IV.--THE BARRANCA DEL MAL PASO.
The rest of the night passed, apparently at any rate, calmly andtranquilly, and nothing occurred to disturb the rest enjoyed by theguests at the meson of San Juan. About four in the morning the doors ofthe travellers' cuartos began to open one after the other, and lightsflashed in the patios. The shouts of the muleteers, and the bells oftheir animals, aroused the colonel and his daughter, warning them thatit was time to prepare for their departure.
Don Sebastian, after the suspicions Don Cornelio had suggested to him,did not at all wish, as he had a young lady with him, to start beforesunrise, especially as he had to traverse the gorge we have alreadydescribed, and where it would be easy to form an ambuscade.
By the sunlight he had a better chance, for two reasons: in the firstplace, the servants who accompanied him were old soldiers, accustomed towar, and greatly attached to him; the second was, that the Mexicanbrigands are usually great cowards, and whenever they meet with anyserious resistance from those they attack, they immediately give up thegame.
These two reasons, and, before all, the fear of alarming his daughter,and uselessly exposing her to danger during the darkness, obliged thecolonel to let all the other travellers at the meson start before him;and, in fact, they soon quitted the hostelry, and dispersed in variousdirections.
The Senor Saccaplata, with pallid face, compressed eyebrows, and headbandaged up, was walking up and down the patio, with his arms behind hisback, every now and then raising his eyes angrily to the colonel'swindow, and growling in a low voice,--
"Body and bones! Will not that trumpery colonel make up his mind tostart soon, if he is so ready to give the bastinado to poor folk? Butlet him do what he will, he will not escape the fate that awaits him."
At this moment a young man appeared in the patio, strumming a guitar,and singing in a low voice,--
"No sabo donde mirar, De todo teme y rezela, Si al cielo teme su furia, Porque hizo al cielo ofensa."[3]
These verses, taken from the romance of King Rodrigo, though probablysung without any malignant meaning, still referred so closely to thelandlord's present position, that he turned furiously to the unluckysinger, and attacked him in a brutal voice.
"Deuce take your howling! Why do you come buzzing in this way in myears, when you ought, on the contrary, to be preparing for yourdeparture?"
"Why, it is our worthy huesped," Don Cornelio replied with that joyfulaccent peculiar to him. "What! You are not fond of music? You arewrong, my worthy friend, for what I am singing to you is really fine."
"That is possible," the other said in a rough voice; "but I should feelobliged by your giving me no more of it."
"Oh, oh! You are not in a good temper this morning. What's the matterwith you, that you are so bandaged up? On my soul, you must be ill. Oh!I see what it is; you slept with your window open, and have caught atoothache."
The landlord turned green with impotent fury.
"Caballero," he shouted, "take care."
"Of what?" Don Cornelio said peacefully. "Toothache is not catching, asI am aware. Poor man! Pain causes him to wander. Take care of yourself,my good man; take care of yourself, I advise you."
And without further ceremony he turned his back on him, and began againthe song which so annoyed the landlord at the point where he broke itoff.
"Hum!" the latter growled, shaking his fist at the singer; "I hope thatyou will catch something in the row. Ah!" he added, "the sun is rising:perhaps that will induce him to come down."
In fact, the sun appeared at this moment in a bed of vapour, and after atwilight, whose duration was almost nothing, the day succeeded, as itwere, immediately to night.
Don Cornelio, aided by the colonel's servants, fed the horses andsaddled the mules--preparations which brought a smile to the landlord'slips which would have caused the colonel to feel uncomfortable had heseen it.
Suddenly a sound of horses was heard outside, and two men trotted intothe patio, through the gateway left open after the departure of thearrieros and other travellers. At this unexpected arrival the landlordturned as if a viper had stung him.
"Confusion!" he muttered; "day has hardly broken ere these accursedfellows come across my path."
The two arrivals troubled themselves in no way about their host'sill-temper, but dismounted, and taking the bridles off their horses, ledthem to the noria to let them drink.
The travellers were dressed in the garb of the frontier men, andappeared to be from forty to forty-five years of age. Like all wayfarersin this blessed country, where every man must depend on himself alone,they were armed; but, in lieu of the lance or fusil usual in theinterior, they had excellent Mexican rifles--a peculiarity which, inaddition to their _zarapes_ of Indian manufacture, and their fiery andhalf-wild mustangs, allowed them to be recognised as Sonorians, or atleast men domiciled in that state.
The landlord, seeing that the newcomers did not appear to troublethemselves in the least about him, decided at length on walking towardthem and addressing them.
"What do you want?" he said to them.
"Nothing just at present," the elder replied; "but so soon as our horseshave finished drinking, you will give each of them a measure of maizeand a truss of alfalfa."
"I am the mesonero, and not a peon. It is not my place to wait uponyou," he said brutally.
The traveller who had spoken looked askance at the host.
"I don't care whether it is you or your criados who do it," he answereddryly, "provided that the order I have given is executed promptly, for Iam in a hurry."
In the face of this rebuff, and especially the glance that accompaniedit, the huesped judged it prudent to draw in his horns and assume a moreconciliatory tone. For the last few hours poor Saccaplata had not beenfortunate with his travellers. All those Heaven sent him had the air ofyoung bulls escaped from the _toril_.
"Your excellencies are doubtless anxious to set out again?" he said inan insinuating voice.
The strangers made no answer.
"Not to be too curious," the landlord continued, not yet discouraged,"may I ask in what direction your honourable seigneuries intend toproceed?"
One of the travellers then raised his head, and, looking the indiscreetmesonero full in the face, said with a mocking air,--
"If you are asked, you will answer that you do not know. Come, my goodfellow, have us attended to, and blow your own _puchero_, withouttroubling yourself about ours: you might find it too hot for you."
The host shrugged his shoulders and slipped away, the more nimblybecause he noticed the colonel entering the patio at the moment, andfelt no desire to come in contact with him.
The two strangers exchanged a smile, and, without further remark,watched the peon who was giving their horses the provender they hadordered.
Don Sebastian was ready to start: he had come to give a final glance tothe horses before leading his daughter downstairs. Don Cornelio walkedup to him so soon as he saw him, and after wishing him good day, drewhim a little aside and whispered,--
"Look there, colonel," and he pointed to the two strangers; "those aresturdy fellows, if I am not mistaken."
"They are so," Don Sebastian made answer; "I did not notice thembefore."
"They have only just arrived. They would be famous recruits added to ourparty, if they would consent to travel with us. What do you think ofit?"
"I think you are right; but will they consent?"
"Why not? If they are going the same road as ourselves they will derivethe same benefit from our presence as we shall from theirs."
"That is true. Have you spoken to them?"
"No: as I told you, they arrived this moment. You ought to try topersuade them."
"I see no harm in attempting it, at least," the colonel answered.
Hereupon, leaving Don Cornelio, he advanced toward the strangers, andsaluting them politely, said,--
"You have magnificent horses, caballeros. I see that they come from theprairies."
"You are finishing your journey at a very early hour," the colonelcontinued. "With horses like yours a deal of ground could be covered."
"What makes you suppose, caballero, that our journey is ended?"
"Why, your arrival at this hostelry at so early an hour."
"Ah! You might be mistaken."
"Pardon my indiscretion, caballeros. Do you come from Guadalajara, orare you going there?"
"Caballero," the stranger replied dryly, who had hitherto spoken, "wethe more readily pardon your indiscretion, because it appears that inthis hostelry everybody passes his time in asking questions; still, youwill permit me not to answer yours. My companion and myself are oldtravellers, and we know that on the roads of this country men too oftenrepent gossiping about their business, but never of keeping it tothemselves."
The colonel drew himself up with an air of pique.
"As you please, caballero," he replied coldly. "I cannot feel annoyed atyour prudence; still, I would observe that you have given a wrongmeaning to my remarks. I only wished to offer you my escort in crossingan ill-famed gorge, in which the band of the dangerous robber, ElBuitre, is at this moment ensconced."
"I know the man by repute," the stranger said in a somewhat more affabletone. "My friend and myself will, I hope, be sufficient to keep him atarm's length; still, though I do not accept your offer, I thank you forthe cordiality which urged you to make it."
The conversation broke off here. The two men bowed with all the marks ofthe most exquisite politeness, and turned their backs on each other. Thecolonel, annoyed at the way in which his advances had been met, gave theorder for departure, and went to fetch his daughter. An instant later hereappeared with her; the band mounted, and, on a signal from DonSebastian, set out. On passing before the strangers, who watched theirdeparture, the colonel took off his hat, as did Don Cornelio. DonaAngela gave a graceful bow, accompanied by a charming smile. Thestrangers, in their turn, uncovered and bowed respectfully to the party.
"There, scoundrel," the colonel said as he threw an ounce to thelandlord, who watched their departure with a cunning look, "there's aplaster for your wounds."
Saccaplata sharply picked up the ounce, thrust it into his pocket, andcrossed himself as he muttered,--
"You will want a good many ounces to cure your wounds, you will. Bah!"he added, with a sinister laugh, "it is now El Buitre's affair; let themsettle it together."
When Don Sebastian had left the hostelry he divided his party intothree: two of his servants rode in front, gun on thigh; two othersbehind; while he and Don Cornelio, having Dona Angela between them, rodein the middle. All being thus arranged, and the order given to keep acareful outlook, the cavalcade started at a sharp trot.
In the meanwhile the two strangers, as we have said, remained at themeson. They watched the little party for a long time, and then, as theirhorses had finished eating, they put on their bridles and tightenedtheir girths.
"My faith, Don Louis!" the younger of the two at length said, "I can'thelp it; I must tell you what I have on my mind, or I shall choke."
"Speak, my friend," his comrade said with a sad smile. "I know as wellas you do what is troubling your mind."
"Perhaps so; still that would surprise me."
"Listen, then, Belhumeur. You are asking yourself at this moment why Iwas so rude to that gentleman whom I do not know, and whom I saw for amoment for the first time in my life?"
"By my faith! You have guessed it: that was, in truth, my thought. Iseek in vain the reason for such extraordinary conduct on your part, andI confess that I give it up as a bad job."
"Do not trouble yourself any further, my good fellow. I wasinvoluntarily guided by a secret presentiment, by a species ofincomprehensible instinct, which forced me to act as I did."
"That is strange."
"Yes, is it not so? You know the feeling of instinctive repulsion oneexperiences on touching a reptile?"
"Of course."
"Well, when that man advanced toward me, even before I saw him, I felthis presence, if I may say so; my heart beat violently; and when headdressed me I felt a sudden and incomprehensible pain."
Belhumeur regarded him for a moment with fixed attention.
"And you conclude from that?" he said.
"That this man will be my enemy at some appointed moment; that he willstand in my path, gloomy and implacable, and prove fatal to me."
"Come, my friend, that is not possible. You are leaving this country,never to return to it, since, in spite of all your researches, you havebeen unable to find the man on whose behalf you came. The man you sawthis morning is a field officer in the Mexican army, and it is not verylikely he will leave his country: everything opposes it. Where can youmeet again?"
"I do not know, Belhumeur; I seek neither to guess nor to foresee thefuture. It is evident that, after leaving you at the Hacienda delMilagro, I shall proceed to Guaymas, where I shall embark, I know notyet for what country; and it is my settled purpose never to set foot inMexico again. Still I repeat to you, although it may appear absurd, I amconvinced that that man will be my enemy some day, and that one of uswill kill the other."
"Come, come, I will not discuss that subject with you; it is better forus, I fancy, to start, for we have a long journey before us today."
"That is true, my friend. Let us start, and think no more of myforebodings. They will turn out as Heaven may direct."
"Amen!" Belhumeur said. "That is how I like to see you; thus youresemble my brave Raphael, my dear Loyal Heart, to whom I wish to makeyou known before leaving you."
"You will afford me the greatest pleasure."
They mounted their horses, paid the landlord, and in their turn quittedthe meson de San Juan, walking their horses in the direction of thebarranca del mal paso, where the colonel had preceded them. Theyproceeded for some time in silence, side by side. At length theCanadian, who could not remain long without speaking, took the word.
"Do you not think, Don Louis, that, supposing the colonel spoke thetruth, two men like ourselves would prove very useful to him?"
"What does that concern us?" Don Louis asked sharply.
"Us nothing; and assuredly, if only that soldier, to whom you have suchan antipathy, were concerned, I should not trouble myself about him, butleave him to settle with the bandits as best he could."
"Well?"
"Don't you understand me?"
"No, on my honour."
"Did you not notice the charming girl that accompanies him?"
"Of course I did."
"Would it not be frightful--?"
"Good heavens!" the Count de Prebois Crance, whom the reader hasdoubtlessly recognised,[4] quickly interrupted him, "that would befearful. Poor child! Forward, Belhumeur, forward! We must save her."
"Ah!" the Canadian thought to himself, "I was sure I should find thesoft place."
The two men bowed over their horses' necks, and started with thevelocity of the tempest. They had scarce gone a mile when cries andshots reached their ears.
"Forward--confound it, forward!" the count shouted, urging his horse toincreased speed.
"Forward!" Belhumeur repeated.
They rushed into the barranca at headlong speed, and fell like twodemons into the midst of the bandits, whom they saluted with two shots;then clubbing their rifles, they employed them like maces, bounding intothe medley with indescribable fury.
It was high time for this assistance to reach the colonel. Three of hisservants were killed; Don Cornelio was lying wounded on the ground;while Don Sebastian, with his back against a block of granite, wasdesperately defending himself against five or six bandits who assailedhim.
El Buitre had seized Dona Angela, and thrown her across his saddle-bow,in spite of her shrieks and resistance; but suddenly Don Louis dealt thebandit a crushing blow on the head, which hurled him to the ground, anddelivered the girl. Belhumeur all this time did not rema
in inactive; hewounded and trampled under his horse's hoofs all those who dared tooppose his passage.
The salteadores, surprised by this sudden attack, which they were farfrom anticipating--frightened by the carnage the newcomers caused amongtheir comrades, and not knowing how many foes they might have upon them,were seized with a panic fear, and fled in the utmost disorder,clambering up the rocks. El Garrucholo, at the peril of his life, pickedup his captain, whom he would not abandon, and El Buitre once againescaped the garota. The salteadores lost in this skirmish more thantwo-thirds of their numbers.
When tranquillity was restored, and the bandits had completelydisappeared, Don Sebastian warmly thanked the two adventurers for thetimely aid they had rendered him. Don Louis received politely, but verycoldly, the colonel's advances, confining himself to saying that if hehad been so fortunate as to save his life, he found a reward in his ownheart, and that was sufficient for him; but, in spite of the colonel'spressing, he refused to tell him who he was, alleging as his sole reasonthat he was about to leave Mexico for ever, and that he did not wish tolay on him a burden so heavy as gratitude. At this remark Dona Angeladrew nearer to Don Louis, and said with a smile of gentle reproach,--
"It is quite natural that you who have saved our lives should forget thefact, or at least attach but slight importance to it; but my father andmyself will remember it for ever."
And before Don Louis could prevent it, the lovely girl bounded like afawn, threw her arms round his neck, and holding up her pure forehead,which was still rather pale,--
"Kiss me, my saviour!" she said, with tears in her eyes.
The count, affected, in spite of himself, by an action full of suchsimple frankness, respectfully kissed the maiden's brow, then turnedaway, that she might not read the sweet and yet painful impression sosimple an action had produced on him.
Dona Angela, smiling and blushing, sought refuge in her father's arms,leaving in Don Louis' hand a small relic she usually wore round herneck.
"Keep it," she said to him, with that sweet Spanish superstition so fullof grace; "it will bring you good fortune."
"Yes, I will keep it, senorita," the count replied, hiding it in hisbosom, "as a reminiscence of a moment of happiness you unconsciouslycaused me this day, by proving to me that, in spite of misfortunes, myheart is not so dead as I fancied."
The preparations for departure were made. Don Sebastian, deprived of hisservants, could not dream of continuing his journey. He decided onreturning to Guadalajara, in order to obtain another escortsufficiently strong to protect his daughter from such a danger as thatshe had escaped by a miracle. He was, however, greatly embarrassed byDon Cornelio, whom he did not wish to abandon, and yet could nottransport.
"I will take charge of this man, caballero," Don Louis then said to him."Do not trouble yourself about him further. My friend and I are in nogreat haste. We will carry him to the meson of San Juan, and not leavehim till he is thoroughly cured."
Two hours later the two parties separated in front of Saccaplata'smeson, who saw them return with great terror; but the colonel thought itadvisable, for Don Cornelio's sake, to appear ignorant of the part thelandlord had played in the attack, to which himself and daughter had sonearly fallen victims.
Don Sebastian and Don Louis separated with a frigid bow, like men whoare persuaded they will never meet again. But no one can foresee thefuture, and unconsciously chance was about to bring them hereafter faceto face under strange circumstances, the realisation of which neitherassuredly suspected at the moment.
End Of Prologue.
[3] He knows not where to look; he fears or distrusts everything. If heis afraid of the anger of Heaven, why did he insult it?
[4] See the "Tiger Slayer." Same publishers.
La fièvre d'or. English Page 4