His Excellency observed: 'I would give
the world to have possession of the Spanish flotilla, for without
it I can never cross the river, and the troops are unable to
march.' 'But it shall be yours in an hour,' replied Paez. 'It is
impossible,' said Bolivar; 'and the men must all perish.' 'Leave
that to me,' rejoined Paez, and galloped off. In a few minutes he
returned, bringing up his guard of honour, consisting of 300
lancers selected from the main body of the Llaneros for their
proved bravery and strength, and, leading them to the bank, thus
addressed them: 'We must have these _flecheres_ or die. Let those
follow Tio who please' ('Tio,' or 'uncle,' was the popular name by
which Paez was known to his men), and at the same time, spurring
his horse, pushed into the river and swam towards the flotilla. The
guard followed him with their lances in hand, now encouraging their
horses to bear up against the current by swimming by their sides
and patting their necks, and then shouting to scare away the
alligators, of which there were hundreds in the river, until they
reached the boats, when, mounting their horses, they sprang from
their backs on board them, headed by their leader, and, to the
astonishment of those who beheld them from the shore, captured
every one of them.
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