Part 15 (1/2)
At this moment Dona Inez, fully attired, emerged from her room, and there was instantly a cordial interchange of salutations between her and our visitors. Then she turned to me and asked:
”What was that I heard you say just now, Don Ricardo? Surely not that Montpelier is in flames?”
”I deeply regret to say that you heard aright, Senora. Look yonder; you may see the blaze for yourself. And the blacks are dancing round it like so many demons,” I answered.
Dona Inez clasped her hands together and wrung them in distress.
”Oh, Don Esteban--Dona Christina--I am so sorry for you all,” she exclaimed. ”It is horrible; and they will be here next. What do you intend to do, Luis? Must we really run away and leave this beautiful place to be destroyed and ourselves ruined? Is there nothing that can be done to save it?”
”I will not go so far as to say that,” answered Don Luis; ”on the contrary, I am strongly indisposed to abandon it without a struggle.
What say you, Don Ricardo?” turning to me. ”You are a fighting man; do you think this house is capable of being defended successfully against an armed but undisciplined rabble of some three hundred blacks?”
”That depends entirely upon how strong a garrison you can muster, my dear friend,” answered I. ”So far as the house itself is concerned I believe that, given, say, a couple of hours for preparation, it might be put into a very excellent state of defence; but that would be no good at all unless you could raise a garrison of, let us say, thirty fighting men, and at least as many non-combatants to act as loaders, ambulance party, and so on.”
”Thirty fighters, and thirty non-combatants,” returned Don Luis.
”Surely that might be managed. Why, my 'boys' number more than three hundred, nine-tenths of whom were born and bred upon the estate. A few of them might possibly desert--perhaps twenty-five per cent of them, to put the figure at its very highest; but I feel certain that the bulk of them would stand by me through thick and thin; they have everything to lose and nothing to gain by going over to the outlaws. Oh yes, I am convinced that there should be no difficulty in the matter of raising a sufficient number of fighters.”
”So far, then, so good,” said I. ”The next question is that of weapons--firearms especially. I am afraid, my dear Don Luis, you will scarcely be able to raise thirty guns, with adequate ammunition for the same.”
”Ah, true,” answered Don Luis, ”I had not thought of that. Still--now, let me think a moment--”
”I may as well tell you here,” cut in Don Esteban, ”that although we could not see our way to defend Montpelier successfully, my sons and I have each brought our guns with us, and they of course will be available, should you decide to make a stand and defend the house.”
”But, my dear Don Esteban, you will need them for your own protection on your way to--to--wherever you propose to make for; unless, of course, you choose to throw in your lot with us, which would perhaps be scarcely more dangerous than the attempt to reach one of the towns. For the news of this rising will spread among the negroes like wildfire, and--”
”Precisely,” cut in Don Esteban again. ”That is exactly my own thought.
Therefore, if our presence here will not embarra.s.s you we will gladly remain and take our chance with you.”
”My dear Don Esteban,” exclaimed Don Luis, ”let me hasten to a.s.sure you that nothing could possibly give me greater satisfaction than to have the a.s.sistance of yourself and your two gallant sons at this critical juncture in my fortunes.”
”Then that is settled,” exclaimed I, breaking in rather ruthlessly, I am afraid, upon Don Luis' compliments, for which, I considered, there was scant time just then. ”That makes three guns to start with. Now, how many more can we muster?”
”Four of my overseers have two guns each, while the remaining two have one each,” answered Don Luis. ”And each of them possesses a brace of good serviceable pistols in addition. Then, as for me, you must know, my dear Don Ricardo, that firearms are rather a weakness of mine; whenever I see an especially good gun I buy it, if I can, consequently I have a very fair selection in my gun-room, probably about twenty in all, as well as a few brace of pistols, duelling and otherwise.”
”Oh, but that is excellent,” I exclaimed; ”far better than I dared expect. And as to ammunition?”
”I think you will find that we have as much of that as we are at all likely to need, for I always make a point of keeping an ample supply in stock,” answered Don Luis.
”Good!” answered I. ”The next point to determine is the ident.i.ty of your garrison. First, there is Don Esteban and his two sons; that makes three. Then there is you and myself--five. Will your six overseers fight, think you, Don Luis?”
”Oh yes, without a doubt,” answered Don Luis. ”They are most excellent fellows, and devoted to me.”
”Then, so far, we muster eleven,” said I. ”We want nineteen more fighters, and at least thirty good, steady non-fighters, men who can be depended upon to retain their coolness and do exactly as they are told during the confusion and excitement of a fiercely contested fight. Now, Don Luis, can you lay your hand upon forty-nine men of the kind I have indicated--men who are trustworthy enough to be admitted inside these walls at a moment when treachery on the part of any one of them would probably be fatal to us all?”
Don Luis flushed and looked almost angrily at me as I suggested the possibility of treachery on the part of any of his people.
”Really, Don Ricardo,” he exclaimed, ”put as you put it, you almost make me tremble at the vastness of the responsibility that I am about to undertake. But you shall see. I will at once go down to the huts, choose my men, and bring them up here for your approval.” And with that shot at me he walked out at the back door and disappeared into the darkness, while Don Silvio, at his father's request, went out to lead the horses round to the stables, and bring in the guns.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.