by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.
Carlos, on leaving his cave, proceeded with the caution natural to onecircumstanced as he was. But this night he was more than usuallycareful. He scanned every bush and rock that stood near his path, andthat might have sheltered an enemy. Why to-night more cautious thanbefore? Because a suspicion had crossed his mind--and that, too, havingreference to the very men who were at the moment in ambush so near him!
At various times of late had his thoughts reverted to these men. Heknew them well, and knew the hostile feelings with which both, butparticularly the mulatto, regarded him. He thought of the probabilityof their being set upon his trail, and he knew their capability tofollow it. This had made him _more_ uneasy than all the scouting of thedragoons with their unpractised leaders. He was aware that, if thecunning mulatto and his scarce less sagacious comrade were sent afterhim, his cave would not shelter him long, and there would be an end tohis easy communication with the settlement.
These thoughts were sources of uneasiness; and would have been stillmore so, had he not believed that the hunters were absent upon theplains. Under this belief he had hopes of being able to settle hisaffairs and get off before their return. That morning, however, hishopes had met with discouragement.
It was a little after daylight when he returned to his hiding-place.Antonio, watched closely by the spies, had not been able to reach therendezvous until a late hour,--hence the detention of Carlos. On goingback to his cave he had crossed a fresh trail coming in from thenorthern end of the Llano Estacado. It was a trail of horses, mules,and dogs; and Carlos, on scrutinising it, soon acquainted himself withthe number of each that had passed. He knew it was the exact number ofthese animals possessed by the yellow hunter and his comrade; and thisstartled him with the suspicion that it was the return trail of thesemen from their hunt upon the prairies!
A further examination quite assured him of the truth of this. Thefootprints of one of the dogs differed from the rest; and although alarge one, it was not the track of the common wolf-dog of the country.He had heard that the yellow hunter had lately become possessed of alarge bloodhound. These must be _his_ tracks!
Carlos rode along the trail to a point where it had crossed an old pathof his own leading to the ravine. To his astonishment he perceivedthat, from this point, one of the horsemen, with several of the dogs,had turned off and followed his own tracks in that direction! No doubtthe man had been trailing him. After going some distance, however, thelatter had turned again and ridden back upon his former course.
Carlos would have traced this party farther, as he knew they must havepassed on the evening before. But as it was now quite day, and theirtrail evidently led to the settlements, he dared not ride in thatdirection, and therefore returned to his hiding-place.
The incident had rendered him thoughtful and apprehensive throughout thewhole of that day; and as he rode forth his reflections were upon thisvery subject--hence the caution of his movements.
As he emerged from the ravine, the dog, as stated, made a demonstration,by suddenly turning toward the rocks, and uttering a low growl. Thiscaused Carlos to halt, and look carefully in that direction. But hecould see nothing that appeared suspicious; and the dog, after amoment's pause, appeared satisfied and trotted on again.
"Some wild animal, perhaps," thought Carlos, as he set his horse inmotion, and continued on over the plain.
When fairly out into the open ground, he quickened his pace; and after aride of about six or seven miles arrived on the banks of the Pecos.Here he turned down-stream, and, once more riding with caution,approached a grove of low timber that grew upon the bank. This grovewas the point of rendezvous.
When within a hundred yards of it, the cibolero halted upon the plain.The dog ran on before him, quartered the grove, and then returned to hismaster. The horseman then rode boldly in under the shadow of the trees,and, dismounting, took station upon one side of the timber, to watch forthe coming of his expected messenger.
His vigil was not of long duration. In a few minutes a man on foot,bent into a crouching attitude, was seen rapidly advancing over theplain. When he had arrived within three hundred yards of the grove, hestopped in his tracks, and uttered a low whistle. To this signal thecibolero replied, and the man, again advancing as before, was soonwithin the shadow of the grove. It was Antonio.
"Were you followed, amigo?" asked Carlos.
"As usual, master; but I had no difficulty in throwing them off."
"Hereafter it may not be so easy."
"How, master?"
"I know your news--the yellow hunter has got back?"
"Carrambo! it is even so! How did you hear it, master?"
"This morning, after you had left me, I crossed a trail--I knew it mustbe theirs."
"It was theirs, master. They came in last evening but I have worse newsthan that."
"Worse!--what?"
"They're after _you_!"
"Ha! already? I guessed that they would be, but not so soon. How knowyou, Anton!"
"Josefa--she has a brother who is a kind of errand-boy to Padre Joaquin.This morning the Padre took him over to the Presidio, and from theresent him to guide Captain Roblado to the yellow hunter's hut. The Padrethreatened the boy if he should tell any one; but on his return to themission he called on his mother; and Josefa, suspecting he had been onsome strange errand--for he showed a piece of silver--got it all out ofhim. He couldn't tell what Roblado and the hunters talked about, but hefancied the latter were preparing to go somewhere as he left them. Now,putting one thing with another, I'm of the mind, master, they're on yourtrail."
"No doubt of it, amigo--I haven't the slightest doubt of it. So--I'llbe chased out of my cave--that's certain. I believe they have asuspicion of where I am already. Well, I must try to find anotherresting-place. 'Tis well I have got the wind of these rascals--they'llnot catch me asleep, which no doubt they flatter themselves they'regoing to do. What other news?"
"Nothing particular. Josefa saw the girl Vicenza last night in companywith Jose, but she has had no opportunity of getting a word with thesenorita, who is watched closely. She has some business with theportero's wife to-morrow. She hopes to hear something from her."
"Good Antonio," said Carlos, dropping a piece of money into the other'shand, "give this to Josefa--tell her to be active. Our hopes restentirely with her."
"Don't fear, master!" replied the half-blood. "Josefa will do her best,for the reason that," smiling, "_her_ hopes, I believe, rest entirelyupon _me_."
Carlos laughed at the _naive_ remark of his faithful companion, and thenproceeded to inquire about other matters,--about his mother and sister,about the troopers, the spies, and Don Juan.
About the last Antonio could give him no information that was new. DonJuan had been arrested the day after the affair at the Presidio, andever since had been kept a close prisoner. The charge against him washis having been an accomplice of Carlos, and his trial would take placewhenever the latter should be captured.
Half-an-hour was spent in conversation, and then Carlos, having receivedfrom the half-blood the packages containing provisions, prepared toreturn to his hiding-place in the Llano Estacado.
"You will meet me here to-morrow night again, Anton," said he atparting. "If anything should happen to prevent me coming, then look forme the night after, and the night after that. So _buenas noches,amigo_!"
"_Buenos noches, mi amo_!" ("Good night, master!")
And with this salutation the friends--for they were go--turned theirbacks on each other and parted.
Antonio went crouching back in the direction of the valley; while thecibolero, springing to his saddle, rode off toward the frowning bluffsof the Llano.