Part 32 (1/2)
”I don't suppose so,” Hozier rea.s.sured her. ”If the artillery had made good practice at that short range the gunboat must have sunk at her moorings. Her men naturally couldn't miss the town. There was a rare old rattle among the crockery behind the soldiers. Did you hear it? I wonder what went over?”
He was as excited as a schoolboy, almost jubilant. Poor Iris! Though she was now a veteran in scenes of death and disaster, she realized that fate had erred in choosing her as a heroine.
c.o.ke and Watts drew near.
”Dom Wot's-'is-name wasn't long in gettin' busy,” chuckled c.o.ke. ”Gev'
her a dose of the _Andromeda's_ physic, eh? I'm sorry the blighters managed to 'ook it.”
Though he had just uttered an opinion directly contrary to his captain's, Hozier deemed it wise to be non-committal.
”The guns must have been laid badly,” he said.
”Mebbe, an' wot's more, d--n 'em, they knew there was something in front that could shoot back.”
So c.o.ke was at least impartial. He cared not a jot how the Brazilians slaughtered each other so long as De Sylva established the new regime speedily.
”I never was a fightin' man meself,” murmured Watts weakly. ”That sort of thing gives me a sinkin' sensation in me innards.”
”Wot you want is a drink, me boy,” said c.o.ke.
Watts brightened. He drew a deep breath.
”I reelly believe that's wot's wrong with me,” he said.
”Then I'll just ax the cook to 'urry up with the corfee,” guffawed the unfeeling skipper. ”We'll all be the better for a snack an' somethink 'ot.”
Iris managed to choke down an hysterical laugh. c.o.ke was incorrigible, yet she was conscious of a growing appreciation of his crude chivalry.
He boasted truly that he feared neither man nor devil. His chief defect lay in being born several centuries too late. Had he flourished during the Middle Ages, c.o.ke would have carved out a kingdom.
Even while the men were thus callously discussing the tragedy that had been enacted before their eyes, the miracle of the dawn was transforming night into day. In the tropics there is no hesitancy about sunrise. The splendid imagery of Genesis is literally exact.
”Let there be light; and there was light . . . and G.o.d divided the light from the darkness.” Long before the _Andorinha_ had crept round the southern headland of the Macayo estuary she became visible again.
About six o'clock a grand review was held in the Plaza, or chief square. Dom Corria, a resplendent personage on horseback, made a fine speech. He was vociferously applauded, by both troops and populace.
General Russo, also mounted, a.s.sured him that Brazil was pining for him. In effect, when he was firmly established in the Presidency, the people would be allowed to vote for him.
”We have borne two years of misrule,” vociferated the commander-in-chief, ”but it has vanished before the fiery breath of our guns. We hail your Excellency as our liberator. Long live Dom Corria!
Down with----”
The fierce ”Vivas” of the mob, combined with the general's weight, proved too much for his charger, which plunged violently. Russo was held on accidentally by his spurs. There was a lively interlude until an orderly seized the bridle, and the general was able to disengage the rowels from the animal's ribs. When tranquillity was restored, the soldiers marched off to their quarters, and Colonel San Benavides boarded the _Unser Fritz_. He invited Iris, Schmidt, c.o.ke, and Hozier to breakfast with the President at the princ.i.p.al hotel.
Watts was not included in the list of guests. Being indignant, he expressed himself freely.
”Nice thing!” he said to Norrie. ”We're not good enough to be axed.
It was a bit of all right w'en we 'elped 'im out of quod, but now 'e's a bloomin' toff we're low-down sailormen--that's wot we are.”
”Man, ye're fair daft,” growled the Scot. ”It's as plain as the neb on yer face that he canna dae wi' a', so he just picked the twa skippers and the la.s.sie; he kent weel she wadna stir an inch withoot Hozier.”
Norrie was right, as it happened, but Watts added another grudge to his score against De Sylva.
Now, though dynasties totter and empires crash, the first thing a woman thinks of when bidden to a public gathering is her attire. Iris declared most emphatically that to expect her to go ash.o.r.e and meet certain military and civic dignitaries while she was wearing a costume originally purchased for mountaineering, which had endured the rough usage of the past two days, was ”for to laugh.” She was speaking French, and that was the literal phrase she used. The courteous San Benavides smiled away her protest. His Excellency had foreseen the difficulty. Those who knew Dom Corria best would not credit that he should forget anything. The Senhora Pondillo awaited Iris at the hotel with a supply of new clothing. Captain Schmidt, of course, could depend on his own wardrobe, but Captain c.o.ke and the Senhor Hozier would find a tradesman in their rooms who had guaranteed to equip them suitably. Moreover, the same outfitter would visit the s.h.i.+p during the morning and make good the lost raiment and boots of the other officers and men of the _Andromeda_. San Benavides spoke like the amba.s.sador of a prince, and, in the sequel, there was no stint of deeds to give effect to his promises.