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

telling"
Tell him." PM cried. .tell your
general about your arm: explain TO
him how you were wounded"
l imagined the willy colonel assumed
that l would never mention the
Senorita. which. indeed. I had no in
tention of doing
Il am waiting" said Bolivar.
Colonel PM shot me. my general"
Francisco. seated next TO me. rasped
bitter curse and a sigh went around
the table. The Liberator leaped 70
his feet. Colonel PM shot you? You
Jest. Senior"
Not ar ALL
WAS this at Maracay?"
Yes. my general"
"Pini would doubtless have good
reason for doing such a thing" He
turned a judicial eye upon the colonel.
'May expect an explanation"
PM smiled. Major Garde. I'm sure.
will make explanation"
Il attacked him. my general"
Mother of Cdr Bolivar gasped.
THAT is dissembled. any attack
upon him and his shooting of me came
so near the same instant that it would
be impossible TO tell which was cause
and which effect
WAS thiS-er-unfortuna affair in
any way related TO the loss of Mara
cay?'
NO. general" Colonel PM lied: st
was purely personal We could not
have held Maracay with the force at
nv command
Now BOlivar's eyes questioned me-
II was not in me 70 explain 70 the
Liberator how Colonel PM had wasted
a precious hour in drunkenness and
in an unsuccessful attempt to win the
favor of the Senorita Lamartina an
hour in which he might have made the
necessary preparations for successful
defense of Maracay.
Colonel PM is entirely right. gen.
eral: that unfortunate affair was pure
" personal | confess to having been
insubordinate. I confess TO having at
tackled the colonel. my superior officer.
and do not care TO offer any de-
Tense"
Bolivar's face was a study. He
must have known that, in service 70
him and to Venezuela. had given nv
best; he knew that the Apure bat
TALON of three hundred Indians whom
! had commanded was the best of his
native fighting force. for l had trained
them with the greatest care. "Why.
L.
Colonel PM make report of this on
his return TO TinaquilloT'
THAT, my general. is a question for
Colonel PM"
PM must have realized that his
burst of anger had opened up a dan
GerOus abyss for himself for he smiled
and. assuming pose of charity.
said: "One must make allowance for
gallant soldier, General: our Ameri-
cano has been a bit impetuous and
did not report that hapless circum-
stance because I had LID wish TO fniure
him in your eyes. Our personal diff
ferences will doubtless be settled as
time offers US opportunity"
Drunk, even. the sophist was al
ways a good liar.
General Bolivar laughed. relieving
thereby an awkward tension Il can
not expect all my officers TO love one
another; it is not the way Of soldiers.
for most of them are sudden and quick
in quarrel neither can I afford TO
lose one of them thus on the eve of
our greatest struggle You will have
TO postpone the pleasure of this con-
test between yourself and Colonel
PM until after we have won the bat
tie of Carabobo."
AYE. my general"
So we drank again, and Monahan.
pinching my arm. whispered. ANY SOL
der who can dash glass of wine into
the face of his superior officer, and
get away with il. must surely have the
fairies working for him. :"
Dawn came slowly as we rested on
our arms in the early morning of the
twenty-fourth of June, a day which
might be termed the birthday of vene-
Zuela. We occupied the timbered
heights southwest of the field of Cara
bobo, and waited 10 ring down the cur
tain on the last act of the great
Colombian tragedy.
We had waited thus. six years be-
fore, | remembered. at ChaImette.
waited in just such a silent gloom.
Brilliant victory had been ours. and
i offered up a fervent hope that /
might fine myself again in 4 victorious
army. / knew that. upon the success
or failure OF republican arms. rested
my success or failure in winning the
Senorita Lamartina If we won this
impending battle. then Venezuela was
open TO me. and | could seek her out :;
if we lost. | knew that | would go
down fighting among those Apure
braves of mine, for had taught them
to stand and fight until the last man
could stand no longer OF my little
command. and of the British | had no
doubts. but we were only thousand ::
the bulk of Boliyar's forces WAS com
posed of llaneros. sambos. and of other