Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-02-17

eyed banSheeIV OuIy SuOuIu udN t
landed us in ES-
perando. Our Jonah swallowed the
bad credit of it with appealing frank
ness, but that scarcely leSSened the
hardships our cause was made to suf-
fer.
''At last one afternoon we steamed
into the calm estuary of the little Rio
EscOndido. Three miles up this we
crept. feeling for the shallow channel
between the low banks that were
crowded to the edge with gigantic trees
and riotous vegetation. Then our whis-
tie gave little toot, and in five min
utes we heard shout, and Carlos-my
brave Carlos Quintana = crashed
through the tangled vines waving his
cap madly for joy.
"A hundred yards away was his
camp. where 300 chosen patriots of Els
pcrandO were awaiting our coming
For month Carlos had been drilling
them there in the tactics Of war and
filing them with the spirit of revOlu-
ton and liberty.
My captain-compadre mior shout
ed Carlos. while yet my boat was be-
ing lowered. You should see them in
the drill by companies-in the column
wheel-in the march by four-they are
superb! Also in the manual of arms
but, alas, performed only with sticks
OF bamboo. The guns. captain-say
that you have brought the guns
ga thousand good rifles. Carlos l
called to him. And two Gatlings.'
"'Valgame Diosr he cried. throwing
wOrld!'
AT that moment Kearny tumbed
from the steamers side into the river.
He could not swim, SO the crew threw
| caught his eye and his look of pa
thetic but still bright and undaunted
consciousness Of his guilty luck l told
myself that, although he might be a
man to shun, he was also one to b"
admired.
Il gave orders to the sailing master
that the arms. ammunition and provi-
SiOnS were to be landed at once. That
was easy in the steamers boats, eX-
cept for the two Calling guns. For
their transportation ashore we carried
a stout flatbOat.
In the meantime | walked with Car
los to the camp and made the soldiers
Il little speech in Spanish. which they
rnnnivn1
had some wine and cigarette in Car
los tent.
The small arms and provisions were
already ashore. and the petty officers
had squads Of men conveying them to
camp. One Calling had been safely
landed. The other was just being
hOiSted over the side Of the vessel us
we arrived. / noticed KeaIny darting
about on board. seeming to have the
ambition of ten men and to be doing
the work of five. | think his zeal bub-
bled over when he saw Carlos and me
\ ropes end was swinging loose from
some part of the tackle Kearny leap
ed impetuously and caught it. There
of scorching hemp. and the Gatling
dropped straight us Il plummet through
the bottom of the flatboat and buried
itself in twenty feet of water and five
feet of river mud.
81 turned my back on the scene. |
heard Carlos loud cries as if from
! some extreme grief too poignant for
words. l heard the complaining MUIR
muir of the crew and the maledictiOnS
of Torres. the sailing master. could
not bear to look.
by night some degree Of order had
been restored in camp Military rules
were not drawn strictly. and the men
were grouped about the fires of their
several messes. playing games of
chance, singing their native songs or
discussing with voluble animation the
contingencies of our march upon the
capital
ITO my tent, which had been pitch
ed for me close to that of my chief
lieutenant. came Kearny. indomitable.
smiling. bright eyed. bearing no traces
of the Bullets of his evil star. Rather
was his aspect that of heroic mar
| tyr whose tribulationS were so high
/ sourced and glorious that he even took
a splendor and Il prestige from them.
"'Well. captain sail he. i guess