Part 53 (2/2)

”Rogers and my nephew carried off?” exclaimed Adair. ”How did you fellows come to allow that?”

”We couldn't help it, sir! indeed we couldn't!” answered s.n.a.t.c.hblock.

”There isn't a man among us who wouldn't have given his own life rather than have let the young gentlemen be carried off by the savages, to be killed and eaten for what we know, but their hors.e.m.e.n came down upon us like lightning, and spirited them off before any of us saw what they were about.”

”Well, well, I am ready to believe that none of you could help it, and I am sure, s.n.a.t.c.hblock, that you would have risked your life to save the youngsters,” said Adair, his rising anger appeased. ”They have themselves alone to blame. We must now see what we can do to get them back, for the gauchos will look upon them as prizes of too much value to kill, and though they are savage enough, from all accounts, they are not addicted to eating men or boys either.”

”That's a comfort, at all events, for I couldn't tell what those wild chaps might do with the young gentlemen,” observed the honest sailor.

”If we might go off in chase, maybe we should come up with them before long.”

”Without cavalry we shall have no chance of overtaking the gauchos, and I can only hope that they will not treat their prisoners ill. The lads have their wits about them; if they have the chance, they will make their escape,” answered Adair.

”You may trust the young gentlemen for that, sir,” said s.n.a.t.c.hblock.

The recall being sounded, Adair with his party was compelled to rejoin the main body; indeed, he saw too clearly that any attempt to rescue the youngsters would be useless. The only task now to be accomplished by the seamen and marines was to spike the guns and destroy the batteries, which being quickly accomplished, they re-embarked.

The crews of the vessels which had been most severely treated had work enough to do in stopping shot-holes and refitting the rigging, which had been considerably cut up.

Adair on his return having to pa.s.s close to the _Supplejack_, went on board to tell Rogers of the unfortunate loss of the two mids.h.i.+pmen, and to offer him all the consolation he could.

”I would rather that anything had happened than that,” exclaimed Jack.

”You don't suppose that the gauchos have killed the poor lads?”

Adair said he hoped from what he had heard that they had not injured them, and probably supposed that they had made a valuable prize in a couple of officers. They questioned s.n.a.t.c.hblock further as to what he knew of the affair.

”I would have given my right hand rather than have had the young gentleman carried off, sir,” he answered. ”You see, sir, we did not expect those horse-fellows would attack us on that side, and we were not standing in s.h.i.+pshape fas.h.i.+on like the sodgers. Somehow or other also the young gentlemen were where they should not have been, I'll allow, and just then down the gauchos pounced upon us, and all in a moment, before we could sing out, a couple of them whipped their la.s.sos over the lads' shoulders and hoisted them up on their saddles. You may be sure, sir, we made all sail after them as fast as we could carry on, but it was all of no use. The horses' four legs were better than our two, and we were afraid of firing for fear of hitting the young gentlemen. Maybe the fellows carried them off to save their own hides.”

Poor Jack felt very unhappy, and at once pulled off to the commodore, to consult him and some of the other captains as to what was best to be done.

”It is only to be hoped that Rosas will not treat them as he is said to have treated some of his prisoners, and cut off their ears,” was the remark made when Jack told his story. ”Of course every effort must be made to recover the youngsters; and as soon as we can hold any communication with Rosas, we will send to demand their release, and will offer to exchange any of his followers who may fall into our hands for them. In the meantime such private means as are available must be employed, and you and Mr Adair shall have every possible opportunity given you of carrying them out. We will think over the matter, and decide what steps, under the circ.u.mstances, it is best to take. The general, however, has shown no inclination whatever to come to terms; and not withstanding his defeat, it is evident that he intends to fight out the quarrel to the bitter end.” This was poor consolation to Jack and Terence, who felt more cut up than they had ever been in their lives.

Jack had not, however, forgotten Murray, and as soon as duty would allow him, he went on board the _Tudor_. He found his old friend able to sit up at table in his cabin, though looking pale and ill from loss of blood, and certainly more fit to be in his cot.

”You see, Jack, that my forebodings are partly realised,” he said, as his old s.h.i.+pmate entered; ”at all events, had the bullet struck me the sixteenth of an inch on either side my wound would have been fatal. I am afraid, from what the doctor says, that it may be some time before I am fit for active duty, and he advises me to apply to be superseded, and to go home.”

Jack of course hoped that the doctor was wrong, and that Murray would be able to remain out till the affair on which they had been sent had been brought to a satisfactory issue.

”But you look unusually grave, Rogers; has anything happened?”

Jack told him all about Tom and Gerald's loss. Murray of course heartily sympathised with him, and expressed his fears, as his other friends had done, that it would be a hard matter to get the youngsters back. He suggested, however, that Jack should try and get hold of some natives, who might communicate with them, and perhaps a.s.sist them to escape.

The suggestion gave him some consolation, as offering a means of recovering the lads.

”Don't be cramped in your efforts for want of money,” said Murray.

”Bribery with these fellows will go a long way, and you know that my purse is always at your service, and never more so than on this occasion.”

”I know it, Alick,” answered Jack. ”Depend on it, if I can fall in with any natives, I will try what bribery can do with them; and if my own means are insufficient, I will come to you.”

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