The Young Llanero | Page 5

our canvas bulging out slightly, the schooner began to glide
slowly through the water. Just then I saw a puff of smoke issue from
one of the boats, and a shot came ricochetting over the water, passing
close to our quarter. The captain laughed. "You're a little too late, my

boys," he observed; "you should have pulled harder than you did if you
wished to get up with us."
The shot now came flying towards us as fast as the Spaniards could
load their guns, but they all either dropped into the water astern or went
whizzing by on either side. Though a gun had been slewed round and
pointed through one of the after-ports, we had not fired a shot. "We
might probably knock the boat to pieces, but there is no object in so
doing if we can escape them with our heels," observed Uncle Denis.
"You see, Barry, we are peaceably disposed, though we don't wish to
be interfered with."
I now suspected, what I afterwards found to be the case, that the Flying
Fish had arms and stores on board for the insurgents, which she was to
land at any port in their possession, or else at a part of the coast where
some of their troops could collect to receive them. The difficulty was to
ascertain the places in the hands of the republicans, for they might have
possession of a town one day, and it might be taken from them the next.
I was perfectly ready to fight, but I had no special wish to do so if it
could be avoided; and I was therefore glad to see our sails fill out with
the steady breeze, and to find that we were dropping the boats astern.
The corvette was still coming on, but she no longer gained on us; and
the wind still further increasing, we found that the Flying Fish was
much the faster craft. We were compelled, however, to haul our wind
and stand off the coast; and soon after noon had run the corvette out of
sight.
This adventure delayed us. After standing off for some days, we hove
to, keeping a sharp look-out. The next morning, having a good breeze,
we again stood in towards the coast. No sail like the corvette appearing,
we stood on till we reached the mouth of the magnificent river
Magdalena, inferior only in size to the Orinoco and Amazon on that
part of the continent. After forming numerous lakes, it empties itself,
by three mouths, into the Caribbean Sea. Off one of these mouths we
brought up, my uncle proposing to land with our property, and
ascertain the places held by the Republicans at which the Flying Fish
could safely discharge her cargo. We were afterwards to ascend the

stream as far as it was navigable, a voyage which would occupy us
some weeks. The spot where we were to leave the river was about three
days' journey by land from Santa Fe de Bogota, the capital of the
province of New Granada. After the boat had put us on shore, she was
to return to the schooner with the information we could obtain.
Wishing good-bye to our friends, who gave us three cheers, we shoved
off; the captain crying out, "Be smart, my lads, and be back as soon as
possible; I don't quite like the look of the weather."
"Ay, ay, sir!" was the answer; and we pulled away towards the passage,
which led into one of the large lakes through which the river
Magdalena passes.
There was some sea on the bar, but not sufficient to make us hesitate to
attempt it. On we pulled, the water foaming and leaping up. As we
approached the more dangerous part, I saw my uncle looking astern at a
large roller roaring up after us. "Pull for your lives, my lads!" he
shouted. The men gave way, and though the water rushed over the
quarter and half-filled the boat, the stern lifted, and shooting forward,
in another minute we were on the calm surface of the lake.
We pulled up, keeping towards its western shore. It was fringed with a
broad belt of mangrove-trees standing on numberless branching roots
which extended far into the water. So dense and tall were these trees
that the view beyond them was completely shut out, while not a spot of
dry ground appeared which would have afforded us a landing-place had
we wished to get on shore. The scenery, indeed, was altogether
unattractive and gloomy,--very different from that which I had
expected to see.
We had not gone far when the weather, as the captain had predicted,
suddenly changed. Dark clouds chased each other at a rapid rate across
the hitherto blue sky; the wind came in fitful gusts,