Part 24 (1/2)

”Attention, men!” called the commanding officer. ”I want you to understand what this is about. Our captain has been appealed to for protection by a number of United States citizens living here. According to the signals flashed to us from sh.o.r.e our citizens are being attacked by a mob of the revolutionists. Just why, we needn't go into now. But we must give protection to our friends, and we are going to try and drive off the mob.”

”Hurrah!” some one cried.

”Lively now, men!” went on the officer. ”Forward! There they are!”

The dark ma.s.s of fighters which had been near the sh.o.r.e before the boats landed had gone farther up the strand just as the battles.h.i.+p men arrived. But now they were again rus.h.i.+ng down the beach.

There were shouts, yells and cries, mingling with the pop of small arms.

Most of the shouting was in a foreign tongue, Portuguese, most likely, so Ned and Frank thought.

”There must be a lot of our citizens here,” said Ned, as he saw that there were two good-sized crowds, one evidently attacking the other. And it was this attack and repulse, this backward and forward movement, as the tide of fighting changed, that had taken the conflicting forces away from the water's edge, and now, once more, brought them to it again.

”Those who are being attacked aren't all Americans,” said a petty officer near our heroes. ”Our citizens threw their lot in with the inhabitants here who are opposed to the revolutionists, and the latter are attacking the loyal natives as well as our men. Now we'll-”

But he had no time to explain further, as sharp orders to advance came.

It was not very dark, though it was about midnight, for the moon shone brightly, and now the battles.h.i.+p had brought to bear on the scene all her powerful searchlights.

”Forward and at 'em!” came the command. ”Protect the Americans!”

Snarling cries came in answer from the revolutionists. But they did not give way at once, though they must have realized that they were about to be attacked by some of the best-trained fighting men in the world, and some of the bravest-the United States blue-jackets.

The crack of guns, which had ceased for a moment, now began again more spitefully than before. The two parties in the riot were firing at one another, and bullets began to sing over the heads of the battles.h.i.+p boys. Instinctively several ducked. Others laughed.

”You needn't duck,” some one near Frank called. ”When you hear the bullet it's past you.”

”Forward! Forward!” came the cries.

”Over this way!” a voice shouted in English. ”Over this way, battles.h.i.+p boys! They're beating us back!”

It was a cry for help from those being attacked by the rioters.

Ned and Frank found themselves in a division that was being led off to one side for a flank attack. The hearts of both lads were beating violently. It was the first time they had ever been under fire, and for the first time they were about to fire a shot at a human being. It was a strange feeling, but they felt that right was on their side. And they were going to save the lives of fellow citizens who were being attacked by a foreign mob.

”It's just like a football rus.h.!.+” cried Ned in Frank's ear. He had to shout to be heard above the crack of the rifles.

”Come on! Come on!” yelled back Frank, just as he might have done had he and Ned been carrying the ball down the field.

As yet, though the hum and whine of bullets was almost constant in the air, none of the battles.h.i.+p force had been hit, as far as was known. But suddenly a lad in the ranks behind Frank and Ned gave a convulsive cry and fell to the ground.

”They got me!” he cried. ”It's only in the leg, though,” he added an instant later. ”Go on, boys, and give 'em one for me!”

”Three cheers for Wright!” some one called. And they were heartily given, but the advance did not halt.

On rushed the battles.h.i.+p boys toward the ma.s.s of rioting revolutionists.

They had swung around now, to attack them in the rear and to one side.

”Halt!” came the order from the lieutenant leading the advance. ”Ready!

Aim! Fire over their heads!”

He wanted, if possible, to quell the riot without taking life. A volley crashed out, and there came a return fire from the revolutionists.