CHAPTER XXI.
THE TAPADA.
The American character is made up of contrasts; and one of the strangestof these is the honesty and punctuality with which play debts areliquidated. The man who would remorselessly assassinate another to robhim of two reals, would not fail to pay him, within twenty-four hours,any gambling debt, however large it might be.
The next morning, on waking, Don Louis found on the table of his roomseveral canvas bags, filled with ounces. They contained the 14,000piastres, lost on the previous evening by the general, and which thelatter had sent at sunrise.
Louis was annoyed at this punctuality, which, in his ignorance ofMexican habits, he was far from expecting. It appeared to him of evilomen. He dressed; and, after breakfasting, left Don Cornelio engaged incounting his previous evening's gains, and wrapping himself in hiscloak, went out with the intention of looking at the town.
As, during his walk, he passed before the palace, he took advantage ofthis circumstance to give his card to one of the general's criados, notwishing, after the conversation they had held, to force himself uponhim, but intending to call in person the next day.
The count employed several hours in traversing the town, visiting thechurches, of which two or three are rather fine, and smoking sundrycigarettes on the Alameda, a delightful promenade shaded by nobletrees, where the fair sex of Pitic breathe the fresh air every evening.At length, he returned home, shut himself up in his room, and earned onhis correspondence till a late hour.
The next day, as he had resolved, he proceeded to the palace: it wasclosed. The general, summoned by an important affair, had started atfour o'clock the previous afternoon on horseback, only taking with him asmall squadron of lancers. But, the man added who gave the count thisinformation, his excellency the general would not be long absent; hewould probably return within four days. The count, try all he knew,could obtain no more positive information. The Mexicans, ordinarily sogossiping, can become, when their interests demand it, as dumb as fish;and in that case it is impossible, either by money or promises, to get asingle syllable from them.
Don Louis retired, excessively annoyed at this _contretemps_, whichseemed expressly prepared for him; still, in order to clear up hisdoubts, and not wishing, under circumstances so grave, to act lightly,and commit any imprudence, although the general's behaviour seemed tohim highly improper, he resolved to wait a few days, in order that hemight have right on his side, by proving that Don Sebastian's departurehad been premeditated for the purpose of avoiding any furtherexplanation with him.
Daily, the count sent one of his men to the palace to inquire whetherthe general had returned. The answer was always the same. The generalwas absent, but it was certain he would soon return: he was indeedexpected at any moment. Eight days passed thus. Another subject ofrestlessness then arose, to increase the count's annoyances and theimpatient feeling that was beginning to conquer him.
On leaving Guaymas, he had given orders to the officer to whom he gavethe temporary command of the company, to start to join him after fourdays. The men, then, must not only have started, but must be close toPitic, as the two towns were only fifteen leagues apart, a distancewhich an armed body can easily cover between two suns; and yet, sincehis leaving the port, the count had received no news--no reply to hisletters; and the company did not make its appearance.
What had happened since his leaving Guaymas? What new obstacles had beeninterposed to the movement of his company? Whence resulted thisincomprehensible delay of four days? Why had not the officer left incharge informed him of what had occurred? Or had his couriers beeninterrupted on the road? Why had not Valentine or Curumilla, those tworesolute and devoted men, for whom the greatest obstacles had noexistence, come to warn him?
All these suppositions, and many others that offered themselves to thecount's perplexed mind, threw him into a state of moral excitementimpossible to describe. He knew not what to resolve, what means toemploy, in order to acquire a certainty a hundred fold preferable tothe doubt that gnawed him. At length, he decided on sending DonCornelio, in whom he believed he could trust, at full gallop to Guaymas.That gentleman was out, however, and was sought for without being found.
This new obstacle culminated the count's feverish impatience. He mountedhis horse, and started with the intention of exploring the environs ofthe town, in the secret hope of discovering some traces of his comrades,or at least learning some news about them. During the four hours hegalloped in every direction, he saw nothing, and heard nothing. Heturned back--a prey to a mighty sorrow, and heavy discouragement.
On approaching his house, the sound of a jarana reached his ears, and hehurried on his steed. Don Cornelio, carelessly seated on a stool in theporch of the house, was strumming his guitar, singing, as was his wont,his inevitable romance of King Rodrigo. On perceiving Don Louis, theSpaniard threw his instrument far from him, and rose with a cry of joy.
"At length!" he shouted.
"Why at length?" the count answered. "I consider the exclamationcurious, since I have been searching after you, and could not lay myhand on you."
The Spaniard smiled mysteriously.
"I know it," he said; "but this place is not propitious for talking. DonLouis, will you permit me to accompany you to your cuarto?"
"With the greatest pleasure; the more so, as I also wish to speak withyou."
"Come, that is a charming coincidence."
On reaching his room, Don Louis turned to his companion.
"Well," he said to him; "what have you to tell me?"
"Listen. This morning, according to my daily custom, I was walking aboutafter breakfast, smoking a papelito, when, at the corner of the Calle dela Merced and the Calle San Francisco, I felt a slight touch on my arm.I turned sharply. A charming woman, or at least I suppose so, for it wasimpossible for me to distinguish her features, so carefully were theyhidden in the folds of her rebozo, made me a sign to follow her. Whatwould you have done in my place, Don Louis?"
"I do not know, my friend; but I entreat you, be brief, for I am in ahurry."
"Well, I followed her. You know that I have an idea about Mexican women,and am convinced that some day or other----"
"In Heaven's name, my friend, come to the point," Don Louis interruptedhim, stamping his foot impatiently.
"I am doing so. I followed her then. She entered the church of laMerced, I at her heels. The church was deserted at that moment, whichcaused me a lively pleasure; because in such a case a man can talk athis ease. Do not be impatient, I have come to it. When I reached arather dark corner, the young and charming female, for I assert that sheis both, turned so suddenly that I almost trod on her toes. 'Are you notDon Cornelio Mendoza?' she asked me. 'Yes,' I replied.
"'In that case,' she said, 'you are a friend of the count.' I guessed atonce that the stranger alluded to you. 'I am his intimate friend,' Icontinued. 'That is well,' she added, drawing from her bosom a smallnote, which she placed in my hand; 'give him this as quickly aspossible, it alludes to very grave matters.' I seized the paper, onwhich I mechanically fixed my eyes; when I raised them again, myincognita had disappeared, fled like a sylph, leaving no trace. It wasimpossible for me to catch her up, for the confounded place was sodark."
"Well, and where is the note?" Don Louis asked.
"Here it is. Oh, I did not lose it! It was too warmly recommended tome."
The count took it, and, without deigning a glance, threw it on thetable. Since his arrival at Pitic he had received twenty a day, and hadnot answered one; he did not even read them now, as he felt convincedthey all meant the same thing.
"And now," he added, "you have finished, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Then listen to me in your turn," he continued, handing him the letterhe had prepared for the hunter during his absence. "You will mount thisinstant, start for Guaymas; give this letter to Don Valentine, and bringme back the answer. You understand?"
"Of course."
"I can rely on your diligence?"
He went out. Ten minutes later, Don Louis heard the hurried footfalls ofa horse re-echoing before the gateway.
"Tomorrow, at this hour, I shall know on what I have to depend," DonLouis muttered.
He threw himself on a butaca; and, resting his elbows on a table, heburied his head in his hands, and fell into deep thought. In thisposition, his eyes were involuntarily fixed on the note Don Cornelio hadgiven him, and which was just in front of him. A sickly smile played onhis lips.
"Poor fools!" he muttered, "who only dream of love and pleasure, to whomlife is only one long festival. What need have I of your falseprotestations, to which I cannot respond? Love for me no longer exists.Like all the women who have preceded her, this one, doubtlessly, offersme an eternal love, which she will forget tomorrow. Why trouble myselfabout such absurdities? My heart is dead to joy--only too dead, alas!"
And he thrust the paper away.
The night was rapidly falling, and the count kindled a lucifer match tolight a candle; but, as frequently happens to people deeply engaged,when he held the lucifer to the candle, he perceived that the former wasnearly burnt out. Then, mechanically, he took up the note he hadspurned, folded it up, and was going to twist it into a spill; but allat once he stopped, threw the match on the floor, lit another, and readthis note, so despised a moment previously. The following were thecontents:--
"A person interested in the Count Don Louis begs him, for his own sake,to go this evening to the Alameda at ten o'clock, under the first walkon the left. A person seated on the third bench will say to him'Guaymas,' he will answer 'Atravida,' and follow her at a distance,without addressing other questions to her, to the spot where she isdirected to lead him, and where the count will learn matters which, forhis own safety and that of his comrades, it is important for him toknow."
This strange note was not signed.
"What is the meaning of this?" the count said to himself. "Is it amystification? For what object? Is it a snare offered me, in which theywish me to fall? By Heaven, I will know the truth! What hour isit--nine? I have still an hour before me. If my mysterious correspondentmeditates an assassination, he will find with whom he has to deal. Whoknows? Perhaps it is really a warning a good friend wishes to give me? Ishall soon see."
While saying this, the count had changed his clothes for others of adark hue. He put on his waist belt, through an iron ring of which,according to the Mexican fashion, he passed a sheathless machete; heplaced two excellent revolvers in his girdle, wrapped himself carefullyin the folds of a wide cloak, pulled his broad brimmed hat over hiseyes, and prepared to go out.
"By Jove!" he said, as he crossed the threshold of the house, "armed asI am, the brigands who attempt to attack me will have their work cutout."
At the moment the count entered the street, it struck a quarter to tenby the clock of the Cabildo.
"I have just time," he said.
And he began walking quickly. The night was dark, the streets weredeserted. As the count had expected, he reached the Alameda exactly asthe clock struck ten.
"Let us see," he said.
He then walked with a firm step, though looking carefully around, andwith his hand on his arms, in fear of a surprise. Conforming to theinstructions of the note, he proceeded toward the walk indicated to him.He soon distinguished a dark form, which he recognised as that of afemale seated on a bench. The count was then ashamed of his suspicions,left his hold of his arms, and, after reflection, was on the point ofreturning, supposing that this rendezvous was not so serious as he hadat first supposed. Still, after a moment's reflection, he resolved oncarrying out the affair to the end, and walked toward the stranger, whoremained perfectly calm. At the moment he was passing her she coughedgently, and the count turned to her.
"_Guaymas_" she said in a low voice.
"_Atravida_" the count replied in the same tone.
"Come."
"Go on."
The strange woman rose, and not turning once, proceeded with a firm andhasty step along the Alameda, and turned into a narrow street inhabitedby leperos, stopping before a house of rather wretched appearance. Shethen opened the door with a key she held in her hand, and went in,being careful to leave the door ajar. The count was close at her heels,and entered without any hesitation. He found himself in dense obscurity,and heard the door close behind him with a spasm at his heart.
"It is plain that I am in a wasp's nest," he said to himself.
"Fear nothing," a soft and melodious voice suddenly said, almost in hisear; "you have no occasion to alarm yourself, for these precautions arenot taken against yourself."
The affectionate and almost mournful accent of this voice completelyreassured the count.
"I fear nothing," he said. "Were I afraid of a snare, should I havecome?"
"Listen, moments are precious. I have only a few seconds at my command."
"I am listening."
"You have powerful enemies; one especially has sworn your destruction.Take care! You would not serve his plans and become the agent ofdisorder, in order to help that man in gaining the object of hisambition; so that man has resolved your death."
"I despise the man's threats, for I know him."
"Perhaps so, I mention no names. Still, he is not alone against you. Ifyou wish to foil your enemy's plans, act vigorously; above all beprudent. Treason is everywhere in Mexico, it is breathed in the air; sotrust to none but well tried men. You have traitors even among those whocome nearest to you."
"What do my enemies want?"
"To destroy you, I tell you, because you have refused to become theiraccomplice."
"Oh! I will avenge myself."
"Take care! Above all, do not remain long here. Your enemies can act themore surely in the dark, when, they know you are away from your company.Rejoin your comrades."
"I will do so this very night."
"Yes, start at once for the mines. If you can reach them before yourenemies are in a position to raise the mask, you will be saved."
"Thanks for your advice, I will follow it."
"So now, good-by."
"Good-bye," the count said, with an accent of regret.
"We must not meet again."
"What! After the signal service you render me at this moment----"
"It must be. Everything parts us."
"Tell me one thing, pray."
"What?"
"Whence comes the interest you deign to show me?"
"Is the motive for a woman's actions ever known?"
"Oh, you are jesting with me, senora; that is wrong."
The strange lady sighed.
"No, Don Louis," she continued, "I am not jesting with you. What needthat you should know me? Sufficient for you that I watch over you. Seeknot for the motive."
"On the contrary, I am anxious to know it."
"Were I to tell you that I loved you, would you believe it, Don Louis?"she said, sorrowfully.
"Oh!" he said, with emotion, "I would pity you, madam, if you attachedyourself to a wretched being like myself, whose life has only been onelong suffering."
"Do you not know, then, that we women love the unhappy before all? Ourmission upon earth is to offer consolation."
"Madam, I implore you, do not let me leave you thus. I should carry awayin my heart a grief which nothing could cure."
"I was wrong to come," she murmured, mournfully.
"Oh! Say not so, as you have perchance saved my life."
"Farewell, Don Louis," she replied, with an accent of ineffablegentleness; "we must part. Whatever may occur, remember that you have adevoted friend--a sister."
"A sister!" he remarked, bitterly, "be it so. If that is your wish;madam, I do not insist."
"Take this ring, as you wish absolutely to know who I am. My name isengraved upon it, but promise me not to read it for three days."
"I swear it," he replied, holding out his hand in the darkness.
A hand seized on his, pressed it gently, left a ring i
n it; and then heheard a slight rustling of silk, and a soft voice murmured farewell forthe last time. The count heard a door close, and that was all. In asecond, the door which had granted him admission to the house openedagain. Don Louis wrapped himself in his cloak, and went out, a prey toconsiderable agitation. He reached his abode at full speed; from adistance he perceived a man standing before his gateway. The count,through a secret presentiment he could not explain, hurried onward.
"Valentine!" he suddenly exclaimed, with marks of amazement.
"Yes, brother," the other answered; "fortunately I met Don Cornelio.Your horse is ready; come, let us start."
"What is the matter, then?" he exclaimed, anxiously.
"Off, off! I will tell you all on the road."
Five minutes later, the adventurers started at full speed on the roadfrom Pitic to Guaymas.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE REVOLT.
We will leave Don Louis and Valentine galloping on the road to Guaymas,and explain to the reader what had occurred in that town during thecount's absence.
The French company formed at San Francisco was not completely made up,when the hunter brought his friend the money he required: about a dozenmen were still deficient. Pressed by time and wishful to reach Sonora assoon as possible, Don Louis neglected to employ the same precautions inenrolling these men, as he had with the rest. He accepted almost anybodythat presented himself. Unfortunately, among the new recruits were fouror five scamps, to whom any restraint was unendurable, and who enteredthe company solely impelled by that instinct for evil which governsvicious natures; that is to say, with the secret intention of committingevery crime that might prove profitable to them, so soon as they reachedMexico.
During the passage from San Francisco to Guaymas, and even so long asthe count remained in the latter town, these persons carefully avoidedshowing themselves in their true colours, justly fearing punishment; butso soon as the count left Guaymas for Pitic, they threw off the mask,and in company with a few scamps of their own stamp, whom they picked upin the slums about the port, commenced a life of disorder anddebauchery.
Colonel Flores and Don Antonio did not fail to profit by the irregularconduct of these men, and planted spies upon them, who excited them byall the means at their command to redouble their disorderly conduct.These emissaries cleverly spread the report that Don Louis had purposelydeceived his comrades, that the mines of the Plancha de la Plata had noexistence, that he had obtained no concession, and that his object wasvery different from what he had stated to his followers.
These calumnies, at first weak and as it were ashamed to exposethemselves in broad daylight, in a short time obtained a degree ofconsistency; and a great fermentation was visible in the company. Theofficers, justly alarmed at what was passing, assembled in council, andresolved to warn the count of the alarming state of matters, and thedangers that menaced the expedition. Colonel Flores, as delegate of thegovernment, was present at this council, and gave his opinion that acourier should be despatched to the count at once. The courier wasreally sent off, but almost immediately intercepted. This happened onthe third day after the count's departure. The officer to whom heintrusted the command, reassured by the departure of the courier, anddesirous to cover his responsibility by executing the orders he hadreceived, ordered the assembly to be sounded at daybreak of the fourthday, and issued orders for immediate departure.
Murmurs broke out on all sides, cries and yells were heard, and for sometime there was an inextricable confusion. Colonel Flores had hurried up,on hearing what was taking place. He insinuated that it would beprobably imprudent to leave Guaymas, with the soldiers in their presentstate of excitement, and that it would be better to await the count'sreturn, who, warned by the courier sent off the previous day, woulddoubtlessly arrive at once, and a hundred other more or less speciousarguments.
But the temporary commandant was an old African soldier, trained inhabits of discipline, and who only obeyed his orders. He replied sharplyto the colonel that he begged him to attend to his own affairs, for whatwas occurring in no way concerned him. As for himself he had his orders,and would obey them, whatever the consequences might be.
Colonel Flores finding himself so sharply taken up, and perceiving thathe was on the wrong road, immediately changed his batteries, andperfectly coincided with the officer, whom he urged to continue as hehad begun, and not yield an inch to the insubordination of his soldiers.The commandant shrugged his shoulders contemptuously at these newsuggestions from the worthy colonel, and walking into the middle of theyard, where the soldiers, forming scattered groups, were consultingtogether, he ordered the buglers to sound the assembly.
He was at once obeyed; but the adventurers yelled at the buglers, andredoubled their shouts and vociferations. The commandant remainedmotionless on the spot he had selected, with his arms folded on hischest; when the buglers had given the call, he pulled out his watch andcoolly looked at the hour. The insurgents watched him closely, the otherofficers had come up, and ranged themselves round their chief.
"Return to your squads, gentlemen," he said to them in a clear voice,which, though not raised above the tone of an ordinary conversation, wasdistinctly heard by all. "Your men have five minutes to fall in; weshall start in a quarter of an hour."
A prolonged laugh greeted these words. The commandant returned his sabreto its scabbard, and walked with a measured step straight up to one ofthe scamps who had been the originator of the tumult, and who appearedto insult him most of all. The man started on seeing his chief walkingtoward him, and instinctively looked behind him. The shouts had ceased,and the adventurers, were waiting curiously the issue. When thecommandant was only two paces from the man, he stopped, and looking himfirmly in the face said,---
"Were you laughing at me just now?"
The other hesitated to reply.
"It is not the chief who is speaking to you at this moment," the officercontinued, "but the man you have insulted."
The adventurer felt that the eyes of all his comrades were fixed uponhim; so he recalled all his effrontery.
"Well, supposing I was?" he said insolently.
"In that case," the officer continued quietly, "you are a scoundrel."
"A scoundrel?" the other retorted, in a passion. "You must be morecareful in your language, I advise you."
"You are a scoundrel, I repeat; and I am going to punish you."
"Punish me?" he said, sneeringly; "come on then."
"Give the fellow a sabre," the officer said, turning to the spectators.
"A sabre? What for?"
"To give me satisfaction for your insult."
"I do not know how to use a sabre."
"Ah, that is the case, is it? You insult me because, you fancy yourselfsupported by your comrades, and that I am alone; but your comrades arebrave men; they know me, and would not wish to insult me."
"No, no!" several voices exclaimed.
"While you are a miserable coward, unworthy longer to belong to thecompany. I dismiss you; you are no Frenchman; be off!"
Then, with a strength he little thought he possessed, the officer seizedthe man by the collar of his coat, and hurled him twenty paces. Hejumped up, and ran off at full speed followed by a general yell.
The officer was not mistaken. The fellow was not a Frenchman. But whyneed we divulge his nationality? A whole nation must not be responsiblefor the villainy of a single man.
When the officer turned round again after this summary execution, he sawthat all the adventurers had fallen in, and were standing motionless andsilent. The commandant reproached nobody, and did not appear to rememberany longer the resistance offered to him. All men are alike. To subduethem, you must prove to them that you possess a decided superiority overthem.
Colonel Flores was stupefied. He understood nothing of what was takingplace.
"Hum!" he muttered to himself; "what energy! What courage! I fancy weshall not find it an easy matter to master men like these."
The commandant
, after assuring himself by a glance that the company hadreally returned to its duty, gave the order for starting. This order, atonce repeated by the subaltern officers, was obeyed without theslightest murmur; and the adventurers set out on their march, precededby a long file of mules, carrying the baggage, and two or three carts,conveying invalids. The guns (for the count had judged it necessary toaugment his artillery), were in the centre, dragged by mules. The marchwas closed by the cavalry, a detachment of ten men having beenpreviously told off to form the vanguard.
The Frenchmen traversed Guaymas at a quick step, amid the shouts andwishes of success of the population collected on their road. Don Antonioaccompanied the company to the Rancho de San Jose, which forms, as itwere, a suburb of Guaymas. On arriving there, he took leave of theofficers in the most friendly manner, repeating his offers of service;and after pressing the hand of Colonel Flores, who went on with theadventurers, and exchanging a glance with him, he returned to the port.
It was late when the Frenchmen started. The heat was stifling;consequently they could not cover much ground, retarded, as they were,by the mules and carts. At sunset, they encamped at the entrance of avillage, about four leagues from the town.
The commandant imagined he had gained everything by inducing the companyto leave Guaymas; but he was mistaken. The leaven of discord, artfullyspread among the adventurers, was still at work, and was carefully keptup by the men to whom we have alluded. It was by no means the interestof these fellows to bury themselves in the interior of the country,where they would have no chance of finding what they had come to Mexicofor, namely, opportunities for robbery and debauch. Thus, far fromfeeling discouraged by the check they had received that very morning,they intended to begin again, as soon as the occasion presented itself.
Valentine, who carefully watched all that went on around him, took thecommandant on one side when the camp was formed, and warned him of theinsubordination in the company. The latter, however, attached no greatimportance to the hunter's observations; for he was persuaded that,after the vigorous manner in which he had behaved, the adventurers wouldnot dare to mutiny again.
Valentine's previsions were only too well founded, as the commandant hadproof the next morning, when he wished to start again. The adventurersbluntly refused; threats or prayers were equally unavailing; theyremained deaf to every observation. It was no longer mutiny, but aperfect revolt, followed only too soon by utter anarchy. The promotersof disorder triumphed; still they could not succeed in inducing theircomrades to return to Guaymas.
Through a remnant of that feeling of duty which never deserts soldiers,the adventurers were unwilling to abandon the count; they returnedmerely to the old charges that had been suggested to them. They wanted aproof that the mines really existed, that their chief had a regularconcession, and that they were not cheated. In addition to these demandsthey set up another, which would completely compromise the future of thecompany, were it granted. They demanded that all the officers chosen byDon Louis should be broken, and the company be permitted to chooseothers by vote.
Valentine remarked to them that they could do nothing during theirchiefs absence. They must await his return, or commit a flagrant act ofillegality; for Don Louis was at liberty to choose whom he pleased forofficers, as he was the sole leader of the expedition, and aloneresponsible for its conduct.
The adventurers at length yielded to this reasoning, which appeared tothem just; and, in order to stop as soon as possible these discussionswhich only delayed the affairs of the company, it was settled thatValentine should start the next morning for Pitic, and bring back thecount with him. Valentine promised to do what they wanted, andtranquillity was gradually restored for the remainder of the day.
The next morning, at daybreak, therefore, Valentine mounted his horse,and started for Pitic. We have seen that he was fortunate enough to findDon Louis, and in what way he brought him off. On the road he told hisfriend all that had occurred, in the fullest details. Hence, the countwas burning to arrive at the camp to check the disorder, and prevent thedissolution of the company, whose existence was seriously menaced, ifsuch a state of things was allowed to continue only a few hours longer.
At daybreak, the horsemen reached the camp. All was topsy-turvy;confusion and disorder prevailed on all sides. The adventurers wouldlisten to nothing. The officers, rendered powerless, knew not what todo, or how to turn away the storm that threatened them. But the suddenarrival of the count was a thunderbolt for the mutineers.
Don Louis leaped off his horse, and walked resolutely toward them. Atthe sight of him, the adventurers involuntarily felt the feeling of dutyre-aroused in their hearts, which they had vainly striven to stifle.
"The assembly!" the count shouted in a thundering voice.
Yielding to this man's magical influence, which they had so long beenaccustomed to respect, they obeyed orders, and assembled around him.
"Not so," he continued; "fall in."
The first step was taken, they formed their ranks. The count surveyedthem, looking closely along the ranks. The adventurers stood silent andgloomy; they felt themselves guilty. These hardened men trembled, notfrom fear but shame. The count addressed them.
"What have you to reproach me with, comrades?" he said to them, in hisgentle and sympathising voice. "Since the moment I first collected youaround me, have I not done all in my power to improve your position?Have I not constantly treated you as my children? Speak: if I haveinjured one of you, or committed a single act of injustice, tell it me?You have been led to believe that I am deceiving you, that I was not theowner of the Plancha de Plata, that this mine did not exist. Look here,"he added, as he drew a document from his chest, "here are the papers;the agreement is regularly drawn up, the stations are prepared up tothe mines. Now, have you faith in me? do you now suppose that I amdeceiving you. Answer!"
He was silent for a moment; but not a voice was raised to answer him.
"Ah! That is the state of the case," he continued; "now listen to me.The mines to which I am leading you contain incalculable wealth. Theseriches will be yours. I shall only take what you give me. You shallsettle my share. Will you now accuse me of wishing to cheat you for myown profit? You ask for fresh officers chosen by yourselves. I willnever consent to such a condition. Your officers are men in whosecapacity I have full and entire confidence: they well keep theirpositions. Among you there are cowards, who have become the tools of myenemies for the purpose of destroying us. These men all belong to thesecond squad. They had better spare me the trouble of discharging themwith ignominy."
The adventurers, carried away by their chiefs frank and honourablelanguage, rushed toward him, uttering shouts of joy. Peace was made: allwas forgotten. The emissaries, so suddenly discharged, profited by thegeneral enthusiasm to disappear without beat of drum.
"Here is a courier!" Valentine suddenly said.
The count turned sharply. A _lancero_ was coming up at full gallop.
"_El senor conde?_" he asked.
"I am he," Don Louis answered.
The soldier held out to him a sealed despatch. The count took it with anindescribable flutter of the heart, and rapidly ran over the lines.Suddenly he uttered a shout of joy.
"Listen," he said; "here is the order I have so long been expecting. ThePresident of the Republic authorizes us to set out immediately for themines. Comrades, we will be off at once for the Plancha de Plata."
"To the mines!" the adventurers shouted.
On folding up the paper, Don Louis noticed a few words in French writtenat the foot of the envelope.
"What is this?" he muttered.
He then read:--
"Start at once. Perhaps counter orders have already been given. Yourenemies are on the alert."
"Oh!" the count said, "what do I care now? I will manage to foil alltheir tricks."
The adventurers set to work gaily in preparing the carts for the longjourney they would have to go. The two field pieces were carefullyfastened on their carriages; in short, a
ll preparations were taken toavoid the accidents inseparable from a journey across the desert.
The adventurers worked with such zeal to terminate their preparations,that within two hours the column was on their march for Apacheria. Thejoy was at its height, the enthusiasm general. One man alone doubted,and that man was Valentine.
The fact was, that the hunter was acquainted with the Mexican character,the groundwork of which is cunning, treachery, and roguery; and, inspite of himself, he trembled for his comrades.
[The further adventures of the gold-seekers will be found in theconcluding volume of this series, which is called "The Indian Chief."]
THE END.
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