The Bandolero; Or, A Marriage among the Mountains

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

  DON SAMUEL BRUNO.

  Before separating from Don Eusebio I received from him a detailedaccount of the coach robbery, with all the allied incidents. It wasnecessary I should know everything; and everything was made known to me.

  In addition to what he had already communicated, there was one fact of acurious, if not comical, character. Before permitting him to depart inthe _diligencia_, the brigands had taken his bond for ten thousanddollars--as collateral security against the ransom of his daughters!

  They had even gone so far as to require it in the shape of a written_acceptance_--to be cancelled and sent back along with the senoritas,whenever the cash should be forthcoming!

  Such were the quaint stipulations of the _salteadores_!

  Though sounding strange to English ears, no Mexican would be at allsurprised at them. Oft and again have similar bargains been made--andkept--among the mountains of Mexico!

  There was something that still perplexed me. How was this queercontract to be carried out?

  I had been told that the usual mode is by a messenger; some oneacquainted with the neutral ground--if there be such--lying betweenrobber-land and the precincts of the police. This messenger meets anenvoy--deputed by the brigands; the acceptance is honoured; the captivesgiven up, and permitted to depart without further molestation!

  In some cases even a _cheque_ has been taken in exchange; afterwardspresented at the bank by one of the robbers themselves--and _paid_!

  Who was to be Don Eusebio's deputy? This was a question that interestedme.

  The answer gave me great satisfaction. It was the driver of the_diligencia_ that had been stopped--known to his passengers by the nameof "Don Samuel Bruno."

  When it is said, that the stage-coaches of Mexico are a modernimportation from the United States, I need scarcely add that theirdrivers have been imported along with them. They are all, or nearlyall, _States'_ men; and "Don Samuel," despite his _sobriquet_, was notan exception. He was simply Sam Brown.

  Though the intended envoy of Don Eusebio, he had been nominated by thebandits themselves; no doubt for the reason that he knew where to carrythe cash, and that it could be safely entrusted in his keeping. Anytreachery on his part would put an end to his stage driving--at least,upon the roads of Mexico--and ten chances to one whether he shouldsurvive to handle the "ribbons" elsewhere.

  Sam knew all this, on consenting to become a "go-between;" though it wasscarcely by his own consent: since the office had been assigned to him,not by request, but command.

  It was a fortunate circumstance for me--the very thing I would havewished for. My chief difficulty--I had seen it from the first--would beto obtain an _interview_ with the knights of the road. With thestage-driver as a guide, the difficulty seemed more than half removed.

  As good luck would have it, I knew something of Don Samuel. I knew himto be intelligent--and notwithstanding the ambiguous _role_ he was oftcompelled to play--honest.

  I was not long in placing myself _en rapport_ with him. As I hadexpected, I found him ready and right willing to "co-operate."

  There was at this time much talk of our permanently occupying thecountry. In that case he would have nothing to fear for his future; butin any case he was too gallant to regard consequences where a _senorita_was concerned.

  There was yet another difficulty. Sam's appointment with the robbershad been made for an early hour of the next morning--the place ofrendezvous a treeless plain lying under the shadow of forest-cladhills--not far from the noted inn of Cordova.

  Alone he might easily meet the _parlamentarios_ of the other party; butit would be quite a different thing if he should go accompanied by ascore of mounted men.

  How was the difficulty to be got over?

  I put the question to himself.

  The intelligent Yankee soon bethought him of a scheme; and one thatappeared feasible.

  My party should make approach in the night; go into covert under thepine-forest that shrouded the slopes above the place of rendezvous; andleave Sam himself to come on in the morning--carrying the ransom-moneyalong with him. That night he could go with us to a certain distance--as a guide all the way--returning, to return again, at the hour ofdaybreak.

  The plan seemed excellent. There was but one drawback. Our ambuscadecould only affect the envoy of the robbers, not the robbers themselves--whose den might be at a distance, among the passes of the mountains.

  "Don Samuel" did not see it in this light. With the bandit emissary inour power, and the dollars of Don Eusebio at our disposal, he did notapprehend any difficulty. If there were a _salteador_ in all Mexicoproof against gold, Sam Brown did not believe it.

  I was satisfied with his reasoning; and consented to act under hisguidance.

  But little time was required for preparation. The commander-in-chief--not so ungenerous after all, and always liberal in the cause ofhumanity--had given me _carte, blanche_. I only drew a score of my ownmen--Mounted Rifles--with a small supplementary force of the dare-devilsalready alluded to.