CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
It was not yet daybreak when the party left the house, but they had notstarted too early. Carlos knew that they could follow the road so faras the lancers had gone, in the darkness; and it would be light enoughby the time they had got to the point where these had turned back.
Five miles below the house of Don Juan the road forked--one, leadingsouthward, was that by which Carlos had returned the evening before; theother, or left fork, led nearly in a direct line towards the Pecos,where there was a ford. The left fork had been that taken by thetroopers, as their horse-tracks showed.
It was now day. They could have followed the trail at a gallop, as itwas a much-travelled and well-known path. But the eye of the cibolerowas not bent upon this plain trail, but upon the ground on each side ofit, and this double scrutiny caused him to ride more slowly.
On both sides were cattle-tracks. These were, no doubt, made by thecattle stolen from Don Juan--in all numbering about fifty. The cibolerosaid they must have passed over the ground two days before. That wouldcorrespond with the time when they had been taken.
The trackers soon passed the limits of the valley, and entered the plainthrough which runs the Pecos. They were about approaching that streamin a direct line, and were still two miles from its banks, when the dogCibolo, who had been trotting in advance of the party, suddenly turnedto the left, and ran on in that direction. The keen eye of Carlosdetected a new trail upon which the dog was running, and which partedfrom the track of the troopers. It ran in a direction due north.
What appeared singular both to Carlos and Don Juan was the fact ofCibolo having taken this new route, as it was not marked by a road orpath of any kind, but merely by the footprints of some animals that hadlately passed over it!
_Had Cibolo gone that way before_?
Carlos dismounted to examine the tracks.
"Four horses and one mule!" he said, speaking to Don Juan. "Two of thehorses shod on the fore feet only; the other two, with the mule,barefoot. All of them mounted--the mule led--perhaps with a pack.
"_No_!" he added, after a little further examination, "it's not apack-mule!"
It scarce cost the cibolero five minutes to arrive at these conclusions.How he did so was a mystery to most of his companions,--perhaps to all,except the half-blood, Antonio. And yet he was right in everyparticular.
He continued to scrutinise the new trail for some moments longer.
"The time corresponds," said he, still addressing Don Juan. "Theypassed yesterday morning before the dew was dry. You are sure it wasnot midnight when they left your house?"
"Quite sure," replied the ranchero. "It was still only midnight when Ireturned with your mother from the rancho. I am quite sure of that."
"One more question, Don Juan: How many Indians, think you, were in theparty that made their appearance at your house--few or many?"
"Not many I think. Two or three only could be heard yelling at once;but the trees prevented us from seeing them. I fancy, from their tracesleft, that the band was a very small one. It might be the same thatburned the rancho. They could have arrived at my house afterwards.There was time enough."
"I have reason to believe they _were_ the same," said Carlos, stillbending over the hoof-prints, "and _this may be their trail_."
"Think you so?" inquired Don Juan.
"I do.--See--there! Is this not strange?"
The speaker pointed to the dog, who, meanwhile, had returned to thespot, and stood whimpering, and showing an evident desire to proceed bythe trace newly discovered!
"Very strange," replied Don Juan. "He must have travelled it before!"
"Perhaps so," said Carlos. "But it will not spoil by an hour's keeping.Let us first see where these valiant troopers have been to. I want toknow that before I leave this main path. Let us on, and briskly!"
All spurred their animals into a gentle gallop, the cibolero leading asbefore. As before, also, his eyes swept the ground on both sides insearch of any trail that might diverge from that on which theytravelled.
Now and then cross paths appeared, but these were old. No horses hadpassed recently upon them, and he did not slacken his pace to examinethem.
After a twenty minutes' gallop the party halted upon the bank of thePecos, at the ford. It was plain that the troopers had also haltedthere, and turned back without crossing! But cattle had crossed twodays before--so said the cibolero--and mounted drivers. The tracks ofboth were visible in the mud. Carlos rode through the shallow water toexamine the other side. At a glance he saw that no troops had crossed,but some forty or fifty head of cattle.
After a long and careful examination, not only of the muddy bank, but ofthe plain above, he beckoned to Don Juan and the rest to ford the streamand join him.
When Don Juan came up, the cibolero said to him, in a tone full ofintelligence--
"_Amigo_! you stand a fair chance to recover your cattle."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because their drivers, four in number, have been near this spot notmuch over twenty-four hours ago. The animals, therefore, cannot be faroff."
"But how know you this?"
"Oh, that is plain enough," coolly responded the cibolero. "The men whodrove your beasts were mounted on the same horses that made yondertrail." The speaker indicated the trail which he had halted to examine,and continued,--"Very probably we'll find the herd among the spurs ofthe ceja yonder."
As Carlos said this, he pointed to a number of ragged ridges that fromthe brow of the Llano Estacado jutted out into the plain. They appearedto be at the distance of some ten miles from the crossing.
"Shall we push on there?" asked Don Juan.
The cibolero did not give an immediate answer. He had evidently notdecided yet, and was debating in his own mind what course to pursue.
"Yes," he replied, at length, in a solemn and deliberate voice. "It isbetter to be sure. With all my terrible suspicions, I may be wrong._She_ may be wrong. _The two trails may yet come together_."
The latter part of this was spoken in soliloquy, and, though it reachedthe ears of Don Juan, he did not comprehend its meaning. He was aboutto ask his companion for an explanation, when the latter, suddenlycollecting his energies, struck the spurs into his horse, and, callingto them to follow, galloped off upon the cattle-track.
After a run of ten miles, which was made in less than an hour, the partyentered a large ravine or point of the plain that protruded, like a deepbay, into the mountain-like side of the high steppe. As they enteredthis, a singular spectacle came under their eyes. The ravine, near itsbottom, was covered with zopilotes, or black vultures. Hundreds of themwere perched upon the rocks, or wheeling overhead in the air; andhundreds of others hopped about upon the plain, flapping their broadwings as if in full enjoyment. The coyote, the larger wolf, and thegrizzly bear, were seen moving over the ground, or quarrelling with eachother, though they need not have quarrelled--the repast was plenteousfor all. Between forty and fifty carcases were strewed over the ground,which Don Juan and his vaqueros as they drew near recognised as thecarcases of his own cattle.
"I told you so, Don Juan," said Carlos, in a voice now husky withemotion; "but I did not expect this. What a deep-laid plan! They mighthave strayed back! and that--oh! horrible villain! My mother wasright--_it is he! it is he_!"
"Who, Carlos! What mean you?" inquired Don Juan, wondering at thesestrange and incongruous phrases.
"Ask me not now, Don Juan! Presently I shall tell you all--presently,but not now; my brain's too hot--my heart is burning: presently--presently. The mystery is past--I know all--I had suspicion from thefirst--I saw him at the fiesta--I saw his bad ruffian gaze bent uponher. Oh, despot! I'll tear your heart out! Come, Don Juan!--Antonio--comrades!--After me on the trail! It's easily followed. _I know whereit will lead_--well I know.--On!"
And driving the spur into the flanks of his horse, the cibolero gallopedoff in the direction of the crossing.
&n
bsp; The wondering troop--Don Juan among the rest--set their animals inmotion, and galloped after.
There was no halt made at the ford. Carlos dashed his horse through thewater, and the rest imitated his example. There was no halt either onarriving at the trace that led northward. The dog scampered along it,yelping at intervals; and the troop kept close after his heels.
They had not followed it quite a mile when it suddenly turned at rightangles, and _took the direction of the town_!
Don Juan and the rest expressed surprise, but there was nothing in allthis to surprise the cibolero. _He_ was expecting that. The expressionon his face was not that of astonishment. It was far different--farmore terrible to behold!
His eyes were sunk in their sockets and gleaming with a lurid light, asif fire was burning within them. His teeth were firmly set--his lipswhite and tightly drawn, as if he was meditating, or had already made,some desperate resolve. He scarce looked at the tracks, he needed theirguidance no longer. _He knew there he was going_!
The trail crossed a muddy arroyo. The dog sweltered through, and thered clay adhered to his shaggy coat. It corresponded with that withwhich he had been already besmeared!
Don Juan noticed the circumstance, and pointed it out.
"He has been here before!" said he.
"I know it," replied Carlos; "I know it all--all. There is no mysterynow. Patience, amigo! You shall know all, but now let me _think_. Ihave no time for aught else."
The trail still led in the direction of the town. It did not re-enterthe valley, but passed over a sloping country to the upper plain, andthen ran nearly parallel with the bluffs.
"Master!" said Antonio, riding up by the side of Carlos, "these are notthe tracks of Indian horses, unless they have stolen them. Two of themare _troop_ horses. I know the _berradura_ well. They are _officers'horses_, too--I can tell that from the shoeing."
The cibolero showed no signs of being astonished by this information,nor made he reply. He seemed engrossed with his thoughts.
Antonio, thinking he had not been heard or understood, repeated what hehad said.
"Good Antonio!" said the cibolero, turning his eyes on his follower, "doyou think me blind or stupid?"
This was not said angrily. Antonio understood its meaning, and fellback among his companions.
On moved the trackers--now at a gallop, now more slowly, for theiranimals were by this time somewhat jaded. On they moved, still keepingthe trail, and still heading straight for the town!
At length they reached a point where a road from the upper plain led bya zigzag path to the valley below. It was the same by which Carlos hadascended to perform his great feat on the day of the fiesta. At the topof the descent Carlos ordered the party to halt, and with Don Juan rodeforward to the edge of the projecting cliff--at the very spot where hehad exhibited his skill--the cliff of _Nina Perdida_.
Both drew up when near the edge. They commanded a full view of thevalley and the town.
"Do you see that building?" inquired the cibolero, pointing to thedetached pile which lay between them and the town.
"The Presidio?"
"The Presidio."
"Yes--what of it?"
"_She is there_!"