CHAPTER XLV
The Hunted
In the dim light shed by the moonbeams sifting through the thickfoliage a man wandered through the forest with slow and cautioussteps. From time to time, as if to find his way, he whistled a peculiarmelody, which was answered in the distance by some one whistling thesame air. The man would listen attentively and then make his way inthe direction of the distant sound, until at length, after overcomingthe thousand obstacles offered by the virgin forest in the night-time,he reached a small open space, which was bathed in the light of themoon in its first quarter. The high, tree-crowned rocks that roseabout formed a kind of ruined amphitheater, in the center of whichwere scattered recently felled trees and charred logs among boulderscovered with nature's mantle of verdure.
Scarcely had the unknown arrived when another figure started suddenlyfrom behind a large rock and advanced with drawn revolver. "Who areyou?" he asked in Tagalog in an imperious tone, cocking the weapon.
"Is old Pablo among you?" inquired the unknown in an even tone,without answering the question or showing any signs of fear.
"You mean the capitan? Yes, he's here."
"Then tell him that Elias is here looking for him," was the answerof the unknown, who was no other than the mysterious pilot.
"Are you Elias?" asked the other respectfully, as he approached him,not, however, ceasing to cover him with the revolver. "Then come!"
Elias followed him, and they penetrated into a kind of cave sunkdown in the depths of the earth. The guide, who seemed to be familiarwith the way, warned the pilot when he should descend or turn asideor stoop down, so they were not long in reaching a kind of hallwhich was poorly lighted by pitch torches and occupied by twelve tofifteen armed men with dirty faces and soiled clothing, some seatedand some lying down as they talked fitfully to one another. Restinghis arms on a stone that served for a table and gazing thoughtfullyat the torches, which gave out so little light for so much smoke,was seen an old, sad-featured man with his head wrapped in a bloodybandage. Did we not know that it was a den of tulisanes we might havesaid, on reading the look of desperation in the old man's face, thatit was the Tower of Hunger on the eve before Ugolino devoured his sons.
Upon the arrival of Elias and his guide the figures partly rose,but at a signal from the latter they settled back again, satisfyingthemselves with the observation that the newcomer was unarmed. Theold man turned his head slowly and saw the quiet figure of Elias,who stood uncovered, gazing at him with sad interest.
"It's you at last," murmured the old man, his gaze lighting up somewhatas he recognized the youth.
"In what condition do I find you!" exclaimed the youth in a suppressedtone, shaking his head.
The old man dropped his head in silence and made a sign to the others,who arose and withdrew, first taking the measure of the pilot'smuscles and stature with a glance.
"Yes!" said the old man to Elias as soon as they were alone. "Sixmonths ago when I sheltered you in my house, it was I who pitiedyou. Now we have changed parts and it is you who pity me. But sitdown and tell me how you got here."
"It's fifteen days now since I was told of your misfortune," began theyoung man slowly in a low voice as he stared at the light. "I startedat once and have been seeking you from mountain to mountain. I'vetraveled over nearly the whole of two provinces."
"In order not to shed innocent blood," continued the old man, "Ihave had to flee. My enemies were afraid to show themselves. I wasconfronted merely with some unfortunates who have never done me theleast harm."
After a brief pause during which he seemed to be occupied in tryingto read the thoughts in the dark countenance of the old man, Eliasreplied: "I've come to make a proposition to you. Having sought in vainfor some survivor of the family that caused the misfortunes of mine,I've decided to leave the province where I live and move toward theNorth among the independent pagan tribes. Don't you want to abandonthe life you have entered upon and come with me? I will be your son,since you have lost your own; I have no family, and in you will finda father."
The old man shook his, head in negation, saying, "When one at myage makes a desperate resolution, it's because there is no otherrecourse. A man who, like myself, has spent his youth and his matureyears toiling for the future of himself and his sons; a man who hasbeen submissive to every wish of his superiors, who has conscientiouslyperformed difficult tasks, enduring all that he might live in peace andquiet--when that man, whose blood time has chilled, renounces all hispast and foregoes all his future, even on the very brink of the grave,it is because he has with mature judgment decided that peace doesnot exist and that it is not the highest good. Why drag out miserabledays on foreign soil? I had two sons, a daughter, a home, a fortune,I was esteemed and respected; now I am as a tree shorn of its branches,a wanderer, a fugitive, hunted like a wild beast through the forest,and all for what? Because a man dishonored my daughter, because herbrothers called that man's infamy to account, and because that manis set above his fellows with the title of minister of God! In spiteof everything, I, her father, I, dishonored in my old age, forgavethe injury, for I was indulgent with the passions of youth and theweakness of the flesh, and in the face of irreparable wrong what couldI do but hold my peace and save what remained to me? But the culprit,fearful of vengeance sooner or later, sought the destruction of mysons. Do you know what he did? No? You don't know, then, that hepretended that there had been a robbery committed in the conventoand that one of my sons figured among the accused? The other couldnot be included because he was in another place at the time. Do youknow what tortures they were subjected to? You know of them, forthey are the same in all the towns! I, I saw my son hanging by thehair, I heard his cries, I heard him call upon me, and I, coward andlover of peace, hadn't the courage either to kill or to die! Do youknow that the theft was not proved, that it was shown to be a falsecharge, and that in punishment the curate was transferred to anothertown, but that my son died as a result of his tortures? The other,the one who was left to me, was not a coward like his father, so ourpersecutor was still fearful that he would wreak vengeance on him,and, under the pretext of his not having his cedula, [124] which hehad not carried with him just at that time, had him arrested by theCivil Guard, mistreated him, enraged and harassed him with insultsuntil he was driven to suicide! And I, I have outlived so much shame;but if I had not the courage of a father to defend my sons, there yetremains to me a heart burning for revenge, and I will have it! Thediscontented are gathering under my command, my enemies increasemy forces, and on the day that I feel myself strong enough I willdescend to the lowlands and in flames sate my vengeance and end myown existence. And that day will come or there is no God!" [125]
The old man arose trembling. With fiery look and hollow voice, headded, tearing his long hair, "Curses, curses upon me that I restrainedthe avenging hands of my sons--I have murdered them! Had I let theguilty perish, had I confided less in the justice of God and men, Ishould now have my sons--fugitives, perhaps, but I should have them;they would not have died under torture! I was not born to be a father,so I have them not! Curses upon me that I had not learned with myyears to know the conditions under which I lived! But in fire andblood by my own death I will avenge them!"
In his paroxysm of grief the unfortunate father tore away the bandage,reopening a wound in his forehead from which gushed a stream of blood.
"I respect your sorrow," said Elias, "and I understand your desirefor revenge. I, too, am like you, and yet from fear of injuring theinnocent I prefer to forget my misfortunes."
"You can forget because you are young and because you haven't lost ason, your last hope! But I assure you that I shall injure no innocentone. Do you see this wound? Rather than kill a poor cuadrillero,who was doing his duty, I let him inflict it."
"But look," urged Elias, after a moment's silence, "look what afrightful catastrophe you are going to bring down upon our unfortunatepeople. If you accomplish your revenge by your own hand, your enemieswill make terrible reprisals, not ag
ainst you, not against those whoare armed, but against the peaceful, who as usual will be accused--andthen the eases of injustice!"
"Let the people learn to defend themselves, let each one defendhimself!"
"You know that that is impossible. Sir, I knew you in other days whenyou were happy; then you gave me good advice, will you now permit me--"
The old man folded his arms in an attitude of attention. "Sir,"continued Elias, weighing his words well, "I have had the goodfortune to render a service to a young man who is rich, generous,noble, and who desires the welfare of his country. They say thatthis young man has friends in Madrid--I don't know myself--but Ican assure you that he is a friend of the Captain-General's. Whatdo you say that we make him the bearer of the people's complaints,if we interest him in the cause of the unhappy?"
The old man shook his head. "You say that he is rich? The rich thinkonly of increasing their wealth, pride and show blind them, and asthey are generally safe, above all when they have powerful friends,none of them troubles himself about the woes of the unfortunate. Iknow all, because I was rich!"
"But the man of whom I speak is not like the others. He is a son whohas been insulted over the memory of his father, and a young man who,as he is soon to have a family, thinks of the future, of a happyfuture for his children."
"Then he is a man who is going to be happy--our cause is not forhappy men."
"But it is for men who have feelings!"
"Perhaps!" replied the old man, seating himself. "Suppose that heagrees to carry our cry even to the Captain-General, suppose thathe finds in the Cortes [126] delegates who will plead for us; do youthink that we shall get justice?"
"Let us try it before we resort to violent measure," answeredElias. "You must be surprised that I, another unfortunate, youngand strong, should propose to you, old and weak, peaceful measures,but it's because I've seen as much misery caused by us as by thetyrants. The defenseless are the ones who pay."
"And if we accomplish nothing?"
"Something we shall accomplish, believe me, for all those who are inpower are not unjust. But if we accomplish nothing, if they disregardour entreaties, if man has become deaf to the cry of sorrow from hiskind, then I will put myself under your orders!"
The old man embraced the youth enthusiastically. "I accept yourproposition, Elias. I know that you will keep your word. You willcome to me, and I shall help you to revenge your ancestors, you willhelp me to revenge my sons, my sons that were like you!"
"In the meantime, sir, you will refrain from violent measures?"
"You will present the complaints of the people, you know them. Whenshall I know your answer?"
"In four days send a man to the beach at San Diego and I will tellhim what I shall have learned from the person in whom I place somuch hope. If he accepts, they will give us justice; and if not,I'll be the first to fall in the struggle that we will begin."
"Elias will not die, Elias will be the leader when Capitan Pablo fails,satisfied in his revenge," concluded the old man, as he accompaniedthe youth out of the cave into the open air.