Death or Liberty
When they halted for the night, the young men were presented to Bolivar as he sat in his hammock under the trees. He expressed great joy at seeing Englishmen in his army, who might train and discipline his troops. After asking questions about the condition of affairs in Europe, he dismissed them in the charge of his officers. These gave the young men lances and fine horses.
Thus the English lads became a part of Bolivar’s Army. They and their countrymen, forming the English Legion, performed such brave deeds and made such gallant charges on the battle-fields, that without them Bolivar could not so soon have won Venezuela’s Independence. Retold from the account by one of the young Englishmen.
UNCLE PAEZ—THE LION OF THE APURE
Paez was one of Bolivar’s most daring and picturesque generals. It would take a whole book to tell of his romantic adventures and how he was exiled and came to live in New York. There is a painting of him and his dashing cowboys in the Municipal Building of the City of New York.
At first he was a llanero or cowboy of the plains. He was of mighty strength, and was a magnificent horseman. He knew well how to use the llanero’s lance with all its cunning tricks. His men were cowboys, horsemen, and fighters by instinct. They followed him into battle with wild llanero shouts. Uncle Paez, they called him, When Bolivar with his troops reached the Apure River, he could not cross for there were no boats. A few canoes were drawn up on the opposite bank, guarded by six enemy gunboats.
As Bolivar paced up and down impatiently, he exclaimed:—
“Have I no brave man near me, who can take those gunboats?”
“They shall be yours in an hour,” said Paez coolly, who was standing by.
“Impossible!” said Bolivar.