The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-01-08

had killed.
Then in one concerted movement the
Spaniards attacked all along the line,
but Paez held, and the British legion,
though called upon to withstand the
shock of the bulk of SPANS soldiery,
gave no ground; and the center of the
enemy line rolled back even as the
right wing struck us again.
The Apure braves fired almost into
the faces of the soldiers, after which
they leaped to their feet to meet the
Spaniards In hand-to-hand fighting.
There was a frantic heroism about
their ardor, wild enthusiasm,
maniacal lust for killing that must
have terrified the uniformed soldiers,
who outnumbered US two or three to
one, for they broke in dismay, leaving
US again in possession of the tiny Sec
tor that we had been directed to hold
at any cost.
And the cost, indeed. had been a
grieyous thing, for less than half of
my braves remained; knew that the
next charge of our enemies would find
US too weak to hold. lodAed back to
where Colonel PM, with more than
six hundred mounted men. waited for
US to fail, and hatred for the man
filed my soul
body of soldiers disengaged itself
from the British legion and. under
command of captain whose head was
swathed in a crimson bandage, came
toward US on a run.
"Monahan," cried. .'all honor to the
British legion!''
He grinned. That's the way we did
the French at Waterloo, SON. They
charged and broke against our squares.
and charged AMI broke again. and old
Bony's heart broke with them. It's
easy when you know how"
He considered Pini's force, a scant
half-mile behind us, and swore softly.
whats the colonel waiting for,
Garde?"
For the break my friend, then he
will gallop forward and win a glori-
Gus victory These hundred men are
sent to me?"
"Sure; if you hadn't held their right
wing we could not have held the .en-
ter. Those braves of yours have stood
like a rock. an unusual thing for ma
tive troops"
"And have died." said sadly, hold
ing"
$50 Colonel Macintosh offers his
compliments-and this hundred men,
and he directs me to tell you that you
have put the white mans logged hero
ism into the red mans heart"
This from Macintosh. griZzed war
rior of many battles, was sweet music
TO my ears.
The veterans of the British legion
had already been distributed among
my braves, so, renewed in strength
and spirit, we waited for the next at
tack. 1t came too slowly TO suit US.
so we went out to meet Invent
blithely, wildly, white man and brown
with eager cries upon our lips and
the consciousness of imminent victory
in our hearts
After the first volley we met thera
standing up, arm TO arm. eye 10 eye.
and the clatter Of conflict filed our
little world with noise.
That mixed command of mine fought
its way through the first Spanish line.
then we drove ahead to meet the next
one, paying no heed TO anything be-
hind US. On our right the British le-
gion, having abandoned its defensive
tactics, moved slowly against the GEN.
ter. Evidently it. too. had broken
through the first line From the east
came wild cheering from the soldiers
of Paez
"We win, l think" said Menahan.
I'VE could not lose, my friend; yet
they move back slowly. in good order.
What we should have is a rout-an
overwhelming victory"
in that case" said the Irish sol.
der, I'VE need the mounted llaneros."
That must also have been Bolivar's
thought. for body of horsemen, NOV
ing swiftly through the center. passed
the British legion and hurled itself
upon the enemy. throwing the line into
confusion. The six hundred mounted
uaneros of Colonel Pini's command
roared by US. and we waved our arms
and cheered them on.
There he goes" cried Monahan.
with a short laugh, ION to victory"
The right wing of the Spanish army
crumpled under the charge of PinTs
horsemen. crumpled and fed in wild
confusion. The desperate battle of
Carabobo, which removed for ever the
rule of Spain from Venezuela, had be-
come rout.
The wings of Bolivar's army, racing
across the plain, closed in TO complete
the work of destruction. for nothing
less than complete destruction for the
Spanish would appease the Liberator.
He must have seen, at last, the golden
opportunity for free Venezuela, and
he took no chance on losing. Few
Spaniards escaped, few prisoners were
taken; the rout had become a slaugh-
ter wherein the Indians lust for blood
was fully appeased
Yet Spain had taught them.