CHAPTER TEN.
STRAYED FROM THE TRACK.
The ravine, below the spot where the Indian and negro had seatedthemselves, was covered with a luxuriant vegetation--plants and trees oftropical growth so thickly standing over the ground that the rays of thesun could not have penetrated through the umbrageous foliage.Notwithstanding this abundance of vegetation, if the two gold-seekershad not been so absorbed in their designs, they might have seen belowthem the figure of a man, who was standing at the bottom of the cascade,directly under their feet.
This man, who had just arrived on the spot, and who appeared to beregarding the waterfall with looks of curiosity and admiration, was noother than Rafael Tres-Villas, Captain of the Queen's Dragoons.
It is necessary to explain how Don Rafael had come to be found in thiswild spot, altogether away from the path which he should have followedto the hacienda Las Palmas. Accident, not design, had conducted him tothe bottom of the cascade.
On parting from the student of theology, who, recalling the classicscenes of his Odyssey, had mistaken him for a man-eater--a Lestrygon--the dragoon captain, without searching any longer for an explanation ofthe odd circumstances observed along the way, at once stretched hishorse into a gallop. The animal required no propulsion of the spur.His instinct enabled him to scent the proximity of a stable; and heresponded to the wishes of his rider by galloping swiftly forward.
Unfortunately the Captain, though a Creole or native Mexican, wasentirely unacquainted with this part of the country. He had been bornin it, as already hinted; but at a very early age had been taken toreside in the capital; and since then had never revisited the place ofhis nativity. He was consequently ignorant of the road leading to thepaternal hacienda Del Valle--as also to that of Las Palmas--for bothwere one.
He had not ridden many miles when he arrived at a point where the roadforked into two separate paths. Both however continued on, running atno great distance from each other.
Not knowing which he should take, and having met no human being thatcould direct him, the Captain left the choice to his horse.
The animal, that was no doubt suffering more from thirst than hunger,spread his nostrils to the air, and scenting the fresh exhalations ofwater, struck off in the direction whence it came. This was to theright.
The choice was fortunate for the student of theology, but rather unluckyfor the dragoon captain, as will presently appear.
In fact, the path leading to the left was that which conducted to thehacienda of Las Palmas--which the Captain, for a certain reason, wasdesirous of reaching, and on that very evening.
After following the right-hand branch for some minutes, the horsemanarrived at a spot where the path suddenly gave out. In front appearedonly a thick tangle of trees and bushes, behind which could be heard theroaring of a torrent.
Don Rafael was now completely at fault. To return on his track wouldnot only be disagreeable, but there would still exist the sameuncertainty as to his route. Even the right-hand branch of the roadmight not be the right one!
After a minute or two spent in considering what was best to be done, theCaptain dismounted, and tying his steed to a tree, commenced making hisway through the thicket in the direction whence came the sound of thewater, evidently a stream. He was in hopes that on reaching the bank,and following along the water's edge, he might find the continuation ofthe road at some point where the stream was fordable. After making hisway with much labour and loss of time through the labyrinthine tangle ofthe thicket, he arrived at the bottom of the cascade, just at the momentwhen Costal and Clara were about entering upon the ceremony of invokingthe Siren.
Notwithstanding the desire which the dragoon captain had to escape assoon as possible from the dilemma into which chance had conducted him,the spectacle of this cascade--one of the most magnificent in America--drew from him a cry of wonder and admiration. For some minutes he stoodregarding it with admiring eyes, inspired with those sublime feelingswhich such a grand sight is calculated to call forth.
At length other thoughts came before his mind; and he was about turningaway to continue his explorations for a path, when an unexpected objectpresenting itself to his eyes, caused him to keep his place.