The Firebrand

by S. R. Crockett

  CHAPTER XXXV

  THE EXECUTIONER OF SALAMANCA

  But, indeed, the problem before Rollo was one difficult enough to causehim to postpone indefinitely all less immediate and pressing evils. Asthey lay hid among the reeds, and while Rollo endeavoured morecompletely to gain the good-will of the little Queen, they heard thebell of the Hermitage of San Ildefonso strike the hour sonorously.

  Rollo could hardly believe his ears as the number lengthened itself outtill he had counted twelve. He had supposed that it must be three orfour in the morning at the least. But the night had worn slowly. Manythings which take long to tell had happened in brief space, and, what toRollo appeared worst of all, it would be yet some five hours tilldaylight.

  As they crouched among the canes, the effect of his sudden discomfitureof the captors of the child Isabel became apparent. The whole palace wasringed with a sudden leaping fire of musketry. The angry fusillade waspromptly answered from the balconies, and Rollo had the satisfaction ofknowing, from the shouts and yells of pain and fury beneath, that notonly were his folk on the alert, but that he had reason to be satisfiedwith the excellence of their marksmanship.

  More than one rambling party of gipsies passed their hiding-place. Butthese for the most part searched in a perfunctory manner, their headsover their shoulders to listen to the progress of their comrades whowere attacking the palace, and perhaps also no little afraid lest deathshould again leap out upon them from the darkness of the cane-brake.Rollo, immediately upon his return to the thicket, had recovered andrecharged his pistols by touch, and presently, having made all ready, hecaught up the little girl in his arms, urging her to be silent whateverhappened, and to trust everything to him.

  Isabel, who was of an affectionate and easy disposition, though everquick to anger, put her arm readily about the young man's neck. He had awinsome and gracious manner with all children, which perhaps was thesame quality that won him his way with women.

  Rollo had an idea which had come to him with the chime of the Hermitagebell as it tolled the hour of midnight. There, if anywhere, he wouldfind good men, interested in the welfare of the Princess, and withhearts large enough to remain calmly at the post of duty even in adeserted and plague-ruined town. For one of the chief glories of theRoman Church is this, that her clergy do not desert their people in thehour of any danger, however terrible. Nothing else, indeed, is thoughtof. As a military man would say, "It is the tradition of the service!"

  Now if Rollo had been in his own Scottish land during the visitation ofthis first cholera, he would have had good grounds for _hoping_ that hewould find the ministers of his faith in the thick of the fight withdeath, undismayed, never weary. There were many, very many such--many,but very far from all. The difference was that here in ignorant SpainRollo knew without deduction that of a certainty the monks and parishpriests of the ancient creed would be faithful.

  It might indeed in some cases be otherwise with some selfish andpampered Jesuits or the benefice-seeking rabble of clerics who hangabout the purlieus of a court. A father-confessor or two might fleeover-seas, an abbot go on timely pilgrimage to Rome, but here in SanIldefonso, Rollo knew that he would either find the priests and holybrothers of the Church manfully doing their noble work, or dead and intheir sainted graves--in any case, again in military phrase, "allpresent or all accounted for!"

  To the Hermitage of San Ildefonso, therefore, recently enlarged anderected into a monastery, Rollo directed his steps. It was no easy taskat such a time. There was the great railing to negotiate, and a passageto force through a town by this time alive with enemies. In spite of thedarkness the gipsies at any point might stop his way, and he wasburdened with a child whom he must protect at all hazards.

  But this young man loved to be driven into a corner. Danger excited him,as drinking might another man. Indeed, so quick were his parts, so readyhis invention, that before he had left the reed-bed he had turned overand rejected half a dozen plans of escape. Yet another suggested itself,to which for the moment he could see no objection.

  He spoke to the little Isabel, who now nestled closely and confidentlyto him.

  "Did they not tell me," he said, "that there was somewhere about thepalace a dairy of cows?"

  "Yes--it is true," answered the little Queen; "at least, there is aplace where they are brought in to be milked. It belongs to my mother.She loves them all, and often used to take me there to enjoy the sightand to drink the milk warm with the froth upon it because it is good forthe breathing!"

  "Can you show me the way, little Princess Isabel?" said Rollo.

  "Yes, that can I, indeed," she made answer; "but you must not take awaymy mother's milk-pails, nor let the wicked gipsies know of them. OldPiebald Pedro drives the cows in and out every day, riding upon hisdonkey. They live at my mother's farm in the valley that is called inFrench '_Sans Souci_!' Is it not a pretty name?"

  "His donkey?" said Rollo, quickly, catching at the idea; "where does hekeep it?"

  "In a little shed not far from the dairy," she answered, "the stable iscovered all over with yellow canes, and it stands near a pool where thegreen frogs croak!"

  It had been Rollo's intention to drive some of the royal cows out beforehim as a booty, passing himself off as one of the gipsy gang. But uponthis information he decided that Pedro the cowherd's ass would suit hispurpose much better, if he should be fortunate enough to find it. He wassure that among so many gipsies and ill-conditioned folk who had joinedthe tribes of Egypt for the sake of adventure and booty, there must bemany who were personally unknown to each other. And though he could notspeak deep Romany like La Giralda and the Sergeant, Rollo was yet moreexpert at the "crabbed Gitano" than nine out of ten of the northerngipsies, who, indeed, for the most part use a mere thieves' slang, or asit is called, _Tramper's Dutch_.

  The little girl directed him as well as she could, nevertheless it wassome time before he could find the place he was in quest of. For Isabelhad never been out at night before, and naturally the forms of allthings appeared strangely altered to an imaginative child. Indeed, itmay be admitted that Rollo stumbled upon the place more by good luckthan because he was guided thither by the advice of Isabel. For theutmost the child could tell him was only that Piebald Pedro's hut wasnear the dairy, and that the dairy was near Pedro's hut.

  The donkey itself, however, perhaps excited by the proximity of so manyof its kind (though no one of the thieves' beasts had made the leastactual noise), presently gave vent to a series of brays which guidedthem easily to the spot.

  Rollo set the Princess on the ground, bidding her watch by the door andtell him if any one came in sight. But the little girl, not yetrecovered from her fright, clung to his coat and pled so piteously to beallowed to stay with him, that he could not insist. First of all hegroped all around the light cane-wattled walls of Pedro's hut for anygarment which might serve to disguise him. For though Rollo's garmentswere by no means gay, they were at least of somewhat more fashionablecut than was usual among the gipsies and their congeners.

  After a little Rollo found the old cowherd's milking-blouse stuffed inan empty corn-chest among scraps of harness, bits of rope, nails, brokengardening-tools, and other collections made by the Piebald One in thehonest exercise of his vocation. He pulled the crumpled old garment outand donned it without scruple. His own _sombrero_, much the worse forwear and weather, served well enough, with the brim turned down, to givethe young man the appearance of a peasant turned brigand for the nonce.

  His next business was to conceal the little girl in order that theymight have a chance of passing the gipsy picket at the gates, and ofescaping chance questionings by the way.

  Rollo therefore continued to search in the darkness till he hadcollected two large bundles, one of chopped straw, and the other of hay,which he stuffed into the panniers, in the larger of which he meant tofind room also for the Princess. Once settled, a sheet was thrown overher shoulders, and the hay lightly scattered over all. Then she wasordered to lie down and to keep espe
cially still if she should hear anyone speak to her companion. And so naturally did the little girl take tosecrecy and adventure that after having assured herself of Rollo'skindness, not a murmur passed her lips.

  On the contrary, she promised all careful obedience, and it was no greatwhile before they set out, making so bold as to pass once more by herown private kitchen. For Rollo had resolved to take possession of someof the silver utensils, that he might have somewhat wherewith to satisfyplunderers if they should chance to be stopped, and the ass's burdens indanger of being too closely examined.

  They found the silver vessels and pans lying where they had been piledoutside the door. Apparently no one had been near them. One of thegipsies, however, who had been wounded, still lay groaning without,cursing the cravens who had left him and fled at a couple of pistolshots. But the other, he who had first been dealt with by Rollo'sbullet out of the cane-brake, gave no sign. He lay still, shot throughthe heart, the torture-cord still in his hand.

  Without taking the least notice of the wounded man, Rollo coolly loadedthe silver dishes upon his own shoulders, placing one or two of thelargest copper pans upon the donkey in such a manner as to shelter thePrincess from observation should any one turn a lantern upon them ontheir way to the Hermitage of San Ildefonso.

  They kept wide of the palace itself, however, for though the fire hadslackened, and the besieged only replied when one of their assailantsincautiously showed himself, yet the place was evidently stillcompletely beset, and the loaded trains of mules and donkeys departingfrom the storehouses had released many of the younger and moreadventurous gipsies, who had brought no beast with them on which tocarry off their plunder.

  At about the same time, a red glow began to wax and wane uncertainlyabove the granaries most distant from Rollo and his charge. A ruddyvolume of smoke slowly disengaged itself from the roofs. Windows winkedred, glowed, and then spouted flame. It was evident that the gipsies hadfired the plundered storehouses.

  In their own interests the act was one of the worst policy. For theirmovements, which had hitherto been masked in darkness, now became clearas day, while the advantages of the besieged within the palace weregreatly increased.

  But (what principally concerns us) the matter happened ill enough forRollo and the little Queen. They had to pass under the full glare of thefire, through groups of gipsies assembled about the great gate,chaffering and disputing. But there appeared to Rollo at least a chanceof getting past unobserved, for all seemed to be thoroughly occupiedwith their own business. Rollo accordingly settled the little Queendeeper in the great pannier, and readjusted the hay over her. He thenhung an additional pair of copper vessels across the crupper, chirrupedto the beast, and went forward to face his fate with as good a heart asmight be within his breast.

  "Whither goest thou, brother?" cried a voice from behind him, just whenRollo was full between the portals of the great gate.

  "Brother, I go into the town to complete my plunder," answered Rollo inRomany, "and to help my kinsfolk of the Gitano!"

  "Strangely enough thou speakest, brother," was the reply; "thy tongue isnot such as we wanderers of the Castiles speak one to the other!"

  Rollo laughed heartily at this, his hand all the while gripping thepistol on his thigh.

  "Indeed," said he, "it were great marvel an it were. For I am of Lorca,which is near to Granada; and what is more, I am known there as a verypretty fellow with my hands!"

  "I doubt it not," said the Castilian gipsy, turning away; "and not tospeak of the pistol, that is a pretty enough plaything of a tooth-pickwhich hangs at thy girdle, brother!"

  As he turned carelessly away he pointed to the long knife the Sergeanthad given Rollo, and which, owing to some mysterious marks upon itshandle, proved on more than one occasion of service to him.

  Presently, as he was urging his donkey to the left out of the silenttown, he came upon a knot of gipsies who stood with heads all benttogether as if in consultation. They were deep within the shadow of anarchway a little raised above the level of the street, and Rollo couldnot see them before he was, as it were, under their noses. One of them,a great brawny hulk of a man, sun-blackened to the hue of an Arab of theRif, struck his knuckles with a clang on the brazen vessel whichsheltered the little Queen.

  Rollo caught his breath, for it seemed certain that the child must cryout with fear.

  But the little maid abode silent, her Spanish heart taking naturally toconcealments and subterfuges--then, as in after years.

  "Ha, brother," said this great hulk in deep tones, and in better Romanythan the former had used, "thou art strangely modest in thy plundering.Hay and straw, brass kettles and tin skillets, my friend, are like thatneatherd's cloak of thine, they cover a multitude of things better worthhaving. What hast thou there under thy pots and pans?"

  The young man's often tried fate stood again on tiptoe. He knew wellthat he was within a pin-prick of getting his throat cut from ear toear. But nevertheless the cool head and fiery heart which were thebirthright of Rollo Blair once more brought him through. He instantlylaid his hand upon his knife-handle and half drew it from its leathernsheath.

  "I would have you know, sir," he cried in an incensed tone, "that I amRuiz Elicroca of Lorca, own sister's son to Jose Maria of Ronda, whogave me this knife, as you may see by the handle. I am not to be imposedupon by cut-purses and bullies--no, not though they were as big as achurch, and as black-angry as the devil on a saint's day!"

  The huge fellow fell back a step, with a sort of mockery of alarm,before Rollo's vehemence. For he had advanced into the middle of thehighway, so as to bar the path by the mere bulk of his body. He appearedbetter satisfied, however, though by no means intimidated.

  "Well," he growled, "you are a cockerel off a good dung-hill, if thingsbe as you say. At all events you crow not unhandsomely. But whither goyou in that direction? You are well laden as to your shoulders, my youngfriend. That plate looks as if it might be silver. I warrant it wouldmelt down into a hundred good _duros_ with the double pillar upon eachof them. You need not want for more. But turn and go another way. TheHermitage is yet to be tapped, and I warrant that monk's roost hath goodstore of such-like--gold and silver both. That we claim as ours,remember!"

  "And, sir, what do you expect one man to do?" cried Rollo. "Can I takeand rob the armed and defended retreat of the friars? I warrant theyhave either buried their plate in a safe place or have kept a sufficientguard there to protect it--even as they have up yonder. Hark to them!"

  The sound of a brisk interchange of shots came to their ears from thedirection of the palace.

  "These be young fools who run their heads against stone walls," said thehuge gipsy; "we are wiser men. They seek gold, and are in danger ofgetting lead. Like you, we will be content with silver. Altar furnitureis by no means to be despised. It fits the melting-pot as egg-meat fitsegg-shell! But whither do you fare?"

  "I am passing in this direction solely that I may reach a place known tomy uncle and myself, where the pair of us have a rendezvous," answeredRollo; "mine uncle Don Jose hath no wish to meddle in other men'smatters, as indeed he told some of you yesterday morning. But as for me,seeing that I was young of my years and desired to make my mark, hepermitted me to come. But I would rather give up all my booty, thoughhonestly taken with the strong hand, than keep Jose Maria waiting!"

  The Moorish gipsy now laughed in his turn.

  "Nay, that I doubt not," he said, "but here we are all good fellows,right Roms, true to each other, and would rob no honest comrade of thatfor which he hath risked his life. Pass on, brother, and give to JoseMaria of Ronda the respects of Ezquerra, the executioner, who on thePlaza Mayor of Salamanca removed the spike from the iron cravat that sodeftly marked him for life!"

  With a burst of gratitude quick and sincere, Rollo seized the huge handand wrung it heartily.

  "You saved Jose Maria's life," he cried, "then mine is at your service!"

  "Pass on, boy," smiled Ezquerra, grimly; "it is not the first time
,since I became usher to the Nether World, that I have been able to do afriend and brave comrade a good turn. Only warn him that now they have anew operator at Salamanca in whose veins circulates no drop of the rightblack blood of Egypt. He must not try the collar twice!"

  Rollo passed on with his donkey, and he was into the second streetbefore he dared to lift the covering of hay which hid the child. Heexpected to find her in a swoon with fright or half dead with fear andanxiety. Isabel the Second was neither.

  "Take off that platter of metal," she whispered; "what funny talk youspeak. It sounded like cats spitting. You must teach it to me afterwardswhen Dona Susana is out of the way. For she is very strict with me andwill only let me learn French and Castilian, saying that all otherlanguages are only barbarian and useless, which indeed may well be!"

  "Hush," said Rollo; "we are not yet in safety. Here is the way to theHermitage!"

  "But will you teach me the cat language?"

  "Yes, yes, that I will and gladly," quoth Rollo to the little Queen,anxious to buy her silence on any terms, "as soon, that is, as there istime!"

  After passing the gate and the group collected there, Rollo had turnedrapidly to the right, and soon the ancient walls of the Ermita of SanIldefonso rose before him, gleaming dimly through the dense greenery ofthe trees. If any of the fathers, who made their home at that sacredplace, still remained, the outside of the building gave no sign of theirpresence.

  But it was not a time for Rollo to stand on any ceremony. With a roughtug at the rein he compelled the donkey to follow a narrow winding pathwhich, entering at an angle, made its way finally to the main door ofthe Hermitage. The young man thundered at the knocker, but, receiving noanswer, he selected a flattish stone of a size suitable for passingbetween the iron _grille_ of the window-bars, and threw it up at themwith all his force. The jingling of glass followed, upon which presentlya white face was seen behind the bars, and a mild voice inquired hisbusiness.

  "The brethren are either asleep or gone about the affairs of their orderin the town," the monk said; "there is no general hospitality here intime of plague!"

  "I have not come to claim any," said Rollo; "I am here to warn you thatSan Ildefonso is in the hands of wicked and cruel men--gipsies of themountains! Call your Superior and admit me at once!"

  "Alas," answered the man, "our Prior is dead! I am only almoner here,and there are but three of us left. All the others are dead among thesick folk of the town. They laboured till they died. I have labouredalso to provide them food when they could crawl back for it--setting itin the guest-chamber and going out again upon their arrival--God knows,not from any fear of the infection, but because if I chanced to be takenour work would be at an end. For none of the others can so much as cookan omelette or dish up a spoonful of _gazpacho_ fit for any son of manto eat."

  "Well," said Rollo, "at any rate let me in. I carry no infection and thetime is short. I will help you to hold your Hermitage against themalefactors!"

  "But how," answered the monk, shrewdly, "can I be certain that you arenot of the gang, and that if I open the door a hundred of you will notrush in and slay me and us all out of hand?"

  Rollo put his hand into the pannier of his ass and raised the Princessupon his arm.

  "Turn a light upon this little lady," he said, "and see whether she willnot convince you of my good intent!"

  It was a moment or two before the man returned with a lantern, anddirected the stream of light downwards.

  "The young Queen!" he cried aghast; "what is she doing here at this hourof the night?"

  "Let me in, and I will tell you," cried the lady herself, "quick--do youhear? I will complain to Father Ignacio, my mother's confessor, if youdo not, and you will be deprived of your office. You will be put onbread and water, and very like have your head cut off as well!"

  In a minute more they heard the noise of the pulling of bolts and bars,and were presently admitted into the little whitewashed hall of theErmita de San Ildefonso. There they found themselves face to face withfour monks in white habits, their faces pale and grave in thecandle-light. They gave Rollo no sign of welcome, but each of them bowedhis head low to the little Queen and then glanced inquiringly at herprotector.

  "Let the _burro_ enter also," commanded Rollo. "Thrice I have beenstopped on the way, and if our enemies find the ass without they will bethe readier to believe that I have hidden my treasure with you!"

  Then in the little whitewashed refectory, before the simple table onwhich the fathers, now sadly reduced in numbers, took their repasts,Rollo told his story. And, sinking on her knees devoutly before thegreat crucifix that hung over the mantelpiece, the little Queen repeatedher childish prayers as placidly as if she had been at her nurse's kneesin the royal palace at Madrid, with the sentries posted duly, and thetramp of the guard continually passing without.