"that," said lieutenant tiro to a captain of artillery, as they got inside the gate, "is about the best i've seen so far."
"i thought it was a bad business all through," replied the other; "and when they brought the guns up it was a certainty."
"it wasn't the guns that did us," said the lancer subaltern, who had no exaggerated idea of the value of artillery; "we wanted some cavalry."
"we wanted more men," answered the gunner, not anxious at that moment to argue the relative values of the different arms. "these rear-guard actions are the devil."
"there was a damned sight more action than there was rear-guard about that last bit," said tiro. "do you suppose they cut up the wounded?"
"every one of them, i should think; they were like wolves at the end."
"what's going to happen now?"
"they're going to come in here and finish us off."
"we'll see about that," said tiro. his cheery courage could stand a prolonged test. "the fleet will be back soon; we shall hold this place till then."
the palace was indeed not unsuited to defence. it was solidly built of stone. the windows were at some distance from the ground and the lower strongly barred, except on the garden-side, where the terrace and its steps gave access to the long french windows. but it was evident that a few good rifles could forbid the bare and narrow approaches in that quarter. indeed it seemed as though the architect must have contemplated the occasion that had now arrived, for he had almost built a stronghold disguised as a palace. the side which faced the square seemed to afford the best prospects to an assault; yet the great gate was protected by two small towers containing guard-rooms, and the wall of the courtyard was high and thick. as it seemed, however, that on this front the enemy would be able to use their numbers to the greatest effect, the majority of the little garrison were concentrated there.
the rebels were wisely and cautiously led. they did not at once push on to the attack of the palace; sure of their prey they could afford to wait. meanwhile the surviving adherents of the government endeavoured to make their last foothold secure. rough-hewn cobblestones from the pavements of the courtyard were prized up, and the windows were with these converted into loopholes through which the garrison might fire without much exposure. the gates were closed and barred, and preparations made to strut them with baulks of timber. ammunition was distributed. the duty and responsibility of each section of the defence was apportioned to the various officers. the defenders recognised that they had entered on a quarrel which must be carried to a definite conclusion.
but molara's mood had changed. the fury of the night had cooled into the hard, savage courage of the morning. he had led the desperate attempt to capture the mayoralty, and had exposed himself freely and even recklessly in the tumult of the fight that followed; but now that he had come through unhurt, had regained the palace, and realised that his last chance of killing savrola had passed, death appeared very ugly. all the excitement which had supported him had died away; he had had enough. his mind searched for some way of escape, and searched vainly. the torture of the moment was keen. a few hours might bring help: the fleet would surely come; but it would be too late. the great guns might take vengeance for his death; they could not save his life. a feeling of vexation shook him, and behind it grew the realisation of the approaching darkness. terror began to touch his heart; his nerve flickered; he had more to fear than the others. the hatred of the multitude was centred in him; after all it was his blood they wanted,—his above all others. it was a dreadful distinction. he retired in deep despondency to his own room, and took no part in the defence.
at about eleven o'clock the sharpshooters of the enemy began to make their way into the houses which surrounded the front of the palace. presently from an upper window a shot was fired; others followed, and soon a regular fusilade began. the defenders, sheltered by their walls, replied carefully. lieutenant tiro and a sergeant of the guards, an old war-time comrade of molara's, were holding the window of the guard-room on the left of the great gate. both were good shots. the subaltern had filled his pockets with cartridges; the sergeant arranged his on the sill in neat little rows of five. from their position they could shoot right down the street which led into the square and towards the gate. outside the guard-room a dozen officers and men were still engaged in making the entrance more secure. they tried to wedge a great plank between the ground and the second cross-piece; should the rebels try to rush the gate-way, it would thus be strong enough to resist them.
the fire from the surrounding houses was annoying rather than dangerous, but several bullets struck the stones of the improvised loopholes. the garrison fired carefully and slowly, anxious not to expend their ammunition, or to expose themselves without a result. suddenly, about three hundred yards away, a number of men turned into the street which led to the gate, and began rapidly pushing and pulling something forward.
"look out," cried tiro to the working-party; "they're bringing up a gun;" and taking good aim he fired at the approaching enemy. the sergeant, and all the other defenders of this side of the palace, fired too with strange energy. the advancing crowd slackened speed. among them men began to drop. several in front threw up their hands; others began carrying these away. the attack dwindled. then two or three men ran back alone. at that all the rest turned tail and scurried for the cover of the side street, leaving the gun (one of the captured twelve-pounders) standing deserted in the middle of the roadway, with about a dozen shapeless black objects lying round it.
the garrison raised a cheer, which was answered from the surrounding houses by an increase of musketry.
a quarter of an hour passed and then the rebels debouched from the side streets into the main approach and began pushing up four carts filled with sacks of flour. again the defenders fired rapidly. their bullets, striking the sacks, raised strange creamy white clouds; but the assailants, sheltered by their movable cover, continued to advance steadily. they reached the gun, and began emptying the carts by pushing the sacks out from behind, until a regular breastwork was formed, behind which they knelt down. some began firing; others devoted their efforts to discharging the gun, on which the aim of the garrison was now directed. with a loss of two men they succeeded in loading it and pointing it at the gate. a third man advanced to fix the friction-tube by which it was fired.
tiro took steady aim and the distant figure collapsed to the shot.
"bull's eye," said the sergeant appreciatively, and leaned forward to fire at another, who had advanced with desperate bravery to discharge the piece. he paused long on his aim, wishing to make certain; holding his breath he began gently to squeeze the trigger, as the musketry-books enjoin. suddenly there was a very strange sound, half thud, half smash. tiro, shrinking swiftly to the left, just avoided being splashed with blood and other physical details. the sergeant had been killed by a bullet which had come to meet him as he looked through his loophole. the distant man had fixed his tube, and, catching up the lanyard, stood back and aside to fire.
"stand from the gate," shouted tiro to the working-party; "i can't hold 'em!" he raised his rifle and fired on the chance. at the same instant a great cloud of smoke burst from the gun and another sprang up at the palace gate. the woodwork was smashed to pieces and, with the splinters of the shell, flew on, overtaking with death and wounds the working-party as they scampered to cover.
a long loud burst of cheering arose on all sides from the surrounding houses and streets, and was taken up by the thousands who were waiting behind and heard the explosion of the gun. at first the rebel fire increased, but very soon a bugler began to sound perseveringly, and after about twenty minutes the musketry ceased altogether. then from over the barricade a man with a white flag advanced, followed by two others. the truce was acknowledged from the palace by the waving of a handkerchief. the deputation walked straight up to the shattered gateway, and their leader, stepping through, entered the courtyard. many of the defenders left their stations to look at him and hear what terms were offered. it was moret.
"i call upon you all to surrender," he said. "your lives will be spared until you have been fairly tried."
"address yourself to me, sir," said sorrento stepping forward; "i am in command here."
"i call upon you all to surrender in the name of the republic," repeated moret loudly.
"i forbid you to address these soldiers," said sorrento. "if you do so again, your flag shall not protect you."
moret turned to him. "resistance is useless," he said. "why will you cause further loss of life? surrender, and your lives shall be safe."
sorrento reflected. perhaps the rebels knew that the fleet was approaching; otherwise, he thought they would not offer terms. it was necessary to gain time. "we shall require two hours fro consider the terms," he said.
"no," answered moret decidedly. "you must surrender at once, here and now."
"we shall do no such thing," replied the war-minister. "the palace is defensible. we shall hold it until the return of the fleet and of the victorious field-army."
"you refuse all terms?"
"we refuse all you have offered."
"soldiers," said moret turning again to the men, "i implore you not to throw away your lives. i offer fair terms; do not reject them."
"young man," said sorrento with rising anger, "i have a somewhat lengthy score to settle with you already. you are a civilian and are ignorant of the customs of war. it is my duty to warn you that, if you continue to attempt to seduce the loyalty of the government troops, i shall fire at you." he drew his revolver.
moret should have heeded; but tactless, brave, and impulsive as he was, he recked little. his warm heart generously hoped to save further loss of life. besides, he did not believe that sorrento would shoot him in cold blood; it would be too merciless. "i offer you all life," he cried; "do not choose death."
sorrento raised his pistol and fired. moret fell to the ground, and his blood began to trickle over the white flag. for a moment he twisted and quivered, and then lay still. there were horrified murmurs from the bystanders, who had not expected to see the threat carried out. but it is not well to count on the mercy of such men as this war-minister; they live their lives too much by rule and regulation.
the two men outside the gate, hearing the shot, looked in, saw, and ran swiftly back to their comrades, while the garrison, feeling that they must now abandon all hope, returned to their posts slowly and sullenly. the report of a truce had drawn the president from his room, with a fresh prospect of life, and perhaps of vengeance, opening on his imagination. as he came down the steps into the courtyard, the shot, in such close proximity, startled him; when he saw the condition of the bearer of terms, he staggered. "good god!" he said to sorrento, "what have you done?"
"i have shot a rebel, sir," replied the war-minister, his heart full of misgivings, but trying to brazen it out, "for inciting the troops to mutiny and desertion, after due warning that his flag would no longer protect him."
molara quivered from head to foot; he felt the last retreat cut off. "you have condemned us all to death," he said. then he stooped and drew a paper which protruded from the dead man's coat. it ran as follows: i authorise you to accept the surrender of antonio molara, ex-president of the republic, and of such officers, soldiers, and adherents as may be holding the presidential palace. their lives are to be spared, and they shall be protected pending the decision of the government. for the council of public safety,—savrola. and sorrento had killed him,—the only man who could save them from the fury of the crowd. too sick at heart to speak molara turned away, and as he did so the firing from the houses of the square recommenced with savage vigour. the besiegers knew now how their messenger had fared.
and all the while moret lay very still out there in the courtyard. all his ambitions, his enthusiasms, his hopes had come to a full stop; his share in the world's affairs was over; he had sunk into the ocean of the past, and left scarcely a bubble behind. in all the contriving of the plot against the lauranian government savrola's personality had dwarfed his. yet this was a man of heart and brain and nerve, one who might have accomplished much; and he had a mother and two young sisters who loved the soil he trod on, and thought him the finest fellow in the world.
sorrento stood viewing his handiwork for a long time, with a growing sense of dissatisfaction at his deed. his sour, hard nature was incapable of genuine remorse, but he had known molara for many years and was shocked to see his pain, and annoyed to think that he was the cause. he had not realised that the president wished to surrender; otherwise, he said to himself, he might have been more lenient. was there no possible way of repairing the harm? the man who had authorised moret to accept their surrender had power with the crowd; he would be at the mayoralty,—he must be sent for,—but how?
lieutenant tiro approached with a coat in his hands. disgusted at his superior's brutality, he was determined to express his feelings, clearly if not verbally. he bent over the body and composed the limbs; then he laid the coat over the white expressionless face, and rising said insolently to the colonel: "i wonder if they'll do that for you in a couple of hours' time, sir."
sorrento looked at him, and laughed harshly. "pooh! what do i care? when you have seen as much fighting as i have, you will not be so squeamish."
"i am not likely to see much more, now that you have killed the only man who could accept our surrender."
"there is another," said the war-minister, "savrola. if you want to live, go and bring him to call off his hounds."
sorrento spoke bitterly, but his words set the subaltern's mind working. savrola,—he knew him, liked him, and felt they had something in common. such a one would come if he were summoned; but to leave the palace seemed impossible. although the attacks of the rebels had been directed against the side of the main entrance only, a close investment and a dropping musketry were maintained throughout the complete circle. to pass the line of besiegers by the roads was out of the question. tiro thought of the remaining alternatives: a tunnel, that did not exist; a balloon, there was not one. shaking his head at the hopeless problem he gazed contemplatively into the clear air, thinking to himself: "it would take a bird to do it."
the palace was connected with the senate-house and with the principal public offices by telephone, and it happened that the main line of wires from the eastern end of the great city passed across its roof. tiro, looking up, saw the slender threads overhead; there seemed to be nearly twenty of them. the war-minister followed his gaze. "could you get along the wires?" he asked eagerly.
"i will try," answered the subaltern, thrilled with the idea.
sorrento would have shaken his hand, but the boy stepped backward and saluting turned away. he entered the palace, and ascended the stairs which led to the flat roof. the attempt was daring and dangerous. what if the rebels should see him in mid air? he had often shot with a pea-rifle at rooks, black spots against the sky and among the branches. the thought seemed strangely disagreeable; but he consoled himself with the reflection that men who look through loopholes at the peril of their lives have little leisure for aught but aiming, and rarely let their eyes wander idly. he stepped out on to the roof and walked to the telegraph-post. there was no doubt as to its strength; nevertheless he paused, for the chances against him were great, and death seemed near and terrible. his religion, like that of many soldiers, was of little help; it was merely a jumble of formulas, seldom repeated, hardly understood, never investigated, and a hopeful, but unauthorised, belief that it would be well with him if he did his duty like a gentleman. he had no philosophy; he felt only that he was risking all that he had, and for what he was uncertain. still, though there were gaps in his reasoning, he thought it might be done and he would have a dash for it. he said to himself, "it will score off those swine," and with this inspiring reflection he dismissed his fears.
he swarmed up the pole to the lowest wire; then he pulled himself higher until he could get his foot on the insulators. the wires ran on both sides of the pole in two sets. he stood on the two lowest, took the top ones under his arms, and, reaching down over, caught one more in each hand. then he started, shuffling awkwardly along. the span was about seventy yards. as he cleared the parapet he saw the street beneath him,—very far beneath him, it seemed. shots were continually exchanged from the windows of the houses and the palace. sixty feet below a dead man lay staring up through the wires undazzled by the bright sun. he had been under fire before, but this was a novel experience. as he approached the middle of the span the wires began to swing, and he had to hold on tightly. at first the slope had been on his side, but after the centre was passed it rose against him; his feet slipped often backwards, and the wires commenced to cut into his armpits.
two-thirds of the distance was safely accomplished, when the wires under his left foot parted with a snap and dropped like a whip-lash against the wall of the opposite house. his weight fell on his shoulders; the pain was sharp; he twisted,—slipped,—clutched wildly, and recovered himself by a tremendous effort.
a man at a lower window pulled back the mattress behind which he was firing and thrust his head and shoulders out. tiro looked down and their eyes met. the man shouted in mad excitement, and fired his rifle point-blank at the subaltern. the noise of the report prevented him from knowing how near the bullet had passed; but he felt he was not shot, and struggled on till he had passed the street.
it was all up; yet to turn back was equally fatal. "i'll see it out," he said to himself, and dropped from the wires on to the roof of the house. the door from the leads was open. running down the attic stairs and emerging on the landing, he peered over the bannisters; no one was to be seen. he descended the narrow staircase cautiously, wondering where his enemy could be. presently he was opposite the front room on the second floor. keeping close to the wall he peered in. the room was half-darkened. the windows were blocked by boxes, portmanteaus, mattresses, and pillow-cases filled with earth; broken glass, mingled with bits of plaster from the walls, littered the floor. by the light which filtered in through the chinks and loopholes, he saw a strange scene. there were four men in the room; one on his back on the ground, and the others bending over him. their rifles were leaned against the wall. they seemed to have eyes only for their comrade who lay on the floor in an ever-widening pool of blood, gurgling, choking, and apparently making tremendous efforts to speak.
the subaltern had seen enough. opposite the front room was a doorway covered by a curtain, behind which he glided. nothing was to be seen, but he listened intently.
"poor chap," said a voice, "he's got it real bad."
"how did it happen?" asked another.
"oh, he leaned out of the window to have a shot,—bullet hit him,—right through the lungs, i think,—fired in the air, and shouted." then in a lower but still audible tone he added, "done for!"
the wounded man began making extraordinary noises.
"su'thin' he wants to tell 'is pore wife before he goes," said one of the revolutionaries, who seemed by his speech a workman. "what is it, mate?"
"give him a pencil and paper; he can't speak."
tiro's heart stood still, and his hand stole back for his revolver.
for nearly a minute nothing audible happened; then there was a shout.
"by god, we'll cop him!" said the workman, and all three of them stamped past the curtained door and ran up-stairs. one man paused just opposite; he was loading his rifle and the cartridge stuck; he banged it on the ground, apparently with success, for the subaltern heard the bolt click, and the swift footsteps followed the others towards the roof.
then he emerged from his hiding-place and stole downwards. but as he passed the open room he could not resist looking in. the wounded man saw him in an instant. he half raised himself from the ground and made terrible efforts to shout; but no articulate sound came forth. tiro looked for a moment at this stranger whom chance had made his implacable enemy, and then, at the prompting of that cruel devil that lurks in the hearts of men and is awakened by bloodshed and danger, he kissed his hand to him in savage, bitter mockery. the other sank backwards in a paroxysm of pain and fury and lay gasping on the floor. the subaltern hurried away. reaching the lowest storey he turned into the kitchen, where the window was but six feet from the ground. vaulting on to the sill he dropped into the backyard, and then, with a sudden feeling of wild panic, began to run at top speed,—the terror that springs from returning hope hard on his track.
