The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1916-03-16

eyed bansheel" only should have
landed us in Es-
| perando. Our Jonah swallowed the
bad credit Of 1t 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
| anu riotous vegetation. Then our whis-
| tie gave little toot, and in five min
utes we heard shout, and Carlos-n,y
brave Carlos Quintana crashed
through the tangled vines waving his
cap madly for JOY.
"A hundred yards away was his
camp. where 800 chosen patriots Of Es-
pcrando were awaiting our coming.
For month Carlos had been drilling
them there in the tactics of war and
filling them with the spirit of revolu-
| ton and liberty.
My captain-compadre mio" shout
ed Carlos, while yet my boat was be-
ing lowered. You should see them I'm
the drill by companies--in the column
wheel-in the march by four-they are
superb. Also i'm the manual of arms
but alas. performed only with sticks
VI paihpoo. Ihe guns. captain-say
chat you have brought the guns.
"A thousand good rifles. Carlos
called to him. And two Gatlings.'
NalSame Dios! he cried throwing
his cap in the mir. We shall sweep the
world
At that moment Kearny tumbled
, from the steamers side into the river.
lie could not swim. so the crew threw
him rope and drew him back aboard.
| caught his eye and his look of pa
thetic but still bright and undaunted
consciousness Of his guilty luck. told
myself that. although he might be q
man to shun. he was also one to be
admired.
Il gave orders to the sailing master
that the arms, ammunition and Drovi-
Slons were to be landed ut once That
was easy In the steamers boats, ey-
cept for the two Gatling guns. For
their transportation ashore we carried
stout Gatboat
I'm the meantime I walked with Car
los to the camp and made the soldiers
Il little speech In Spanish. which they
received with enthusiasm. and then I
mad some wine and a 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 Gatling had been safely
landed. The other was just being
hoisted over the side Of the vessel as
we arrived. / noticed Kearny darting
about on board. seeming to have the
ambition OF ten men and to DE doing
the work Of five. think his zeal bub-
Dled over when he saw Carlos and me.
y ropes end was swinging loose from
some part Of the tackle. Kearny leap.
ed impetuously and caught It, There
was crackle and hiss and q smoke
OF scorchiDg hemp, and the Gatling
dropped straight as a plummet through
the bottom of the fiatboat and buried
itself In twenty feet Of water and FIVE
feet of river mud
Il turned my back on the scene.
hcdtu IaTlOS lOuu cries as III from
some extreme grief too poignant for
words. ] heard the complaining MUIR
mur OF the crew and the maledictions
of Torres. the sailing master. 1 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. inJomitable.
smiling, bright eyed, bearing no traces
OF the buffets 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
splendor and prestige from them.
"'Well. captain said he. 4 guess