The hungry pack of vulture like dogs having swept past me, howling
from every throat, dashed towards six or seven bodies which the
soldiers were removing for burial in the deep hole they had excavated.
The men stood their ground for a moment and then fled. The fierce
brutes pounced upon the dead with ravenous cries that chilled my
blood. The Colonel, who was upon his horse near by, shouted for
the men to fire a volley upon them. The discharge did not in the
least move the mass, though a dozen of their number were knocked
over dead. One of them which I saw tumbled over and over by a ball
which broke his fore shoulder after gaining his feet, went limping
back again to the human carrion as fierce for his food as before.—
Altogether it was a fearful and revolting scene and I never wish to witness
such another one. After several vollies, which was followed up
by a charge of thirty or forty mounted men, the dogs, (if dogs they
can be called) were driven off at a distance, where they sat upon their

[figure description] Page 013.[end figure description]

haunches licking their bloody jaws and howling at intervals, with the
most fearful cries of rage and desire, while the soldiers once more
proceeded to bury the mangled remains.

At length the rites of sepulture, rude and hurried as they were,
were completed, the Colonel made the sign of the cross ove the
mound and then gave orders for his men to mount and fall into
column.

I had been so much taken up with the scene I have described, that I
quite forgot, until this moment, my purpose of trying to effect my escape
to the Patriot lines. As the cavalry were wheeling into marching
order, I began to reflect upon my original intention. But a moment's
observation showed me the peril I should be in making the attempt.
I had began to think that it was my duty to return to the city
and share the fate of my friends. Even if I could effect my escape to
the camp of the Buenos Ayrean General, it would be like treachery to
my companions who, placing confidence in me, had appointed me to
act as a spy and ascertain what were the best means of quitting the
town.

These considerations fixed my decision, and I resolved to return
with the Colonel and his escort, and not think of joining the patriot
camp until I could do so with my comrades.

When I had come to this resolution, which ought from the first to
have governed me—but when I was so near the camp and so well
mounted to spur, it was a temptation—Colonel De Silva rode up and
ordered me to fall in along side of him. He looked very grave and
stern, and one or two expressions he let drop, showed me that he was
reflecting with mortification upon his defeat. I rode by his rein in
silence, the column winding on in the rear among the low hillocks
that covered the desolate surface of the country near the walls. The
dogs had hardly waited for the rear to move, ere they rushed howling
towards the place where the bodies had laid.

Our way did not lay by the road we had come, but we took a path
to the left to enter the city by a gate further to the East. It led us
near the `Campo Santo,' or `Holy Field,' a burial ground of large
dimensions walled with stone and situated upon the side of a low elevation.
It was the cemetery for the inhabitants of the city. A desolate
place it was. Scsrcely a tree shaded its white-washed and crumbling
tombs, and its walls were falling into ruin. Vultures sat brooding
upon the monuments, and dogs wandered about seeing prey in
the shallow graves. The burning sun shone down hot upon the place,
and the atmosphere was fœtid with exhalations from the putrid sepulchres.
But what was most revolting was the sight of human skeletons
with the muscles still cleaving to them, laying about in the `holy
ground,' and here a skull, and there an arm, with its fleshless fingers.
To crown this desecration of the dead, in one corner of the burial
place were `cords' of human bones, piled fike wood, eight and ten
feet high, with pyramids of skulls heaped upon the top. It was altogether
a `Golgotha,' a place of skulls. I asked Colonel De Silva
what it meant. He answered me in English that every year the bodies
were taken from the graves and thus disposed of, that the graves

[figure description] Page 014.[end figure description]

might be used for fresh tenants. The half-fleshed skeletons strewn
about, he said, had doubtless been torn from their graves by the vultures
and dogs.

He spoke with the unconcern of one familiarized to such scenes;
but I shuddered and prayed fervently to Heaven that it might never be
my fate or that of any of my friends to die in this country and be committed
to the Campo Santo for burial.

Leaving this horrible place behind us, we trotted along a stony path
bordered by thistles, which run parallel with the moat, and at length
came round to the eastern gate, which the Colonel decided to re-enter
the city by, as it was near his quarters. For a few hundred yards we
had the moat close upon our right, the walls towering beyond them
high in the air, and thronged with troops and citizens watching us.—
The moat was filled with dark-green, stagnant water, covered with a
slimy mould, and its edges lined with the most abominable filth. I
thought that its condition was sufficient to deter an enemy from attempting
to cross it even were it fordable. The draw-bridge which
remained raised until we came within speaking distance of the gate,
now was slowly lowered like a huge trap-door and spanned the moat.
The gates were at the same time thrown open and we trotted across
the bridge at a round pace and entered the city. As the last man of
our column entered, the bridge was raised and the gate closed. The
Colonel did not halt his troop, but riding at a hand-gallop dashed
through an arched way in a high wall which led into the court of the
cavalry barracks. Here they wheeled into line, and after a few brief
words addressed to them by him were dismissed to their quarters.—
Poor fellows! glad enough they seemed to be discharged from further
duty, for they had had a hard day's work of it, and a defeat instead of
a victory as the result.

I threw myself from my horse with the rest, and the animal released
galloped off to the stables. As I felt quite satisfied with my little
military experience in the Brazilian cavalry I did not delay making
the best of my way out of the barrack-yard. I deposited my helmet
upon the ground and placing my sword beneath my arm and retaining
my pistols looking to future use for them, I walked towards the gate.
The sentry seeing me thus accoutred and in citizen's dress, no doubt
thought I had been stealing the arms, and instead of letting me pass
out presented his musket across the passage and ordered me to surrender
the weapons. I understood him, little as I knew of Portuguese,
and very firmly told him in Spanish for his `Portuguese' that he should
not have them.

`You are a thief,' said he, `and I shall put you under arrest in the
guard-house.'

As he spoke he laid his hand upon my shoulder. I drew back and
cocked one of my pistols, and told him in as good Spanish as I could
muster, with here and there an English word by way of greater emphasis,
that I had fairly come by the arms in the sortie,—though they happened
to belong to a Brazilian dragoon instead af a Quacho—and that
I would keep them.

The fellow stepped back, and scowling, while his huge mustache

[figure description] Page 015.[end figure description]

moved with rage, brought his musket to the charge, and I believe
would have run me through if I had not coolly stood my ground and
covered his breast with the muzzle of my pistol. In these respective
attitudes we stood for full thirty seconds, I resolved not to surrender
my weapons, and he hesitating whether to run the risk of bayonetting
me, when my old friend the trooper, who had mounted me behind
himself, came up, with others, on hearing the uproar. The
first thing he did was to knock up the sentry's musket and then to
wrest my pistol from my hand. He demanded to know what was the
difficulty and why the sentinel was about to kill his `Americano
amigo.'

The soldier told his story, when the stout trooper made a warm defence
of me and my conduct. It was not altogether comprehensible
to me; but it produced quite a change in my favor. The soldiers
about looked upon me with smiles, and the sentinel gave me his hand
and shook mine warmly.

Nothing then would do but that I must step into the guard-house
with half a score of them and drink a glass of muddy sweet wine with
them, when I took my leave, in high favor with the be-mustached fellows,
half of whom, I forgot to say, were three shades blacker than
ebony.

I now made the best of my way back to the shop from which I had
been absent on this my first warlike expedition, no less than five hours.
It was past one when I reached the shop. Rairfax was there alone.
Upon seeing me, he exclaimed, between anger and gratification,—

`Why, Peril, where in the deuce have you been all the forenoon?—
I began to think you had got into some scrape.'

`Where is the old man?' I asked, with some perturbation, for I
stood in a wholesome fear of the bald-headed deceiver, and apprehended
a `blow up.'

`He came in after you had been gone three hours and asked where
you were: I told him you had stepped out and I expected you in
every moment. He swore a little and then, I believe, went round to
the other shop.'

While Fairfax was speaking the old man entered.

`Soh, you are here! Very well, sir! You, I see, think my time
your own. If you dare to leave the shop again without my leave
I'll have you thrown into the calaboose. One word of complaint from
me and you'd be arrested, no matter whether you were innocent
or not. They don't ask about such things here. I'll have you up,
sirrah!'

Here the old man stopped, pale with rage, and for want of words
expressive of his displeasure, shook his fist in my face.

I was about to make some quick retort when I caught Fairfax
looking warmly at me. So I repressed my resentment and smiling,
walked behind the counter. He did not say any more then, as the
old black cook we had hired came to say that dinner was ready up
stairs.

At night, after we had done the day's work, we four went all on
the house top to enjoy the cool night air before going down into our

[figure description] Page 016.[end figure description]

sleeping rooms. They had asked me during the afternoon to tell
them where I had been, for they all saw by my manner that I had
something to tell, and I had put them off till evening. Now, beneath
the starry skies, with a pleasant breeze from the water, and seated
upon the battlements in one corner of the roof, I told them the events
of the day.

When I had done they expressed their regret that they had not been
with me, so that we might have reached the Patriot camp together.—
We then talked over several plans of getting out of the city, but each
presented obstacles that seemed insurmountable. The idea of getting
out of the gates it seemed useless to entertain. At length Radsworth
suggested that we should be on the watch when another sortie would
be made, offer ourselves as volunteers, and when we got fairly outside,
spur for the goal of our ambition—the Patriot camp. But I had had
experience enough in my mad-cap foray to see the difficulty and danger
attending such a measure, and opposed it.

`We seem likely to have such difficulty in getting out of the city,'
at length said Hewitt, `I begin to think, on the whole, we had best
stick by the old man. I had a talk with him to-day and he said he
would by and by give us a fair compensation.'

`I wouldn't trust him,' answered Fairfax, warmly. `Besides, I have
no fancy to be a shop-boy. It will stick to us through life as it is, I
dare say, and I am determined to quit it at once!'

`Don't you mean to go into the shop again?' demanded Hewitt.

`No,' answered Fairfax, firmly. `My mind is made up. I have
nearly a hundred dollars in silver. I will go and board at the Coffee
House, and be on the look out the while for some way to get us off.
By the time I have spent it, I will find some way of escape, or I
will let the Portuguese tumble me into the callaboose!'

`If I had money,' I answered promptly, `I would go to the Coffee
House with you. But you know, boys, how I am! I must stick to
the old man or be dependent on others.'

`I will lend you,' said Fairfax.

`I won't borrow,' I answered, `so long as the old man has a roof, bed
and table which I have a claim to!'

`I have but a little more money than Perril, answered Hewitt, and
I shall have to stick to the soda-pipe.'

`I think it best to try it a little longer, and let Fairfax look out for
us, we at the same time watching every chance for our escape,' said
Radsworth.

After a little more discussion of our several positions, it was finally
decided that Fairfax should go to the Coffee House, and while there
avail himself of every means to find a way of escape from the city for
the whole party, while we were to remain with the old man, but not to
relax our diligence in bringing round our ultimate purposes.

We then retired for the night, leaving the howling of dogs and the
calls of sentinels, making night hideous with their confused noises.

CHAPTER IV. The Crisis.

[figure description] Page 017.[end figure description]

The next morning brought with it a crisis in our affairs as the reader
will shortly see. As soon as the breakfast was over, the old man
got up from the table, and rubbing his hands together began, as usual,
to hurry us away to the shops.

`Come, boys, it is seven o'clock! time to be at work! Lazy legs
never made full purses! Stir yourselves and let's see which shop will
take the most money to-day!'

`I have decided, sir,' said Fairfax firmly, `not to go into your soda
shop again!' and he compressed his lips with a resolute air.

`What sir!' exclaimed the old man pale with surprise and anger;
`what is that you say?'

`I will repeat it again if you desire, Mr. Bedrick. I say it is my
firm determination never to go into your soda-shop again!'

`You young scoundrel, you!' cried the infuriated old man; `I'll have
the city guard here in five minutes! I'll'—

`I don't fear the city guard nor you, sir! You have more reason to
fear it, old man, than we have.'

`I? I?' repeated the old gentleman almost bursting with rage, and,
as I thought, looking at the same time conscious of guilt.

`What do you mean, sir? How do you dare address my honored
father so?' demanded the young gentlemen Ned, in spectacles, looking
white as ashes and bullying up to Fairfax.

`Don't interfere, sir, between Fairfax and Mr. Bedrick,' said I laying
my hand gently upon our `tutor's' arm, and drawing him back.

He looked round at me as if he would very gladly knock me over;
but he saw something in my eye that doubtless restrained his rage
within discreet bounds; for he was a contemptible fellow, and I most
cordially despised him, as also did the rest of us, not exceptlng even
his own brother.

`A conspiracy, father! Let us call the police.'

He ran to the door, when Radsworth placed himself before it and
said quietly,

`If you know when you are well off, Ned, you will keep quiet and
let Fairfax and your father have their talk out.'

The `student' drew back shaking with rage and fear, while Fairfax
continued to the old man,

`I repeat sir, you have the most reason to fear the city guard! Does
not your conscience tell you so? It is time we all understood one another.
Hear me, Mr. Bedrick, for I am resolved to speak. I speak
not only for myself but for my friends here, for we are one in interest
as we are one in your gross deception.'

`Deception?'

`Yes, sir. Do not try to hide your crime against as. We know all,
and knew all before we landed at Montevideo. You wrote down to

[figure description] Page 018.[end figure description]

the Lyceum when we were at school, saying that you were a merchant
going out to Buenos Ayres to a large Commission House, and that you
wished Professor Haley to recommend to you four respectable youths
who would like to go out with you. Your letter bore the face of truth
and fairness, and your references seemed honorable men. We four,
deceived ourselves as well as our parents, embraced the offer and joined
you at Boston. There the veil which covered your base designs
upon us, was carefully kept drawn, and we embarked with you wholly
unsuspicious of your character and ultimate object. You represented
yourself as the owner of the cargo of the brig, and told us many other
things to bolster up your deception. At length, when we began to
suspect the trick, Captain Pright unveiled the whole—removed the
mask, and showed you to us in your true character. He told us that
so far from owning the cargo, you had nothing on board but four soda
fountains, a few boxes of syrup, and some other articles for opening
soda-shops. He told us that you were a broken merchant dependent on
your friends, who had paid your passage out, and given you the money
to buy these articles, glad to get you out of the country on any terms,
they had given you a `character.' They were not aware that you had
imposed upon us by deceiving us with the belief that you were to open
an `extensive' mercantile house, when you were to open only a paltry
soda-shop. They supposed we went with you with our eyes open.—
Sir, why did you practice this arrant roguery upon four young men of
good families! Why did you not employ youths from a different condition
in life? Doubtless, because you could find none willing to go
with you to tend soda-shops in Buenos Ayres who could be trusted;
and so you thought you would aim high, and by deception get respectable
youths whom you could trust. Did you not look forward, sir, to
the time when those youths arriving in Buenos Ayres should see the
deception you had practiced upon them. Or did you suppose that,
finding themselves twelve hundred miles from home, they would be
willing to become your hewers of wood and drawers of water! But,
sir, you are mistaken. When we learned the full extent of the treachery
toward us, from the Captain of the vessel, our indignation was with
difficulty restrained. But we resolved to remain quiet until we reached
Buenos Ayres and then throw ourselves upon the protection of the
Consul. Instead of going there we were brought in here. To the last
you kept up your deception, and suggested to us, that as we were unable
to reach our port we might pass our time in selling soda. But I
will not repeat all your falsehoods. We came on shore with you! we
assisted you! we have continued to do so to this time, not from fear
or love, but partly because we pitied your indigence and would give
you a start, and partly because we felt that you owed us a house so long
as you had one. If we had possessed money we should not have remained
with you a day. You have upon us no claim whatsoever.—
We have assisted you in your shop because we could do no better. I
have, however, resolved to remain no longer in an occupation for which
neither my ambition, my family connexions nor my education has fitted
me. I have enough to support me a few weeks, and I shall go to
the Coffee-house and board. For the food, lodging and bed you have

[figure description] Page 019.[end figure description]

given me, I have re-paid you my labor in the shop. As for my friends
here, they have less money than I have, and they are willing to stay
with you, I believe, till they can do better; though the fact that we
have been soda-shop boys will always level us in the eyes of others of
our own condition here till they are informed of the facts. My friends
here, now, will speak for themselves.'

Thus ending his spirited speech, Fairfax walked aside to the window
and amused himself with gazing into the street, and humming
Yankee Doodle. The old man and his son had listened in silent consternation;
the face of the former livid and flushed by turns as a sense
of guilt or anger filled his bosom. At length he spoke with a cowed
look, more like a criminal in the presence of his judges, than the avaricious
and petty tyrant, whom we had so long quietly suffered to rule
over us.

`I confess that I have in some sort deceived you, young gentlemen;
but I wanted respectable young men: and I supposed that you could
easily better your fortunes after you got out here, if you didn't like to
stay with me. But I, in truth, hoped through the profit that I trusted
to realize in three or four years with my shops, to accumulate a sufficient
capital to enable me to open a Mercantile House. I assure you
this was my intention. But if you are resolved to leave me,' he continued
in a whining tone, `I can't help it, though it would give me
great satisfaction to have you continue with me. I acknowledge that
I can't hold you; but I trust you won't all of you desert me, just as I
have begun to make some money. If you will remain with me I will
agree not only to keep you, but pay each of you a quarter of a dollar a
day besides!'

`The price of one glass of soda-sangaree,' I answered smiling at my
companions.

`I will give you then half a dollar,' responded the old man.' `I
shall be ruined if you leave me!'

`There are your two sons,' I answered with irony. `But I suppose
they are quite above the business.'

`William,' you know, I have no control of,' responded the old man
almost crying; and as for Edwin, he is of age and does as he pleases,
besides his time is taken up in studying the language!'

`We are quite as much entitled to act the gentleman as either o
your sons, sir,' answered Radsworth; `but as we can do no better at
present, I for one am willing to remain with you till something offers
more suitable; but I must have a dollar a day, which will be but a trifle-out
of the sum which we are earning for you.'

`I am willing to remain on the same terms,' answered Hewitt.

I hesitated. I had not five dollars in the world, but I felt that I had
rather take my chance with fortune than remain with him any longer;
for I not only detested the business, but had such a contempt for him
that I could not bear to be in his presence. Even at this moment,
though years have passed since then, my blood tingles as I recall him
to mind. At length seeing that Radsworth and Hewitt were looking
with solicitude for my reply, I answered,

[figure description] Page 020.[end figure description]

`I too, sir, will assist you in the shop at a dollar a day till I can do
better, but I shall quit you the very first opportunity!'

`This is an imposition, father! A dollar a day! Three dollars a day!'
cried Ned bristling up.

`Silence, sir,' I said. `You had best say but little and weigh well
that little. We are doing this to favor your father not ourselves. If
we chose, we could this moment enlist in the Imperial cavalry and have
a horse, armor, clothing and good pay.'

`It is hard—three dollars a day!' ejaculated the old man, but it can't
be helped. I wish,' he added in a pettish under tone, `that every mother's
son of them was back in the States!'

I laughed and rejoined,

`That we would all gladly go back, if he would pay our passage, in
the first ship that offered.'

He made no reply, but began to curse Captain Pright, accusing him
of treachery, and swearing he would write home to the owners. We
left him in this mood, and went down into the shop. Fairfax got a
negro to take his trunk on his shoulder, and leaving us went to the
English Coffee House, while I remained in the shop; Hewitt and
Radsworth going to the other one on the Calle San Pedro. As I was
left alone, I was honored most of the day with the old gentleman's
company, who was as active in drawing the soda for the customers as
a boy. He looked, however, very sour, and more than once reminded
me that I must stir and be busy, for he would have his full dollar's
worth out of me. I only laughed at him; for I felt perfectly independent
of him, resolved that when I got tired of him, I would quit and
trust to fortune.

In this manner, we remained with him several days, the old man growing
each day more civil and fawning; as our independence of manner
alarmed him; for he well knew if we left him he could get no one to
fill our stations, and that he would either have to hire Portuguese negroes,
who would rob and perhaps murder him, or close his shops altogether.
His avarice, therefore, made him obsequious; and so, bating
our constant sense of degradation in following so low an employment,
our time passed more pleasantly than it had done. Every day we saw
Fairfax, who, though dilligent in making every observation within his
power, could yet discover no way of getting out of the city to join the
Patriots. In the meanwhile, we made our Connectiout friend, Saul, a
full confidant of all that had occurred, but did not let him know until
a fortnight after our `crisis' with the old man what our ultimate intentions
were. When at length, as one Sunday afternoon we were at
his house, we told him that our ambition was to get outside and join
the Patriots, he made every effort in his power to dissuade us from such
an attempt

`It you are took tryin' to get off, you'll be shot as dead as four redherrin'!
' he said emphatically.

`But we don't mean to be taken.' I answered.

`You can't help it. The Portuguese 'll discover you from the walls
may be fire on ye; or if you get safe into the country you'll be shot
down by the mounted robbers that's scourin' about as thick as hops;

[figure description] Page 021.[end figure description]

or else the packs o' tarnal hungry dogs 'll fall on ye and tear ye to
mince meal!' It's much as yer lives is worth to try to get to the Patriots.
Ten to one if yer get near 'em they'll shoot you down takin' you
for enemies, afore you can say `camarada!' Take my advice and stay
here till somethin' turns up!'

`What can we do?' we asked.

`Wall, that's a thumper, true enough. I would n't 'vise you to stay
with the old man, for you'd sarve him right to quit him right off; but
a dollar a day's somethin.' I suppose you'd think my trade was n't
more genteel than his, or I'd take you to help me!'

`Your trade is respectable, Saul,' I answered. `I do not despise it.
I would rather a thousand times be an honest mechanic, than a pedlar
of glasses of soda-grog. But it would take a good while before we
could make ourselves useful to you. You are very kind. The only
way left for us is to join the Patriots. We have no money to get home.
Business here is dead, and we could get no employs as clerks. We may
never be able to reach Buenos Ayres to do any thing there. The only
course for us is, to try and join the Patriots, and there win fame, and
may be, money.'

`Wall, Yankee boys is al'ays devil-bent,' answered Saul. `But jest
let me advise you to keep your own council. If the old man should
guess you were watching a chance to get out of the town and join the
enemy, he'd report you to the Governor General, and I guess you'd be
shot for spies and traitors! These Portuguese are mighty ready with
their muskets. Keep all still, and if any thing turns up let me know;
and don't forget that so long as Saul Freelove has a house over his head
you are to hum in it!'

We thanked the honest fellow for his interest in our behalf, and
promised that we would act with caution.