Part 54 (2/2)

Again and again, with the aid of his choicest troopers, he stemmed the onset; but his efforts were vain--we were too many. His men dropped one after another, and he was forced to continue the retreat, till the remnant of the Royalist hors.e.m.e.n found shelter behind the lines of their infantry, who greeted us with a scattering fire.

It was now growing dusk, and we could not attack an army, though General Miller decided to hang on a little longer. In the long pursuit our men had become scattered over the plain, and he dispatched various officers to collect them. Then turning to me, he said,--

”Crawford, ride back, find General Bolivar, and tell him the Royalists are in full retreat. If followed up strongly, I believe they would disperse.”

Saluting, I turned my horse and rode back rapidly. The scene was bewildering. Officers galloped this way and that, shouting to their men; riderless horses careered madly about; slightly-wounded troopers were hobbling to the rear; others, more unfortunate, lay on the ground groaning and calling for water; while here and there mounted men were escorting groups of prisoners toward our infantry lines.

Several times I stopped to ask where General Bolivar was. He had entered the defile with the cavalry; but from the time our first squadrons were routed I had seen nothing of him. At last an officer told me that, seeing his hors.e.m.e.n overthrown, the general had galloped back to the infantry, which he had posted on a very high hill about a league away.

”He quite expected to be attacked,” added my informant, ”never dreaming we should recover ourselves. The Peruvians saved us. They are fine fellows!” For in the gathering gloom he could not distinguish my uniform.

”Thanks!” said I, laughing; ”I'll repeat that compliment to my comrades,” and rode on.

Bolivar was standing, or to be correct, walking about, on the brow of the hill, looking anxiously toward the plain. Several messengers had brought him word of the varying fortunes of the fight, but none had arrived from Miller.

I pa.s.sed close to the head of the Peruvian infantry, and the colonel shouted,--

”What news, Crawford!”

”Good!” I replied, hurrying along; and reaching Bolivar, I jumped to the ground and saluted.

”Where do you come from?” he cried.

”General Miller, sir. The Royalists are in full retreat--horse, foot, and artillery. The general wishes me to say that a vigorous pursuit would probably disperse them altogether.”

”Too late,” said he; ”tell General Miller I have ordered the cavalry to retire on me.--Caza,” to one of his officers, ”lend--”

”Lieutenant Crawford, sir.”

”Lend Lieutenant Crawford your horse; his is done up.--Now ride as fast as you can, and give General Miller my message.”

I saluted, sprang into the saddle, dashed past the Peruvian infantry, down the hill, and into the defile. Here I found the main body of our cavalry retiring in accordance with Bolivar's command, and heard that Miller, with a squadron of Peruvians, was still following the Royalists.

It was quite dark now, and the route was covered with hillocks; but I rode on swiftly, trusting to luck, and at length came up with the general, who had halted in his pursuit. On receiving Bolivar's message he immediately gave orders to retire, and about seven o'clock we reached our camping-ground.

Fortunately we managed to collect a little fuel, for the night was so intensely cold that few of the seriously wounded, though receiving every possible attention, survived its rigours. Even lying close to the fire and enveloped in our ponchos we s.h.i.+vered.

A surgeon had sewn up the cut in Alzura's face, and we gave him the most sheltered place, and the one nearest the fire. There was not much sleep for any of us that night; we were far too excited, and spent most of the time fighting the battle over again.

To my delight, every one talked of Santiago and his magnificent bravery.

”Didn't we take him prisoner once, down south?” asked Plaza. ”His face seemed familiar to me.”

”Yes,” said I: ”his name is Santiago Mariano, and at that time he was a major.”

”Faith,” observed Alzura, looking up, ”as far as fighting goes, he ought to be a commander-in-chief! A wounded Colombian told me the fellow sprang on them like a lion falling on a herd of deer. A lucky thing for us that the Marianos are in a minority among the Royalists.”

”Canterac nearly did the trick though,” growled the major. ”I thought he would drop on us in that defile. I tell you what it is: Bolivar can thank our colonel that he has any cavalry left.”

”Bravo, major! I heard this evening that we saved the army.”

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