The White Chief: A Legend of Northern Mexico

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

  Vizcarra's desire for revenge grew stronger every hour. The almostjoyful reaction he had experienced, when relieved from the fear ofdeath, was short-lived. So, too, was that which followed his relieffrom the anxiety about his captive. The thought that now tortured himwas of a different character. The very breath of his existence--hispersonal appearance--was ruined for ever. He was disfigured for life!

  When the mirror was passed before his face, it caused his heart to burnlike a coal of fire. Coward though he was, he would almost as soon havebeen killed outright.

  Several of his teeth were gone. They might have been replaced; but notso could be restored the mutilated cheek. A portion had been carriedoff by the "tear" of the bullet. There would be a hideous scar never tobe healed!

  The sight was horrible. His thoughts were horrible. He groanedoutright as he contemplated the countenance which the cibolero had givenhim. He swore vengeance. Death and torture if he could but captureCarlos--death to him and his!

  At times he even repented that he had sent away the sister. Why shouldhe have cared for consequences? Why had he not revenged himself upon_her_? He no longer loved her. Her scornful laugh still rankled in hisheart. She had been the cause of all his sufferings--of sufferings thatwould never end but with his life--chagrin and mortification for therest of his days! Why had he not taken _her_ life? That would havebeen sweet revenge upon the brother. It would almost have beensatisfaction.

  He tossed upon his couch, tortured with these reflections, and givingutterance at intervals to groans of anguish and horrid imprecations.

  Carlos must be captured. No effort must be spared to ensure that event.And captured _alive_ if possible. He should measure out thepunishment. It should be death, but not sudden death. No; the savagesof the plains should be his teachers. The cibolero should die like acaptive Indian--by fire at the stake. Vizcarra swore this!

  After him, the mother, too. She was deemed a witch. She should bepunished as often witches have been. In this he would not have to actalone. He knew that the padres would endorse the act. They were wellinclined to such fanatical cruelties.

  Then the sister, alone--uncared for by any one. She would be wholly inhis power--to do with her us he would, and no one to stay his will. Itwas not love, but revenge.

  Such terrible resolves passed through the mind of the wretched caitiff.

  Roblado was equally eager for the death of the cibolero. His vanity hadbeen scathed as well, for he was now satisfied that Catalina was deeplyinterested in the man, if not already on terms of intimacy--on terms oflove, mutually reciprocated and understood. He had visited her sincethe tragical occurrence at the Presidio. He had observed a markedchange in her manner. He had thought to triumph by the malignant abuseheaped on the _assassin_; but she, although she said nothing in defenceof the latter--of course she could not--was equally silent on the otherside, and showed no symptoms of indignation at the deed. His(Roblado's) abusive epithets, joined to those which her own fatherliberally heaped upon the man, seemed to give her pain. It was plainshe would have defended him had she dared!

  All this Roblado had noticed during his morning call.

  But more still had he learnt, for he had a spy upon her acts. One ofher maids, Vicenza, who for some reason had taken a dislike to hermistress, was false to her, and had, for a length of time, been theconfidant of the military wooer. A little gold and flattery, and asoldier-sweetheart--who chanced to be Jose--had rendered Vicenzaaccessible. Roblado was master of her thoughts, and through Jose hereceived information regarding Catalina, of which the latter neverdreamt. This system of espionage had been but lately established, butit had already produced fruits. Through it Roblado had gained theknowledge that he himself was hated by the object of his regard, andthat she loved some other! What other even Vicenza could not tell.That other Roblado could easily guess.

  It is not strange that he desired the capture and death of Carlos thecibolero. He was as eager for that event as Vizcarra himself.

  Both were making every exertion to bring it about. Alreadyscouting-parties had been sent out in different directions. Aproclamation had been posted on the walls of the town,--the jointproduction of the Comandante and his captain, offering a high reward forthe cibolero's head, and a still higher sum for the cibolero himself ifcaptured alive!

  The citizens, to show their zeal and loyalty, had also issued aproclamation to the same effect, heading it with a large sum subscribedamong them--a very fortune to the man who should be so lucky as to bethe captor of Carlos. This proclamation was signed by all the principalmen of the place, and the name of Don Ambrosio figured high upon thelist! There was even some talk of getting up a volunteer company toassist the soldiers in the pursuit of the _heretico_ assassin, or ratherto earn the golden price of his capture.

  With such a forfeit on his head, it was an enigma how Carlos should belong alive!

  Roblado sat in his quarters busy devising plans for the capture. He hadalready sent his trustiest spies to the lower end of the valley, andthese were to hover day and night in the neighbourhood. Any informationof the haunts of the cibolero, or of those with whom he was formerly incorrespondence, was to be immediately brought to him, and would be wellpaid for. A watch was placed on the house of the young ranchero, DonJuan; and though both Vizcarra and Roblado had determined on specialaction with regard to him, they agreed upon leaving him undisturbed forthe present, as that might facilitate their plans. The spies who hadbeen employed were not soldiers, but men of the town and poor rancheros.A military force appealing below would frustrate their design. That,however, was kept in readiness, but its continued presence near therancho, thought Vizcarra and his captain, would only frighten the bird,and prevent it from returning to its nest. There was good logic inthis.

  Roblado, as stated, was in his quarters, completing his arrangements. Aknock aroused him from the contemplation of some documents. They werecommunications from his spies, which had just reached the Presidio,addressed both to himself and the Comandante. They were concerning theaffair.

  "Who is it?" he asked, before giving the privilege to enter.

  "I, captain," answered a sharp squeaky voice.

  Roblado evidently knew the voice, for he called out--

  "Oh! it is you? Come in, then."

  The door opened, and a small dark man, of sharp weasel-like aspect,entered the room. He had a skulking shuffling gait, and,notwithstanding his soldier's dress, his sabre and his spurs, the manlooked mean. He spoke with a cringing accent, and saluted his officerwith a cringing gesture. He was just the sort of person to be employedupon some equivocal service, and by such men as Vizcarra and Roblado;and in that way he had more than once served them. It was the soldierJose.

  "Well! what have you to say? Have you seen Vicenza?"

  "I have, captain. Last night I met her out."

  "Any news?"

  "I don't know whether it may be news to the captain; but she has told methat it was the senorita who sent her home yesterday."

  "Her?"

  "Yes, captain, the guera."

  "Ha! go on!"

  "Why, you know when you left her with the alcalde she was offered towhoever would take her. Well, a young girl came up and claimed to be anacquaintance, and a woman who was the girl's mother. She was given upto them without more ado, and they took her away to a house in thechapparal below the town."

  "She did not stay there. I know she's gone down, but I have not yetheard the particulars. How did she go?"

  "Well, captain; only very shortly after she arrived at the house of thewoman, a carreta came up to the door, driven by a Tagno, and the girl--that is, the daughter, who is called Josefa--mounted into the carreta,taking the guera along with her; and off they went down below.

  "Now, neither this girl nor her mother ever saw the guera before, andwho does captain think sent them, and the carreta too?"

  "Who says Vicenza?"

&nb
sp; "The senorita, captain."

  "Ha!" sharply exclaimed Roblado. "Vicenza is sure of that."

  "More than that, captain. About the time the carreta drove away, or alittle after, the senorita left the house on her horse, and with acommon serape over her, and a sombrero on her head, like any ranchera;and in this--which I take to be a disguise for a lady of quality likeher--she rode off by the back road. Vicenza, however, thinks that sheturned into the _camino abajo_ after she got past the houses, andovertook the carreta. She was gone long enough to have done so."

  This communication seemed to make a deep impression upon the listener.Shadows flitted over his dark brow, and gleams of some new intelligenceor design appeared in his eyes. He was silent for a moment, engaged incommunicating with his thoughts. At length he inquired--

  "Is that all your information, Jose?"

  "All, captain."

  "There may be more from the same source. See Vicenza to-night again.Tell her to keep a close watch. If she succeed in discovering thatthere is a correspondence going on, she shall be well rewarded, and_you_ shall not be forgotten. Find out more about this woman and herdaughter. Know the Tagno who drove them. Lose no time about it. Go,Jose!"

  The minion returned his thanks in a cringing tone, made another cringingsalute, and shuffled out of the room.

  As soon as he had left, Roblado sprang to his feet, and, walking aboutthe room in an agitated manner, uttered his thoughts aloud:--

  "By Heaven! I had not thought of this. A correspondence, I have nodoubt. Fiends! such a woman! She must know all ere this--if the fellowhimself is not deceived by us! I must watch in that quarter too. Whoknows but _that_ will be the trap in which we'll take him? Love is evena stronger lure than brotherly affection. Ha! senorita; if this betrue, I'll yet have a purchase upon you that you little expect. I'llbring you to terms without the aid of your stupid father!"

  After figuring about for some minutes, indulging in these alternatedreams of vengeance and triumph, he left his room, and proceeded towardsthat of the Comandante, for the purpose of communicating to the latterhis new-gotten knowledge.