A Terrible Thing
But the struggle against Spain was only just begun. Her armies were large. Her General, Monteverde, was treacherous, crafty, and cruel. Much of Venezuela yet groaned beneath the heel of Spain.
Miranda and his soldiers fought valiantly, now defeated, now victorious. It began to seem as though the Patriot cause might triumph in the end.
Then a terrible thing happened.
An earthquake—frightful, tremendous—shook the land. The earth heaved like the sea in all directions. Churches, houses, and barracks swayed, and fell with a roar. Men, women, and children were crushed and killed. The Patriot arms and supplies were buried under mountains of débris.
In the City of Caracas, the ruins were awful. The frantic people ran screaming into the great square. The hearts of the bravest were frozen with terror.
But the earthquake had scarcely passed away, before Friars, who were loyal to Spain, were mounted on a table in the midst of the frightened multitude.
“The earthquake is the judgment of God,” they cried, “and his curse on all who are trying to cast off their virtuous King, the Lord’s Anointed!”
The people listened in horror. A religious panic spread from Caracas throughout Venezuela. People forgot that earthquakes had often happened before in many parts of the world, casting cities into ruins. They believed that God Almighty had condemned their struggle for Independence.
Many soldiers of the Patriot Army refused to fight any more against Spain. They deserted in numbers to Monteverde. In vain Miranda tried to rally his troops, he could no longer persuade them to believe in the justice of their cause. Superstitious terror had made cowards of them all.
Monteverde continued to advance rapidly. Miranda saw not only his ranks thinning daily, but the country that supplied food and cattle for his army, falling into the hands of the enemy.
Then came a final crushing blow:—
The strong Fortress of Puerto Cabello fell into the hands of Monteverde.