The Rifle Rangers Part 5

"Murdered! French scoundrels! Bob, what is it?"

"Why, yer see, Cap'n, ye've had a cut hyur over the head; and we think it's them Frenchmen."

"Oh! I remember now; a blow--but the Death?--the Death?"

I started up from the bed as the phantom of my night adventure returned to my imagination.

"The Death, Cap'n?--what do yer mean?" inquired Lincoln, holding me in his strong arms.

"Oh! the Cap'n manes the skilleton, maybe," said Chane.

"What skeleton?" I demanded.

"Why, an owld skilleton the boys found in the chaparril, yer honner.

They hung it to a three; and we found yer honner there, with the skilleton swinging over ye like a sign. Och! the Frinch bastes!"

I made no further inquiries about the "Death."

"But where are the Frenchmen?" asked I, after a moment.

"Clane gone, yer honner," replied Chane.

"Gone?"

"Yes, Cap'n; that's so as he sez it," answered Lincoln.

"Gone! What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Desarted, Cap'n."

"How do you know that?"

"Because they ain't here."

"On the island?"

"Searched it all--every bush."

"But who? which of the French?"

"Dubrosc and that 'ar boy that was always with him--both desarted."

"You are sure they are missing?"

"Looked high and low, Cap'n. Gravenitz seed Dubrosc steal into the chaparril with his musket. Shortly afterwards we heern a shot, but thought nothin' of it till this mornin', when one of the sodgers foun' a Spanish sombrary out thar; and Chane heern some'dy say the shot pa.s.sed through Major Twing's markey. Besides, we foun' this butcher-knife where yer was lyin'."

Lincoln here held up a species of Mexican sword called a _machete_.

"Ha!--well."

"That's all, Cap'n; only it's my belief there was Mexicans on this island, and them Frenchmen's gone with them."

After Lincoln left me I lay musing on this still somewhat mysterious affair. My memory, however, gradually grew clearer; and the events of the preceding night soon became linked together, and formed a complete chain. The shot that pa.s.sed so near my head in Twing's tent--the boat-- the French words I had heard before I received the blow--and the exclamation, "_Coup pour coup_!"--all convinced me that Lincoln's conjectures were right.

Dubrosc had fired the shot and struck the blow that had left me senseless.

But who could the woman be whose voice I had heard pleading in my behalf?

My thoughts reverted to the boy who had gone off with Dubrosc, and whom I had often observed in the company of the latter. A strange attachment appeared to exist between them, in which the boy seemed to be the devoted slave of the strong fierce Creole. Could this be a woman?

I recollected having been struck with his delicate features, the softness of his voice, and the smallness of his hands. There were other points, besides, in the _tournure_ of the boy's figure that had appeared singular to me. I had frequently observed the eyes of this lad bent upon me, when Dubrosc was not present, with a strange and unaccountable expression.

Many other peculiarities connected with the boy and Dubrosc, which at the time had pa.s.sed unnoticed and unheeded, now presented themselves to my recollection, all tending to prove the ident.i.ty of the boy with the woman whose voice I had heard in the thicket.

I could not help smiling at the night's adventures; determined, however, to conceal that part which related to the skeleton.

In a few days my strength was restored. The cut I had received was not deep--thanks to my forage-cap and the bluntness of the Frenchman's weapon.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE LANDING AT SACRIFICIOS.

Early in the month of March the troops at Lobos were re-embarked, and dropped down to the roadstead of Anton Lizardo. The American fleet was already at anchor there, and in a few days above a hundred sail of transports had joined it.

There is no city, no village, hardly a habitation upon this half-desert coast. The aspect is an interminable waste of sandy hills, rendered hirsute and picturesque by the plumed frondage of the palm-tree.

We dared not go ash.o.r.e, although the smooth white beach tempted us strongly. A large body of the enemy was encamped behind the adjacent ridges, and patrols could be seen at intervals galloping along the beach.

I could not help fancying what must have been the feeling of the inhabitants in regard to our s.h.i.+ps--a strange sight upon this desert coast, and not a pleasing one to them, knowing that within those dark hulls were concealed the hosts of their armed invaders. Laoc.o.o.n looked not with more dread upon the huge ribs of the Danaic horse than did the simple peasant of Anahuac upon this fleet of "oak leviathans" that lay within so short a distance of his sh.o.r.es.

To us the scene possessed an interest of a far different character. We looked proudly upon these magnificent models of naval architecture--upon their size, their number, and their admirable adaptation. We viewed with a changing cheek and kindling eye this n.o.ble exhibition of a free people's strength; and as the broad banner of our country swung out upon the breeze of the tropics, we could not help exulting in the glory of that great nation whose uniform we wore around our bodies.

It was no dream. We saw the burnished cannon and the bright epaulette, the gleaming b.u.t.ton and the glancing bayonet. We heard the startling trumpet, the stirring drum, and the shrill and thrilling fife; and our souls drank in all those glorious sights and sounds that form at once the spirit and the witchery of war.

The landing was to take place on the 9th, and the point of debarkation fixed upon was the beach opposite the island of Sacrificios, just out of range of the guns of Vera Cruz.

The 9th of March rose like a dream, bright, balmy, and beautiful. The sea was scarcely stirred by the gentlest breeze of the tropics; but this breeze, light as it was, blew directly in our favour.

At an early hour I observed a strange movement among the s.h.i.+ps composing the fleet. Signals were changing in quick succession, and boats gliding rapidly to and fro.

Before daybreak the huge surf-boats had been drawn down from their moorings, and with long hempen hawsers attached to the s.h.i.+ps and steamers.

The descent was about to be made. The ominous cloud which had hung dark and threatening over the sh.o.r.es of Mexico was about to burst upon that devoted land. But where? The enemy could not tell, and were preparing to receive us on the adjacent sh.o.r.e.

The black cylinder began to smoke, and the murky cloud rolled down upon the water, half obscuring the fleet. Here and there a broad sail, freshly unfurled, hung stiffly from the yard; the canvas, escaping from its gasket fastenings, had not yet been braced round to the breeze.