The Rifle Rangers

Away over the dark, wild waves of the rolling Atlantic--away beyond the summer islands of the Western Ind--lies a lovely land. Its surface-aspect carries the hue of the emerald;...

Between the shores of the Mexican Gulf and the "foot-hills" (_piedmont_) of the great chain of the Andes lies a strip of low lands. In many places this belt is nearly a hundred...

The escape of Raoul and Hercules produced an affect almost magical upon the enemy. Instead of the listless defensive attitude lately assumed, the guerilleros were now in motion...

In a few minutes our greetings were over. Twing moved on, taking with him his squadron of mounted men. I had made up my mind to take the _opposite road_--the "back track". I was...

"I would not care a _claco_ for my own life," said Raoul, as the gate closed upon us, "but that you, Captain--_helas! helas_!" and the Frenchman groaned and sank upon the stone...

On the crest of the little hillock stood a house of rare construction-- unique and unlike anything I had ever seen. The sides were formed of bamboos, closely picketed, and laced...

Mine were anything but agreeable. I was pained and puzzled. I was pained to think that _she_--dearer to me than life--was thus exposed to the dangers that surrounded us. It was...

Vera Cruz is a fortified city. Round and round it is girt by a wall, with regular batteries placed at intervals. You enter it from the land side by three gates (_garitas_), and...

Clayley had now recovered, and I once more enjoyed the society of my light-hearted friend. But neither that nor the smiles of the hospitable Jalapenas could make me happy. My th...

"Yur safe, Cap'n!" It was Lincoln's voice. Around me stood a dozen of the men, up to their waists. Little Jack, too, (his head and forage-cap just appearing above the surface of...

It was a long night--the longest I can remember--a night that fully illustrated the horror of monotony. I can compare our feelings to those of one under the influence of the nig...

Early in the month of March the troops at Lobos were re-embarked, and dropped down to the roadstead of Anton Lizardo. The American fleet was already at anchor there, and in a fe...

"Now, Cap," said Lincoln, as we seated ourselves at the table of a cafe, "I'll answer t'other question yur put last night. I wur up on the head of Arkansaw, an' hearin' they wur...

It was past midnight when I withdrew from the scene of wassail. My blood was flushed, and I strolled down upon the beach to enjoy the cool fresh breeze that was flowing in from...

The "City of the True Cross" fell upon the 29th of March, 1847, and the American flag waved over the castle of San Juan de Ulloa. The enemy's troops marched out upon parole, mos...

I brushed past, and kept up the guardaraya. In a few minutes we had reached the lower end of the pond, where we halted. Here we dismounted; and, leaving the men, Clayley and I s...

The house, to all appearance, had but one apartment--the room in which we then were. The only point of this screened from observation was the little veranda into which Don Cosme...

When I awoke all was darkness around me. I threw out my arms and opened the damask curtains. Not a ray of light entered the room. I felt refreshed, and from this I concluded I m...

"We're in for it now," said Raoul, deeply mortified at the part he had taken in the affair with the cure. "It's a wonder they have kept us so long. Perhaps _he's_ not here himse...

"Let me conduct you to my cave, gentlemen," said the Spaniard: "I am half a subterranean. In the hot weather, and during the northers, we find it more agreeable to live under th...

Raoul thought that their superstition might prevent the enemy from pursuing us farther. They would consider the lightning as an interference from above--a stroke of the _hrazos...

It would be impossible to describe my feelings as I was flung upon the floor of our prison. This was cold, damp, and filthy; but I heeded not these grievances. Greater sorrows a...

I began to reflect upon the real danger of our situation--corralled upon a naked prairie, ten miles from camp, with no prospect of escape. I knew that we could defend ourselves...

During all this time shots were ringing over me. I could hear the shouts and cheering of men, the trampling of heavy hoofs, and the clashing of sabres. I knew that some strange...

After the battle of Cerro Gordo, our victorious troops pursued the enemy on to Jalapa, where the army halted to bring up its wounded, and prepare for an advance upon the capital...

Pushing through the jungle, we ascended the eminence. A brilliant picture opened before us. The storm had suddenly lulled, and the tropical sun shone down upon the flowery surfa...

The guerilleros now halted and dismounted. We were left in our saddles. Our mules were picketed upon long lazos, and commenced browsing. They carried us under the thorny branche...

In the "fall" of 1846 I found myself in the city of New Orleans, filling up one of those pauses that occur between the chapters of an eventful life--doing nothing. I have said a...

A night-ride through the golden tropical forest, when the moon is bathing its broad and wax-like frondage--when the winds are hushed and the long leaves hang drooping and silent...

"Two or three wounded--not bad neither. Chane has got a stab in the hip--he gin the feller goss for it. Let me louze the darned thing off o' your neck. It kum mighty near chokin...

"Full of the enemy--full of rancheros. I saw their ugly copper faces--a dozen of them at least--looking at me over the pickets; and, sure as heaven, if I had gone ten paces fart...

After calling at Brazos Santiago, we were ordered to land upon the island of Lobos, fifty miles north of Vera Cruz. This was to be our "drill rendezvous." We soon reached the is...

We headed towards the National Bridge. Raoul had a friend half-way on the route--an old comrade upon whom he could depend. His rancho was in a secluded spot, near the road that...

In a minute our whole party--dragoons, officers, and all--had galloped our horses into the bed of a dry arroyo, where we were completely screened from observation. Three or four...

There was a deep ditch under the wall, filled with cactus-plants and dry grass. We lay in the bottom of this for some minutes, panting with fatigue. Our limbs were stiff and swo...

"Be my sowl! it ates purty well, black as it is," said Chane, looking ruefully into the empty vessel. "It's got a worse complaint than the colour, didn't yez fetch us a thrifle...

"Had it been anybody else but Blossom--fighting Daniels, for instance-- we might have reckoned on a comfortable bit of duty; but the old whale can hardly climb into his saddle--...

A wild shout now drew our attention, and, looking up the creek, we saw our pursuers just debouching from the woods. They were all mounted, and pressing their mustangs down to th...

I could not help smiling, for I had overheard him through the trees making the most he could of his partner's broken English. I was curious to know how he had sped, and whether...

On re-entering the _sala_ the picture of woe was again presented, but in an altered aspect. A change, sudden as the atmospheric one we had just witnessed, had taken place; and t...

The guerilleros had swerved off as soon as they perceived that we had gained a safe position, and the bullets of our reloaded pieces began to whistle around their ears. Dubrosc...

It was daylight when I awoke--broad daylight. My companions, all but Clayley, were already astir, and had kindled a fire with a species of wood known to Raoul, that produced har...

Love is a rose growing upon a thorny bramble. There is jealousy in the very first blush of a passion. No sooner has a fair face made its impress on the heart than hopes and fear...

Shortly after, we debouched from the forest, entering the open fields of Don Cosme's plantation. There was a flowery brilliance around us, full of novelty. We had been accustome...

It was still only an hour by sun as we rode off from the Eagle's Cave. At some distance I turned in my saddle and looked back. It was a singular sight, those _five_ hanging corp...

When we emerged from the stairway the scene that hailed us was one of terrific sublimity. Earth and heaven had undergone a sudden and convulsive change. The face of nature, but...

Up to this moment my intention had been engrossed with the contents of the note, and I had no thought of looking outward. I raised myself on tiptoe, stretching my neck as far as...

We rode all night. The mule-blinds, although preventing us from seeing a single object, proved to be an advantage. They saved our eyes and faces from the thorny claws of the aca...

At night Raoul and I, disguised in the leathern dresses of two rancheros, stole round the lines, and reached Punta Hornos, a point beyond our own pickets. Here we "took the wate...

"Faix, Captain," said the Irishman, "it's meself that thinks Mister Dubrosc won't throuble any ov us any more. It was a purty lick that same, ayquil to ould Donnybrook itself."

Many an uneasy look was thrown over our shoulders as we struggled down that slope. Our strength was urged to its utmost; and this was not much, for we had all lost blood in our...

Night fell, and the blazing fagots threw their glare over the patio, striking upon objects picturesque at all times, but doubly so under the red light of the pine fires. The gro...

I entered my chamber--to sleep? No. And yet it contained a bed fit for Morpheus--a bed canopied and curtained with cloth from the looms of Damascus: shining rods roofed upwards,...

For a time there was a strange irresolution in my flight. The idea of leaving Guadalupe in such company--that after all they might be prisoners, or, even if not, the thought tha...

We stood for some moments gathering breath and nerving ourselves for the desperate struggle. I could not help looking over the precipice. It was a fearful sight. In a vertical l...