登陆注册
14717900000032

第32章 The Flag Paramount(1)

At the head of the insurgent party appeared that Hector and learned Theban of the southern republics, Don Sabas Placido. A traveller, a soldier, a poet, a scientist, a statesman and a connoisseur--the wonder was that he could content himself with the petty, remote life of his native country.

"It is a whim of Placido's," said a friend who knew him well, "to take up political intrigue. It is not otherwise than as if he had come upon a new tempo in music, a new bacillus in the air, a new scent, or rhyme, or explosive. He will squeeze this revolution dry of sensations, and a week afterward will forget it, skimming the seas of the world in his brigantine to add to his already world-famous collections. Collections of what? ~Por Dios~! of everything from postage stamps to prehistoric stone idols."But, for a mere dilettante, the aesthetic Placido seemed to be creating a lively row. The people admired him; they were fascinated by his brilliancy and flattered by his taking an interest in so small a thing as his native country. They rallied to the call of his lieutenants in the capital, where (somewhat contrary to arrangements)the army remained faithful to the government. There was also lively skirmishing in the coast towns. It was rumored that the revolution was aided by the Vesuvius Fruit Company, the power that forever stood with chiding smile and uplifted finger to keep Anchuria in the class of good children. Two of its steamers, the ~Traveler~ and the ~Salvador~, were known to have conveyed insurgent troops from point to point along the coast.

As yet there had been no actual uprising in Coralio. Military law prevailed, and the ferment was bottled for the time. And then came the word that everywhere the revolutionists were encountering defeat.

In the capital the president's forces triumphed; and there was a rumor that the leaders of the revolt had been forced to fly, hotly pursued.

In the little telegraph office at Coralio there was always a gathering of officials and loyal citizens, awaiting news from the seat of government. One morning the telegraph key began clicking, and presently the operator called, loudly: "One telegram for ~el Almirante~, Don Senor Felipe Carrera!"There was a shuffling sound, a great rattling of tin scabbard, and the admiral, prompt at his spot of waiting, leaped across the room to receive it.

The message was handed to him. Slowly spelling it out, he found it to be his first official order--thus running:

"Proceed immediately with your vessel to mouth of Rio Ruiz;transport beef and provisions to barracks at Alforan.

~Martinez, General.~"

Small glory, to be sure, in this, his country's first call. But it had called, and joy surged in the admiral's breast. He drew his cutlass belt to another buckle hole, roused his dozing crew, and in a quarter of an hour ~El Nacional~ was tacking swiftly down coast in a stiff landward breeze.

The Rio Ruiz is a small river, emptying into the sea ten miles below Coralio. That portion of the coast is wild and solitary. Through a gorge in the Cordilleras rushes the Rio Ruiz, cold and bubbling, to glide at last, with breadth and leisure, through an alluvial morass into the sea.

In two hours ~El Nacional~ entered the river's mouth. The banks were crowded with a disposition of formidable trees. The sumptuous undergrowth of the tropics overflowed the land, and drowned itself in the fallow waters.

Silently the sloop entered there, and met a deeper silence. Brilliant with greens and ochres and floral, scarlets, the umbrageous mouth of the Rio Ruiz furnished no sound or movement save of the sea-going water as it purled against the prow of the vessel. Small chance there seemed of wresting beef or provisions from that empty solitude.

The admiral decided to cast anchor, and, at the chain's rattle, the forest was stimulated to instant and resounding uproar. The mouth of the Rio Ruiz had only been taking a morning nap. Parrots and baboons screeched and barked in the trees; a whirring and a hissing and a booming marked the awakening of animal life; a dark blue bulk was visible for an instant, as a startled tapir fought his way through the vines.

The navy, under orders, hung in the mouth of the little river for hours. The crew served the dinner of shark's fin soup, plantains, crab gumbo and sour wine. The admiral, with a three-foot telescope, closely scanned the impervious foliage fifty yards away.

It was nearly sunset when a reverberating "hal-lo-o-o!" came from the forest to their left. It was answered; and three men, mounted upon mules, crashed through the tropic tangle to within a dozen yards of the river's bank. There they dismounted; and one, unbuckling his belt, struck each mule a violent blow with his sword scabbard, so that they, with a fling of heels, dashed back again into the forest.

Those were strange-looking men to be conveying beef and provisions.

One was a large and exceedingly active man, of striking presence. He was of the purest Spanish type, with curling, gray-besprinkled, dark hair, blue, sparkling eyes, and the pronounced air of a ~caballero grande~. The other two were small, brown-faced men, wearing white military uniforms, high riding boots and swords. The clothes of all were drenched, bespattered and rent by the thicket. Some stress of circumstance must have driven them, ~diable a quatre~, through flood, mire and jungle.

"~O-he! Senor Almirante~," called the large man. "Send to us your boat."The dory was lowered, and Felipe, with one of the Caribs, rowed toward the left bank.

The large man stood near the water's brink, waist deep in the curling vines. As he gazed upon the scarecrow figure in the stern of the dory a sprightly interest beamed upon his mobile face.

Months of wageless and thankless service had dimmed the admiral's splendor. His red trousers were patched and ragged. Most of the bright buttons and yellow braid were gone from his jacket. The visor of his cap was torn, and depended almost to his eyes. The admiral's feet were bare.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 史上最强剑主

    史上最强剑主

    凝万象剑种,识百家道法,修无上宝体,成最强剑主!
  • 我最想要的形象礼仪书:做优雅有礼的得体女人

    我最想要的形象礼仪书:做优雅有礼的得体女人

    在现代生活中,女人们从服饰打扮、举止言谈、气质风度、文明礼貌等各个方面在做着尽善尽美的改变,因为这一切的细节都可能决定着她们的前程和命运。沿着古老的文明走到今天,女性已逐渐由幕后走到了台前,越来越多的社会生活需要女性参与、融人乃至主导,因此对女性的形象礼仪也提出了新的要求。女人们也用自身独特的形象礼仪为这个世界缔造着温暖和美丽。
  • 吾乃世间神

    吾乃世间神

    下班途中,大楼顶上的一根避雷针掉落下来,刺入了刘宇的头里,瞬间便昏厥了过去,等他再醒来时,自己竟然成了天界驻人间大使?!
  • 诡事奇闻录

    诡事奇闻录

    一个个恐怖事件的合集,诡事带你走进不同时空如封门村迷案,故宫事件,公路灵异事件,真中有假假中有真。
  • 网游之不尽传说

    网游之不尽传说

    传说,带来的是机遇还是危险。天寒,凭着什么,走向巅峰。本书无11,无YY,只有另一个世界。
  • 张謇:中国现代纺织业开拓者

    张謇:中国现代纺织业开拓者

    张謇是清末民初的著名实业家,他的一生有着不平凡经济。本书着重于张謇堪称传奇的一生,全面介绍张謇的功绩,力图使读者对张謇有一个全面的认识。
  • 遵命,殿下

    遵命,殿下

    三年前的一场灾祸,使得她决定重新活一次,只愿远离那原本带血黑暗的人生。崭新的生活,崭新的身份,她依旧光芒耀眼。曾经的人纷纷围在她周围,护她,爱她。对手依然咬紧她不放,是劫?是缘?——“你看,你逃了三年,却还是跑不过我追你的速度。”“子轩,愿你足够优秀和强大,能驱走生命中沉重的云翳。”“为什么我变得强大之后,却依然保护不了你?”——————男女主身心干净,阴谋,烧脑,慢热,慎入!!!!
  • 凰临天下:盛宠七王妃

    凰临天下:盛宠七王妃

    现代神医,一朝穿越,成了被欺侮退婚的陆府三小姐。勾心斗角,举步维艰,却幸得权倾朝野那人相伴不离。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 悲秋雨

    悲秋雨

    秋天是一个奇异的季节,有人因为它相爱,有人因为它落泪。于欢,是不是强颜与欢....
  • 穿越之九夫归我管

    穿越之九夫归我管

    现代“白骨精”受够上司的骚扰,在睡梦中穿越架空时代,怪异的世界,颠倒的男女,都让她摸不清头脑。灭门惨案后,苏沫沫失去之前穿越的记忆,这是一场什么样的阴谋?又是谁灭了要致苏家死地?从小定下娃娃亲的可爱正太夏依诺,妖娆魅惑的男子沐月莲和温润如水的沐沁兰,身世可怜的小倌琉璃,医术高明的师兄。。。太多优秀的男子围绕在身旁,根本不知道如何选择?是选择其一,让他人伤心,还是照单全收,皆大欢喜?!感谢阅文书评团提供书评支持