Miss Fairfax of Virginia: A Romance of Love and Adventure Under the Palmettos

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER XIX.

  BY WAY OF THE BALCONY.

  Julio had doubtless made other calculations during his life, only tofind them turn out Dead Sea fruit.

  In this case his confidence was on a par with the natural ferocity ofhis disposition, but as frequently happens, he overshot the mark.

  Roderic met his assault and went him one better--he turned theSpaniard's eager blade aside with the quick movement of one to themanner born.

  No doubt Julio was surprised, but he never let anything interfere withbusiness.

  A second rush, another rebuff.

  This was growing monotonous--really, it began to look as though theunknown cavalier might be playing with him.

  Nothing could arouse the devil in a Spanish heart quicker than thissuspicion.

  Humiliation is to the proud don worse than any other ill savedeath--relieve him from this indignity and you can have all else.

  So Julio, instead of taking warning from the ease with which hisassaults were turned aside, instead of calling upon his patron saintfor protection should this master of the steel turn the tables andbegin to assail him, only swore the harder and went recklessly into thepush.

  Their little imbroglio had by this time attracted considerableattention.

  Men called out to one another and came hurrying pell mell to thescene--fond of cock fights and the meeting of bull and _toreadors_in the arena, these fellows hailed a street brawl as a specialdispensation of Providence on their behalf.

  Already a ring was forming, a ring composed of dark visaged men, someSpanish soldiers, others natives of the noble city of San Juan, but alldesirous of observing the exciting drama that was being played as ifespecially for their particular benefit.

  All of which was bad for Roderic.

  No matter what measure of success followed his engagement with Julio,he was apt to find it a serious matter to escape an encounter withthese hangers on, whose sympathies seemed to be with the dancer,judging from the way in which his name was coupled with cries of directencouragement.

  These same bravos urged Julio to make a third vicious attack whereprudence might have suggested that he cover his weakness by fallingback on the defense.

  Roderic thought the farce had gone far enough--he was desirousof leaving the locality ere it became too hot for a man of hisdescription; and besides, there was at least a small chance that thisimpassioned athlete who struck out so blindly, regardless of his ownuncovered condition, might inflict an accidental wound.

  So he locked horns with the Spaniard and tripped him up.

  Julio never knew how it was done, for he was a pigmy in the hands of amaster.

  He felt some tremendous power seize upon his person so that he wasborne irresistibly backward; at the same time a sudden acute thrill ofagony in his right wrist caused him to drop his knife as though it hadbeen scorching his fingers.

  "Senor Julio," said the voice in his ear, "again I say it was all amistake--again I apologize for my hasty action. You have defended yourhonor as became a true son of Spain! There is no need of our seekingeach other's life. I am satisfied that I have met a brave man. Let usseparate in peace."

  This was said with such fervor as became a loyal subject of youngAlphonso--it carried such a subtle vein of flattery in the adroit wordsthat even the fiery son of Mars Julio was proving himself to be mighthave been mollified, only that a discovery flashed upon him at thiscritical juncture.

  It was singular enough that he should set his eyes upon an odd lookingseal ring worn by his late antagonist, and at this particular momenttoo of all times.

  Julio had never forgotten that ring--indeed, he had carried a roughimpression of it upon his cuticle for a week or more, as a gentlereminder of Roderic's ability as a boxer, for it seems that the tworivals had indeed once come to blows in those days of old, thoughseparated quickly by mutual friends.

  However, such an impression is apt to be lasting--Julio had seen thequeer device of that signet ring many times in his dreams, so that itsunexpected appearance just now and here was a rude shock.

  Roderic saw the stare and while at first he could not comprehend itsimport, when he too cast his eyes upon his hand he remembered.

  This was worse than he had expected--his identity known to Julio whatwould prevent the hasty tempered Spaniard, who still owed him a grudgefor the blow received long ago, from publicly announcing his name tothe soldiers, who would pounce upon him like mad dogs.

  He had expected at the worst to be treated as a Spaniard--now thebubble had burst.

  Was it to be flight?

  Involuntarily he looked around him--the circle had doubled, aye, eventrebled, and to break through such a compact mass would require thebattering powers of a giant.

  What then?

  Must he draw his revolver and simply sell his life as dearly aspossible?

  It may be sweet to die for one's country, but most men much prefer tolive, especially when health and wealth and honor are their inheritanceby right of birth.

  Roderic never felt less like giving up the ghost in all his life thanhe did just then.

  He had been far down below zero up to the moment when he discoveredthat it was not Georgia who accompanied Julio, and then of a sudden hisspirits took a bound that sent them away above fever heat; life assumeda rosy hue, and happiness came again within his grasp.

  A man of remarkable resources in emergencies, Roderic felt no dismayparalyze his limbs when he discovered how next to impossible it wasthat he make his escape through the crowd.

  There were other methods.

  He had made it a rule in life never to depend wholly upon one source ofincome--to avoid the mistake of putting all his eggs in one basket.

  Julio's scattered wits came back.

  He even smiled, but there was a devil in that smirk; a gleam in hiseyes that told of gloating triumph.

  He had been easily beaten in the little game of the knife, but therewere still trump cards up his sleeve--he laughed loudest who laughedlast, and the time had come for him to settle that long standingdebt--the scar of that wound had burned like wild fire every time helooked at it, but it would cease to cry out for satisfaction after thisAugust night.

  "Aha! Senor Owen, 'tis thus we meet again. You thought this lady wasyour sweet Georgia--you took your life in your hands when you set outto discover the truth. Again you have crossed my path--this time itis your last. I shall turn to these brave soldiers of Spain and tellthem who you are. They will be very affectionate Senor Owen, they willlove you so well that every mother's son will want a portion of yourprecious body to remember this night by. Have you anything to saybefore I give the word?"

  Roderic remembered how the judge when about to pass sentence of deathused words like this.

  He was mute--it would avail nothing after all, and he did not intendthe Spaniard should have the satisfaction of hearing him plead.

  This trouble had come upon him through his own stupidity--the burningin his chest, the unjust suspicions that found lodgment in his mindurged him to take drastic measures in order to learn the truth; and nowthat he had found out just what it all meant he should not complain ifit came hard.

  "Ho! he has lost his tongue--or his knowledge of the noble Spanishlanguage fails him. _Por Dios!_ we shall see how he can be made tolift up his voice, to cry like a dog, to squeal like the pig he is, tobeg for mercy. Now Senor Hero of the Knife, take notice that it is I,Julio, the Maccarena dancer and bull fighter who contemptuously tossesyou to the tender mercies of these gentlemen as I would a yellow cur."

  He turned to bawl his intelligence to the gaping crowd, to proclaimthe seeming dark faced stranger a wolf in sheep's clothing, one of thehated Yengees who were coming to destroy everything.

  Before he could burst out with his startling tale however, the girl whohad accompanied him took a sudden part in the drama, springing forwardand catching hold of his arm as she cried:

  "You speak of Senor Owen, of Georgia--and a light breaks in upon mymind. Julio, you _mus
t_ not go further--this man should be safe fromyour malice. He has not injured me--see, because of Leon I forgivehim--I even extend him my hand. Why not, when he loves the sister andmy heart belongs to the brother?"

  Then Roderic's turn came to be amazed, for these words informed him ofa strange fact--he remembered the story Georgia had told him of herbrother, and how Leon had been saved by the daughter of the Spanishgovernor in charge of Morro Castle--fate had brought him face to facewith that devoted girl, and through her might he not learn where Leoncould be found?

  Julio was the only obstacle, and Julio, having been several timesthwarted in his designs for a personal vengeance upon this man who wasso closely associated with his past could not be easily placated.

  A pretty woman might have considerable influence over him underordinary conditions, but just now he wanted blood and was bound to havehis desires fulfilled.

  Accordingly he brushed the girl aside in an ugly manner that betrayedhis nasty temper--brushed her away as carelessly as one might disposeof a fly that persisted in annoying the early morning nap of a sybarite.

  Then he gave tongue, denouncing the other in unmeasured terms asa Yankee spy come to wreck their forts, to betray the city, to doanything and everything that was dreadful in the eyes of good loyalSpaniards.

  It made quite a striking scene, with the picturesque Julio in hisdashing garb thus violently shouting his private opinion of Yankeesin general and the one before them in particular, while the beautifuldaughter of Morro's governor was clinging to his gesticulating arm andendeavoring to overcome his mad language, the crowd meanwhile beginningto shout answering cries that announced their quick grasp of thesituation.

  Roderic would not soon forget that picture, if he lived through theadventure.

  Again he owed much to that love of fair play predominating in thebreast of gentle woman.

  It had however, gone beyond any power on her part to prevent anexplosion.

  If he escaped with a whole skin it must be through his own exertions.

  Fortunately he was able to grasp the situation and bring order out ofseeming chaos.

  The one sweeping glance which he had taken around had told him of anavenue where a desperate man could find a chance.

  As in many parts of San Juan the houses in this narrow _calle_ wererich in the possession of balconies--Spaniards would be lost withoutsome such addition to their homes, for the women live half of the timeupon these overhanging galleries.

  The sound of angry voices in the street had brought a number of peopleout, and they were curious spectators of what followed.

  Chance, or Providence, as you will, had taken Roderic directlyunderneath one of these balconies.

  By raising his hands above his head he could just touch it.

  To an agile man it was a small matter to give an upward leap and securea firm grasp above; nor did he consider it any extraordinary feat todraw himself over the railing after the manner of an athlete.

  Cries of astonishment announced that his intention had become known tothe crowd, and almost paralyzed them.

  Mingled with these exclamations were shouts of rage from those moredisposed to action.

  Julio, being the nearest was the first to make a spring for the swayingbody of the Yankee, but miscalculating the pendulum movement of hisbody he was just in time to receive the full impetus of his forwardswing.

  As a consequence he took a sudden tumble, bringing up in the arms ofthe nearest soldiers.

  Roderic had good intentions, and was not to be thwarted by such minordisturbances.

  This must be looked upon only as an incident, one of those pettyaffairs which, when grasped in the general run of events are to bethrottled and cast aside.

  He continued his movement as unconcernedly as though it were a privateinstead of a public exhibition, which feature was one of the strongestpoints in Owen's general make up.

  Several of the soldiers seemed to have some common sense about them,or at least found inspiration in the action led by Julio, for they toomade a forward movement, intending to clutch hold of Roderic's swayingbody ere he could snatch it out of their reach.

  That they were unsuccessful in this endeavor was not so muchtheir fault as their misfortune, since no one could doubt thehearty enthusiasm with which they meant to pull the Yankee's leg,an undertaking in general at which Spanish regulars are usuallyproficient, especially those who have attained officer's rank.

  The girl came between them and their intended victim--she had saved oneYankee from barbarous treatment at the hands of her people, and havingthus entered the field as a champion of the oppressed, considered thatshe might as well continue her labors.

  Of course she could not effectually bar the enthusiastic rush of themilitary forces, but for a few seconds she served as an obstacle totheir forward movement, and even that brief time was enough for Roderic.

  He completed his deal.

  There was at least some satisfaction in the knowledge that he stoodtemporarily out of the reach of those who would destroy him.

  A partial success brings with it new difficulties, new problems to besolved, and one must be always ready to grapple with the forces thatare thrown to the front.

  Owen did not consider that he had taken more than the first step towardsafety.

  The wolves were just below, clamoring for his blood, for his suddenflight had crystalized the various shouts into one mad outburst of rage.

  So far as he knew there was nothing to prevent some of them fromcopying his example; he judged there must be athletes enough in thethrong for this business.

  It was not his purpose to remain there upon the balcony, and meet allcomers in a Greco-Roman wrestle for the mastery.

  He had started to escape, and it were useless lingering longer in viewof the rapidly growing throng.

  One way was open to him, through the house to which the balcony wasattached.