by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.
THE REPORT OF THE PURSUER.
With unappeased impatience the Dictator awaited the return of thepursuing party, or some news of it. The last he in time received atfirst hand from the lips of its leader, who, after nightfall, hadhastened back to the city and reported himself at the Palace.
"You have taken them?" interrogated Santa Anna, as the Hussar officer,no longer in a glitter of gold lace, but dim with sweat and dust, wasushered into his presence.
He put the question doubtingly; indeed, from the expression ofSantander's face, almost sure of receiving a negative answer. Negativeit was--
"Not yet, Sire; I regret to say they are still at large."
The rejoinder was preceded by a string of exclamatory phrases, illbecoming the Chief of the State. But Santa Anna, being a soldier,claimed a soldier's privilege of swearing, and among his familiars wasaccustomed to it as any common trooper. After venting a strongebullition of oaths, he calmed down a little, saying--
"Give me a full account of what you've seen and done."
This was rendered in detail, from the time of the pursuit being enteredupon till it had ended abortively, by the coming on of night.
Chancing to be in the Maza, the Colonel said, when word reached him ofwhat had occurred in the Calle de Plateros, he made all haste to pursuewith a squadron of Hussars. Why he took so many, was that he might beable to send a force along every road, in case it should be necessary.
He found the _escapados_ had gone out by El Nino Perdido, the sergeanton guard there allowing them to go past.
"See that he be put under arrest!"
"He's under arrest now, your Excellency. I had that done as I wasreturning."
"Proceed with your relation!"
Which Santander did, telling how he had followed the fugitive partyalong the San Angel Road, and there met a troop of Lancers fromChapultepec. Some field-labourers had seen a carriage turn off towardsCoyoacan; and taking that route he soon after came up with it. It wasstopped on the roadside: empty, horses gone, the harness strewed overthe ground hacked and cut; the _cochero_ strapped to one of the wheels,and gagged with the handle of his whip!
When the man was released he could tell nothing more than that the fourhad mounted his horses, a pair upon each, and galloped off across thecountry, on a sort of bridle path, as if making for the San AntonioRoad.
Turning in that direction, Santander soon discovered that they hadentered into a tract of _chapparal_; and while this was being searchedfor them, the unharnessed horses were observed rushing to and fro infrenzied gallop, riderless of course. When caught, it was seen why theywere now excited, one of them having its ear slit, the blood stilldropping from the wound.
The _chapparal_ was quartered in every direction; but he soon came tothe conclusion it was no use searching for them there.
"_Carramba_!" interrupted his listener; "of course not I know the placewell. And if you, Senor Colonel, were as well acquainted with that_chapparal_, and what lies alongside it, as one of those you were after,you'd have dropped the search sooner. You needn't tell me more; I canguess the finish; they got off into the Pedregal."
"So it would seem, your Excellency."
"Seem! So it is, _por cierto_. And looking for them there would be somuch lost time. Around your native city, New Orleans, there are swampswhere the runaway slave manages to hide himself. He'd have a betterchance of concealment here, among rocks, in that same quarter you'vejust come from. It's a very labyrinth. But what did you afterwards?You may as well complete your narrative."
"There is not much more to tell, Sire; for little more could we do. Thedarkness came on, as we discovered they had taken to the rocks."
"You did discover that?"
"Yes, your Excellency. We found the place where they had gone up over asort of cliff. There were scratches made by their feet, with a branchbroken off one of the cactus plants; some of the sewer mud, too, was onthe rock. But there was no path, and I saw it would be useless carryingthe pursuit any further till we should have the light of morning. I'vetaken every precaution, however, to prevent their getting out of thePedregal."
"What precautions?"
"By completely enfilading it, Sire. I sent the Lancers round by SanGeromino and Contreras; the Hussars to go in the opposite direction bySan Augustin. They have orders to drop a picket at every path thatleads from it, till they meet on the other side."
"Well, Senor Colonel, your strategy is good. I don't see that you couldhave done better under the circumstances. But it's doubtful whether weshall be able to trap our foxes in the Pedregal. One of them knows itspaths too well to let night or darkness hinder his travelling alongthem. He'll be through it before your pickets can get to theirstations. Yes; and off to a hiding-place he has elsewhere--a saferone--somewhere in the Sierras. Confound those Sierras with theircaverns and forests. They're full of my enemies, rebels, and robbers.But I'll have them rooted out, hanged, shot, till I clear the country ofdisaffection. _Carajo_! I shall be master of Mexico, not only in name,but deeds. Emperor in reality!"
Excited by the thought of unrestrained rule and dreams of vengeance--sweet to the despot as blood to the tiger--he sprang out of his chair,and paced to and fro, gesticulating in a violent manner.
"Yes, Senor Colonel!" he continued in tone satisfied as triumphant."Other matters have hindered me from looking after these skulkingproscripts. But our victory over the Tejanos has given me the powernow, and I intend using it. These men must be recaptured at all cost--if it take my whole army to do it. To you, Don Carlos Santander, Ientrust the task--its whole management. You have my authority torequisition troops, and spend whatever money may be needed to ensuresuccess. And," he added, stepping close to his subordinate, andspeaking in a confidential way, "if you can bring me back Ruperto Rivas,_or his head so that I can recognise it_, I shall thank you not as_Colonel_, but as _General_ Santander."
The expression upon his face as he said this was truly Satanic. Equallyso that on his to whom the horrid hint was given. Alike cruel in theirinstincts, with aims closely corresponding, it would be strange if thefugitive prisoners were not retaken.