I rode close to him, and turning round to Mr Laffan, I said aloud,—“I wish he would address us as Englishmen, which he might easily do without causing suspicion; we could then learn all we want to know, and form a plan for helping him.”
Directly I had said this, Uncle Richard shouted out, “I am sure those are Englishmen! Have pity on me, noble gentlemen; I am your countryman, made prisoner by the Spaniards, and shall very likely be shot if I am not rescued.”
He turned to the soldiers standing by, and said in Spanish, “Those are English travellers—my countrymen. Allow them to speak to me; they are always generous, and will reward you.”
Without waiting for leave, we turned our horses towards the bench; and leaning over, I asked Uncle Richard after our families, and how he had been made prisoner,—trying to assume as unconcerned a tone as possible.
“They are all safe,” he answered. “Your father’s black servant—I won’t mention his name—has charge of them, and they are still safe in the mountains. I was unfortunately tempted to leave our retreat, in the hope of raising a body of Indians and others to be ready to aid a projected attack by the Patriots on the Spaniards, when I was surprised and taken prisoner. It will go hard with me, I fear, as, though I am an Englishman, Murillo will not stand on ceremony on that account.”
“Do not be cast down. We will try to find out where you are imprisoned, and will do everything we can to rescue you,” I answered.
“I am sure of that,” he said. “By what wonderful chance are you here?”
I then told him the object of our journey, and how I had letters to a number of persons of influence in Bogota, so that I might hope to be of effectual service to him.
“You will do your best, I am sure,” he said; “and, depend upon it, I do not intend to be killed like a rat in a hole, but shall try to gnaw my way out. You had better not stay much longer, or some of those fellows may possibly recognise you. Bestow a gold piece or two on me, if you have any to spare; in truth, I am greatly in need of money, as every dollar I had in my pocket was taken from me when I was made prisoner. And do not forget to bestow your promised gift on our guards—it will incline them to favour me. Two or three of them seem very good fellows, and have been attentive to me on the journey.”
“Now,” I said, “if you have an opportunity, tell my mother’s brother—I will not mention his name—why I have come to Bogota, and that every effort will be made for his liberation.”