CHAPTER XLV.
GENERAL VENTURA.
It was about six in the morning. A dazzling sun poured down itstransparent rays on the streets of the Presidio of Santa Fe, which werealready full of noise and movement at that early hour of the morning.General Ventura was still plunged in a deep sleep, probably lulled byagreeable dreams, judging from the air of beatitude spread over hisfeatures. The general, reassured by the speedy arrival of the dragoonspromised him, fancied he had nothing more to fear from mutineers who hadhitherto inspired him with lively apprehensions. He thought, too, thatby the aid of the reinforcements, he could easily get rid of theComanche, who, on the previous day, had so audaciously bearded him inthe very heart of his palace.
He slept, then, that pleasant morning sleep, in which the body, entirelyrested from its fatigue, leaves the mind the entire liberty of itsfaculties. Suddenly the door of the sleeping room in which the worthygovernor reposed, was torn violently open, and an officer entered.General Ventura, aroused with a start, sat up in his bed, fixing on theimportunate visitor a glance, at first stern, but which at once becameuneasy on seeing the alarm depicted on the officer's features.
"What is the matter, senor Captain Don Lopez?" he asked, trying in vainto give firmness to his voice, which trembled involuntarily from aforeboding of evil.
Captain Lopez was a soldier of fortune, who had grown grey in harness,and contracted a species of rough frankness, that prevented him toningthe truth down under any circumstances, which fact made him appear, inthe General's eyes, a bird of very evil omen. The captain's arrival,therefore, doubly disquieted the governor. In the first place, throughhis alarmed face; and secondly, the reputation he enjoyed. To thegeneral's query the captain only replied the following three storm ladenwords--
"Nothing that's good."
"What do you mean? Have the people rebelled??"
"On my word, no! I do not fancy they even dream of such a thing."
"Very well, then," the general went on, quite cheered by the good news,"what the deuce have you to tell me, captain?"
"I have not come to tell you anything," the other said, roughly. "Thereis a soldier outside who has just come from I don't know where, and whoinsists on speaking with you. Shall I bring him, or send him about hisbusiness."
"One moment," exclaimed the general, whose features had suddenly becomegloomy; "who is the soldier?"
"A dragoon, I fancy."
"A dragoon! Let him come in at once. May heaven bless you, with all yourcircumlocution! The man, doubtless, brings me news of the arrival of theregiment I am expecting, and which should have been here before."
The captain shrugged his shoulders with an air of doubt.
"What is it now?" the general said, whom this expressive pantomimeeminently alarmed; "What are you going to say?"
"Nothing, except that the soldier looks very sad to be the bearer ofsuch good news."
"We shall soon know what we have to depend on. Let him come in."
"That is true," said the captain, as he went off.
During this conversation the general had leaped from his bed, anddressed himself with the promptness peculiar to soldiers. He nowanxiously awaited the appearance of the trooper whom Don Lopez hadannounced to him. In vain he tried to persuade himself that the captainwas mistaken, and that the soldier had been sent to tell him of thearrival of the regiment. In spite of himself, he felt in his heart aspecies of alarm which he could not account for, and yet nothing coulddissipate.
A few minutes were thus passed in febrile restlessness. All at once agreat noise was heard in the Plaza Major. The general went to a window,pulled aside a curtain, and looked out. A tumultuous and dense crowd wasthronging every street leading to the square and uttering sharp cries.This crowd, momentarily increasing, seemed urged on by somethingterrible, which the general could not perceive.
"What is this?" the general exclaimed; "And what can be the meaning ofthis disturbance?"
At this moment the shouts grew louder, and the detachment of Comanchewarriors appeared debouching by the Calle de la Merced, and marching ingood order, and at quick step, upon the palace. On seeing them thegeneral could not restrain a start of surprise.
"The Indians again!" he said; "How can they dare to present themselveshere? They must be ignorant of the arrival of the dragoons. Suchboldness is incomprehensible."
He let the curtain fall, and turned away. The soldier whom the captainhad announced to him stood before him, waiting the general's pleasure toquestion him. The general started on perceiving him. He was pale; hisuniform was torn and stained with mud, as if he had made a long journeyon foot through brambles. The general wished to clear up his doubts;but, just as he was opening his mouth to ask the man a question, thedoor flew back, and several officers, among whom was Captain Don Lopez,entered the room.
"General," the captain said, "make haste! You are expected in thecouncil hall. The Indians have come for the answer you promised to givethem this morning."
"Well! Why this startled look, gentlemen?" the general said, severely."I fancy the town has not yet been set on fire. I am not at the ordersof those savages, so tell them that I have no time to grant them anaudience."
The officers gazed at the general with a surprise they did not attemptto conceal, on hearing these strange and incomprehensible words.
"Good, good," Captain Lopez said, roughly, "the town is not yet fired,'tis true; but it might be so, erelong, if you went on in this way."
"What do you mean?" the general asked, as he turned pale. "Are mattersso serious?"
"They are most serious. We have not a moment to lose, if we wish toavoid heavy disasters."
The general started.
"Gentlemen," he then said, in an ill-assured voice, "it is our duty towatch over the safety of the population. I follow you."
And taking no further heed of the soldier he had ordered to be sent in,he proceeded towards the council hall.
The disorder that prevailed without had at length gained the interior ofthe palace. Nothing was to be heard but shrieks or exclamations of angerand terror. The Mexican officers assembled in the hall were tumultuouslydiscussing the measures to be adopted in order to save a contest and thetown. The entrance of the governor produced a healthy effect upon them,in so far that the discussion, which was degenerating into personalitiesand reproaches, dictated by individual fear, suddenly ceased, andcalmness was restored.
General Ventura regretted in his heart having counted on imaginary help,and not having listened to the sensible advice of some of his officers,who urged him the previous day to satisfy the Indians by giving themwhat they asked. In spite of the terror he felt, however, his priderevolted at being compelled to treat on equal terms with barbarians, andaccept harsh conditions which they would doubtless impose on him, in theconsciousness of having the upper hand.
The governor, in entering the hall, looked around the assemblyanxiously. All had taken their places, and, externally at least, hadassumed that grace and stern appearance belonging to men who arepenetrated with the grandeur of the duties they have to perform, and areresolved to carry them out at all hazards. But this appearance was verydeceptive. If the faces were impassive the hearts were timorous. Allthese men, habituated to a slothful and effeminate life, did not feelcapable of waging a contest with the rude enemies who menaced them soaudaciously, even at the doors of the governor's palace.
Under present circumstances, however, resistance was impossible. TheIndians, by the fact of their presence on the square, were masters ofthe town. There were no troops to oppose to them; hence, the only hopewas to make the easiest terms possible with the Comanches. Still, as allthese men wished to save appearances at any rate, the discussion begananew. When everyone had given his opinion, the governor rose, and saidin a trembling voice--
"Caballeros, all of us here present: are men of courage, and havedisplayed that quality in many difficult circumstances. Certainly, ifthe only thing, was to sacrifice our lives to save the hapless townsmen,we woul
d not hesitate to do so, for we are too well imbued with thesoundness of our duties tot hesitate; but, unhappily, that sacrificewould not avail to save those whom we wish before all to protect. Let ustreat, then, with the barbarians, as we cannot conquer them. Perhaps inthis way we shall succeed in protecting our wives; and children from thedanger that menaces them. In acting thus, under the grave circumstancesin which we find ourselves, we shall at least have the consolation ofhaving done our duty, even if we do not obtain all we desire."
Hearty applause greeted this harangue, and the governor, turning to theporter, who stood motionless at the door, gave orders to introduce theprincipal Indian chiefs.
The Trail-Hunter: A Tale of the Far West Page 45