Hume Fergus. The Harlequin Opal: A Romance. Volume 3 of 3
CHAPTER I. WITHIN THE WALLS
CHAPTER II. THE FALL OF JANJALLA
CHAPTER III. THE FLIGHT TO TLATONAC
CHAPTER IV. EXIT DON FRANCISCO GOMEZ
CHAPTER V. THE INDIAN RAID
CHAPTER VI. THE LUCK OF THE OPAL
CHAPTER VII. UNDER THE OPAL FLAG
CHAPTER VIII. THE BATTLE OF CENTEOTL
CHAPTER IX. THE TRIUMPH OF THE REPUBLIC
CHAPTER X. THE CAÑON ROAD
CHAPTER XI. THE DESTINY OF THE OPAL
CHAPTER XII. FAREWELL, TLATONAC
Отрывок из книги
Tim at once took his friends to his quarters, and made them comfortable, but scarcely had they finished a hurried meal, when an aide-de-camp arrived from General Gigedo requiring their presence without delay. As Peter had received a nasty blow on the head during the mêlée, Jack insisted that he should remain behind and rest himself. Peter feebly remonstrated against this arrangement, as he wanted to accompany his friends, but in the end was forced to yield to their insistence. Then Duval buckled on his sword, slipped his revolvers into his belt, and went off with Tim to report himself at head-quarters.
Both of them were terribly alarmed about Philip. In the first burst of emotion Jack had deemed his friend dead; but, on looking at the matter calmly, it seemed probable that he would yet turn up well and unhurt. It was impossible that Indians, in whatever number, could utterly exterminate a body of disciplined troops amounting to a thousand men. Tim's opinion was that if they had been attacked and overpowered by strategy, they had fled to the nearest town for shelter. As he had marched overland with Colonel Garibay from Tlatonac, he knew the country better than did Jack, and proceeded to defend his theory of the reinforcements' safety, by describing the position of the towns.
.....
"Not much deserting about that," said Tim, grimly; "no! the rebels have some scheme in their heads."
By this time Pedraza was thoroughly enraged at the insolence of this one ship attacking him single-handed, and signalled at once to the torpederas. The captain of The Columbus saw that the signals ordered the boats to "up anchor," and acted accordingly. In a surprisingly short space of time the rebel ship had swung round, and with full steam ahead was standing out to sea. The ships of the Junta were taken by surprise at their manœuvre, and it was fully a question of an hour before they started in pursuit. Tim shut his glass with a click.
