the men, who stood paralysed, withoutattempting to offer assistance; and, at the same instant, eighthorsemen, with pistols in their hands, dashed from among the treestowards the fidalgo and the litter of Donna Clara.
"Do not attempt to fire!" exclaimed one who appeared to be the leader ofthe band, "or you will repent it. You are in our power, and we might,if we had chosen, have killed every one of you; but, provided you makeno resistance, we do not wish to shed blood, and are sorry for havinghurt the servant. Deliver your money and jewels quietly, and you shallpass on: if you refuse, we shall possess ourselves of them withoutceremony."
"Wretches! how dare you thus speak to me?" demanded the Fidalgo,indignantly. "Retire instantly, and allow my people to pass withoutmolestation, or I will order them to fire."
"Hark! to the fidalgo--he is vapouring!" cried one of the band.
"If you dare to resist, you shall be the first victim, Senhor Fidalgo!"exclaimed he who had first spoken. "And remember your daughter--herfate be on your own head!"
The priest rode fiercely towards them, exclaiming, "Begone, wretches! ordread the anathema of the Church on your souls!"
"Hark to the priest--he's preaching!" cried one with a broad-brimmed hatdrawn over his eyes, laughing. "Pooh, pooh, Senhor Padre, we are notafraid of mother Church; so do not waste your breath: we can get apriest to curse you in return, you know."
The brow of Goncalo Christovao grew dark with anger. "Vile miscreants!"he exclaimed, "you shall not intimidate us. Forward, my men!"
The servants who were near their master prepared to obey; but themuleteers seemed no way inclined to fight.
"Ah! is it so?" exclaimed the captain of the banditti. "Fire on thefools!"
Several shots were discharged; but, fortunately, none of the party wereinjured; and the robbers, drawing their swords, rushed on with loudoaths, but were met with steady courage by the fidalgo and his twoattendants--he parrying, with great skill, every blow aimed at him, tillhis servants were both disarmed, but his arm growing weary, at length,of wielding his blade, a sudden blow wrenched it from his grasp, and hewas thrown with violence to the ground. The priest, in the meantime,remained by Donna Clara's litter, though he looked fully willing, had hepossessed a sword, to have joined in the fray; while the muleteers stoodtrembling by, without attempting to interfere.
"You would have acted more wisely to have saved us this trouble,"exclaimed the leader of the robbers, as they prepared to bind the handsof the servants,--several of them dragging the priest from his mule, andtreating him in the same way; the muleteers falling down on their knees,and crying for mercy, expecting every moment to have their throats cut.The fidalgo remained stunned on the ground; and, when the robberapproached the first litter, to see whom it contained, Donna Clara,overcome with terror at seeing her father, as she supposed, dead, hadfainted. The ruffian gazed with astonishment not unmixed withadmiration, at the fair girl, now with her eyes closed, as pale as deathitself; and for a moment he fancied that some shot must have struckher,--awe preventing him from even daring to touch her, till her gentlebreathing convinced him that she lived; but his courage soon returned."Quick, now, my men!" he cried. "Look into the pockets of thesegentlemen, and put gags into the mouths of those senhoras, who arescreaming loud enough to be heard across the forest, if they do notchoose to be silent, and to deliver up their trinkets quietly. Thebaggage-mules must accompany us, till we can examine their burdens atour leisure."
The banditti lost not a moment in obeying these orders, though theyfound considerable difficulty in executing some of them; particularly ingagging the maid-servants, who fought most desperately, before theywould deliver up each separate article of their ornaments. The morebooty the robbers acquired, the more their avarice increased.
Donna Clara had now partially recovered; and, looking wildlyaround,--"Oh! my father, my father!" she exclaimed, "where are you?"
At the sound of her voice, a new idea seemed to strike the robberleader. "Ah! methinks this fair lady would fetch a high ransom," heexclaimed. "Come, senhora, you must condescend to make use of a lesseasy conveyance. Do not be alarmed, your father is not seriously hurt,"he added, in rather a softer tone; "and if you will quietly accompanyus, no harm shall befall him."
"Go with you! oh, whither?" cried the young lady, in a tone of horror."Oh, allow us to pursue our journey, and my father will reward you."
"We trust not to the promises of a fidalgo, but take care ourselves tosecure the rewards we require," answered the robber. "Come, lady, nomore delay. You must leave your litter, for it cannot pass between thetrees where our path lies." Saying which, he rudely seized the arm ofthe lovely girl, who had not attempted to move till he touched her, whenshe instinctively drew back; but she was as a dove in the talons of avulture; and, dragging her forward, he compelled her to descend to theground.
Trembling with terror, she gazed around, when she beheld the form of herparent, and, breaking from the bandit, threw herself, with a shriek, byhis side, raising his head, and endeavouring to recall him to life. As,regarding none around her, she hung over the inanimate form of herparent, chafing his temples, kissing his pale cheek, and using everyeffort to recover him which her affection dictated, even the hardenedruffians paused ere they attempted to drag her from his side; but thelove of gain triumphed over all the better feelings latent in theirbosoms, which her beauty had for the moment elicited, and he whoappeared to be the captain was again approaching her, when the fidalgogave signs of returning animation, and, opening his eyes, gazedanxiously at his daughter. She uttered a cry of joy, on discoveringthat life yet remained, giving expression to her feelings by tenderendearments; but the ruffian was not to be deterred from his purpose asecond time, and, seizing her arm, attempted to tear her away. Withslender efforts she endeavoured to resist the outrage, clinging stillcloser to her father. "If you have the feelings of men, you cannot beso cruel as to compel me to leave my father thus," she exclaimed. "Oh,wait, at least, till I see him in safety."
"Come, come, this is absurd folly, and waste of much precious time,"cried several of the band in impatient tones.
"Give the old gentleman a shake, which will soon bring him to himself;and let him understand, that if he does not ransom his daughter in thecourse of three days, he will not see her again," said he with theslouched hat.
In vain the fair girl pleaded for pity, as two of the robbers held herin their grasp, while the others raised her father, who was nowsufficiently recovered to comprehend his situation. He of the slouchedhat again made his proposal, with threats of vengeance if it was notacceded to.
"Hear me!" cried the Fidalgo, in a tone of rage and agony. "You darenot commit the base outrage you propose, or the vengeance of everyhonest man in Portugal will follow and destroy you; but yet, if withoutfurther delay you set my daughter at liberty, I most solemnly promiseyou any sum you may venture to demand. Do you consent?"
"No, no, senhor," answered the leader: "we have risked our necks, andmust be paid with good security; nor do we consider the empty word evenof a fidalgo sufficient. You must send us the money, or you know thealternative, while we retain your daughter in our power."
"Wretches, no! 'tis impossible I should consent!" exclaimed GoncaloChristovao. "I would rather stab my daughter to the heart, and thenplunge the dagger into my own breast, than trust you."
"As you like, senhor; but we do not intend to give you the choice.Here, tie this noble fidalgo to a tree, with his servants round him, andthe priest to offer him consolation, and perhaps by the time sometraveller comes by, he may have thought better on the subject," said theleader.
"You dare not do it, villains!" exclaimed the Fidalgo, his agonyincreased to the highest pitch. "Release my child, or the vengeance ofHeaven will fall on your heads."
"Gag him, gag him!" cried several of the band, as they dragged himtowards a tree to bind him to it.
"If you are less than demons, hear me!" he again exclaimed, as he putaside indignantly the rough hands near his face.
"Let my daughter andher attendants go free, and she shall forward the ransom, while I remainwith you."
"Oh no, senhor!" answered the Captain; "you are doubtless a veryvaluable and important person; but that would not at all answer ourpurpose. You would cause us much more trouble to keep; and if, by anychance, the ransom did not arrive, we could, after all, only kill you inrevenge, while your fair daughter would make a charming wife to some ofus. You understand, senhor! 'Twill lower your pride a little, when yousee one of us kennel dogs, as you call us, your son-in-law. Think ofthat. These are our terms; and we do not alter them. Again, I say, wemust have done with this folly.