by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
Roblado's arrival brought relief to Vizcarra, as he lay chafing andfretting.
Their conversation was, of course, upon the late occurrence, and Robladogave his account of the pursuit.
"And do you really think," inquired the Comandante, "that the fellow hada party of savages with him?"
"No!" answered Roblado. "I did think so at first--that is, the menthought so, and I was deceived by their reports. I am now convincedthey were not Indian bravos, but some of those Tagno friends of his: forit appears the padre was right--he had a suspicious connexion. That ofitself might have been sufficient cause for us to have arrested him longago; but now we need no cause. He is ours, when we can catch him."
"How do you propose to act?"
"Why, I have no doubt he will lead us a long chase. We must do the bestwe can to follow his trail. I came back to provision the men so that wecan keep on for a sufficient time. The rascals have gone out of thevalley by the upper pass, and perhaps have taken to the mountains. Sothinks Gomez. We shall have to follow, and endeavour to overtake them.We must send express to the other settlements, so that the cibolero maybe captured if he make his appearance in any of them. I don't think hewill attempt that."
"Why?"
"Why! because it appears the old witch is still alive! and, moreover, hewill hang around here so long as he has any hopes of recovering thesister."
"Ha! you are right; he will do so. He will never leave me till she--"
"So much the better; we shall have all the finer opportunity of layinghands on him, which, believe me, my dear colonel, will be no easymatter. The fellow will be watchful as a wolf, and on that superb horseof his can escape from our whole troop. We'll have to capture him bysome stratagem."
"Can you think of none?"
"I have been thinking of one."
"What?"
"Why, it is simply this--in the first place, for the reasons I havegiven, the fellow will hang around the settlement. He may visit now andthen the old _hechicera_, but not often. The other would be a betterdecoy."
"You mean her?" Vizcarra indicated the direction of the room in whichRosita was confined.
"I do. He is said to be foolishly fond of this sister. Now, were shein a place where he could visit her, I'll warrant he would come there;and then we could trap him at our pleasure."
"In a place!--where?" eagerly demanded Vizcarra.
"Why, back to her own neighbourhood. They'll find some residence. Ifyou will consent to let her go for a while, you can easily recoverher--_the more easily when we have settled with him_!"
"Consent, Roblado!--it is the very thing I desire above all things. Mymind will not be easy while she is here. We are both in danger if sucha report should get in circulation. If it should reach certain ears, weare ruined--are we not?"
"Why, _now_ there is some truth in what you say, Garcia's death must bereported, and the cause will be inquired into. We must have _our_ storyas plausible as it can be made. There must be no colour of asuspicion--no rumour! It will be well to get her off our hands for thepresent."
"But how--that it is that troubles me--how, without increasing thechances of suspicion? If we send her home, how is it to be explained?That would not be the act of _Indians_? You said you had some plan?"
"I _think_ I have. But first tell me, colonel, what did you mean bysaying she was _mad_?"
"That she was so; is so still,--so says Jose,--within the hour,muttering strange incongruities--knows not what is said to her. I tellyou, Roblado, it terrified _me_."
"You are sure she knows not what is said to her?"
"Sure of it."
"So much the better. She will then not remember where she is or _hasbeen_. Now I _know_ that I have a plan--nothing easier than to get heroff. She shall go back and tell--if she can tell anything--that she hasbeen in the hands of the Indians! That will satisfy you?"
"But how can it be arranged?"
"My dear Comandante, no difficulty in it. Listen! To-night, or beforeday in the morning, Gomez and Jose, in Indian costume as before, cancarry her off to some spot which I shall indicate. In the mountains beit. No matter how far off or how near. She may be tied, and found intheir company in the morning in such a way as to appear _their captive_.So much the better if she has recovered her senses enough to think so.Well; I with the troopers, in hunt after the cibolero, will come uponthese Indians by accident. A few shots may be fired at sufficientdistance to do them no hurt. They will make off, leaving their captive,whom we will rescue and bring back to the town, where she can bedelivered out of our hands! Ha! ha! ha! What think you, Comandante, ofmy scheme?"
"Excellent!" replied Vizcarra, his mind seemingly relieved at theprospect of its execution.
"Why, it would blind the very devil! We shall not only be free fromsuspicion, but we'll get credit by it. What! a successful affair withthe savages!--rescue of a female captive!--restore her to her friends!--she, too, the sister of the very man who has endeavoured to assassinateyou! I tell you, Comandante, the cibolero himself, if that will be anycomfort to you, will be humbugged by it! She will swear--_if her wordbe worth anything_--that she has been in the hands of _los barbaros_ allthe while! She will give the lie even to her own brother!"
"The plan is excellent. It must be done to-night!"
"To-night, of course. As soon as the men have gone to bed, Gomez canstart with her. I must give over the idea of following the trail to-dayand, in truth, I regard that as idle. Our only chance for taking himwill be to set our trap, with her for its bait; and that we can arrangehereafter. Give yourself no farther uneasiness about it. By latebreakfast to-morrow I shall make my report to you,--Desperate affairwith Jicarillas, or Yutas--several warriors killed--female captiverescued--valiant conduct of troops--recommend Corporal--for promotion,etcetera. Ha! ha! ha!"
The Comandante joined in this laugh, which, perhaps, he would not havedone, but that Roblado had already assured him that his wound was not ofthe slightest danger, and would heal in a couple of weeks.
Roblado had given him assurance of this by calling the doctor a fool,and heaping upon him other opprobrious epithets. The delivery,therefore, from the fear of apprehended death, as well as from the otherthought that was torturing him, had restored Vizcarra to a composure hehad not enjoyed for the twenty-four hours preceding; and he now began toimbibe, to its full extent, another passion--that of vengeance againstthe cibolero.
That night, after tattoo had sounded, and the soldiers had retired totheir respective quarters, a small mounted party was seen to issue fromthe gateway of the Presidio, and take a road that led in the directionof the mountains. The party consisted of three individuals. One,closely wrapped, and mounted upon a mule, appeared to be a female. Theother two, oddly attired, and fantastically adorned with paint andfeathers, might have been taken for a brace of Indian warriors. Butthey were not Indians. They were Spanish soldiers in Indian disguise.They were Sergeant Gomez and the soldier Jose in charge of thecibolero's sister.