“At them!” the commandante shrieked wildly. “Forward! No mercy!”
The lieutenant, who was by far the better field officer, was endeavoring to make himself heard above the din. The pirates and the soldiers clashed, fought like maniacs, the troopers at the outset having much the better of it. But Barbados and his mounted pirates joined the battle and fought like fiends, because they saw visions of the hangman’s noose if they failed to achieve a victory complete.
Captain Ramón had one close look at the face of Barbados, and heard the pirate chief shriek “Traitor!” at him. Thereafter he managed to keep well in the rear of the fighting, under pretense of handling the men. His blade was the only one not red.
Ramón had no intention of liberating the caballeros until the fight was over, for he wanted to claim full credit for rescuing them. He wanted another talk with the Señorita Lolita, too, before her friends approached her. She had not given him the promise that he had expected, and the necessity for it was over, since Zorro was free of the pirate camp. But Ramón hoped to get the promise yet, and have an immediate marriage, saying that he was the one man who could give testimony that would save Señor Zorro if he was tried for conspiracy against the Governor.
The battle waged around him. Barbados and his pirate crew were endeavoring to keep between the troopers and the adobe building wherein the caballeros were held prisoners. The caballeros were crowding at the little windows, watching the fight. Don Audre Ruiz was still bound to the stake, for Fray Felipe had been unable to reach him before the fighting began, and now the aged fray was busy with the wounded men.
The señorita was under the close guard of a single pirate appointed to the task by Barbados. She was in one of the buildings, and Captain Ramón did not know where to find her. Convinced of the commandante’s treachery, Barbados had no thought of letting him get possession of the señorita. She could be held for ransom, the pirate chief decided.
Back and forth across the open space, up and down the sandy beach the fight progressed. Here groups of men were battling like fiends, here one pursued a lone enemy. The women and children were keeping to the huts.
“Fire the place!” Captain Ramón was ordering. “Burn them out!”
Some of the troopers were quick to do his bidding. A pistol flash was enough. The poor huts began burning fiercely, the dry palm fronds with which they were manufactured flaming instantly.
Ramón began to worry some. The battle seemed an even thing. Both sides had lost many men, and the two forces now were about even. It came to his mind that, unless the soldiers triumphed very soon, he would have to release the caballeros and let them join in the fray.