out the task a.s.signed to him in Arica Bay, and he therefore sent for him to his cabin and informed the young man that he was to take command, in the _Blanco Encalada's_ launch, of the flotilla which was to do patrol-duty during the night--a circ.u.mstance which afforded Jim the utmost satisfaction, and emboldened him to ask as a favour that Terry O'Meara should again be allowed to accompany him; to which request Riveros immediately acceded.

Night came on with no sign of the enemy; but as Mejillones was in Bolivia, and had only very recently been occupied by the Chilians, the danger was almost as likely to come from the direction of the sh.o.r.e as from the sea, as the port was full of Bolivian and Peruvian refugees who would stop at nothing to effect the destruction of part of the Chilian fleet. As soon as the dusk began to fall, the launches of the two ironclads were hoisted out, their crews picked, and at half-past six Jim and his friend Terry took their places in the flagship's boat, which steamed off slowly in one direction round the harbour, while that of the _Almirante Cochrane_ started, under easy steam, in the opposite direction. Both launches were provided with a Gatling gun in the bows, and their crews were armed with rifles and revolvers, and orders had been given that any strange craft upon failing to answer a challenge should be fired into immediately.

It occupied the launches about an hour, running under easy steam, to circ.u.mnavigate Mejillones harbour, and Jim's boat had already made her round five or six times without any suspicious circ.u.mstance occurring, and he himself was beginning to feel very tired and sleepy, when about a mile and a half away, at the northern extremity of the bay, he fancied he saw a spark of light flare up for a moment and then go out suddenly, as though hastily quenched.

He was broad awake immediately, with every sense on the alert, and he strained his eyes into the darkness--for there was only a very thin crescent moon shining--in order to try to make out where the light had come from and what had caused it.

"Terry," he whispered to his chum, who was sitting drowsily over the little engines, with the starting lever loosely clutched in his hand, "did you catch sight of a glimmer of light away there to the northward just now?"

"Light? No; I saw no light," replied Terry, suddenly pulling himself together. "Did you? Whereabouts was it, old boy? This continual going round and round has become rather monotonous, and I am afraid that I was very nearly asleep."

"Well, it was over in that direction," explained Douglas, pointing, "and it looked as though some one had suddenly opened the slide of a dark lantern, and as quickly closed it again. However, it _may_, of course, only have been my fancy--for I, like you, have been frightfully sleepy for the last two hours; and in any case it could hardly have been an enemy, for the light was quite two miles away from the ironclads. No, I must have been-- Hallo! though, there _is_ the light again, and, by jingo! how quickly it is travelling over the water, too. Here, Terry, man, wake up! There is something amiss, after all. Go full speed ahead, for all you are worth. That light is heading straight for the _Blanco Encalada_, and if it should be an enemy's boat which is carrying it we shall have all our work cut out to intercept her before she reaches the flagship. I wonder whereabouts the _Cochrane_ launch is.

She would be of great a.s.sistance to us now. Get every knot you can out of your engines, old man, for I fear foul play."

Terry O'Meara needed no second bidding, for he also had caught sight of the swiftly moving point of light, and the circ.u.mstance reminded him very forcibly of their own attempt to torpedo the Peruvian fleet lying in Arica Bay. He pushed over his regulator to its top notch, and started the weary stokers to the task of shovelling on coal with all possible dispatch. The tiny screw revolved faster and faster, churning and frothing the water up astern, and the launch darted away like a greyhound slipped from the leash. The seamen handled their rifles and revolvers, to make sure that they were loaded, opening and closing the breaches with a smart click, while the men in charge of the Gatling gun moved up forward, close to their weapon, and trained it up and down, and from side to side, to a.s.sure themselves that the mechanism was in perfect working order.

For a few seconds Douglas's heart seemed to stand still with anxiety, for it appeared as though the launch would not be able to intercept the rapidly moving spark of light--which he was now convinced belonged to a torpedo-boat--before it reached the _Blanco Encalada_, for which ship the boat was undoubtedly heading. But little by little, as soon as the engines got into their swing, the launch drew ahead, and after about ten minutes' steaming Jim saw that he would, all being well, cross the stranger's bows before she reached the flagship.

The launch was showing no lights, and the torpedo-boat--if such she was--was still too far away for a hail to reach her. Jim was therefore in hopes of taking her by surprise, and ordered the men to maintain perfect silence, but to be ready to open fire directly he gave the word.

Closer and closer the two converging craft swept toward each other, until barely a quarter of a mile separated them, and then, just at the critical moment, when Jim was about to shout his challenge across the water, an accident happened which had well-nigh proved disastrous for the Chilians. A seaman who had remained behind in the c.o.c.kpit was ordered to go forward and join the crew of the Gatling gun, which it was now discovered was one man short, and in clambering along the narrow strip of deck which ran round the little steamer the man stumbled and dropped his rifle. Unluckily, the weapon fell muzzle downward, and the fixed bayonet dropped edgewise into the tiny crank-pit. There was a sudden shock and a noise of cracking metal, and the screw ceased revolving with a jerk that shook the launch from stem to stern, while her way, of course, fell off immediately.

"_Caramba_!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jim, keeping one eye fixed upon the spark of light which was now rapidly travelling past them, "if we can't put that machinery right in two minutes, then--good-bye to the _Blanco_! Quick, Terry, is there any hope, do you think?" he asked, dropping on one knee beside his chum, who had already shut off steam and was crouching over the machinery.

"Wait a bit, Jim," replied Terry, working away like a madman with spanner and screw-wrench; "if I can but loosen this nut I can disconnect this bent rod and replace it in half a jiffy."

The young man heaved and strained at the spanner, with the perspiration dripping off his forehead, but he could not get the refractory nut to turn. The stout steel handle quivered under the strain, and Terry's muscles stood out on his bare arms like whipcord, but still the nut would not budge. In a second Jim threw his strength into the balance; the spanner showed signs of slipping round the nut, but the next second it flew round, and the nut gave at last.

It was then only a few seconds' work to take out the bent rod and replace it with a new one; but the suspected torpedo-boat had by that time drawn ahead of the launch. Jim, however, was not the sort of man to say "die," and at his quick word of command the boat leaped forward once more after the enemy, and under the increased pressure of steam due to the stoppage, actually began to gain upon the chase. Douglas put his hands to his mouth and sent a sharp challenge ringing across the water toward her. This was immediately followed by a slight commotion aboard the suspected Peruvian, which showed that the hail had been heard; but there was no sign of her stopping; indeed, the next second a strong volume of flame gushed up from her funnel, which proved that her engineers had shovelled on more coal and turned on the forced draught.

Jim almost groaned in his agony of mind, for it seemed as though the accident to the launch had doomed the flagship to destruction, and he was just about to order his men to fire the Gatling gun at the dimly seen shape, in the hope of hitting her, despite the fact that the smoke would hide the chase from him, when he saw a long steel-coloured shape glide past the bows of his own boat.

His heart gave a great thump at the sight, for he knew that he had had a narrow escape from death. The torpedo-boat was not carrying a spar- torpedo, but was towing the infernal machine, which she doubtless meant to drag under the flagship's bows. It was one of the newly invented Lay torpedoes, and a terrible weapon when effectively used. But alarm at his own narrow escape was swamped in the feeling of relief for the safety of the _Blanco Encalada_; for the torpedo-boat would be obliged to manoeuvre a little to get her torpedo into place, and thus there was just a chance that he might yet be able to intercept her. In a second he had whirled the wheel hard over and was off along the Peruvian's wake, telling the men to keep a bright look-out for the torpedo, and to commence firing in the direction of the torpedo-boat.

Then the quick, metallic clatter of the Gatling broke out, mingled with the whip-like crack of the rifles, and the darkness was illuminated by the vivid flashes of flame. From the Peruvian a series of hoa.r.s.e screams, oaths, and yells told plainly enough that the Chilians had made good practice, and that some at least of the hailing bullets had found their billets; but the craft was all too surely drawing away, and it became a question whether, even now, the launch would be in time to save the _Blanco Encalada_.

Suddenly Jim perceived a speck of fire break out aboard the flagship, which quickly broke into a great glow of flame, and he heaved a sigh of relief which was almost a sob, for he knew that her people had taken alarm from the firing and were prepared. In a few seconds the beacon- fire spread a lurid glare wide over the waters of the bay, and the Peruvian torpedo-boat was plainly disclosed to view, together with a phosph.o.r.escent glimmer which indicated the position of the deadly torpedo.

"Now, men!" cried the young Englishman, "now is your chance, while the light lasts. Train the gun on the torpedo, and fire at it until you hit it. Riflemen, do the same, and remember that the _Blanco's_ safety depends upon your shooting."

"Ay, ay, sir!" responded the Chilians, and a second later the Gatling in the bows began to chatter out its deadly message, while the seamen rapidly loaded and fired their rifles, in the hope of destroying the infernal machine before it could reach the _Blanco Encalada_. But, try as they might, it seemed impossible to hit that fish-like object which dashed through the water ahead of them. Twice the Chilians had hit the torpedo-boat's helmsman, and twice he had been replaced, while the shrieks that came from the boat itself testified to the execution inflicted upon her crew. Still she was creeping nearer and nearer to the flagship, the crew of which were vainly trying to depress the muzzles of their great guns sufficiently to reach the Peruvian, and but a few more short seconds were needed for the latter to complete her fell work.

Then, all in a moment, the end came. Jim did not know how it happened, whether it was due to his own men, or to those on board the flagship; but a bullet struck the torpedo fair and square. The next instant there was a stunning concussion, and the water between pursuer and pursued seemed to be blown into a great hollow sphere, the sides of which then rushed together again, while a tall column of water heaped itself up fully thirty feet into the air, to collapse into spray which drenched to the skin every man both in the torpedo-boat and in the launch.

A wild cheer broke out on board the Chilian launch and the _Blanco Encalada_, and their men now turned all their attention to destroy the wasp which had just been deprived of its sting. The moment that her towed torpedo had exploded she was practically powerless for injury, and she turned her nose seaward at once, hoping, by a desperate rush, to get clear away. And so she doubtless would, had it not been for the launch belonging to the _Almirante Cochrane_.

This craft had, like Jim's boat, several times made the circuit of the bay; and she was away down at the south end of the harbour when her lieutenant in charge first heard the sounds of firing. He immediately guessed the cause and, putting his engines at full speed, raced along toward the spot where he could see the rifles flashing, and before he had gone very far he had the _Blanco Encalada's_ beacon-fire to help him.

As the launch came rushing along toward her consort, Jim blew his steam- whistle three times to attract her attention, and he was only just in the nick of time, for the Peruvian would have been in front of the _Cochrane's_ launch in another half-minute. But like a hawk upon its prey the _Cochrane's_ boat dashed forward, her commander determining to hazard all in one stroke, instead of using his guns. He aimed straight for a point which the torpedo-boat must pa.s.s in a few seconds, and went ahead full speed.

The impact was so violent that the Peruvian torpedo-boat collapsed like an eggsh.e.l.l, the _Cochrane's_ launch driving right over the wreck without doing herself any very serious injury. The torpedo-boat's boilers exploded as she sank, and probably killed every remaining man among her crew, for not a single living being was to be found when the Chilians proceeded to search for the survivors.

This exciting little episode over, Jim and his consort resumed their patrol of the harbour until daylight, when their long and trying vigil ceased. The ships finished coaling by five o'clock in the afternoon of the new day, and immediately stood out to sea, much to Douglas's relief, for he felt that another night like the last would have been too much for him. Once outside the harbour, the two ironclads turned their heads to the south again; and Riveros made the signal that Antof.a.gasta was to be their next port of call.

It was 3:30 a.m. on the 8th of October when Jim was awakened by a stentorian cry from the deck of "Two ships ahead!" Galvanised into alertness he listened intently, and heard the officer of the watch calmly reply, "Where away?"

There was a short pause, and then the seaman answered, "Three points on our port bow. They are hull-down; but there are two columns of smoke approaching at a great speed from the south-east. They are about twelve miles away and, so far as I can make out, are just abreast of Point Angamos."

Jim did not wait to hear the reply of "Very good. Keep your eye on the smoke, and report any further developments," but jumped into his clothes and hurried up on deck just in time to hear the bugles call "Hands on deck. Clear ship for action." It was quite evident that the smoke could not be coming from the second Chilian division; for, in that case, there would have been three columns of smoke instead of two. Therefore the strangers could scarcely be other than the long-sought-for Peruvian ships the _Huascar_ and the _Union_.

A few seconds after the bugle had sounded the men came tumbling up on deck, full of excitement at the idea of a fight; and with many a jovial laugh and jest they hurried away to their quarters. Jim made the rounds, saw that the men were at their stations, that the guns were ready and run out, and that plenty of ammunition had been supplied to the turrets, and then he reported to the first lieutenant that the ship was "clear for action." The first lieutenant at once made his report to the captain, who, in turn, reported to Commodore Riveros, who had already entered the conning-tower. Several signals were made to the _Almirante Cochrane_, which was steaming about a cable's-length astern; and the two ships surged forward in silence to the encounter which was to seal the fate of Peru, to destroy her sea-power, and to go down to history as the battle of Angamos.

Jim was wandering from gun to gun, seeing that everything was in order, and waiting for the action to commence, when he heard a roar of anger and execration coming from the deck above, and, running up from below, he saw that the ships were the _Huascar_ and the _Union_, and that they had turned tail, having evidently discovered the proximity of the Chilians, and were steaming to the southward as fast as they could go.

But Commodore Riveros had antic.i.p.ated some such action, and as the _Blanco Encalada_, owing to a foul bottom, could only steam about eight knots, he sent forward in chase of the Peruvians the _Cochrane_, which was capable of nearly eleven knots.

Latorre's ship instantly leaped forward at full speed upon the signal being made, and Jim soon observed through his telescope that the _Cochrane_ was a good deal faster than the Peruvians, and that she must inevitably overtake them in a few hours' time. Riveros also sent word down to his engine-room staff that the very last knot was to be got out of his ship, and the effect of the increased steam-pressure was soon observable on the _Blanco_.

At about a quarter to eight there was another change of tactics on the part of the Peruvians. The corvette _Union_, which up to that time had been keeping station on the _Huascar's_ port quarter, suddenly slowed down and pa.s.sed under her stern, turned to the eastward, and made for Arica under a full head of steam.

Jim Douglas immediately reported the occurrence to Commodore Riveros, who, after debating for a minute or two as to whether or not he should follow the corvette, finally decided in favour of pursuing the _Huascar_, as she was the more formidable craft of the two; and the Chilian ironclad accordingly was kept on her previous course. Jim then returned to his post, and kept his gla.s.s fixed upon the flying steamers in front of him; and hardly had he taken up his position again when he saw the _Huascar_ put her helm over and head to the northward, steaming toward the _Cochrane_ and the Chilian flagship.

A second later he saw a brilliant flash of flame leap from the _Huascar's_ turret; there was a huge cataract of spray as the shot struck the water midway between herself and the _Cochrane_, and then a cloud of greyish-green smoke spouted up on board the Chilian vessel, showing that the sh.e.l.l had exploded on board her, somewhere about her bows. The _Almirante Cochrane_ did not reply for several minutes, but silent and grim as death itself, she held steadily on her course toward the monitor.

Then, when she had approached to within a distance of a little over a mile, she in turn opened fire with both her forward turret-guns on the _Huascar_, and the battle of Angamos had begun in real earnest. The effect of the projectiles on board the Peruvian was terrible; for both sh.e.l.ls struck her on the port bow, penetrated her armour, and exploded inside her hull, and thus temporarily jammed her turret-tracks, and covered the deck with debris.

Jim closed up his telescope with a snap, and made his way to the forward turret of the _Blanco Encalada_ to ascertain how long it would be before the gun captains thought they might effectively open fire; for he was most anxious to share in the combat before all was over. At that moment the officer in the fire-top shouted the news that the range had now lessened to 3000 yards, and the word was immediately given to fire both forward turret-guns.

A moment later there was a terrific gush of white flame, a cloud of fleecy smoke, and a tremendous roar as both guns spoke simultaneously, followed by a hoa.r.s.e, screaming roar as the sh.e.l.ls sped through the calm morning air toward their mark. Both missiles struck on the unarmoured portion of the _Huascar's_ bows, and pierced her through and through, without exploding, however, as the thickness of steel penetrated was insufficient to detonate the projectiles. The Peruvian at once replied with a shot from her 300-pounder, which struck the _Blanco's_ navigating bridge and blew it to pieces.

Meanwhile the _Cochrane_ had by this time circled round, and was running on a course parallel to that of the monitor, and at the same time driving her toward her consort, so that the unfortunate ship was now between two fires. _Crash! crash_! roared the guns as the two Chilian ironclads converged upon their quarry; and so excellent was their gunnery that every shot told. Half an hour after the action had commenced the _Huascar's_ tiller-chains were shot away, and she at once yawed to starboard, almost in the track of the _Cochrane_. Captain Latorre instantly saw that this was his opportunity to ram, and he accordingly sent his ship straight at the helpless _Huascar_. But the aberrations of the Peruvian ship's course introduced an element of uncertainty which defied calculation, and the result was that the _Cochrane_ dashed past her stern, missing her by a short five yards.

And now the _Blanco Encalada_ closed in on the other side of the doomed ship, which was already on fire in several places from the disastrous effect of the Chilian sh.e.l.ls, and pounded her mercilessly; while the Peruvians, on the other hand, fought their sorely pressed ship with a desperate gallantry that excited the utmost admiration of their opponents, and in the face of a perfect inferno of fire rove new tiller ropes. But it was all to no purpose. A sh.e.l.l from the _Blanco_, fired by Jim's own hand, exploded immediately afterwards in her stern, killing every man at the relieving-tackles, and causing the now almost wrecked ship again to fall out of control.

It was at this moment that a sh.e.l.l from the _Cochrane_ exploded right inside the _Huascar's_ conning-tower, and blew the gallant Peruvian admiral and one of his lieutenants to pieces. It was clear that the Peruvians were beaten, yet several brave spirits strove desperately to regain the control of their ship, and, if it might be, break away to the northward and get clear. But it was too late; for a sh.e.l.l had already exploded in the engine-room and had penetrated one of the boilers.

Lieutenant Garezon, the sole remaining Peruvian officer, then called a brief council of war, at which it was resolved to sink the ship rather than yield; and orders were accordingly sent to MacMahon, the chief engineer, to open the injection-valves and thus flood the vessel; but even as the Scotsman set about his task a number of Peruvian seamen ran forward and waved white cloths and towels, in token of surrender.