CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.
THE COUNCIL OF WAR.
The Commander-in-chief Bonavia, the generals of brigade--Caldelas andRegules--were seated around a table covered with a green cloth, when DonRafael entered the marquee. The council had not yet commenced.
"Ah! Colonel," cried Bonavia, addressing Don Rafael, as he entered, "Iunderstand you have received a message from Del Valle. Is it of aprivate nature, or one that may assist the Royalist cause?"
"The lieutenant who commands the garrison of Del Valle informs me thatthose two guerilleros, whom both sides now regard as outlaws--Arroyo andBocardo, I mean--have returned to Oajaca with their band. I have thehonour to solicit from your Excellency that, after this place is taken,you will grant me permission to go in pursuit of these brigands, andhunt them as wild beasts."
"You shall have leave to do so, Colonel. I know no one better qualifiedto perform such a duty."
"I can promise your Excellency that no one will set about it with morezeal, nor follow it up with more perseverance."
The war council was then inaugurated without further delay.
Without reporting all that passed at Huajapam, we shall give a fewdetails that may render more clear the relative situation of thebesieged and the besiegers at this memorable blockade of Huajapam.
"Gentlemen," began Bonavia, addressing himself to his assembledofficers, "it is now one hundred and fourteen days since we opened siegeupon this paltry town. Without counting skirmishes, we have madefourteen regular attacks upon it; and yet we are at this hour no nearercapturing it than we were on the first day!"
"Less nearer, I should say," interposed Regules, when theCommander-in-chief had ceased speaking. "The confidence of the besiegedhas grown stronger by the success of their obstinate resistance. Whenwe first invested the place, they possessed not a single cannon. Nowthey have three pieces, which this Colonel Trujano has caused to be castout of the bells of the churches."
"That is as much as to say that General Regules is of opinion we shouldraise the siege?"
This speech was delivered by Caldelas in a tone of irony, which plainlyexpressed that a certain animosity existed between these two generals.Such was in reality the fact--a feeling of rivalry having long estrangedthem from each other. Caldelas was an energetic officer, brave, and ofundoubted loyalty; while Regules, on the other hand, was noted forunnecessary severity, while his courage was more than questionable.
"It is just that question I have summoned you to discuss," said Bonavia,without giving Regules time to reply to the taunt of his rival, "whetherwe are to raise the siege or continue it. It is for ColonelTres-Villas, who is the youngest of you, and of lowest grade, to givehis advice first. Pronounce, Colonel!"
"When fifteen hundred men besiege a place like Huajapam, defended byonly three hundred, they should either take it, or to the last man dieupon its ramparts. To do otherwise, would be to compromise not onlytheir own honour but the cause which they serve. That is the opinion Ihave the honour of submitting to your Excellency."
"And you, General Caldelas, what is your advice?"
"I agree with the Colonel. To raise the siege would be a perniciousexample for the Royalist troops, and a deplorable encouragement to theinsurrection. What would the brave Commander-in-chief of our army--DonFelix Calleja--say to our raising the siege? During a hundred days hebesieged Cuautla Amilpas, defended by a general far more skilful thanTrujano--Morelos himself--and yet on the hundredth day he was master ofthe town."
"Morelos evacuated the place," interposed Regules.
"What matter if he did? By so doing, he acknowledged himself defeated;and the Spanish flag had the honours of a successful siege."
It was now the turn of Regules to give his opinion.
He reviewed at full length the delays and difficulties they hadexperienced; the fruitless assaults and sanguinary skirmishes they hadmade. He argued that it was impolitic to stand upon an empty point ofhonour consuming the lives and courage of one thousand soldiers in frontof a paltry village, while Morelos was at that moment marching on thecapital of Oajaca.
"And when I say a _thousand_ soldiers," continued he, "I do not speakwithout reason. The Colonel, in speaking of fifteen hundred, must havecounted our dead along with the living. Up to the present time, in allother parts of the vice-kingdom, our troops have only encounteredenemies, inspired by what they please to designate `love of theircountry;' while here, in our front, we have a host of religiousfanatics, whom this droll muleteer, Trujano, has imbued with his ownspirit, and it must be confessed, with his courage as well. It is notthree hundred enemies against whom we are contending, but a thousandfanatics who fight under the influence of despair, and die with a songupon their lips. While we are here wasting time in useless attempts,the insurrection is spreading in other parts of the province, where wemight be profitably employed in crushing it. My advice, then, is toraise a siege that has been disastrous in every point of view."
"The besieged no doubt recall the exploits of Yanguitlan," ironicallyremarked Caldelas. "That is why they defend themselves so well."
At this allusion to Yanguitlan, which will be understood in the sequel,Regules bit his lips with suppressed chagrin, at the same time darting alook of concentrated hatred upon his rival.
To the view of the case presented by Regules, the General-in-chief wasdisposed to give in his adhesion. Less accessible to mere punctilios ofhonour than his younger officers, he saw in the advice of the brigadierreasons that were not wanting in a certain solidity. Without, however,availing himself of the full authority of his rank, he proposed anintermediate course. It was, that on the morrow, they should try onelast and powerful attack; and if that should prove a failure then theymight raise the siege.
While Bonavia was still speaking a singular noise reached the tent, asif coming from the besieged town. It appeared as a chorus of manyvoices intoning some solemn chaunt. This was followed by the clangourof horns and trumpets, and the explosion of fireworks--as if let offupon the occasion of a jubilee.
"These rejoicings," remarked Regules, "are an ill omen for us. It isnot to-morrow that the siege should be raised, but this very day."
"That is to say," rejoined Caldelas, "that we should take to flightbefore an exhibition of fireworks!"
"Or, like the walls of Jericho, fall down at the sound of trumpets!"added the Colonel.
"Well," said Regules, "perhaps before long you may learn to your costthat I have been right."
In spite of his opinion, however, a last assault was determined upon, totake place on the following morning; and after the plans were discussedand arranged, Bonavia dissolved the council; and the officers proceededto their respective tents.
Don Rafael hastened towards his: he was anxious to be alone. He desiredto indulge in reflection--to ponder upon the meaning of the message hehad received--and above all to caress the sweet ray of hope which hadlately entered his heart, so long desolate and sad.
He did not even deign to lend an ear to the tumultuous rejoicings thatcame swelling from the beleaguered town; although the whole Royalistcamp was at that moment occupied with these demonstrations, the soldiersdeeming them, as Regules had pronounced, sounds of sinister import.