Part 30 (2/2)
The capture of the isle of La Roqueta was an important step towards the taking of Acapulco. The town itself had fallen into the hands of the insurgents, almost at the same instant; for Morelos, according to agreement, on perceiving the signals of Hermenegildo, had directed his attack upon the town, and so brusquely that the place was carried by a _coup de main_.
The possession of La Roqueta enabled the insurgent general to intercept the supplies of the citadel garrison; and shortly after the fortress itself was compelled to surrender.
This conquest, with which the humble _cura_ had been derisively entrusted, rendered him master of the whole southern part of Mexico-- from the sh.o.r.es of the Pacific Ocean, almost to the gates of the capital of New Spain. Twenty-two battles had he gained from that day, when, accompanied by his two domestics, he rode forth from the village of Caracuaro to raise in Oajaca the banner of the insurrection. To that province, after the taking of Acapulco, it was necessary for him to proceed with his victorious army--in order to a.s.sist the insurgents then besieged in the town of Huaj.a.pam. Thither, but some days preceding him, shall we conduct the reader, in order that we may once more return to the hero of our predilection.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.
THE PLAIN OF HUAj.a.pAM.
It was a morning of June, just before the commencement of the rainy season--at that period of the day and year when the tropic sun of Southern Mexico is least endurable. His fervid rays, striking perpendicularly downward, had heated like smouldering ashes the dusty plain of Huaj.a.pam, which lay like a vast amphitheatre surrounded by hills--so distant that their blue outlines were almost confounded with the azure sky above them. On this plain was presented a tableau of sadness and desolation, such as the destructive genius of man often composes with demoniac skill.
On one side, as far as the eye could reach, hors.e.m.e.n could be seen hurrying about the plain in the midst of pillaged houses--some of which had been given to the flames. Under the hoofs of these horses, as they dashed recklessly to and fro, were crushed rich treasures that had been sacked from the deserted dwellings, and now lay scattered upon the ground, tempting only the hand of the thievish camp-follower. The soil, defiled in every way, presented only a scanty growth of bruised herbage, upon which the horseman disdained to pasture his steed.
Here and there groups of black vultures told where some dead body of horse or rider had been abandoned to their voracity; while the _coyotes_ trotted in troops far out from the mountain ridge, going to or returning from their hideous repast.
Looking over the plain in another direction, the standard of Spain could be seen floating over the tents of the royalist camp, whose night-fires still sent up their lines of bluish smoke; while from the same quarter could be heard the neighing of horses, the rolling of drums, and the startling calls of the cavalry bugles.
Farther off in the same direction--above the low, flat-shaped _azoteas_ of a village--could be seen the domes and belfries of several churches, all breached with bombs or riddled with round shot. This village lay at the distance of a few hundred yards from the lines of the royalist camp, and was evidently besieged by the latter. Rude earthworks could be perceived extending between the scattered suburbs, upon which a few pieces of cannon were mounted, and pointing towards the entrenchments of the Spanish encampment. Between the hostile lines the plain was unoccupied, save by the dead bodies of men and horses that lay unburied on the dusty surface of the soil.
The village in question--or town it might rather be called--was the famous Huaj.a.pam, that now for more than three months had been defended by a body of three hundred insurgents against a royalist force of five times their number! The heroic leader of this gallant resistance was Colonel Don Valerio Trujano.
At mention of this name the reader will call to mind the n.o.ble muleteer Trujano, whose firm voice he has heard intoning the _De profundis_ and _In ma.n.u.s_ while struggling against the inundation. Beyond a doubt his religious zeal had inspired the besieged of Huaj.a.pam: for, every now and then, from out the sad and desolate town may be heard the voices of his men, chanting in chorus some sacred song or prayer to the G.o.d of battles!
In that moment when the priests of Huaj.a.pam have left the altar to take part in the defence of their town, there will be observed, neither in their acts nor words, aught to recall their former profession. At such a time Don Valerio Trujano may be said to reproduce one of those ascetic heroes of the old religious wars--great repeaters of _paternosters_, whose blows always fell without mercy, and who marched into battle reciting quotations from Scripture. Perhaps he might be more happily likened to one of the old Templars, careless of personal renown, kneeling to pray in front of the foe, and charging upon the Saracen to the accompaniment of that famous psalm, ”Quare fremuerunt gentes?”
Such was the appearance which the plain of Huaj.a.pam presented on the morning in question: houses smoking and in ruins--dead bodies scattered over the ground--vultures wheeling above--the royalist banner face to face with the banner of the insurrection.
We shall first enter the camp of the besiegers, where the Brigadier Bonavia, governor of Oajaca, held command--a.s.sisted by the Spanish generals, Caldelas and Regules.
At an early hour of the morning two dragoons, who had been scouring the distant plain, were seen returning to the lines of the encampment, conducting with them a third horseman, evidently a stranger to the camp.
This was on the side, opposite to that on which lay the town of Huaj.a.pam. The horseman, guided by these dragoons, was costumed as a vaquero--that is, he wore a jacket and wide calzoneros of brick-coloured deerskin, with a huge sombrero of black glaze on his head, and a speckled blanket folded over the croup of his saddle. He had already reported himself to the dragoons as the bearer of a message to the colonel--Don Rafael Tres-Villas. Furthermore, in addition to the horse on which he rode, he was leading another--a n.o.ble steed of a bay-brown colour.
This animal, startled at the sight and smell of the dead bodies among which they were pa.s.sing, gave out from time to time a snorting of a peculiar character, which had drawn the attention of the dragoons.
These, after conducting the vaquero through a portion of the camp, halted in front of one of the largest tents. There a groom was saddling another steed, in strength and beauty but little inferior to that led by the vaquero. It was the war-horse of Colonel Tres-Villas, of whom the groom in question was the _a.s.sistente_.
”What is your name, _amigo_?” demanded the latter, addressing himself to the vaquero.
”Julian,” replied the stranger. ”I am one of the servitors of the hacienda Del Valle. Colonel Tres-Villas is its proprietor, and I have a message for him of great importance.”
”Very well,” responded the other, ”I shall tell the Colonel you are here.”
So saying, the _a.s.sistente_ entered the tent.
On that day the besieging army was about to make the fifteenth attack upon the town, defended by Colonel Trujano, and Don Rafael was dressing himself in full uniform to a.s.sist at the council of war, called together to deliberate on the plan of a.s.sault.
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