CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE AMBUSH.
THE provost marshal recognized the inutility of further search, and,despairing of recapturing the fugitive, whom he supposed to be hiddenin the irregular masses of rock that bordered the stream, collectedhis men, and gave them orders to close up, after bidding them keepthe prisoner's escape temporarily a secret, as he himself intended totell the general what had occurred when the latter asked at his handsthe prisoner confided to him. An hour later he entered the canyon, andrejoined the main body of the army.
General Sandoval, although he had nearly twenty thousand men under hisorders, perceived, almost immediately after he invested Coahuila, thatwith soldiers like his, badly armed, worse disciplined, and completelydeficient in the necessary articles for a regular siege, he would neversucceed in storming a town defended by a garrison of veteran troops,and commanded by one of the best generals of the Spanish army. Hetherefore converted the siege into a blockade, contenting himself withcutting off the enemy's communications with the interior, and hopingfinally to reduce him by famine.
But about this time he received a despatch from General Iturbide.After informing him fully of the events that had occurred, which had,in a few days, changed the state of affairs, and destroyed the powerof Spain throughout the entire viceroyalty, the general told him thatthe Spaniards now held but two points on the Mexican territory--thefortress of San Juan de Ulua, near Veracruz, and the town of Coahuila.Ulua but slightly troubled the new chief of the Mexican government.
The Spaniards, shut up in the fortress, and completely cut off fromthe seaboard, even supposing that they held out for a long time, couldnot by any possibility exert any influence over the affairs of thecountry; but the case was not the same with Coahuila. The intendancy ofwhich this town was the capital was one of the richest in Mexico. Beingmountainous and well wooded, a clever leader of partizans could collectthe malcontents, whose number was large, organize guerillas, and carryon the war, till the Spanish government recovered from its stupor andtried to seize again the rich colonies which had only just slipped fromits grasp.
Now, such a skilful chief was invested at Coahuila at this very moment.He had a numerous and well-disciplined garrison, sufficient to formthe nucleus of an army which would soon become formidable if time wereallowed for its organization. Hence it was absolutely necessary tofinish with this general by capturing him, and cutting up his troops.
On perusing this explicit and positive despatch, General Don PelagioSandoval found himself no little embarrassed. General Iturbide gave himto understand that he trusted entirely to him, that he had accomplishedthings far more important than this, and the provisional governmentfelt assured he would carry it through honourably. For two days thegeneral remained plunged in deep thought, forming a dozen plans, andrejecting them in turn. He could not dream of attempting an assault,and carrying the town by storm when opposed by adversaries like theSpaniards. Don Pelagio only saw one way of success: it was to compelGeneral Cardenas to leave the town, lay a trap for him, and force himinto a surrender.
The idea was certainly good; but what stratagem should he employ tocheat General Cardenas, and draw him out? The general was not theman to let himself be caught in a clumsy snare. He would immediatelyscent it, and the Mexicans would have to begin over again, undergreater difficulties than at first, as the enemy would be on hisguard. At last, after long hesitation, Don Pelagio decided on a planof unexampled temerity, and which must infallibly succeed through itssheer audacity, if matters were carried out with prudence.
Taking advantage of a frightful storm that raged over his camp andthe town, and rendered the darkness of night denser still, he orderedhis troops to leave the encampment in small detachments, giving eachleader of a corps detailed instructions about the movements he mustmake and the spot he was to go to, and remained himself to the last,to make sure of the due execution of his orders. As it was necessarythat the Spaniards should believe in a precipitate flight, rather thana retreat, he was obliged to leave behind him the larger portion of hisguns and ammunition, certain, were he the victor, of finding it allintact, but resolved, like the gambler who risks his whole fortune ona card, to blow out his brains if he were conquered, for he knew thatIturbide would not forgive him a defeat.
Moonshine, the Canadian, thoroughly instructed by the general, and who,in his careless gaiety, only thought of playing the Spaniards a famoustrick, was left behind to induce the enemy to nibble. We have seen inwhat manner the Canadian performed the delicate task.
The spot where Don Pelagio proposed waiting for the Spaniard wasexcellently adapted for a surprise. It was a canyon, or defile,about three leagues in length, and so narrow that two horsemen couldscarce ride side by side. This canyon, like most of those found inthese latitudes, was merely a dried up watercourse, produced by anearthquake. It formed countless angles and turns, so close to eachother that it was impossible to see anything ahead save the woodcovered sides of the canyon, which rose precipitously to an enormousheight It was evident that if the Spaniards were so mad as to enterthis defile, they might perish to the last man, without a chance ofresistance.
The Mexicans, on reaching the canyon a little before sunrise, hadplenty of time to prepare for action. General Pelagio had all theheights crowned and established his troops in unassailable positions.These measures were taken with such skill and prudence, that thisspot where, at the moment, more than four and twenty thousand menwere assembled, seemed completely deserted, and it would have beenimpossible, within a pistol shot, to see the barrel of a single gunglisten. If the Spaniards, from the spot where they had halted onthe riverbank, could perceive nothing, it was not the same with theMexicans. Not one of the enemy's movements escaped Don Pelagio. Whenhe saw the long columns of the Spanish army arrive on the riverbankthe Mexican chief quivered with joy. His stratagem had succeeded, hiscalculations were just, and, as he had expected, his enemy, deceived bythe feigned retreat, was about to deliver himself into his hands.
A man must have himself experienced the feelings of a lucky player, whogains a decisive game, in order to understand the full extent of thedelight which filled the Mexican general's heart. Still, he felt amoment of indescribable anxiety and agony when he saw the enemy halt onthe bank of the stream, and remain there so long quiescent. He fearedfor a moment lest the Spaniards, guessing the trap laid for them, wouldturn back. All in that case would be left to the chances of a battlein the open with an experienced enemy accustomed to conquer, and whowould, doubtless, contest the field warmly. But this apprehension soonfaded away when the scouts crossed the ford. The decisive moment was athand, and the Mexicans prepared seriously for action.
"My friends," the general said to the persons who surrounded him, "hereare the last relics of the troops of those who have oppressed us forthree centuries. God has reserved for us the glory of fighting the lastbattle which will sully the sacred soil of our country with bloodshed.All our brothers have their eyes on us; they ask victory at our hands;shall we disappoint them?"
"No!" the soldiers, electrified by these generous words answered as oneman.
"Swear to conquer!" the general continued.
"We swear it!" they exclaimed enthusiastically.
"It is well! I hold your promise, and God has heard it. _iMejico eindependencia!_ Each to his post now, for blood is about to flow!"
The officers hastily returned to the positions assigned to them, thesoldiers lay down on the grass with their finger on the trigger, andall awaited with palpitating hearts the signal for action. At thismoment the two detachments sent forward as scouts separated. CaptainCastilla halted while Captain Obregozo formed his columns of attack,and continued his forward march.
When the captain, resolved to carry out his duty thoroughly, enteredthe defile, a few well-aimed musket shots sufficed to destroy his weakescort, and the officer himself fell with a bullet through his chest.This brave officer was the first victim of this day, so fatal to theSpanish army. Unhappily, many others were fated to follow
him. When thesecond detachment, which hurried up to the aid of the first, followedinto the defile, the combat assumed the proportions of a battle.
Unhappily, the Spaniards having no infantry, and covered by invisiblefoes, fell one after the other with cries of impotent rage. On allsides bullets hailed on them, against which they had no protection, andwere unable to reply. At times, a bullet, aimed haphazard, or guidedby destiny, reached an object it was not aimed at. The shrubs parted,and a corpse rolling down the precipice fell crushed at the feet of thehorses.
But for one man the Mexicans lost the Spaniards lost fifty. The fightwas too unequal; it was no longer a combat, but a butchery. Suddenly,a tremendous shout was heard; the earth trembled beneath the hoofs ofnearly two thousand horses, and General Cardenas appeared, his faceinflamed with noble ardour, his hair in disorder, leaning over hissaddle, with his right arm extended, and his sword hanging from hiswrist by a steel chain. Behind him came the whole Spanish army--thereal battle was about to begin. The infantry arrived at the doubleon the flanks of the column, firing into the bushes and shrubs wherethey saw shots fired. The Spanish general, as an experienced leader,had made the best of a bad position. He had scarce entered the canyonwith the cavalry, ere a large infantry corps, facing front and rear,occupied the gorge with two guns levelled on the plain. The generalrightly conjectured that his enemies might try to catch him between twofires, which was really the plan of the Mexicans; for, no sooner hadthe infantry occupied the allotted post than Don Aurelio Gutierrez, atthe head of a considerable body of troops, infantry and cavalry, dartedsuddenly from the forest which had hitherto concealed him, and dashedfuriously on the Spaniards, in order to dislodge them and drive theminto the interior of the defile.
An obstinate hand to hand fight at once began. Here, at least, thecombat was equal; for the Spaniards could see their enemies. Unhappily,the sharpshooters, concealed behind bushes, covered and decimated them,being most desperate against the artillerymen, whom they mercilesslyshot down each time when they went up to reload their guns.
General Cardenas, in spite of all obstacles--the bullets, lumps ofrock, and whole trees showered down on his troops--crossed the wholedefile with the rapidity of an arrow. He then perceived, some distanceahead, a barricade erected by the Mexicans to intercept his passage.
"There is the road, boys," the general shouted;
"Forward, forward!"
All dashed on to clear the barricade, but suddenly a battery wasunmasked, and death passed along the Spanish ranks. Four howitzers,loaded with canister, thundered simultaneously, sweeping down wholelines of horsemen, and making a bloody gap through the entire column.Two-thirds of this magnificent Spanish cavalry were laid low. Thegeneral, lifting his horse with a prodigious effort, had forced thenoble animal to mount the face of the barricade.
"Forward!" the general shouted, brandishing his sword over his head anddigging his spurs into his horse's belly.
The animal made a last generous effort, and rolled dying in the centreof the Mexicans. General Cardenas was already on his feet, sword inhand.
"Surrender, surrender!" a numbers of soldiers shouted, as they rushedtoward him.
"Nonsense! Does a Spanish general ever surrender?" he said, with agloomy smile of contempt.
And, whirling his formidable sabre round his head, he drove back themen who had ventured too near him.
"Stop, stop!" Oliver Clary shouted, as he dashed forward. "By heaven,he is a noble soldier; let us grant him the death of a brave man.Defend, yourself, General."
"Thank you, senor," the general replied with a smile; "I expectednothing less from your courtesy."
"A fair fight. Back, senores," the hunter said.
"No, no," a man suddenly shouted, as he hurried to the front. "You area foreigner, Senor Don Oliver; allow me to settle this quarrel."
The Canadian turned and recognized Don Anibal de Saldibar.
"Very good," he said, lowering his point with a gesture of respectfuldeference.
"Do you accept me as an adversary, General?" the hacendero asked.
"I care little whom I fight, senor," the general replied haughtily.
"On guard, then!"
The two blades crossed with a portentous clang. There was somethinggrand and chivalrous in this singular duel in the midst of a battle.The two adversaries, however, had no fear of being separated. TheMexicans had suddenly stopped. As for the Spaniards, decimated by thecanister, and discouraged by the loss of their chief, they foughtwithout any order, more for the purpose of selling their lives dearlythan in the hope of conquering.
Don Anibal and General Cardenas carried on the duel they had sobravely commenced, while the Canadian and other officers kept back thespectators. The general was a very skilful swordsman, but, wearied bythe violent exercise he had been taking, and rendered desperate bythe probable defeat of his troops, he was not sufficiently master ofhimself to contend advantageously against an adversary of the strengthof Don Anibal. In a very short time he fell, run through the body. Theyrushed forward to help him; the general attempted to rise. For thelast time, he waved his sword defiantly, and raised to heaven his eyesalready glazed with death.
"Long live Spain!" he shouted in a powerful voice, and he fell back. Hewas dead, like a soldier should die, sword in hand. The battle was won.Of five thousand men that composed the Spanish army, hardly fifteenhundred survived. The Mexicans had conquered, more through the strengthof their position and the madness of their enemy, than through theirskill and courage. Perhaps, though, it was the will of God, who, in Hisomniscience, had marked this day as the last of the Spanish rule inMexico.