CHAPTER IV. AN ADVENTURE WITH BRIGANDS
Let us return now to the little girl we left feigning to sleep soundlyupon a settle in the kitchen. There was certainly something suspiciousabout the fierce way in which she eyed Isabelle's pearl necklace, andher little bit of clever acting afterwards. As soon as the door hadclosed upon the comedians she slowly opened her large, dark eyes, lookedsharply round the great, dim kitchen, and when she found that nobody waswatching her, slipped quietly down from the bench, threw back her hairwith a quick movement of the head peculiar to her, crept softly to thedoor, which she cautiously unlatched, and escaped into the open airwithout making any more sound than a shadow, then walked slowly andlistlessly away until she had turned a corner and was out of sight ofthe house, when she set off running as fleetly as a deer pursued by thehounds--jumping over the frequent obstacles in her path with wonderfulagility, never stumbling, and flying along, with her black hairstreaming out behind her, like some wild creature of the desolate pinebarrens through which she was skilfully threading her way.
She reached at last a little knoll, crowned by a group of pinetrees crowded closely together, and dashing up the steep bank withundiminished speed came to a sudden stop in the very middle of thegrove. Here she stood still for a moment, peering anxiously about her,and then, putting two fingers in her mouth, gave three shrill whistles,such as no traveller in those desolate regions can hear without ashudder. In an instant what seemed to be a heap of pine twigs stirred,and a man emerging from beneath them rose slowly to his feet at a littledistance from the child.
"Is it you, Chiquita?" he asked. "What news do you bring? You are late.I had given over expecting you to-night, and gone to sleep."
The speaker was a dark, fierce-looking fellow of about five andtwenty, with a spare, wiry frame, brilliant black eyes, and very whiteteeth--which were long and pointed like the fangs of a young wolf.He looked as if he might be a brigand, poacher, smuggler, thief, orassassin--all of which he had been indeed by turns. He was dressed likea Spanish peasant, and in the red woollen girdle wound several timesaround his waist was stuck a formidable knife, called in Spain a navaja.The desperadoes who make use of these terrible weapons usually displayas many red stripes, cut in the steel, upon their long pointed bladesas they have committed murders, and are esteemed by their companions inproportion to the number indicated by this horrible record. We donot know exactly how many of these scarlet grooves adorned Agostino'snavaja, but judging by the savage expression of his countenance, andthe fierce glitter of his eye, we may safely suppose them to have beencreditably numerous.
"Well, Chiquita," said he, laying his hand caressingly on the child'shead, "and what did you see at Maitre Chirriguirri's inn?"
"A great chariot full of people came there this afternoon," sheanswered. "I saw them carry five large chests into the barn, and theymust have been very heavy, for it took two men to lift them."
"Hum!" said Agostino, "sometimes travellers put stones into theirboxes to make them seem very weighty and valuable, and deceive theinn-keepers."
"But," interrupted the child eagerly, "the three young ladies hadtrimmings of gold on their clothes; and one of them, the prettiest, hadround her neck a row of round, shining, white things, and oh! they wereso beautiful!" and she clasped her hands in an ecstasy of admiration,her voice trembling with excitement.
"Those must be pearls," muttered Agostino to himself, "and they will beworth having--provided they are real--but then they do make such perfectimitations now-a-days, and even rich people are mean enough to wearthem."
"My dear Agostino, my good Agostino," continued Chiquita, in her mostcoaxing tones, and without paying any attention to his mutterings, "willyou give me the beautiful, shining things if you kill that lady?"
"They would go so well with your rags and tatters!" he answeredmockingly.
"But I have so often kept watch for you while you slept, and I have runso far to tell you when any one was coming, no matter how cold it was,nor how my poor, bare feet ached--and I have never once kept you waitingfor your food, when I used to carry it to you in your hiding places,even when I was bad with the fever, or my teeth chattering with thechill, and I so weak that I could hardly drag myself along. Oh Agostino!do remember what I have done for you, and let me have the beautiful,shining things."
"Yes, you have been both brave and faithful, Chiquita, I admit; but wehave not got the wonderful necklace yet, you know. Now, tell me, howmany men were there in the party."
"Oh! a great many. A big, tall man with a long beard; an old, fatman--one that looked like a fox--two thin men, and one that looked likea gentleman, though his clothes were very old and shabby."
"Six men," said Agostino, who had counted them on his fingers as sheenumerated them, and his face fell. "Alas! I am the only one left of ourbrave band now; when the others were with me we would not have mindeddouble the number. Have they arms, Chiquita?"
"The gentleman has a sword, and so has the tall, thin man--a very longone."
"No pistols or guns?"
"I didn't see any," answered Chiquita, "but they might have left them inthe chariot, you know; only Maitre Chirriguirri or Mionnette would havebeen sure to send you word if they had, and they said nothing to meabout them."
"Well, we will risk it then, and see what we can do," said Agostinoresolutely. "Five large, heavy chests, gold ornaments, a pearl necklace!they certainly are worth trying for."
The brigand and his little companion then went to a secret place in thethick pine grove, and set to work industriously, removing a few largestones, a quantity of branches, and finally the five or six boards theyhad concealed, disclosing a large hole that looked like a grave. It wasnot very deep, and Agostino, jumping down into it, stooped and liftedout what seemed to be a dead body--dressed in its usual every-dayclothes--which he flung down upon the ground beside the hole. Chiquita,who did not appear to be in the least agitated or alarmed by thesemysterious proceedings, seized the figure by the feet, with the utmostsang-froid, and dragged it out of Agostino's way, with a much greaterdegree of strength than could have been expected from such a slight,delicate little creature. Agostino continued his work of exhumationuntil five other bodies lay beside the first one--all neatly arrangedin a row by the little girl, who seemed to actually enjoy her lugubrioustask. It made a strange picture in the weird light of the nearly fullmoon, half veiled by driving clouds--the open grave, the bodies lyingside by side under the dark pine trees, and the figures of Agostino andChiquita bending over them. But the tragic aspect of the affair soonchanged to a comic one; for when Agostino placed the first of the bodiesin an upright position it became apparent that it was only a sort ofa scarecrow--a rude figure intended to frighten timid traveller--whichbeing skilfully disposed at the edge of the grove, partly hidden amongthe trees, looked at a little distance exactly like a brigand--gun andall. Indeed it really was dressed in the garments of one of his oldcomrades, who had paid the penalty of his crimes on the gallows. Heapostrophized the figure as he arranged it to his liking, calling it byname, relating some of the brave deeds of its prototype, and bewailingthe sad fate that had left him to ply his nefarious trade single-handed,with a rude eloquence that was not wanting in pathos. Returning to wherethe others lay, he lifted up one which he reminded Chiquita, representedher father--whose valour and skill he eulogized warmly--whilst the childdevoutly made the sign of the cross as she muttered a prayer. This onebeing put in position, he carried the remaining figures, one by one,to the places marked for them, keeping up a running commentary upon theci-devant brigands whose representatives they were, and calling themeach repeatedly by name, as if there were a certain sad satisfaction inaddressing them in the old, familiar way.
When this queer task was completed, the bandit and his faithful littlecompanion, taking advantage of a flood of moonlight as the cloudsdrifted away before the wind, went and stood on the road--not very farfrom their retreat--by which our travellers were to pass, to judge ofthe effect of their group of brigands. It
was really very formidable,and had often been of great service to the bold originator of the plan;for on seeing so numerous a band apparently advancing upon them, mosttravellers took to their heels, leaving the coveted spoils behind themfor Agostino to gather up at his leisure.
As they slowly returned to the pine grove he said to the child, who wasclinging to his arm affectionately as she walked beside him, "The firststage of their journey to-morrow is a long one, and these people will besure to start in good season, so that they will reach this spot justat the right time for us--in the uncertain light of the dawn. In thedarkness of night our brigands yonder could not be seen, and in broaddaylight the ruse would be apparent; so we are in luck, Chiquita! Butnow for a nap--we have plenty of time for it, and the creaking of thewheels will be sure to wake us." Accordingly Agostino threw himself downupon a little heap of pine branches and heather, Chiquita crept closeto him, so that the large cloak with which he had covered himself mightprotect her also from the chilly night air, and both were soon soundasleep.
It was so early when our travellers were roused from their slumbersand told that it was time for them to resume their journey, by thetreacherous landlord of the Blue Sun Inn, that it seemed to them likethe middle of the night; to they arranged themselves as comfortably asthey could in the great, roomy chariot, and despite the loud creakingand groaning that accompanied its every movement as it went slowlylumbering along, and the shrill cries of the driver to his oxen, theywere all soon asleep again, excepting de Sigognac, who walked beside thechariot, lost in thoughts of Isabelle's beauty, grace and modesty, andadorable goodness, which seemed better suited to a young lady of noblebirth than a wandering actress. He tormented himself with trying todevise some means to induce her to reciprocate the ardent love thatfilled his heart for her, not for an instant suspecting that it wasalready a fait accompli, and that the sweet, pure maiden had given him,unasked, her gentle, faithful heart. The bashful young baron imaginedall sorts of romantic and perilous incidents in which he mightconstitute himself her knight and protector, and show such brave andtender devotion to her as he had read of in the old books of chivalry;and which might lead up to the avowal he was burning to make, yet darednot. It never occurred to him that the look in his dark eyes wheneverthey rested on her face, the tone of his voice when he addressed her,the deep sighs he vainly sought to stifle, and the tender, eager carewith which he strove to anticipate her every wish had spoken for him,as plainly as any words could do; and that, though he had not dared tobreathe one syllable of his passionate love to Isabelle, she knew it,rejoiced in it, and was proud of it, and that it filled her with adelicious, rapturous joy, such as she had never felt before, or evendreamed of.
The morning began to break--the narrow band of pale light on thehorizon, which was growing rapidly brighter and assuming a rosy tinge,was reflected here and there in the little pools of water that shonelike bits of a broken mirror scattered over the ground--distant soundswere heard, and columns of smoke rising into the still morning airproved that even in this desolate, God-forsaken part of the Landes therewere human habitations to be found. Stalking along with giant strides onthe highest part of some rising ground not very far off was a grotesquefigure, clearly defined against the bright eastern sky, which would havebeen a puzzle to a stranger, but was a familiar sight to de Sigognac--ashepherd mounted on his high stilts, such as are to be met witheverywhere throughout the Landes.
But the young baron was too much absorbed in his own engrossingthoughts to take any note of his surroundings as he kept pace with theslow-moving chariot, until his eye was caught and his attention fixed bya strange little point of light, glittering among the sombre pines thatformed the dense grove where we left Agostino and Chiquita sleeping.He wondered what it could be--certainly not a glow-worm, the season forthem was past long ago--and he watched it as he advanced towards it witha vague feeling of uneasiness. Approaching nearer he caught a glimpseof the singular group of figures lurking among the trees, and atfirst feared an ambuscade; but finding that they continued perfectlymotionless he concluded that he must have been mistaken, and that theywere only old stumps after all; so he forbore to arouse the comedians,as he had for a moment thought of doing.
A few steps farther and suddenly a loud report was heard from the grove,a bullet sped through the air, and struck the oxen's yoke--happilywithout doing any damage, further than causing the usually quiet,steady-going beasts to swerve violently to one side--when fortunately aconsiderable heap of sand prevented the chariot's being overturned intothe ditch beside the road. The sharp report and violent shock startledthe sleeping travellers in the chariot, and the younger women shriekedwildly in their terror, whilst the duenna, who had met with suchadventures before, slipped the few gold pieces she had in her purse intoher shoe. Beside the chariot, from which the actors were struggling toextricate themselves, stood Agostino--his cloak wrapped around his leftarm and the formidable navaja in his right hand-and cried in a voice ofthunder, "Your money or your lives! Resistance is useless! At the firstsign of it my band will fire upon you."
Whilst the bandit was shouting out these terrible words, de Sigognachad quietly drawn his sword, and as he finished attacked him furiously.Agostino skilfully parried his thrusts, with the cloak on his left arm,which so disposed made an excellent shield, and watched his opportunityto give a murderous stab with his navaja, which indeed he almostsucceeded in doing; a quick spring to one side alone saved the baronfrom a wound which must have been fatal, as the brigand threw the knifeat him with tremendous force, and it flew through the air and fellringing upon the ground at a marvellous distance, instead of piercingde Sigognac's heart. His antagonist turned pale, for he was quitedefenceless, having depended entirely upon his trusty navaja, which hadnever failed him before, and he very well knew that his vaunted bandcould not come to his rescue. However, he shouted to them to fire,counting upon the sudden terror that command would inspire to deliverhim from his dilemma; and, indeed, the comedians, expecting a broadside,did take refuge behind the chariot, whilst even our brave heroinvoluntarily bent his head a little, to avoid the shower of bullets.
Meantime Chiquita, who had breathlessly watched all that passed fromher hiding place among some furze bushes close at hand, when she saw herfriend in peril, crept softly forth, glided along on the ground like asnake until she reached the knife, lying unnoticed where it had fallen,and, seizing it, in one instant had restored it to Agostino, She lookedlike a little fury as she did so, and if her strength had been equal toher ferocity she would have been a formidable foe.
Agostino again aimed his navaja at the baron, who was at that moment offhis guard, and would not perhaps have escaped the deadly weapon a secondtime if it had been hurled at him from that skilful hand, but thata grasp of iron fastened upon the desperado's wrist, just in time todefeat his purpose. He strove in vain to extricate his right arm fromthe powerful grip that held it like a vice--struggling violently, andwrithing with the pain it caused him--but he dared not turn upon thisnew assailant, who was behind him, because de Sigognac would have surelyscored his back for him; and he was forced to continue parrying histhrusts with his left arm, still protected by the ample cloak firmlywound around it. He soon discovered that he could not possibly freehis right hand, and the agony became so great that his fingers could nolonger keep their grasp of the knife, which fell a second time to theground.
It was the tyrant who had come to de Sigognac's rescue, and now suddenlyroared out in his stentorian voice, "What the deuce is nipping me? Is ita viper? I felt two sharp fangs meet in the calf of my leg."
It was Chiquita, who was biting his leg like a dog, in the vain hope ofmaking him turn round and loose his hold upon Agostino; but the tyrantshook her off with a quick movement, that sent her rolling in the dustat some distance, without relinquishing his captive, whilst Matamoredashed forward and picked up the navaja, which he shut together and putinto his pocket.
Whilst this scene was enacting the sun had risen, and poured a flood ofradiance upon
the earth in which the sham brigands lost much of theirlife-like effect. "Ha, ha!" laughed the peasant, "it would appear thatthose gentlemen's guns take a long time to go off; they must be wetwith dew. But whatever may be the matter with them they are miserablecowards, to stand still there at a safe distance and leave their chiefto do all the fighting by himself."
"There is a good reason for that," answered Matamore, as he climbed upthe steep bank to them, "these are nothing but scarecrows." And withsix vigorous kicks he sent the six absurd figures rolling in everydirection, making the most comical gestures as they fell.
"You may safely alight now, ladies," said the baron, reassuringly, tothe trembling actresses, "there's nothing more to fear; it was only asham battle after all."
In despair at his overwhelming defeat, Agostino hung his headmournfully, and stood like a statue of grief, dreading lest worse stillshould befall him, if the comedians, who were in too great force for himto attempt to struggle any longer against them, decided to take him onto the next town and deliver him over to the jailor to be locked up, asindeed he richly deserved. His faithful little friend, Chiquita, stoodmotionless at his side, as downcast as himself. But the farce of thefalse brigands so tickled the fancy of the players that it seemed asif they never would have done laughing over it, and they were evidentlyinclined to deal leniently with the ingenious rascal who had devised it.The tyrant, who had loosened, but not quitted, his hold upon the bandit,assumed his most tragic air and voice, and said to him, "You havefrightened these ladies almost to death, you scoundrel, and you richlydeserve to be strung up for it; but if, as I believe, they will consentto pardon you--for they are very kind and good---I will not take you tothe lock-up. I confess that I do not care to furnish a subject for thegallows. Besides, your stratagem is really very ingenious and amusing--acapital farce to play at the expense of cowardly travellers--who havedoubtless paid you well for the entertainment, eh? As an actor, Iappreciate the joke, and your ingenuity inclines me to be indulgent. Youare not simply and brutally a robber, and it would certainly be a pityto cut short such a fine career."
"Alas!" answered Agostino mournfully, "no other career is open to me,and I am more to be pitied than you suppose. I am the only one left ofa band formerly as complete as yours; the executioner has deprived meof my brave comrades one by one, and now I am obliged to carry on myoperations entirely alone--dressing up my scarecrows, as your friendcalls them, and assuming different voices to make believe that I amsupported by a numerous company. Ah! mine is a sad fate; and then myroad is such a poor one--so few travellers come this way--and I have notthe means to purchase a better one. Every good road is owned by a bandof brigands, you know. I wish that I could get some honest work to do,but that is hopeless; who would employ such a looking fellow as I am?all in rags and tatters, worse than the poorest beggar. I must surelyhave been born under an unlucky star. And now this attempt has failed,from which I hoped to get enough to keep us for two months, and buy adecent cloak for poor Chiquita besides; she needs it badly enough, poorthing! Yesterday I had nothing to eat, and I had to tighten my belt tosustain my empty stomach. Your unexpected resistance has taken the verybread out of my mouth; and since you would not let me rob you, at leastbe generous and give me something."
"To be sure," said the tyrant, who was greatly amused; "as we haveprevented your successfully plying your trade we certainly do owe you anindemnity. Here, take these two pistoles to drink our healths with."
Isabelle meantime sought in the chariot for a piece of new woollen stuffshe happened to have with her, which was soft and warm, and gave it toChiquita, who exclaimed, "Oh! but it is the necklace of shining whitethings that I want."
Kind Isabelle immediately unclasped it, and then fastened it round theslender neck of the child, who was so overwhelmed with delight that shecould not speak. She silently rolled the smooth, white beads between herlittle brown fingers in a sort of mute ecstasy for a few moments, thensuddenly raising her head and tossing back her thick black hair, shefixed her sparkling eyes on Isabelle, and said in a low, earnest voice,"Oh! you are very, very good, and I will never, never kill you." Thenshe ran swiftly back to the pine grove, clambered up the steep bank, andsat down to admire and enjoy her treasure. As to Agostino, aftermaking his best bow, and thanking the tyrant for his really princelymunificence, he picked up his prostrate comrades, and carried them backto be buried again until their services should be needed on some, hehoped, more auspicious occasion.
The driver, who had deserted his oxen and run to hide himself among thefurze bushes at the beginning of the affray, returned to his post whenhe saw that all danger was over, and the chariot once more started uponits way--the worthy duenna having taken her doubloons out of her shoesand restored them to her purse, which was then deposited in the depthsof a mysterious pocket.
"You behaved like a real hero of romance," Isabelle said in an undertoneto de Sigognac, "and I feel that under your protection we can travelsecurely; how bravely you attacked that bandit single-handedly when youhad every reason to believe that he was supported by an armed band."
"You overestimate my little exploit," the baron replied modestly, "therewas no danger worth mentioning," then sinking his voice to a whisper,"but to protect you I would meet and conquer giants, put to flight awhole host of Saracens, attack and destroy dragons and horrid monsters;I would force my way through enchanted forests filled with snares andperils, such as we read of, and even descend into hell itself, likeAeneas of old. In your dear service the most difficult feats would beeasy; your beautiful eyes inspire me with indomitable courage, and yoursweet presence, or even the bare thought of you, seems to endue me witha super-human strength."
This was, perhaps, rather exaggerated, but perfectly sincere, andIsabelle did not doubt for a moment that de Sigognac would be able toaccomplish fabulous deeds of prowess in her honour and for her sake;and she was not so very far wrong, for he was becoming hourly morepassionately enamoured of her, and ardent young lovers are capable ofprodigies of valour, inspired by the fair objects of their adoration.
Serafina, who had overheard some of the baron's impassioned words, couldnot repress a scornful smile; so many women are apt to find the fervidprotestations of lovers, when addressed to others than themselves,supremely ridiculous, yet they joyfully receive the very sameprotestations, without detecting anything in the least absurd in themwhen whispered into their own ears. For a moment she was tempted to trythe power of her many charms, which she believed to be irresistible,with the young baron, and win him away from Isabelle; but this idea wasspeedily rejected, for Serafina held beauty to be a precious gem thatshould be richly set in gold--the gem was hers, but the golden settingwas lamentably wanting, and poor de Sigognac could not possibly furnishit. So the accomplished coquette decided not to interfere with thisnewly-born love affair, which was "all very well for a simple-mindedyoung girl like Isabelle," she said to herself, with a disdainful smileand toss of the head.
Profound silence had fallen upon the party after the late excitement,and some of them were even growing sleepy again, when several hourslater the driver suddenly called out, "There is the Chateau deBruyeres."
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