Presently, however, a sereno, or patrol, stopped them, on account of their pioneer dress, perhaps, and said a great deal which they did not in the least understand. His tone and manner were so censorious that Moses thought they had better turn back. Accordingly they hastened to the gate near Fort St. Louis, by which they had entered, but found it shut. A watch-fire burned in the street near it, and a soldier in uniform, with musket and bayonet, was walking up and down before it.
As they drew near this sentry, he shouted: “Centinela alerta!” at the top of his lungs—the usual fifteen-minute cry of a Spanish soldier on guard duty.
But the boys thought that he had shouted to them, and were startled by his vehemence.
The soldier continued on his beat, but looked hard at them; and not to provoke him into shouting like that again, the boys went back a little way to see what would happen next.
Something happened immediately. From out a side street near the palisadoes they heard a little bell ringing, and saw a queer procession coming—two tonsured men in black robes, who bore a black banner and a kind of a tray; while behind them, at a rapid pace, trotted four or five attendants, each carrying a lantern. Bringing up the rear were twelve soldiers, having muskets and bayonets fixed.
These, most likely, were Spanish priests, proceeding to a military execution. Moses and Lewis were apprehensive lest the soldiers might be looking for them, and promptly scudded to the cover of several long tiers of molasses hogsheads on the levee.
The ominous procession passed, however; and, satisfied now that they were not objects of pursuit, Lewis and Moses came out from their hiding-place and followed. Walking rapidly, priests and soldiers proceeded to the Plaza de Armas (now Jackson Square), passed the Cabildo, aduana and barracks, and went to the calabozo, or prison, in the rear.
Several hundred people had collected here, and there were also numbers of soldiers and three serenos with torches. Way was made for the strange procession. When it stopped before the prison door the by-standers drew back, and every one sank on his knees with bowed head—every one except our two youthful pioneers from the Ohio. They had no idea what it was all about, and simply stood still.
Immediately attention was attracted to their irreverent attitude. One man whispered to them brusquely, and attempted to pull Moses down. Not understanding a word, and resenting having hands laid on him, Moses gave him a push. The stranger insisted. Moses pushed him headlong. Lewis, too, squared about to assist his companion. Thereupon two soldiers attempted to seize him. Lewis promptly clinched with the one nearest, and cross-locking his leg, threw him heavily to the ground. Moses, too, proved more than a match for the other.
Our two young arksmen broke away and ran through the crowd, shoving the people right and left. But a sereno caught hold of Moses, and as he was unable to break loose again, they secured him, and with many threats and buffets, hustled him away to a circular wooden structure, hard by the calabozo. This was the “little calabozo,” which the Creoles called the “calaboose,” answering to our lockup, or police-station. Moses was thrust in without ceremony, and found himself in very undesirable company.