"And meantime," remarked Garibay, dryly "Xuarez will land some troops—already two thousand lie before the town—we have hard work, even behind our walls to keep them back. Now we have scarcely five hundred here capable of defending the town. Many are dead and wounded—fever and dysentery prevail greatly. If Xuarez lands more troops and makes an immediate attack Janjalla must fall."
"He cannot land more troops while The Iturbide and the torpederas guard the harbour." said Gigedo in a tone of some displeasure; "and even if these two thousand again assault the walls we can hold out until reinforcements arrive. His Excellency tells me that two thousand men are to follow in ten days."
"Hark!" cried Tim, as Garibay was about to reply; "a gun!—another. Señores, the warships are at it again. With your permission, General."
He hastily left the room and went off to the walls where he was soon afterwards joined by Jack, who had been hurriedly dismissed by the General. They looked seaward, and saw the performance of a most extraordinary drama.
It was now about three o'clock, and the ocean like a sheet of glass stretched in an inclined plane upward to the distant horizon. Owing to the elevation of the city walls they looked down, as from the heights of an amphitheatre. The ramparts were crowded with spectators, townsfolk and soldiers. Immediately below was the beach, the rebel camp—then the long pier shooting out into the blue, and beyond the flashing expanse of the sea. The Iturbide was lying a quarter of a mile from the shore with her two torpederas, one on each side of her. The cruiser had swung round, and was firing her guns at a slowly approaching warship.
"The Columbus!" cried Jack, when his eyes fell upon this vessel.
"True for you, John," said Tim, handing him the glass. "She has come south by herself. I thought you told me the transports were not due here till midnight."
"No more they are. I expect Xuarez, learning through his spies of our departure from Tlatonac has sent The Columbus on ahead to join forces with The Pizarro. With two warships he hopes to keep our lot at bay till the transports with the Cortes are safe in the harbour."
"The sinking of The Pizarro will rather upset his plans. The Columbus dare not attack two torpederas and a cruiser, single-handed."
"Upon my soul! that seems exactly what she intends to do, Tim."