CHAPTER FIFTY NINE.
Having arrived at the point where the horseman had been last seen, themulatto dismounted, and called up the bloodhound. He addressed somewords to the dog, and by a sign set him on the trail. The animalunderstood what was wanted, and, laying his nose to the ground, ranforward silently. The hunter again climbed back to his saddle, and bothhe and his companion spurred their horses so as to keep pace with thebloodhound.
This was easy enough, though the moon was no longer seen. The colour ofthe dog--a very light red--rendered him conspicuous against the darkgreensward, and there were neither bushes nor long grass to hide him.Moreover, by the instruction of his master, he moved slowly along thetrail--although the scent was still fresh, and he could have gone at amuch faster rate. He had been trained to track slowly in the night, andalso to be silent about it, so that the "bay" peculiar to his race wasnot heard.
It was two hours, full time, before they came in sight of the grovewhere the cibolero had halted. The moment the mulatto saw the timber,he pointed to it, muttering to his companion:--
"See, boy Pepe! dog make for island--see! Bet onza guero there. Dam!there sure!"
When they had arrived within five or six hundred yards of the grove--itwas still but dimly visible under the darkening sky--the yellow huntercalled the dog off the trail, and ordered him to keep behind. He knewthat the horseman must have passed either into the grove or close besideit. In either case his trail could be easily taken up again. If--asthe mulatto from his excited manner evidently believed--their victim wasstill in the grove, then the dog's sagacity was no longer needed. Thetime was come for them to take other measures.
Diverging from his forward course, the yellow hunter rode in a circle,keeping at about the same distance from the edge of the timber. He wasfollowed by his companion and the dogs.
When opposite the gap made by the avenue, a bright blaze struck suddenlyupon their eyes, causing both to rein up with an exclamation ofsurprise. They had arrived at a point commanding a view of the glade,in the centre of which they perceived a large fire!
"Told so, boy Pepe! fool's asleep yonder--never dream could trail him bynight--don't like cold--good fire--believe safe enough. Know thatglade--cunning place--only see fire from two points. Ha! yonder horse!"
The figure of a horse standing near the fire was plainly discernibleunder the light.
"Dam!" continued the hunter; "guero bigger fool than thought 'im.Mighty God, see! believe 'im sleep yonder! him, sure!"
As the mulatto uttered these words, he pointed to a dark form by thefire. It appeared to be the body of a man, prostrate and asleep.
"_Santisima_, it is!" replied the zambo. "Snug by the fire too. He_is_ a fool! but, sure enough, he could have no thought of our followinghim in a night so dark as this."
"Hwish, dam! dog not there, guero ours! No more talk, boy Pepe! followme!"
The mulatto headed his horse, not direct for the grove, but for a pointon the bank of the river some distance below. They rode silently, butnow with more rapidity.
Their victim was just where they would have wished him, and they were ina hurry to take advantage of his situation. The nature of the groundwas well-known to both, for they had shot deer from the cover of thatvery copse.
On arriving at the river bank, both dismounted; and having tied boththeir horses and dogs to the willows, they commenced moving forward inthe direction of the grove.
They observed less caution than they might otherwise have done. Theyfelt certain their victim was asleep by the fire. Fool, they thoughthim! but then how was he to have suspected their presence? The mostcunning might have deemed himself secure under such circumstances. Itwas natural enough that he had gone to sleep, wearied as no doubt hewas. Natural, too, that he had kindled a fire. The night had becomeunpleasantly cold, and it would have been impossible to sleep without afire. All that seemed natural enough.
They reached the edge of the grove, and without hesitation crawled intothe underwood.
The night was still, the breeze scarce turned a leaf, and the slightestrustling among the bushes could have been heard in any part of theglade. A low murmur of water from a distant rapid, a light ripple inthe nearer stream, the occasional howl of the prairie wolf, and thedismal wailing of nightbirds, were the only sounds that fell upon theear.
But although the man-stalkers were making their way through thickunderwood, not a sound betokened their advance. There was no rustlingof leaves, no snapping of twigs, no crackling of dead sticks under thepressure of hand or knee, no signs of human presence within that darkshrubbery. These men well knew how to thread the thicket. Silent, asthe snake glides through the grass, was their advance.
In the glade reigned perfect silence. In its very centre blazed a largefire that lit up the whole surface with its brilliant flames. It waseasy to distinguish the form of a fine steed--the steed of thecibolero--standing near the fire; and, nearer still, the prostrate formof his master, who seemed asleep! Yes, there were the manga, thesombrero, the botas and spurs. There was the lazo reaching from theneck of the horse, and, no doubt, wound around the arm of the sleeper!All these points could be determined at a glance.
The horse started, struck the ground with his hoof and then stood stillagain!
What had he heard? Some wild beast moving near?
No, not a wild beast--worse than that.
Upon the southern edge of the glade a face looked out from theunderwood--a human face! It remained but a moment, and was then drawnback behind the leaves. That face could easily have been recognised,his yellow complexion, conspicuous under the glare of the blazing wood,told to whom it belonged. It was the face of Manuel the mulatto.
For some moments it remained behind the leafy screen. Then it wasprotruded as before, and close beside it another face of darker hue.Both were turned in the same direction. Both regarded the prostrateform by the fire, that still appeared to be sound asleep! The eyes ofboth were gleaming with malignant triumph. Success seemed certain--their victim was at length within their power!
The faces were again withdrawn, and for a minute neither sound nor sightgave any indication of their presence. At the end of that minute,however, the head of the mulatto was again protruded, but this time at adifferent point, close to the surface of the ground, and where there wasan opening in the underwood.
In a moment more his whole body was drawn through, and appeared in arecumbent position within the glade.
The head and body of the zambo followed; and both now glided silentlyover the grass in the direction of the sleeper. Flat upon theirbellies, like a pair of huge lizards, they moved, one following in theother's trail!
The mulatto was in the advance. His right hand grasped a long-blade,knife, while his gun was carried in the left.
They moved slowly and with great caution--though ready at any moment tospring forward should their victim awake and become aware of theirpresence.
The unconscious sleeper lay between them and the fire. His form cast ashadow over the sward. Into this they crept, with the view of betterconcealment, and proceeded on.
At length the mulatto arrived within three feet of the prostrate body;and gathering himself, he rose upon his knees with the intention ofmaking a spring forward. The sudden erection of his body brought hisface full into the light, and rendered it a conspicuous object. Histime was come.
The whip-like crack of a rifle was heard, and at the same instant astream of fire shot out from the leafy top of a live-oak that stood nearthe entrance of the avenue. The mulatto suddenly sprang to his feet,threw out his arms with a wild cry, staggered a pace or two, and,dropping both knife and gun, fell forward into the fire!
The zambo also leaped to his feet; and, believing the shot had come fromthe pretended sleeper, precipitated himself upon the latter, knife inhand, and drove his blade with desperate earnestness into the side ofthe prostrate form.
Almost on the instant he leaped back with a yell of terror; and,
withoutstopping to assist his fallen comrade, rushed off over the glade, anddisappeared into the underwood. The figure by the fire remainedprostrate and motionless.
But at this moment a dark form was seen to descend through the branchesof the live-oak whence the shot had come; a shrill whistle rang throughthe glade; and the steed, dragging his lazo, galloped up under the tree.
A man, half-naked, and carrying a long rifle, dropped upon the horse'sback; and the next instant both horse and man disappeared through theavenue, having gone off at full speed in the direction of the plain!