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The world was silent, except for the languorous wash of the little waves and the breathing of a soft wind in the foliage. For an hour he made his way mostly under cover around the shore to the mouth of the Inlet, from where he could see Jaffier's gunboat on the watch. The distance was about a thousand yards back to where the yacht lay.
Several shots were now fired from the forts but, though they fell near, the brig was uninjured. The second gunboat did not venture to attack so formidable an opponent and, half an hour later, the Antelope and her prize dropped anchor off the Mole. Bob had already run down and put on his usual clothes, and he and Amy were at once rowed ashore, and made their way to Major Harcourt's quarters.
As there is no reason to suppose that Farragut deliberately intended to offer the gunboat up as a forlorn hope by drawing the first fire of the enemy, always the most deadly, and thus saving the more important vessels, the disposition of her constitutes the only serious fault in his tactical arrangements on this occasion a fault attributable not to his judgment, but to one of those concessions to human feelings which circumstances at times extort from all men.
Sometimes I catch myself heaving a sigh for the old man that's dead, and saying to myself, "That was a great life yonder." My recollection is, it was a sub-agent in Cuba who turned evidence on Clyde at last, for a gunboat missed us by only a few miles coming down by St. Christopher, as I heard afterward.
When we left they returned, but before going we burned some large buildings in which supplies were stored, mostly rice and sugar. We returned to the gunboat and cascos late that evening. Captain Grant, of the gunboat, wanted to go about thirty miles up the bay from Santa Cruz. We made the run in three hours. It was a very bright moonlight night. The objective point was reached about eight o'clock.
Ensign Fullerton regarded the young commanding officer of the gunboat expectantly. "Put a solid shot across her bows, Mr. Fullerton." Again the order was transmitted, with little noise. The gun-crew then awaited the signal from the executive officer. Bang!
They were stretched out on the bridge of the gunboat, taking advantage of the fact that the whites were still sleeping, to do nothing. "I approached the oldest one and spoke to him with authority: 'Listen, I saw the black crow in a dream last night. He told me that the shade of the gum trees of Gâo would be fatal to your chief in the coming night!...
By a mixture of firmness and tact he not only prevented any assault on our citizens, but persuaded the Colombian commander to reembark his troops for Cartagena. On the Pacific side a Colombian gunboat shelled the City of Panama, with the result of killing one Chinaman the only life lost in the whole affair.
As at Port Hudson, a large proportion of the fourteen vessels he purposed to take in with him were of the gunboat class, or a little above it. Resort was accordingly again had to the double column adopted there; the seven ships that had the most powerful batteries forming the right column to engage Fort Morgan.
"Who are you?" demanded the gruff captain. "An officer in the United States Navy," said Clif, promptly. "From the gunboat Uncas." "And what are you doing here?" "We were wrecked on the coast last night. We surrender, and we expect to be decently treated." "You are prisoners of war," was the officer's stern response, "and you will be treated as such. Forward, march!"